annoying popup/icon at startup!

Running 98se and decided to try adobe reader 3 from www.oldversion.com but did not monitor the install.

After uninstalling and cleaning with reglceaner (which had recurring adobe entries somehow), I still get this annoying little red popup/disappear icon with like a @ (but not quite) type "a" along with the tiny numbers
3.01
32
like that under the "a".

I had later installed adobe 4 reader but the popup persisted. I want to install adobe 5 reader now so decided to take another kick at the can to rid of the popup icon first by monitoring another adobe 3 install, uninstalling, and then clearining out remnants via Total Uninstall hoping that might do it - no go.

Now, I have no adobe reader installed at all but still have the darn thing popping up and harassing me every startup. Anyone know how to get rid of it?

Give Spybot a shot,,,

http://beam.to/spybotsd

Adobe puts in several pieces of junk including reference to Netscape Navigator. Perhaps the above will identify and remove your nig...

And if Spybot doesnt fix your problem ^dAvEy^, go here and download and run Startup List. It will generate a log file. Copy the log and paste it back into this thread (you may have to halve it and make two posts).

We will be able to see where its starting from and get rid of it for you.

Might want to check your registry under the run key.

HKLM\software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run & HKLM\software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Runonce

thanks gang...
Ridgerunr
Always a pleasure - I have, use and update spybot regularly
- all hits clear, but none solve the prob

AnnMarie
Ah, my favourite kiwi - how's things, darlin?
I'll get on the startup list in a bit and post or edit back...
exhausted from exams and 1 yet to go!

TeeDub
ya, checked it out, but only found stuff I dunno about but might be ok...will come out in the startup list - thanks

attaching the list...
<I think there's maybe something screwie going on in there, but then, I always think that!>

Hiya ^dAvEy^ - I'm great thanks. Good luck with your exams :D

Your Startup List is one of the cleanest I have seen. Absolutely no problems there. I suspect that the problem is in the Registry though.

Run regedit again and this time, click on Edit and Find. Type Adobe in the box and run a search. Delete any entry that is clearly identified as an Adobe key or value. You can choose to export the key or value first (create a new folder and click on Registry or File Menu and choose export to the new folder) so the entries can be restored if you have any problems.

Let us know how you get on.

>>Hiya ^dAvEy^ - I'm great thanks. Good luck with your exams
- Super to hear, AM.Thanks. Finished up today. Think all went atleast okay...

>>Your Startup List is one of the cleanest I have seen. Absolutely no problems there.
- Again, super to hear...

>>I suspect that the problem is in the Registry though.
Run regedit again and this time, click on Edit and Find. Type Adobe in the box and run a search. Delete any entry that is clearly identified as an Adobe key or value.
- here's the thing:
- Needed a pdf viewer before I could get the poppup icon thingy thing sorted out...
Installed adobe reader 4 a la Total Uninstall monitoring...
- Do you think it's worth uninstalling adobe reader 4 now, cleaning out remnants via Total Uninstall and then see what SpyBot, Adaware, RegCleaner, Xcleaner and Spider can clean out...
THEN follow your edit/find suggestion above, AnnMarrie?
maybe sounds like a big deal <and even like I'm complaining>, but it's not and I'm not!
Could do the lot in under 10 minutes, I reckon...
Whatcha think?

>>You can choose to export the key or value first (create a new folder and click on Registry or File Menu and choose export to the new folder) so the entries can be restored if you have any problems.
>>Thanks - such is my regular registry regime

Hiya ^dAvEy^

Quote:

---

Could do the lot in under 10 minutes, I reckon...
Whatcha think?

---

Yep, thats a good idea. Complaining? No, I didnt think that. I know how annoying these little things can be. :D

HELP!!
that little bu**er is still popping up!
I delted all hits for adobe and acrobat and even a few related acro hits too, by it still there!
I searched for anything I thought could be related with searches of jpg, gif, bmp, and ico files and still no go!
any other ideas?
:mad:

Just run a quick look in the regs, using 4 though and in HKEY classes root I found 36 hits.

I would try reinstalling 3 and use ADD Remove pro to remove it and see what happens. How about just seeing in 4 will upgrade 3 with a overinstall?

Acrobat is just as bad as McAfee and ADD Remove Pro does a fine job of getting it out.

hiya Train - how's it going?
didja 'do the Puyallup' this Fall?

Here's what I've tried so far:
1- uninstalling adobe 3 - no joy
2- ran reglceaner and spybot - no joy
3- searched for and cleaned out My Computer and registry any hits for all I could find of adobe, acrobat, adob*, acrob*, acror*, acrbt, and whatever other combinations I could think of - no joy
4- reinstalled adobe 3 a la total uninstall, uninstalled via uninstaller, cleaned out remnants via total uninstall, ran regcleaner and spybot - no joy
5- installed adobe 4 a la total uninstall, uninstalled a la uninstaller, cleaned out a la total uninstall, regcleaner, spybot - no joy
6- redid #3 - in fact, I get no hits at all with searches a la #3 anymore - no joy
7- did individual searches in My Computer for image files for possible indications for the sucker (*.jpg, *.bmp, *.gif, *.ico) - no joy

I'm at a loss!

well did you look into the programs folder, and see if the adobe folder was in there. It normally has lots of junk left in it.

Family did 'do the Puyallup' , me, I dodged that crowded mess again :D

Located mine at C:\Program Files\Adobe

Perchance, did you look in the startup folder real good for adobe?

Autoexec.bat , config.sys are a couple more places to look.

You might check the load= and run= lines in Win.ini also.

Hi ^dAvEy^

Been following this thread with Interest (BUMP)

I have both acro reader ?? and adobe acrobat 5.0 installed and I haven't had the problem indicated, so I really don't know what the H... is going on in your situation.

Have you checked for an adobe folder in the root drive, mine is in my documents? if you have the folder then check it to see if there is anything in there that may be called for in the start up.

Might want to install a free start up manager and see what is listed as starting up, and uncheck suspected items (can probably use the ms start up tab in msconfig) for the same thing. One thing for sure it is starting on boot, and all one has to do is find the app and prevent it or eliminate it.

I know that this can be frustrating to say the least, trial and error, wish I had the answer.

My wife's puter had a crazy start up that I just redirected to an item that was on the puter(flashget) and it started on boot, then I just went to the options in flashget and deactivated the start on boot.

Wish it were that simple in your case but maybe you can use some of the information in my post - don't know but I sure hope that you are able to fix the s.o.b. and get rid of the aggrivation. i know that this was just a workaround, but I really did not want to waste time messing around with her system to find the culpret.

Take care - following the thread with interest. Hang in there, some one will hit on the fix and we will all learn something!

Train
>>did you look into the programs folder, and see if the adobe folder was in there. It normally has lots of junk left in it.
Located mine at C:\Program Files\Adobe
- mine used to be too there - nothing left, but still no joy

>>Family did 'do the Puyallup' , me, I dodged that crowded mess again
- I'm with you. Haven't been to the PNE in years myself

>>Perchance, did you look in the startup folder real good for adobe?
- yup - it's empty
>>Autoexec.bat:
LH C:\PROGRA~1\GRISOFT\AVG6\bootup.exe
>> config.sys:
DEVICE = C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE = C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
DOS = HIGH,UMB

jdc2000 - thanks for the suggestion...
[windows]
load=
run=
NullPort=None
device=HP DeskJet 840C Series,hpf9xdr0,LPT1:

>>Hi ^dAvEy^
- Hi b1kra - thanks for the input
>>I have both acro reader ?? and adobe acrobat 5.0 installed and I haven't had the problem indicated, so I really don't know what the H... is going on in your situation.
- didja have acrobat reader 3.01 - 32? I have used the startup list...I'm trying to figure out what kind of file the popup icon is and what's running it!

>>Have you checked for an adobe folder in the root drive, mine is in my documents? if you have the folder then check it to see if there is anything in there that may be called for in the start up.
- no adobe or acrobat hits remail in registry or My Computer

>>Might want to install a free start up manager and see what is listed as starting up, and uncheck suspected items (can probably use the ms start up tab in msconfig) for the same thing. One thing for sure it is starting on boot, and all one has to do is find the app and prevent it or eliminate it.
- use Total Uninstall
- tried using diagnistic startup a la msconfig - no joy

>>Take care - following the thread with interest. Hang in there, some one will hit on the fix and we will all learn something!
- you bet!
One thing I've learned is that I don't have to have adobe on the system at all:
if want to open a pdf file I can view via this simple File Viewer.

BUTl...
that ruddy popup icon is still buggin me!
:mad:

not wanting to role over and let the adobe popup deamon win!
anybody willing to help through further?
have I missed anything so far?

You might attach a screen shot of the icon in question. If it is the one I'm thinking of, it sounds like one that would have been used under Windows 3.x

It has to be coming from somewhere, and it should be visible by pressing Control+Alt+Delete in the Task Manager. Possible locations appear to have all been checked, but something may still have been overlooked.

Areas to check:

CONFIG.SYS
AUTOEXEC.BAT

WIN.INI
SYSTEM.INI

Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\

Registry subkeys (under the above key):
Run
Run-
RunOnce
RunOnceEx
RunServices
RunServicesOnce

Thanks for jumpin in, jdc2000...
>>You might attach a screen shot of the icon in question.
- been trying - the popup icon materializes and vanishes before the screenshot can take, it seems.
Even tried pausing startup to get one, but like I said, the copy clipboard copy doesn't take...

>>If it is the one I'm thinking of, it sounds like one that would have been used under Windows 3.x
- dunno the version dates, but could be, spoze...
like I said, I didn't see it until installing the 3.01 32 reader.

>>It has to be coming from somewhere, and it should be visible by pressing Control+Alt+Delete in the Task Manager.
- doesn't show up as a running program a la C-A-D unless I"m missing something somehow.

>>Possible locations appear to have all been checked, but something may still have been overlooked.
>>Areas to check:
>>CONFIG.SYS
>>AUTOEXEC.BAT
>>WIN.INI
>>SYSTEM.INI
Noted - As you've seen in earlier posts, nada from the above
>>Registry key:
>>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr
entVersion\
Registry subkeys (under the above key):
Run
Run-
RunOnce
RunOnceEx
RunServices
RunServicesOnce

all I wonder about in the above are the subs of:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\OptionalComponents
such as:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\OptionalComponents]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\OptionalComponents\MSFS]
"Installed"="1"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\OptionalComponents\MAPI]
"NoChange"="1"
"Installed"="1"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\OptionalComponents\IMAIL]
"Installed"="1"

Anything look wanky here at all?
Don't recall these subs before, but I could just not have noticed them as significant before...

^UNRESOVED TO DATE^
:( :confused: :mad:

Not sure if you have done this to the letter but worth a look to see what is still hanging around:

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/29822.htm

Hey Dave,

Just guessing at the problem and solution, but....

You un-installed version 3.X before un-installing version 4.X?

Maybe you need to re-install both versions again somehow and un-install version 4.x before un-installing version 3X.

Be sure to reboot during these steps.


I think that's the way software with competing versions must be uninstalled.

Did you check the win.ini and system.ini files?

paisan:
Thanks for that - yes, have done so to the letter.

Robert M:
>>You un-installed version 3.X before un-installing version 4.X?
- yes
>>Maybe you need to re-install both versions again somehow and un-install version 4.x before un-installing version 3X.
Be sure to reboot during these steps.
- have done so carefully
>>Did you check the win.ini and system.ini files?
- have done so carefully to the best of my knowledge - thanks for the help.

johnking:
Thanks so much for taking the time to do all that, John.
>>So is it Acrobat 3.01 or something completely different.
- Although the icon has "a" as well as "3.01" and "32" written on it, that is certainly a consideration. In fact I don't know how it could be Acrobat anymore.
- As for startups a la msconfig:

RamBooster - ABSOLUTELY not this
ScanRegistry
AVG_CC
MessengerPlus - ABSOLUTELY not this
SysTray
ScriptSentry
Avgserv9.exe
TrueVector
MiniLog
ZoneAlarm

That's it!

I would NOW be surprised if the perpetrator was acrobat reader 3.01...
I've attached a reasonable faximile of the icon itself.
I'm just stumped :mad:

That icon was one you would normally see in a Win 3.1 installation (or an upgrade of Win 3.1 to Win 9x). I'm betting that it is in the Win.ini or System.ini files somewhere. Try zipping those files and attaching them to your next post for analysis.

okay, jdc2000 - here goes!

that's it - any hunches?
Thanks again gang!

Adobe Type Manager is showing in system.ini

system.drv=atmsys.drv

For a test, comment out the current line with a semicolon and add the standard line - then reboot to see.
ie.

;system.drv=atmsys.drv
system.drv=system.drv

WELL THAT SEAMS TO HAVE DONE IT!
No annoying icon on startup (that's been there for MONTHS!!)
YAY!!! :D
NOW...
what does that tell us?
is the image likely inside the ATMSYS.DRV file sitting in windows\system?
hmmm...
and btw...
anything ELSE appear to be corrupting my registry?
THANKS SO MUCH!
Do I now just change the line back to
system.drv=system.drv

:confused: but :D

I'm not around much, and cruised through rather quickly, so I was sloppy.
I should also have had you comment out (or remove) the
atm.system.drv=system.drv
line in system.ini

You don't want ATM under 98, and some 3.1 like installs will give it to you (or offer the option). Do you have an Add/Remove item for Adobe Type Manager?

If I have time later - I'll see what I can find on the net for you.

Thanks IMM. :)
As you suggested, I replaced the line
system.drv=atmsys.drv
with these two:
;system.drv=atmsys.drv
system.drv=system.drv

And now
atm.system.drv=system.drv
looks like
;atm.system.drv=system.drv
(commented out)

Of course, I'd prefer to remove any indication of Adobe from this pc, but unfortunately I'm running software that requires it - but come to think of it, I think it only needed Adobe reader for the help files or something...I'd rather be done with them, personally...
Can I just delete these 2 files?
atm.system.drv
atmsys.drv

Oh, and no, IMM, there's no Adobe Type Manager in Add/Remove. Nevertheless, I'd sure like to make sure the likes of atm.system.drv and atmsys.drv are gone for good!

As I mentioned sometime earlier in the thread, I've found a great site to read Adobe files! You might want to check it out.
It's a tad rudimentary; nevertheless, just by pointing it to online pdf or doc files, it reads them. And if you (gosh forbid) had to have pdf files on the computer, you can upload them to read them also! Here's the link again:
Online viewer for PostScript, PDF and Word

Thanks again to all who have troubleshot this problem.
:cool:

Said I might find you some info - so here's a little bit:

Disabling Adobe Type Manager from Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;Q69692

Manually Removing ATM Deluxe 4.0x or ATM Light 4.0x for Windows 95 or Windows 98
http://pressreadysupport.adobe.com/a...lic/tm22ea.htm

Depending on what was installed, not all of the second link will apply - in fact I doubt is was 4.x .

Sometimes you'll get this kind of thing from older graphics or drawing programs - though I'm guessing you got it from the Acrobat 3.x install.

I have followed through with the recommendations on those sites for disabling and removing ATM. You're right, IMM - not much did apply from the second site, but some did.
Thanks again! :D