Urgent - Problem with the update site & also the Microsoft Site &IE??

Hi there,

I thought I would install some updates autoupdate has been nagging me
about and when I try to go to the update site.....

(http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp)

all I get is a black screen (although the site pops up for a
millisecond) or I get an error message that this program has performed
an illegal operation and will be shut down....

I also am not able to visit any of the MS sites using IE ( get some blue
coloured bars - but not much else). I am able to go to every other site
out there using IE - just not Microsoft's?? I am also able to get to
Micrsoft site using Mozilla....

Anyone have any idea of what's happening here........or am I infected?

Thanks John
--
John Reinders
Hubley, NS

Please remember to remove -removetoreply- when emailing me.

Windows version?

Checking for/Help with Hijackware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=5878
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/data/prevention.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/archive/tshoot.html
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

When all else fails, HijackThis v1.99.1
(http://aumha.net/downloads/hijackthis.zip) is the preferred tool to use.
It will help you to both identify and remove any hijackware/spyware. **Post
your log to http://forums.spywareinfo.com/,
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html or http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30
for expert analysis, not here.**

--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE) & Security


John Reinders wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> I thought I would install some updates autoupdate has been nagging me
> about and when I try to go to the update site.....
>
> (http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp)
>
> all I get is a black screen (although the site pops up for a
> millisecond) or I get an error message that this program has performed
> an illegal operation and will be shut down....
>
> I also am not able to visit any of the MS sites using IE ( get some blue
> coloured bars - but not much else). I am able to go to every other site
> out there using IE - just not Microsoft's?? I am also able to get to
> Micrsoft site using Mozilla....
>
> Anyone have any idea of what's happening here........or am I infected?
>
> Thanks John

"John Reinders" wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> I thought I would install some updates autoupdate has been nagging me
> about and when I try to go to the update site.....
>
> (http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp)
>
> all I get is a black screen (although the site pops up for a
> millisecond) or I get an error message that this program has performed
> an illegal operation and will be shut down....
>
> I also am not able to visit any of the MS sites using IE ( get some blue
> coloured bars - but not much else). I am able to go to every other site
> out there using IE - just not Microsoft's?? I am also able to get to
> Micrsoft site using Mozilla....
>
> Anyone have any idea of what's happening here........or am I infected?
>
> Thanks John
> --
> John Reinders
> Hubley, NS
>
> Please remember to remove -removetoreply- when emailing me.
>

"PA Bear" <> wrote in message
news:eO%
....
> Windows version?


>> [User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.7.8) Gecko/20050511]





I still want to see a W9x user who can go to WUv5 <eg>


More for OP below...

....
> John Reinders wrote:
>> Hi there,
>>
>> I thought I would install some updates autoupdate has been nagging me
>> about and when I try to go to the update site.....
>>
>> (http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp)
>>
>> all I get is a black screen


"black" or Blank? If black perhaps there is a custom background
which would make black letters unreadable? <eg>


>> (although the site pops up for a millisecond)


But if it is only there for a millisecond I suppose colors would be hard
to discern anyway...


>> or I get an error message that this program has performed
>> an illegal operation and will be shut down....

Details usually help...


>>
>> I also am not able to visit any of the MS sites using IE ( get some blue
>> coloured bars - but not much else). I am able to go to every other site
>> out there using IE - just not Microsoft's?? I am also able to get to
>> Micrsoft site using Mozilla....

This is a common symptom of certain third-party toolbars.
Try uninstalling such.


>>
>> Anyone have any idea of what's happening here........or am I infected?

Not necessarily but I would say you definitely have some junk interfering.


>>
>> Thanks John
>


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

Robert Aldwinckle wrote:
> "PA Bear" <> wrote in message
> news:eO%
> ...
>
>>Windows version?
>
>
>
>>>[User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.7.8) Gecko/20050511]
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I still want to see a W9x user who can go to WUv5 <eg>
>
>
> More for OP below...
>
> ...
>
>>John Reinders wrote:
>>
>>>Hi there,
>>>
>>>I thought I would install some updates autoupdate has been nagging me
>>>about and when I try to go to the update site.....
>>>
>>> (http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp)
>>>
>>>all I get is a black screen
>
>
>
> "black" or Blank? If black perhaps there is a custom background
> which would make black letters unreadable? <eg>
>
>
>>>(although the site pops up for a millisecond)
>
>
>
> But if it is only there for a millisecond I suppose colors would be hard
> to discern anyway...
>
>
>
>>>or I get an error message that this program has performed
>>>an illegal operation and will be shut down....
>
>
> Details usually help...
>
>
>
>>>I also am not able to visit any of the MS sites using IE ( get some blue
>>>coloured bars - but not much else). I am able to go to every other site
>>>out there using IE - just not Microsoft's?? I am also able to get to
>>>Micrsoft site using Mozilla....
>
>
> This is a common symptom of certain third-party toolbars.
> Try uninstalling such.
>
>
>
>>>Anyone have any idea of what's happening here........or am I infected?
>
>
> Not necessarily but I would say you definitely have some junk interfering.
>
>
>
>>>Thanks John
>>
>
>
> Good luck
>
> Robert Aldwinckle
> ---
>
>
>

Sorry I didn't get back any sooner......I'm running 98SE and up until we
set up our home network (Linksys Router) I had no problems at all.
Specifically when I allowed XP on our son's new PC to create a disk for
me (Network Connection Wizard - ME) so I could connect my 98SE machine
to the network.......

As far as the network goes everything seems to be working fine - But I
do now have some files running in the background I never had before

rundll32.???
SSDPSRV.exe

To make a long story short, I restarted as the problems keep occuring
and my system resources had gone down to about 15% across the board.
After the restart everything was OK; I was able to get to the update
site and low and behold there was an update relating to home networks -
everything seems to be A.O.K. now. I've had no further problems....

Sorry for the panic, just this was a new one on me....


Thanks, John





--
John Reinders
Hubley, NS

Please remember to remove -removetoreply- when emailing me.

RUNDLL32 and SSDPSRV are valid Windows files and nothing to worry about.

> ...low and behold there was an update relating to home networks

And the update was...?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE) & Security


John Reinders wrote:
> Sorry I didn't get back any sooner......I'm running 98SE and up until we
> set up our home network (Linksys Router) I had no problems at all.
> Specifically when I allowed XP on our son's new PC to create a disk for
> me (Network Connection Wizard - ME) so I could connect my 98SE machine
> to the network.......
>
> As far as the network goes everything seems to be working fine - But I
> do now have some files running in the background I never had before
>
> rundll32.???
> SSDPSRV.exe
>
> To make a long story short, I restarted as the problems keep occuring
> and my system resources had gone down to about 15% across the board.
> After the restart everything was OK; I was able to get to the update
> site and low and behold there was an update relating to home networks -
> everything seems to be A.O.K. now. I've had no further problems....
>
> Sorry for the panic, just this was a new one on me....
>
>
> Thanks, John

PA Bear wrote:

> RUNDLL32 and SSDPSRV are valid Windows files and nothing to worry about.
>
>> ...low and behold there was an update relating to home networks
>
>
> And the update was...?

Sorry, I really need to write these things down as they happen....

Security Update, December 17, 2001
"This update resolves the Unchecked Buffer in Universal Plug and Play
Can Lead to System Compromise security vulnerability in Windows 98 and
Windows 98 Second Edition with Windows XP Internet Connection Sharing
Client installed. Download now to help prevent a malicious user from
compromising your computer or using your computer to compromise another
computers functionality."

Plus - Security Update for Windows 98 (KB896358) & Security Update,
February 13, 2002 (MSXML 4.0)

I've had no recurrence of the problems I was having Thursday night,
after installing these updates??

To answer some of Roberts questions to me - the window in IE went Black,
although when you ran the mouse over certain areas, I did run across
links on the page....although I couldn't see them.

Details on the error message I would have provided except I only had the
error happen 2 or 3 times, when I tried to reproduce it to provide the
details I couldn't....

No 3rd party toolbars installed.....

Thanks again, John


--
John Reinders
Hubley, NS

Please remember to remove -removetoreply- when emailing me.

Check in at Windows Update monthly. New updates are released on the second
Tuesday of every month.

Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE) & Security

John Reinders wrote:
> PA Bear wrote:
>
>> RUNDLL32 and SSDPSRV are valid Windows files and nothing to worry about.
>>
>>> ...low and behold there was an update relating to home networks
>>
>>
>> And the update was...?
>
> Sorry, I really need to write these things down as they happen....
>
> Security Update, December 17, 2001
> "This update resolves the Unchecked Buffer in Universal Plug and Play
> Can Lead to System Compromise security vulnerability in Windows 98 and
> Windows 98 Second Edition with Windows XP Internet Connection Sharing
> Client installed. Download now to help prevent a malicious user from
> compromising your computer or using your computer to compromise another
> computers functionality."
>
> Plus - Security Update for Windows 98 (KB896358) & Security Update,
> February 13, 2002 (MSXML 4.0)
>
> I've had no recurrence of the problems I was having Thursday night,
> after installing these updates??
>
> To answer some of Roberts questions to me - the window in IE went Black,
> although when you ran the mouse over certain areas, I did run across
> links on the page....although I couldn't see them.
>
> Details on the error message I would have provided except I only had the
> error happen 2 or 3 times, when I tried to reproduce it to provide the
> details I couldn't....
>
> No 3rd party toolbars installed.....
>
> Thanks again, John