Hi - I am having problems with ActiveX controls on my computer. I am using Win98SE with a P4-2.4GHz, 512MB RAM on an Abit IC7-G.

This has been happening for a while - I suspected that it was due to McAfee VirusScan, but since uninstalling this I have found that the problem is still there, so thought I would ask you guys for suggestions.

In my Internet Options > Security > Custom Level, I have the following
settings:

ActiveX controls and plug-ins:
Download signed ActiveX controls: Prompt
Download unsigned ActiveX controls: Disable
Initialise and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe: Disable
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins: Prompt
Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting: Prompt

When I go to some websites, I get a popup box that asks: 'Do you want
to allow software such as ActiveX controls and plug-ins to run?'. If I
click 'No', another box says 'Your current security settings prohibit
running ActiveX controls on this page. As a result, the page may not
display correctly.' After clicking 'No', all is generally 'OK' and the
page loads to the best of its ability.

The strange thing is that on some sites, for instance '
www.gmail.com ', if I click 'Yes', all is also OK and the site works
properly, but more often, (here is an example site: '
http://entertainment.ie/TV/default.asp?ThisCat=tv ' if I click 'Yes'
the whole computer just locks up, and nothing works, not even Ctrl-Alt-
Delete. The only option I have is to press the reset button. I do not believe that this is due to some 'rogue websites', as it happens too often.

Has anyone any ideas about this? How do I check what version of ActiveX
I currerntly have? Is there anyway to monitor the very last thing that
locked the computer? I had hoped DrWatson would work, but it doesn't seem to cope with total lock-up.

Following previous advice, I downloaded a copy of 'HiJack This', and have posted the log-file below. Hopefully someone here will be able to spot something relevant...

Tim in Ireland


**********************
LOG FILE FROM 'HIJACK THIS'
**********************

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 09:12:05, on 24/08/05
Platform: Windows 98 SE (Win9x 4.10.2222A)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MPREXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSTASK.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SOUNDMAN.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ICSMGR.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\TASKMON.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\COMMON FILES\REAL\UPDATE_OB\EVNTSVC.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\STIMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\PDESK\PDESK.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WMIEXE.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\UTVINTERNET\ICC\ICC2000.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RNAAPP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\TAPISRV.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP\HIJACKTHIS.EXE

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://search.usefulware.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://search.usefulware.com
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://search.usefulware.com
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch = http://search.usefulware.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://search.usefulware.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://home.eircom.net/cdrom/autoreg/
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\ADOBE\ACROBAT 5.0\ACROBAT\ACTIVEX\ACROIEHELPER.OCX
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSDXM.OCX
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ScanRegistry] C:\WINDOWS\scanregw.exe /autorun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SystemTray] SysTray.Exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMan] SOUNDMAN.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ICSMGR] ICSMGR.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TaskMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\taskmon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\evntsvc.exe -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [StillImageMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\STIMON.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Matrox Powerdesk] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\PDesk\PDesk.exe /Autolaunch
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [SchedulingAgent] mstask.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [McVsRte] C:\PROGRA~1\MCAFEE.COM\VSO\mcvsrte.exe /embedding
O4 - Startup: Adobe Gamma Loader.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download by Free Download Manager - file://C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\dllink.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download web site by Free Download Manager - file://C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\dlpage.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download all by Free Download Manager - file://C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\dlall.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download selected by Free Download Manager - file://C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\dlselected.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cached Snapshot of Page - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Similar Pages - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward Links - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate into English - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\GOOGLETOOLBAR1.DLL/cmtrans.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: &WordWeb... - res://C:\WINDOWS\wweb32.dll/lookup.html
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSJAVA.DLL
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSJAVA.DLL
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: Messenger - {4528BBE0-4E08-11D5-AD55-00010333D0AD} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\YAHOO!\MESSENGER\YHEXBMES0521.DLL
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Yahoo! Messenger - {4528BBE0-4E08-11D5-AD55-00010333D0AD} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\YAHOO!\MESSENGER\YHEXBMES0521.DLL
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\PROGRA~1\INTERN~1\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O12 - Plugin for .UVR: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPUPano.dll
O16 - DPF: {4ED9DDF0-7479-4BBE-9335-5A1EDB1D8A21} (McAfee.com Operating System Class) - http://bin.mcafee.com/molbin/shared/...6/mcinsctl.cab
O16 - DPF: {BCC0FF27-31D9-4614-A68E-C18E1ADA4389} (DwnldGroupMgr Class) - http://bin.mcafee.com/molbin/shared/...16/mcgdmgr.cab
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - https://download.macromedia.com/pub/...sh/swflash.cab
O16 - DPF: {EF791A6B-FC12-4C68-99EF-FB9E207A39E6} (McFreeScan Class) - http://download.mcafee.com/molbin/is...13/mcfscan.cab

"it was due to McAfee VirusScan, but since uninstalling this I have found that the problem is still there,..."

If the above is true, the following keys should be gone from the registry;

O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [McVsRte] C:\PROGRA~1\MCAFEE.COM\VSO\mcvsrte.exe /embedding

O16 - DPF: {4ED9DDF0-7479-4BBE-9335-5A1EDB1D8A21} (McAfee.com Operating System Class) - http://bin.mcafee.com/molbin/shared...76/mcinsctl.cab

O16 - DPF: {BCC0FF27-31D9-4614-A68E-C18E1ADA4389} (DwnldGroupMgr Class) - http://bin.mcafee.com/molbin/shared...,16/mcgdmgr.cab

O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - https://download.macromedia.com/pub...ash/swflash.cab

O16 - DPF: {EF791A6B-FC12-4C68-99EF-FB9E207A39E6} (McFreeScan Class) - http://download.mcafee.com/molbin/i...413/mcfscan.cab

If you post your log in the Security/Adware/Spyware forum you'll get much better help with this. I know nothing about "HiJackThis", as I've never had cause to use it.

If you post over there, be sure to read and follow the "prerequisites" listed for posting logs first.