Member Avatar for PeterAV

Hi Dan,
PeterAV here.
I just had a new tower put in today.

Microsoft Windows 98SE
4.10.2222A

the tower is an
AMD Athlon[tm]XP 1500+
224.0MB RAM
*******
After getting the setup done,I started to get a small card pop up
About puta!!.com and that it should be with the WIN.INI file.

I downloaded Real,Adobe Reader,and then tried to find the file,because the card kept poping up every time I had to start the computer up again after each time down loading the two programs.

I clicked on files and folders and saw Puta!! in the card,and the Windows C/ with it on a diferent line near the bottom.But no WIN.INI.

When I clicked on puta!! to find out what it was,The ugly AVG dude pops up on the screen with the word VIRUS.

I decided to deleat the file of Puta.!!.com.

But now,every time I start the computer up,the computer is looking for the Program.A card would pop up and read;

Cannot find the file puta!!.com [or one of its components]Make sure the path and the filename are correct & that all required libraries are available.

Then I would click OK.
When I clicked OK,another card pops up and reads;

Could not run or load Puta!!.com specified in WIN>INI file.Make sure the file exists on your computer or remove the reference to it in thebWIN.INI file.

I click on OK.Then the screen seems to be normal.I can go to sites fine.

When I deleted the puta!!.com file, it went to the waste basket.

How do I retreave the Puta !!.com file without getting the virus back?

Should I just go to the Waste basket and restore the Puta !!.com file?

I am a newby at the compter with large learning gaps.So please be a little more specific than you normally would,unless you are always particular.

Thank you,
PeterAV

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by UberAAZ

Dani AI

Generated

This is a classic “orphaned startup entry” problem on an old Windows 98SE box: the OS keeps trying to run a file that was deleted, so the boot-time error appears. Since AVG already flagged the file as malicious, restoring it from the Recycle Bin would almost certainly reintroduce the infection. ’s symptom description fits that pattern, and ’s suggestion to remove the WIN.INI reference is on the right track — additional, safer cleanup steps are recommended.

Before editing anything, make backups: copy C:\Windows\win.ini to a safe location and save any personal files to removable media. Make hidden and system files visible in Explorer (Folder Options → View) so win.ini is accessible. Open win.ini in Notepad and search for any mention of the offending filename; remove the entire line that references it (such entries commonly appear in the [Windows] section). Save the edited file and reboot to confirm the error no longer appears.

Also check other startup locations that malware commonly uses: the Start Menu → Programs → Startup folder for shortcuts, and the registry Run/RunOnce keys under both HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER (use RegEdit’s Find to locate the filename). Always export any registry key before deleting it so restoration is possible. After confirming the system is clean, permanently remove the suspicious file from the Recycle Bin rather than restoring it.

Because Windows 98 is long out of support and virus definitions are limited, perform a full antivirus scan with an up-to-date tool (ideally via a bootable rescue scanner or by scanning the drive from a separate, patched machine). If removal is uncertain or other symptoms persist, a clean OS reinstall or upgrade to a supported system is the safest long-term fix.

Member Avatar for UberAAZ

You needn't get the file back.

Go file, open, and type in 'command'. At the window that appears, type in the following, exactly:

attrib C:\Windows\Win.ini -r -h -s

Now browse to C:\Windows in Explorer and open the Win.ini file. Look around for the offending program, delete it's reference, save the file, and restart.

Hope that helps,

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