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