msgsrv32 problem again

[setoguro]

msgsrv32 caused a general protection falt in module setupx.dll at 003:000080c6

That's the error message and now the modem has stopped working. No dial tone. I checked the phone line and looked in device manager for any thing a miss but I found nothing. The modem was working just before the error message. Ran a virus check (AVG) and it turned up clean. But AVG did gave a message that it needed to be updated. Just did last week so it's not that out of date. Can't update it now because I can't get the thing on line. My wife said that she hasn't added any new programs and hasn't downloaded anything. There was a suspicious icon 273991usa8 which I checked it out and it looks to be a microsoft patch. The wife says she doesn't know how it got there.
The OS is W98se.

[mjc]

That is a legit, and desirable MS patch...Microsoft Windows 9x / Me Share Level Password Bypass Vulnerability.

[Sylvander]

Hello setuguro

Causes of General Protection Faults and Troubleshooting Tips
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;82710

MSGSRV32.EXE Caused a General Protection Fault in...
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q188803

Others with this problem and no easy solution
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win98/n1005837734

CONFIGURATION
If you suspect that a configuration change may be responsible, go back to your previous [good] configuration using “scanreg /restore” at a DOS command prompt and selecting the backup taken on the first successful boot on the day that the problem appeared [or an earlier one].

SOFTWARE
If this does not fix the problem, and/or you suspect that the software/files are at fault, reformat your c: drive and restore a backup taken before the problem appeared, when the PC was working to your satisfaction, with the modem installed.

HARDWARE
If neither of those work, you almost certainly have a hardware problem.
But since the hardware was working just fine, this seems unlikely, so one of the two above should fix it.

What’s that you say?
YOU DON’T MAKE BACKUPS!!!!!!!

In which case, what would have been a simple matter to fix could take
A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT SEARCHING FOR THE CAUSE AND SOLUTION.

[setoguro]

I just wasn't sure if it was a legit patch or not the wife didn't remember getting it.

Back ups she don't need no stinking backups. I'm afraid my advice has been falling on deaf ears. I'll have some time to work on it all tomorrow but I'm not going to spend a lot of time on it. If I can't get it straightened out I'm just going to zero out the drive and reload. It's been whipped on pretty hard and it probably needs to be done anyway.

Thanks for the help.

[Sylvander]

With the number of times backups have saved my bacon, there is no way I would be without them.

NO WAY!!!!!!

Just recently I hit a problem [can’t remember what it was now], so I made a new backup, reformatted and restored the oldest of my three backups [to jump back to before the problem was introduced].
Then I restored from the new backup, things like My Documents, e-mails, address book & Outlook Express favourites so as to bring them right up to date.
I was soon up and running with a clean & fully operational & up to date system.

At the moment I’m worried that my PC is infected and AVG circumvented, so I’m doing an online scan.
[So far the test has found a fake, test virus “eicar.com” (which is reported as non-cleanable) at “c:\Windows\Temp\eicar.com” which I used to test my e-mail virus checking arrangements]
And I’m thinking:
If only I’d taken a new backup after the fix!
If there’s an infection I’m going to need to do that again, whereas restoring a good and complete and up to date backup would be much quicker and simpler.

[setoguro]

Things are too screwed up on the wife's computer to bring it back to life. She's trying to pull the stuff off now that she wants to keep and at the same time pulling her hair out. It's locking up every 2 seconds. I'm not going to say "I told you so." she may throw the monitor at me. :p

My rig's not backed up so I can just do a restore like your's Sylvander but I have all the stuff I want on CD's. As soon as I get the wife's computer up again I'll be tearing mine down and reloading it all. I have a multiboot set up and I think I'm done screwing it up now and have an idea of how I want it set up. The thought of just doing a restore when things go belly up sounds great to me. I think I'd like to go that route the next time. It sounds so quick and easy.

[Sylvander]

It seems to me to be as quick and easy as it sounds.

Here’s a tip:
I make my backups [using “Simple Backup”] after going to “Start>Run>msconfig>Diagnostic Startup” and allowing it to reboot into diagnostic mode.
That way there are no programs running in the background and no files get “skipped” due to being “in use”.

It means that when a backup is restored and the PC started, it boots into diagnostic mode and has to be switched back to “Normal Startup”.

When I make a backup, I set it going and go do other things and check on it after 15 minutes to switch to another CD-RW disc It usually takes about one & one third discs to make a backup in my case.

Restoring takes a bit longer, but since I’m doing other things anyway, who cares?

The beauty of this system is that I really don’t need to find the “needle in the haystack” cause and fix for the problem.
If it’s not due to hardware, then this will fix it.