Find out what program is prompting the dial-up.
First, does this occur even if you don't use the machine after restarting?
In other words, are you *certain* that no program you launch after startup
is responsible?
Next, see my article "Clean Boot: What it is and why you need it."
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
That will introduce you to MSCONFIG, the primary trouble-shooting tool in
Windows 98. Follow the steps I give to set up a Clean Boot environment.
After restarting, just let the system sit there with no input from you
(except to answer prompts if you get any). Does a dial-up prompt appear? If
so, then see my other article, http://www.grystmill.com/security.htm
If no prompt appears after ten or fifteen minutes, then run MSCONFIG again,
and if there are any items besides the Startup Programs that you previously
disabled, re-enable (things like Autoexec.bat, Config.sys, etc., if they
exist and had been previously disabled.) Restart the system and test again.
If no dial-up prompt, again use MSCONFIG to enable just one half of the
items on the Startup tab. Restart and test. If the problem returns, then you
know that the culprit is in the batch that you re-enabled. Vice-versa, if
the behavior doesn't return, you know the culprit is in the half that was
left disabled. Based upon that knowledge, re-enable all but one half of the
set of files you know contains the culprit. Restart and test.
Continue this narrowing down of the possible culprits until you discover
which item is responsible. But remember, this test is only needed if the
problem was cured by disabling startup items. If startup items aren't
responsible, and you yourself aren't launching something that then stays
resident and polls the internet, then the most likely culprit is malicious
software and you need to install and use the proper scanners to get rid of
it.

Signature
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
> What do I do to stop my W98SE machine from dialing the internet every
> few minutes?
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> --
> To h___ with Iraqi democracy! Withdraw the troops! Or something!!!
inkleputDEL@ETEisp.com - 23 Aug 2005 15:18 GMT
"Gary S. Terhune" <grystnews@mvps.org> said:
>First, does this occur even if you don't use the machine after
>restarting? In other words, are you *certain* that no program you
>launch after startup is responsible?
It happens either way. This is a laptop. Most often I go back to my
desktop immediately after booting the laptop and get tied up doing
something else for a good while.
At first bootup the dialer runs; I don't know why. Whether it actually
dials depends on the config in the dialer itself. There's a setting to
autodial if it is started manually. But that setting also makes it dial
when these pop-ups occur. In any case, it seems to me that shutting it
down should end it.
I have update settings , but those are identifiable, since they actually
do something after dialing. My problem is with merely dialing and just
sitting there online.
There are a couple things in msconfig -> Startup that puzzle me. (I'm
no expert on ANY of this.) There is a PROmon.exe that I have no idea
what is, but I don't go around turning off things I don't understand.
Also there is a REGSHAVE.EXE /AUTORUN about which I have no clue.
Lastly, there is a "run= hpfsched." No clue about that either.
>Next, see my article "Clean Boot: What it is and why you need it."
Thanks
Jim L
--
To h___ with Iraqi democracy! Withdraw the troops! Or something!!!
Gary S. Terhune - 23 Aug 2005 17:37 GMT
PROMON.EXE supports Intel NIC (Network) cards.
REGSHAVE.EXE supports Fuji FinePix digital cameras.
run= hpfsched is a small process that monitors HP printers and periodically
reminds you to do maintenance procedures on the printer(s).
None of those should cause a dial-up. Perform the trouble-shooting
procedures I outlined before to figure out which one(s) are prompting the
dial-up. If you cannot determine that one or more specific items in the
Startup axis are responsible, then you have to consider malware.

Signature
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
> "Gary S. Terhune" <grystnews@mvps.org> said:
>
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
> --
> To h___ with Iraqi democracy! Withdraw the troops! Or something!!!