IE 6.0.2800.1106CO, SP1; Q313829; Q822925; Windows 98 Internet Explorer is consistently crashing. Error message that frequently shows is: IEXPLORE caused a general protection fault in module USER.exe at 0003.00006d4f...... It also crashes when I begin to type a URL in the address bar. I type the first "w" in www, and it types in 2 times instead of once and then it crashes. I have my home page set to default (msn.com), but it changes to http://f999(or some other number)tfil.com/passthrough/index.html?http://www.microsoft.com..... I would appreciate any help with these problems. Thanks in advance!

That gives some indications of being hijacked. Go here and download, install and run HijackThis!, and post back its results. Info on how to use this program is found at this site.

Just do a system restore and get that crap off of your machine. Once you have you homepage back, lock it in by doing this: Set your homepage to the one you want then: Start > run, type in regedit. Navigate to: HKEY_USER > .DEFAULT > software > policies > microsoft > internet explorer. Right click on internet explorer key and choose " New key", name it control panel. Right click on control panel, choose new DWORD value, name this "homepage". Right click on "homepage" and choose modify and type in the number 1. This should lock your homepage so no other site can change it. Now navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\internet explorer\main and look for the start page entry. Check that it is the one u want it to be.

FWZG and Dave02, Thank you both for your help. Before I received your suggestions, I downloaded (cost $28) a program called SpyFerret. I was able to delete a bunch of spyware. Since then, my homepage seems to be working okay. Every so often IE still crashes, but not as often as before. The error message is the same as the one I posted originally. If the problem returns or gets worse, I'll use your suggestions. Thanks again.

SpyFerret...hmmmm. Would still use HijackThis!, and after having its output checked, would download/install/run Spybot Search and Destroy (download at the same website as Spybot), as well as AdAware from Lavasoft. Might be helpful to delete your cache folders in MS-DOS, forcing the creation of new ones, and brand new index.dat files, on reboot: Go to Start>Shutdown>Start in MS-DOS mode. Key in the following lines, and press: Enter after each one: cd\ cd windows smartdrv deltree tempor~1 deltree history deltree cookies Press Y (for Yes) if you are prompted to confirm any deletion. Type win (or 'exit') to return to Windows.