Active Debugger???

[Rikster33]

Has anyone received this error when trying to run PE
"This program does not run on machines with active system debugger"

[Jooske]

Hi again Rikster33.
Still puzzling on this one. As you know by now how to download your proper registered copy, install it, copy in your licence keyfile and reboot, start PE and write in your unlock code if you get that far (do you? or where does the message appear?) than all that must be ok from your side.
Here comes to look for the debugger which might be active and wondering which one.
In the other thread mentioned the MDM.exe from windows itself (in TDS, if you look in the System Analysis > Autostart Explorer > in the main or any of the other files/tabs there or the Process list any unknown process which might be or look like a debugger?)
Hoping Jason can find it with some testing files with you, so i hope you've been able to access your PE area on the website and write this in the feedback form. Hoping for a quick solution, but in the meantime also maybe other people with suggestions which possible debuggers might be around without our knowledge.
I like to know if you before the registered PE version also used the trial and if so, if you got any error messages of this kind in that too?

In the meantime i also IM-ed the DCS team in their location so they'll find it when they come around from their seasons break.

[Rikster33]

Hello Jooske, looks like only tds is the only 1 registered i will keep tryin the wg and pe programs and let ya know,thanks

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi Rikster33,

Are you using any programs which can step through execution of other programs, or pause any program completely to see what it is doing?
Some AV or Active Monitor?

Regards,

Pieter

[Jooske]

For who missed the first part of the whole story and might see ideas not mentioned yet:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=5789


Pieter you just mentioned a magical term: AV, which reminds me i forgot to recommend before installing anything at all to close any anti-virus/anti-trojan programs from running, and the firewall, (especially if it's ZoneAlarm)
or even get them from the auto-start and reboot, so to make sure none of them is running.
This is in general for software installation, but with WormGuard and Port Explorer which go so very deep into the system it might be an extra help.
Also possible Registry Protection like RegRun, RegProt you might like or need to disable temporary.
In cases it could even --depending on the systems itself-- be better to first install PE and after WG, where TDS comes in this order doesn't matter i guess, do all the copying in of keyfiles, rebooting (maybe a reboot after each install on a win98 system -- could win98 have specialties different from win98SE ?) but make sure all keyfiles are copied into their own program, so not the PE key in the WG or TDS and it's no use to put the PE key in the PE trial, only in the full version.

Looking forward to reading next episodes........

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi Jooske,

It just came to me in a flash ;)
I am so used to installing almost anything in safe mode, that it is easy to forget about possible conflicts while installing.
Maybe that´s the best way to go Rikster33.
Boot into safe mode and then install the programs in the following order Jooske suggested.

Regards,

Pieter

[Rikster33]

Ok I get as far as "Run this program to unlock your code" thats when the error appears. TDS also saw a change in autostart "
$ Enternet=C:\PROGRAM FILES\NTS\ENTERNET300\APP\EnterNet.exe -AutoStart" Not sure if this is the debu problem? Anyhow i have the code just cannot unlock it.
thanks again

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi Rikster33,

Sorry, I have to ask: are you using the short code you got from the website mentioned in your e-mail and not the long code from the same mail?

Regards,

Pieter

[Rikster33]

I've used the long passy to downLoad PE but have not had the chace to use the small code

[Jooske]

Did you install PE - copy your keyfile into the PE directory - reboot the computer - start PE - see the popup telling to include there your unlock code (the small code you got from your web site location) - include that unlock code?
Do you again get the debugger error message here?

I'm not familiar with the Autostart change TDS gave, do you know that program mentioned yourself, any idea where it comes from or what it is?
What happens if you remove that one from the autostart, reboot and try again with PE ?

[Pieter_Arntz]

I did some searching on this Enternet and came across: http://www.nts.com/support/Docs/enternet_cmdline.html
Does that clarify things?

Groetjes,

Pieter

[Jason_DiamondCS]

Rikster33, are you running a debugger by any chance like the message box says? :) Softice for instance, installs itself as a system debugger on WINNT/2k/XP machines, Softice is used for reverse engineering software and the protection scheme we use doesn't allow a debugger to be running whilst Port Explorer is, obviously to protect the software. The only time that messagebox will come up is when you have some form of debugger active whilst running Port Explorer, it has nothing to do with the install process or not, if you remove the debugger it will work.
-Jason-

[Rikster33]

Hello Jooske I see your online, The link left by Pieter shows what is in my system but not sure what to do if anything.
Still getting the error b4 i can use the code.

[Jooske]

Dear Jason, good to see you here and all that during your holiday break! thanks so much! Hope you're having a good time.

Rickster runs in so many unexpected problems, using Win98. I wonder if going for Win98SE would make any difference?
I don't think from the description i don't think the enternet registrykey has to do with this, there must be another one.
If you look in TDS > System analysis > Process Lists , is there anything unknown or known which could be a debugger?

In other parts in the forums here was posted about a program logging all start programs, will hunt for that URL and post here so we might be able to look with you once you run and post it here.

[Rikster33]

Jooske and Jason,
I will look in the TDS list and post it here maybe that will help us.

[Jooske]

It's hard to make a copy of the process list unfortunately, so you might like to use this little tool: (this is a direct download to the file!)
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmbox/Reticulated/StartLog.zip
Download and click the little zip file (about 29kb) and have it extracted somewhere, nothing to install.
This you can run and gives a full output of all that is started on your system (thought there was another one but can't find it in the forums this moment); the log you can save as a text and paste it here in a posting, so we can look with you if anything looks like a debugger. And there must be more the matter unless you succeeded in the meantime to copy your WormGuard key in the WG directory and got it registered by now.

Just found a brother of the program, which is downloadable here at wilders.org, which gives more info:
http://www.wilders.org/HTMLobj-1488/startuplist.zip
it downloads immediately!

[Rikster33]

Here is the list i copied to notepad,and yes I registered the womguard. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\PROGRAM\FILES\NTS\ENTERNET 300\APP\ENTERNET.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\STARTER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\TDS-3.EXE

[Jooske]

Hi, we crossed, in my posting above i posted a better version of the same program, do you mind trying to get and run that too? Think that is the one used here more often in the forum; doesn't matter that the output is big, we can always delete it if we've seen what we want to know :)
So please paste away for us. It might contain more specific parts here.

At the moment i paste this little part i see:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"$EnterNet"="C:\\PROGRAM FILES\\NTS\\ENTERNET 300\\APP\\EnterNet.exe -AutoStart"
"POINTER"="point32.exe"
"EnsoniqMixer"="starter.exe"
"Mount Safe & Sound"="C:\\PROGRAM FILES\\MCAFEE\\MCAFEE SHARED COMPONENTS\\SAFE&SOUND\\FBMOUNT.EXE"
"ScanRegistry"="C:\\WINDOWS\\scanregw.exe /autorun"
"SystemTray"="SysTray.Exe"

The "enternet" key you posted about;
i wonder what is POINTER? and i wondered seeing in fact only mcafee if you tried a few moments to run PE without mcafee just to make sure there is no conflict between those (there should not and never heard there were, but a few moments to make sure on your system...?)
Looking forward to your next posting.

Do you really have so few programs started? No agentsvr.exe and all those? Hmmm..

You succeeded with the WG in the meantime, displaying "registered" in the console and "about" ? That is good news! So step by step you're getting closer! Congratulations with that part too, so now it's only PE -- wished it could tell which program is seen as a debugger :( but we'll find out for sure!

[Rikster33]

Yes I shut down other start up progs to eliminate conficts, also pointer is the mouse "explorer"

[Jooske]

Aha, so pointer will not be the problem; as you have both WG and TDS running i suppose you have all required system files as well.
Did you try the other startup program i posted later here above?
Hope Jason comes with more suggestions.........

[Rikster33]

Still looking for that debugger and how to remove it--Thanks

[Jooske]

If we only knew which it could be, in the startup list from the other day did not see anything suspicious. What happens if you close the mcafee virushield or life update and that enternet for a moment? It's the last i can think of this moment.
Also if you look with contr+alt+del, is there anything you don't recognize, or an old program running in the background? (it should show up in the TDS process lists, ...
In the MSConfig you might like to disable all autostarts and see what happens then.
As PE even runs on 486 and win95 systems there can't be a problem with that in general, you looked in your IE browser as well in the advanced settings for not displaying page errors and script errors in webpages which would make the windows debugger jump up .. is there such an option in any of your possible other browsers even if you would not use them at the moment? Not even the windows critical update alert could cause this (i had it enabled some time to test this with PE), what more did you try in the meantime?
There is one more try, sorry for an extra download: i wrote somewhere about the Faber Toys (free from www.faberbox.com ) which you can start, start also PE, and in FT get the PE process and all started with that.
It displays all dlls and files started with PE, the same you can look at with all the other processes running one by one.
But what could function as a debugger?

[Rikster33]

Looske, I will email you my results ok

[Jooske]

Got it; you went really deep! Wow! That is Jason-stuff! (and Wayne/Gavin).
If you start FT, in the "tools > dependencies you get a listing like the process list in TDS almost.
In that upper window get the Portexplorer, click on it and you see all modules started with that. So that will not be the over 864 handles you sent me from the kernel details, in which i see several times the word "debug" but i can't find out clearly if that is just a standard function in the kernel, so i will look the same way at mine now, or something special for your kernel.

(Edited: in the meantime compared it with my kernel version giving the same handles, and my PE functions, so it must be in another area.)

The "dependencies list gives where possible a name to the various files found there and this is the one i also use if i want a quick look for dll's versions, to see if updates changed versions, which BHOs are started with IE, etc.
Think you will like this toy and find more use for it.

We get nearer to a solution, for sure.

[Jooske]

Received your overview with Faber toys of the dependencies of PE.
I see you have only 10 processes running from there and i have 44. Why?
I have TDS and WG running (WG does not show in the process list), the FW, IE, OE, VisualZone, a guard from my internet connection, etc.
In those 10 of yours i only see the Mcafee virushield as last item to try to close and see if that does anything.
I hope when Jason comes back from seasons break he has more tests for you to run and look at.
When you got the evaluation version of PE, did you get the same error messages or nothing at all?

[Rikster33]

Jooske, I never tried the evaluation PE just bought the Package deal. i can load up evrything and copy a list.

[Jooske]

Did you also test with the mcafee things down a moment, the updater, the vshield, whatever more is there and see if you can start PE then?

Did you in IE / advanced disable the debugging script errors from web pages (two places, the one on the other off)?

Jason mentioned another firewall then you are running causing the problem; i did not have any problems with ZAPro and PE and had everything installed, when i installed PE, only all possible antivirus scanners and all that closed.
Win98SE is a little different from win98. So maybe that was my luck with the firewall.
Another person was advised to uninstall the firewall (keep your key from that carefully ) and first install PE, after the firewall again and in that specific case the problem there was solved.
Do i remember you even tried to install PE in windows safe mode?
Are you very sure at installing your mcafee was completely closed, not any resident part in the background? Best close all antivirus parts updates and all that, also from startup, reboot, and in your case i also would uninstall the existing PE and reboot, make very sure not any of the antivirus is running at all, install PE, copy your keyfile in the PE directory ... reboot, start PE and see what happens.

btw: you installed it in c:\program files \diamond computer systems \ port explorer, didn't you?
No you didn't i see now in your Faber Toys output. Once you're now uninstalling and re-installing it anyway, do yourself a big favor and try in that i just describe or c:\program files\port explorer
It COULD make the wanted difference on win98.
Please let me know.
And if you do choose for this reinstal and if you did not try yet, do it in the safe mode like Pieter recommended a while ago. (do look to make really sure if no antivirus is running anyhow; it should not be possible but with mcafee one can expect every miracle).
Then continue (if necessary) with the antivirus up again and all you were used to have in the autostart.

Now with this i'm looking forward to results!

[Rikster33]

Ok Jooske I'll let ya know, Thanks

[Jooske]

Wondered about the "nanny" blocking file on your system, if this might block installs and other unrecognized actions on your system and if you're able to close that one.
Just worth a try.
Thought those were just surfing blockers to keep you on the clean trails, but maybe it does more? Like blocking and starting your clean and protective software from properly installing and running? Just a thought, i never use those netnannies.

[Rikster33]

I have tried this program without anything else happening at the same time and still the same error,We will get it soon i hope, I sent an email to support just wating for reply.
Jooske i thank you for a rapid response on all-----Rick

[Jooske]

Hi again,
i'm looking above at your running processes.
What is "starter.exe" for kind of program?
And i see something which i think i'm not going to like and which will make you scream as well if i'm right.
I asked you various times if you had installed TDS, WG and PE each in their own directory, like
c:\program files\diamond computer systems\tds-3
c:\program files\diamond computer systems\wormGuard
c:\program files\diamond computer systems\port explorer

You never answered that question.
But looking at your running processes i see this:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\PROGRAM\FILES\NTS\ENTERNET 300\APP\ENTERNET.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\STARTER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\TDS-3.EXE

This last line makes me very very suspicious and if this indicates what i'm worried might be the matter you understand my shock and how things run at all anyway at your system.
Please don't tell me you installed all in the root (c:\ )
which would make a terrible mess and is asking for real big problems.
Imagine:
many programs use standard names in their software, so you will see in many programs a "readme.txt" or "info" and lots of other files with the same names.
If you would install one program in C:\ you might already risking overwriting files on your system, so installing program two it might overwrite part of the files from program one and others from the original system, and program three more etc. It's a big mess that way.
I did not think of this possibility on your system, as i saw other programs neatly in their own folders, like the antivirus and the netnanny and your zonealarm.
If i had seen in your running processes c:\tds-3\tds-3.exe i might have been less alarmed, but now i am at full alarm on your system!
Please tell me honestly if i'm right in my thinking how is the situation on your system at the moment with this way of installing and if you did install more programs this way all in the root?
And if so, please be educational and accept step by step guidance to get you back on the right trail as much as possible, which is only possible with your full cooperation and concrete answers on concrete questions.
I want to see your system in a neat way with a
c:\ with some standard folders and directories and
c:\program files in which are several programs each in their own directory and you might like longer paths to find the stuff back like keeping the DCS programs together like described above.
When installing a program, in most cases the installer asks where you want to install the program, in most cases indicating a default; the folder is probably not existing, so it will be created.
So in many cases it will ask for c:\program files\name of program and in some cases another subfolder behind that.
If that's ok, accept, if not, it will give you a change to edit the path, browse for another place, and look what the result will be.
So for installing TDS-3, or WG or PE, starting with the TDS example like described above, if that place is not in the installation window browse for it and it will be created for you.
I'm sure you should have a c:\program files\ so browse to that and complete the path as described, and so on with the next program and the third.
If what i think is the case, and to know how big is the possible damage, please tell me if you indeed installed these three programs this way all the one over the other in c:\ and if you did so with more programs and if you have any idea how many programs more where done this way?

[Rikster33]

I believe your correct on the C:\ install i tried all different ways to make things work. Normally i use the default and had no problems, I can uninstall and not use the "root" and only the "program files" I'll await your response. Also this is the starter exe.-----Sound Blaster AudioPCI 64V

[Jooske]

Thanks for the reply Rikster. So the "starter.exe" is not the problem either most probably.
Do you mean you did try the TDS also before in different places, uninstalled and installed again till the only place in which you got it working was in the root?
So before we're going to make any changes i want to know this very clear.
I noticed you have Port explorer in c:\port explorer\portexplorer.exe so thanks G-d not over the other in the root as well, and where exactly did you install WormGuard?
And did you install other programs in the root too or are all others in their own folders and directories and if in c:\program files each in their own directory or also there the one over the other?
At this moment i would like you to do the following:
reboot in safe mode
from there open the windows explorer,
make very sure there is no virus scanner running (it should not as you're in safe mode, but mcafee can be really fanatic so do look to make sure)
run to the c:\port explorer and you see there an uninstall file, with which you uninstall Port Explorer.
As you're in safe mode i don't expect it to make any trouble about the dcs2sw.dll not being able to uninstall, but in case it tells so, no problem it will after another reboot.
So you might even like to delete that dll.
Make sure you don't lose your keyfile, btw! You still have the original in the email i hope so don't lose it.
If you really want to be sure sure sure all is clean you might like to reboot and again back in safe mode.
Now you get that download from Port explorer, i hope you still have that on your system somewhere.
Again look if no antivirus is running (guess not)
So get your original Port explorer download and in the safe mode, please try to install it in
c:\program files\port explorer\ or if you like better in
c:\program files\diamond computer systems\port explorer
(either of them is ok)
Copy your keyfile in the directory after installing.
reboot the system and now you can go in normal window mode and see what happens if you now start Port Explorer.
I suppose it will ask for the unlock code, which you have somewhere (yes the shorter one you located already the other time) and now i expect it to work properly.

If it still gives the same error, i really ask you to close the antivirus shield a moment, and the virus updating, try again, if necessary/possible close the netnanny, so each time one more to see if there is any difference at all.
If all this still doesn't help, there are a few more things to try, but first this.
You might like to print out these steps to walk through and here are many fingers crossed for you to succeed.
Please post back with what you find and where exactly you installed PE this time.

[Rikster33]

Ok on my way to safe mode

[Jooske]

Great!
In the meantime somebody suggested in stead of the long
"diamond computer systems" you might like to use DCS or DiamondCS in the pathname, as those are much shorter, and using such a main directory for the DCS products enables you to keep them close together.
Hope you see this before you try to install.
Not that it really matters, but it's so much shorter for future use :)
Many fingers crossed! The whole forum is watching your progress.

[Rikster33]

Same error i never get the chance to run it to unlock code.
I cleaned up other directories uninstalled and have all seperate folders on desktop i've only tried the PE which installed into c:\program files\port explorer with the kf there also. Done in safemode with NOTHING else running,I unchecked from msconfig.

[Jooske]

Hmmmmmmm it was certainly worth the trouble of trying.
I forgot to write this explicite but i suppose at the time for installing in the sae mode you had no other programs running did you? just the reboot in safe mode, not any program started, only that install, copy keyfile in, reboot and to normal mode to try it out.


Wait a moment......When you have this problem with PE, do you have other programs running, like TDS, WG, any others?
WG runs in the background, invisible, no icon. It should not make any difference, but worth the try:
Find WG, the button to "disable" it a moment, try to run PE again, hoping it is ok this time, anyway good or bad result, after you can enable the WG again and press it's test button.
Never heard it made problems with PE, but who knows in special occasions? See what happens if PE was ok and after enabling WG again what happens.

Good that you know now how to make the startuplog.txt file to have everything displayed, also possible hidden things.
Talking about hidden: your mcafee is all uptodate?
did you ever make an online scan for instance at http://housecall.antivirus.com ? (free). You might like to temporary disable the vshield/mcafee when you do that scan there for better results and because scanning takes lots of your resources and could make working on rather problematic with two scanning processes at the same time.
Just to be really sure not any infection is bugging you, hidden, i always like second opinions if i have unidentified problems on my system.


Euhmm do i understand you uninstalled TDS and WG too and where did you install those two now?
I mean: i do not quite understand "in their own folders on the desktop" so can you explain this for me?

If you did uninstall them you could go through the same steps like PE:
in safe mode, uninstall WG, reboot, again in safe mode, install WG in c:\program files\WormGuard, copy the keyfile for WG in it and reboot, start WG to see if all is ok
and the same with TDS, install in c:\program files\TDS-3

If you look in TDS > System Analysis > Process lists, are all processes ok? you know them all? no strange modification dates in the files and programs displayed there?
And in the same area in Netstat: no strange connections there?
And in Autostart: all ok there too? No changes?

Are there more of your programs that way installed immediately under the root?

It's good you go through all these steps and testings, so Jason finds your system a bit more organised and can do other tests with you if needed.

[Rikster33]

I just made 3 new folders on desktop to download them to but installed them in program files, Ran a virus check at housecall everything clean there. Do you think if was to uninstall McAfee and zone alarm that could remove the debugger?

[Jooske]

Ok, now it's clear to me how you did with the installs, and TDS and WG both are registered still and functioning as they should?

I am not toooooo quick with uninstalling Mcafee or ZA, as those both go very deep into your system and mcafee might maybe make your system unstable if halfway uninstalled and maybe even make problems when re-installing. I might be over-careful here.
There was an option thinkable of uninstalling ZA, then install PE and install ZA again no matter if PE was registered this time or not.
I would wait with this till Jason gets back monday with maybe better ideas. I like so much to have your debugger found and i thought indeed in the direction of mcafee, with the life updating thing in that, so this is why i asked you to close it.
Did you also try in the safe mode to start PE and see if you can get it registered from the safe mode? Did not think of that option, and if you succeed i don't know what happens if you go back to normail windows, worth trying before uninstalling anything at the moment.

[Rikster33]

both tds and wmgd working fine but that c:\windows\system\dcws2.dll did not come up so i will look at other files needed you suggested and maybe that is there to install. Pe wont work in safe made also

[Jooske]

So if you got the same error message in the safe mode there are very limited possibilities about possible conflicts/things working as a debugger.
As in the safe mode there is no firewall, no anti-virus (or at least there should not be). It could even be something in the hardware, some driver acting like that, maybe.
For such things Jason has nice tests to have you running and see what happens unless he knows from experience immediately with an adequate question ! :)

In case you find newer files (think you will) copy them to a separate folder on your desktop.
Then change their name or if you feel better copy them with a new name:
file1.dll you make for instance file1.dl2
This file1.dl2 you put in the c:\windows\system folder and so you do with all those files.
As the original files are in use, you can not exchange them, so you'll have to reboot in MSDOS mode.
cd c:\windows\system <enter>
then rename the original installed file1.dll to file1.dll.bak for instance so you keep them side by side and can find them back easily if needed, so you type
ren file1.dll file1.dll.bak <enter>
then you want the new file replace the original so for that you type
ren file1.dl2 file1.dll <enter>
and so you do with all your files one by one.
When you're ready, reboot to normal windows and see if everything functions, windows itself, TDS, WG, PE, whatever you try to start and if you find after a few days all is nice and ell you can delete those older file versions you just named *.bak.
In case things don't run nice and you're sure you did not make any typos you can place the old files back in the opposite way.
Hope this brings you any further.
Please let us know.

[Jooske]

Hi Rikster, we wondered over here, as you wrote in early postings about running and opening the keyfile the following:
did the keyfiles for TDS, WG and PE all come zipped?
originally they did not, just came as a keyfile to be put in the program directory, but FanJ just quoted this part from the PE registration confirmation sending you the keyfile:

Please find your ZIPPED Port Explorer licensed keyfile attached to this email (port.zip). The keyfile (port.pkf) has been zipped to ensure integrity. Simply unzip the port.pkf file to your Port Explorer directory, run Port Explorer and enter your unlock code. If you don't have an unzip program (such as PKUnzip or WinZip), simply download http://www.diamondcs.com.au/portexplorer/pekey.exe , run it and follow its directions.

I was not aware of this new policy and nobody told me, till this moment. So now i like to know of course if you unzipped the keyfile and put it in the unzipped form in the PE directory, start PE and see if it works now?
Normally it's enough to click the zipped file to have it unzipped where you can give a location (in this case the PE directory) where the unzipped version (port.pkf) will be stored.
If you had all these problems because of a zipped key and did not unzip it because of our protests and recommendations then i apologize as nobody knew about the zipped shipping till we were told just a few instances ago.
Please post back if this is the solution.

[Rikster33]

Jooske, I was able to run the PE in safe mode to unlock the code but once at nomal mode the "active debug" error is back. So i think that all the installations are fine just some conflict with a progam on this machine. We are getting closer i can smell victory!

[Jooske]

Sounds really good! So fortunately the keyfile was unzipped.
Did you have to replace many system files or just one or two or nothing?

Yes, in the normal mode i would close that enternet thing
(without getting them from the autostart you can also close them one by one as a process in TDS from the process list)
So you open TDS, in the process list kill that enternet thing (just normal kill, not kill and remove or such)
Try PE
Next try, that netnanny if possible
Try PE
Next try, that mcafee updater
Try PE
Next mcafee virusshield,
Try PE
etc, till you find the possible culpit. You know you can't close all processes but those you can.
When you disable WG for a moment, does PE run then or is it immediately the error?
When you get the debugger error, does it give a button for details or an error number or code? If so, can you post that here?

[Rikster33]

ok did the kill and try but same error after each attempt!
No details button or number sorry

[Jooske]

That's a pity, both things i mean no error ID or details and not the solution in known running programs.
On the other hand you know now there is not a conflict, and that's worth a lot.
I would wait for Jason now with more tests he might be able to do with you.
Are all other programs still running ok on your system since you changed some system files and upgraded to IE 6.0 and security updates over that and with the installing-uninstalling and installing again of the several programs?
If you have now your system back to normal with everything in the autostart as you feel comfortable with all is still ok?

[cob]

Jooske and Rikster33...

I got the same debugger message when trying to run PE demo on my win98 sys.

Remowing MS Messenger, Outlock and chat did the trick...but I don't know why it solved the problem.

:)

[Jason_DiamondCS]

Rikster33 I am investigating this problem now I should have an answer soon.
-Jason-

[Jooske]

Hi Cob, sounds like a solution, but should not be the one. Did you just close them from the autostart or did you really remove them from your system?


Thanks Jason, hope you will. Looking forward to the evolvements.

[Rikster33]

OK thanks all! Jason i sent you the test results by e mail reply.

[cob]

Hi Jooske, I removed the programes keys from the registry without a thought of the debugging problem...and by pure chance it solved the problem.


:)

[Jason_DiamondCS]

This should be fixed in the latest version. Please report your findings! :)
-Jason-

[Rikster33]

Jason no changes still the same error

[TV]

Hi. I just downloaded Port Explorer to my Windows 98 system, rebooted, and I get the same "This program does not run on machines with active system debugger!" error.
>:(

How about indicating what you think the debugger is in the message? I disabled my antivirus software - it still doesn't run.

I am not running Mail, outlook or msn messenger - although all are installed on my system.

Any ideas?

[Jason_DiamondCS]

Hi TV,
Fortunately Rikster fixed the debugger problem on his system but unfortunately he didn't know what he did to fix it. He still hasn't emailed be back with his solution so I can't really say.
-Jason-

[Gavin - DiamondCS]

Hi TV,

A debugger runs a program in a special way, such that the program can be examined, paused and things can be done differently to how it normally runs (to find and fix bugs)

A debugger may be installed if you have programming software installed, you should be able to disable it if so (rather than uninstalling anything)

Otherwise, a debugger might be something you have a debugger installed to examine how EXE files work, like SoftICE or one of many other debuggers available.