msinfo.exe is missing upon boot up

[Strowhat]

confused: I have the error come up saying missing the link or file for msinfo.exe then it goes to win.ini and says the file for msinfo.exe did not load right or is missing.

Machine is an E machine 366 running win98 and this happens every time it boots up!

Can this be fixed without a complete restore of the hard drive?

All healp appreciatted, Thanks, Chuck:

[SARGE]

If everything works you have 2 choices - ignore the warning or did around a fix it.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;159213

[GaryRouth]

Anything interesting happen just before this? [new hardware, program, strange noises from hard disk?, etc]. Run a complete virus scan (just because it's demoralizing to do a lot of work & have it all mucked up from a virus).

If your virus scan comes up clean, and you haven't made any huge changes lately, you can try either 1) restoring an older, saved copy of your Registry 2) trying to let the Registry fix itself 3) try an over-the-top Windows reinstall.

For
1) Either restart in DOS mode, or use a bootable floppy or CD to "start the computer with cd-rom support". At the command prompt, type

scanreg/restore

and select a date from the list displayed that is prior to your current troubles with msinfo.exe

2) Same as above, but use the command

scanreg/fix

and you don't have any dates to choose, this just goes about it's business and either fixes your problem or doesn't help much.

3) Here's a link to the full instructions for an over-the-top reinstall: might be you best bet. Takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Doesn't destroy your data, & you shouldn't need to reinstall any programs: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=70846

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[p.s. ...for the over-the-top, you need a Win98 installation CD or the ".cabs" in C:\Windows\Options\Cabs. A "Recovery disk" set usually can't be used in this manner.]

[mike breck]

No need to to reinstall Windows.

There is NO Windows file called msinfo.exe. You have a CWS Trojan.

Download Spybot and run it on your PC to eliminate the Trojan

http://patrick.kolla.de/spybotsd.html

The correct Windows file is called msinfo32.exe - which is your System Information program i.e. Start Menu>Run> and type msinfo32.exe.

HTH

[Strowhat]

Thanks to all. I'll check the system for more, This is my brother in-law's so I have no clue if he has a virus or deleted something he should have left alone. Most of the time he will wait till I check his system out for troubles, this time he started deleting things on his own. Now this. I tried to clean up the system getting rid of programs he does not use that he downloaded so it may very well be a Trojan or something. Again thanks, Chuck

[GaryRouth]

mike - good link. [I didn't even notice the missing "32"]
. . . Gary

[SARGE]

Originally posted by GaryRouth mike - good link. [I didn't even notice the missing "32"] . . . Gary

Neither did I. Pays to read the fine print so to speak. Thanks for the heads-up, Mike.