yessirree
keep gettin the ole' illegal operation for just about everything after you start working on the computer for a couple minutes.

heres a HJT log, hopefully it can help:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 6:08:49 PM, on 5/2/09
Platform: Windows 98 Gold (Win9x 4.10.1998)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SPOOL32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MPREXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSTASK.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\NETWORK ASSOCIATES\MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN\VSHWIN32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\NETWORK ASSOCIATES\MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN\VSSTAT.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\TASKMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ATIPTAAA.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\STARTER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\GWHOTKEY.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\NETWORK ASSOCIATES\MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN\AVCONSOL.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\NETWORK ASSOCIATES\MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN\WEBSCANX.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\REAL\REALPLAYER\REALPLAY.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\RunDLL.exe
C:\PROGRAM FILES\REAL\REALJUKEBOX\TSYSTRAY.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\THE HELPSPOT!\FAWGRD32.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\THE HELPSPOT!\FA_GD32.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\THE HELPSPOT!\RTFIXM32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RNAAPP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\TAPISRV.EXE
C:\AMERICA ONLINE 6.0\WAOL.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\TREND MICRO\HIJACKTHIS\HIJACKTHIS.EXE

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://www.luckyhomepage.com/ie/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by America Online
O2 - BHO: BrowserHelper Class - {EBCDDA60-2A68-11D3-8A43-0060083CFB9C} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\NZDD.DLL
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSDXM.OCX
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ScanRegistry] c:\windows\scanregw.exe /autorun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TaskMonitor] c:\windows\taskmon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SystemTray] SysTray.Exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ATIGART] c:\ati\gart\atigart.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AtiPTA] Atiptaaa.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EnsoniqMixer] starter.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Multi-function Keyboard] GWHotKey.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AvconsoleEXE] C:\Program Files\Network Associates\McAfee VirusScan\avconsol.exe /minimize
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [McAfeeWebScanX] C:\PROGRAM FILES\NETWORK ASSOCIATES\MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN\WebScanX.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Vshwin32EXE] C:\PROGRAM FILES\NETWORK ASSOCIATES\MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN\VSHWIN32.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VsStatEXE] C:\Program Files\Network Associates\McAfee VirusScan\VSSTAT.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AtiCwd32] Aticwd32.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AtiQiPcl] AtiQiPcl.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RealTray] C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\RealPlay.exe SYSTEMBOOTHIDEPLAYER
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [SchedulingAgent] mstask.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [Vshwin32EXE] C:\PROGRAM FILES\NETWORK ASSOCIATES\MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN\VSHWIN32.EXE
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Taskbar Display Controls] RunDLL deskcp16.dll,QUICKRES_RUNDLLENTRY
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [RealJukeboxSystray] "C:\PROGRAM FILES\REAL\REALJUKEBOX\tsystray.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [AIM] C:\PROGRAM FILES\AIM95\aim.exe -cnetwait.odl
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [Taskbar Display Controls] RunDLL deskcp16.dll,QUICKRES_RUNDLLENTRY (User 'Default user')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [RealJukeboxSystray] "C:\PROGRAM FILES\REAL\REALJUKEBOX\tsystray.exe" (User 'Default user')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [AIM] C:\PROGRAM FILES\AIM95\aim.exe -cnetwait.odl (User 'Default user')
O4 - .DEFAULT Startup: Windows Guardian.lnk = C:\Program Files\the HelpSpot!\Fawgrd32.exe (User 'Default user')
O4 - .DEFAULT Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE (User 'Default user')
O4 - .DEFAULT Startup: RealDownload.lnk = C:\Program Files\REAL\RealDownload\REALDOWNLOAD.EXE (User 'Default user')
O4 - .DEFAULT Startup: America Online 6.0 Tray Icon.lnk = C:\America Online 6.0\aoltray.exe (User 'Default user')
O4 - Startup: Windows Guardian.lnk = C:\Program Files\the HelpSpot!\Fawgrd32.exe
O4 - Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE
O4 - Startup: RealDownload.lnk = C:\Program Files\REAL\RealDownload\REALDOWNLOAD.EXE
O4 - Startup: America Online 6.0 Tray Icon.lnk = C:\America Online 6.0\aoltray.exe
O9 - Extra button: Related - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINDOWS\web\related.htm
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Show &Related Links - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINDOWS\web\related.htm
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\Shdocvw.dll
O12 - Plugin for .wav: C:\PROGRA~1\INTERN~1\PLUGINS\npqtplugin.dll
O12 - Plugin for .mid: C:\PROGRA~1\INTERN~1\PLUGINS\npqtplugin.dll
O12 - Plugin for .avi: C:\PROGRA~1\INTERN~1\PLUGINS\npqtplugin.dll
O12 - Plugin for .swf: C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Program\PLUGINS\npswf32.dll
O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=http://www.aol.com
O16 - DPF: Win32 Classes - file://c:\windows\Java\classes\win32ie4.cab

--
End of file - 5105 bytes

Thanks to you all in advance - the owner of the computer is in her senior years so I don't think getting a new computer is something she wants to do... if this one can be helped that would be wonderful!!!

kilegoTy

Just saying "ole illegal operation for just about everything" doesn't really tell us much. Can you give us some of the exact messages including the files noted in these illegal operation warnings?

Do you have the system disks for the computer?

Have you run scandisk to check for errors?

What is the hard drive size and how much space is remaining? How much RAM is installed?