Have you tried a memory tester like MemTest86 (http://www.MemTest86.com)? It's on the newer Knoppix discs, or it can be downloaded either as a floppy-disk image or as an ISO bootable CD-ROM image.

The "two processors" sensing and the "ht" reference is because of hyperthreading (http://www.intel.com/info/hyperthreading/). As far as I know, it's almost impossible to overclock a Dell--the...

It's certainly best to do it that way. Many newer malware programs of any type try to block removal--or reinstall themselves right away. Working in Safe Mode ensures that they are not running...

You need the new version. You can update before you do the fixes...
Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7

Aaack! You are waaay behind on your patches. These are the original, unpatched Windows...

Have you tried downloading the "offline" version instead? It's about 15MB, but I have found that it's a more reliable install. The new version (1.5.0) is available...

The curent version of Firefox is 1.0 Preview (get the newly-patched version). Start with that, then ask questions. I must admit that I don't know what the problem is, yet.

Gotta go. Check here (http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?Vname=TROJ_AGENT.US). If it's Windows 98, why all the Registry references to WinNT? SmileyCentral is an adware...

Quite likely, this is actually a hardware problem, either a loose board/dirty contact in the system itself or a corrupted driver ("slow" = "old" so dust/dirt can cause problems). At shutdown, each...

I don't think you got a problem from TSG--it's likely a coincidence. It's a reputable site; if I wasn't here, I might very well be there myself. I sometimes check threads there to ensure that I'm...

Looks clean, what's the problem? Some folks have problems with C:\WINDOWS\System32\taskswitch.exe -- but it's not malware.

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common...

You absolutely should only run one firewall at a time--in your case, use the Norton firewall only. Though it is better than nothing, the Windows firewall is still deliberately crippled and nearly...

You should have started by reading the messages at the top of the Security Forum page: UPDATED: DO NOT POST ABOUT BRIDGE.DLL BEFORE READING THIS...

As far as I can tell, it's a 9600SE (http://www.ati.com/products/radeon9600/radeon9600pro/compare.html).

In the future, please post just the relevant parts of output text like this. Not only is...

Actually, this is pretty easy, no Registry tweaking is required.

There's a tool for this purpose, TweakUI (http://www.annoyances.org/downloads/ftp/tweakui.zip). A good explanation with details...

This is probably a DiVX file, an MPEG-4 variant. Apple QuickTime or WinAmp 5 (preferred) should be able to play it. You can also search for a DiVX-compatible codec for WMP. The "free" version of the...

You will have to download and use HijackThis (see the malware links in my signature) and post the log to the Security Forum. You will also likely need a utility called LSPfix...

This is caused by a DLL mismatch and is fixed by making sure that your Windows and Internet Explorer patches are up-to-date. Run Windows Update (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/).

At this point, you are going to need to download and run HijackThis (see my malware links below) and post a log to the Security Forum.

I'm pretty sure that what's happening is that you have...

Did you miss me? I have been gone for several months due to a variety of problems, but I'm back--and here to help.

While I am not entirely averse to helping people via IMs or PMs, I would prefer...

First of all, you have to obtain a newer version of Internet Explorer. v5.5 is no longer supported or updated. v6.0 is more secure by a good margin. You can find IE 6.0 on an AOL disc, if they have...

Your main problem is Trojan.Win32.Dialer.bi (http://www.pestpatrol.com/pestinfo/t/trojan_win32_dialer_bi.asp), but you also have Gator and a first-timer:

[firstfastrealthat] C:\Documents and...

I think that you still have a problem--I'm not sure if I can pinpoint it exactly, but the symptom is the line F:\WINDOWS\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE under Running Processes. This indicates a problem,...

What do you mean by "header?" That word has several meanings in this context, and the differences matter.

Worst-case, of course, you could install OpenOffice.org (http://www.OpenOffice.org)...

This is a common problem, as the installer is looking for files from the installation CD--but you may already have the cabinet (.CAB) files on the machine. The default location is...

"Messing up" in what way? Some problems, such as malware, won't be solved with a re-install. You may wind up posting a HijackThis log to the Security Forum.

That having been said, if you really...

In addition to Common Name, which is spyware, you probably have a virus or Trojan that is disabling MSConfig and, likely, Regedit. In the long term, you will need to download and run a spyware...

In my opinion, there are more pros than cons. I have done about a dozen XP-SP2 installs with no problem. In fact, I have written an article (http://www.ameritech.net/users/mpr_support/XP-SP2.html)...

I'm not sure about the date/time problem, but it might be a good idea to read my article (http://www.ameritech.net/users/mpr_support/Corrupt_98.html) on Windows 98. A temporary work-around would be...

Copy these instructions to Notepad or another text editor, then print them out. You should not have any browser windows open when you are following the procedures below.

Actually, System Restore...

In order to properly clean out your problems, you must turn off System Restore first. Turn it back on only after performing the following repairs. If you do not understand System Restore or how to...

Win 95 has a limited amount of RAM available for system resources (even less than Win 98/Me), regardless of how much RAM the system has (though 32 MB is not enough system RAM, even for Win 95). If...

You are not without recourse. Try running HijackThis in Safe Mode and see if that gives you enough time to delete the offending startups. There are also alternative tools available to kill the...

For example, this one (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1007125&CatId=1078), while slightly over your limit, is a brand known to me, and a 120mm fan turns...

These are the bad processes:

C:\WINDOWS\System32\csrs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\bling.exe
C:\index.exe

You are going to have to stop these processes before going further, because they...

Blurring is not a vid-card problem. It sounds like a monitor problem. The focus has shifted over time (a common problem), and needs to be readjusted. It's not going to be cost-effective unless...

There are many possibilities. Modern mouses have microcontrollers (stripped-down microprocessors), and driver or hardware errors can cause lockups. USB or PS/2 mouse? It makes a difference in this...

A lot depends on how old, what brand, what model, what processor speed, etc. It sounds like the clock battery is dead (not keeping time), so you need to determine that aspect. This might also...

How much memory do you have? Drive space? Combine low memory with a fragmented, nearly-full hard drive and things slow w-a-a-a-y down at boot-time.

Bearing wear is a problem with cheap DC fans, noise is a major symptom. Actually you can replace the fan yourself, based on the physical measurements and the current rating--it's pretty easy. Most...

Yes. There is a signal line from the power supply to the motherboard called PSG (power supply good). If the voltage goes out-of-bounds, the system may well shut down. the upper bound on the 12V...