Help/advice with antivirus problem please

[Bossy Monkey]

I was updating my McAfee VirusScan definitions today and when I was done and letting the program restart the machine I got an illegal operation message shutting down avsynmgr. The machine did let me restart from the Shut Down menu, so I did. However, when Bios loaded and the C: drive files should have been virus-scanned instead it stopped and announced "128 ... unknown error (code 5)." There was a great deal further detail, but unless I absolutely need to, I'd rather not have to type all that stuff.
When Windows loaded, there was another box saying that avsynmgr was shutting down because of an illegal operation. This and the code 5 error happen every time I restart. Anytime I try to open McAfee VirusScan I get an illegal operation message for Vsmain and the McAfee console goes away.
Question: Does anybody know if any McAfee scan engines have gone obsolete in the last week or so? Unfortunately, I don't know what engine I was using as I can't get to the program, but it and the computer are 3 years old so it's certainly due. This is a Sony Vaio desktop running Windows 98 2d Edition.
Other question: What's the free antivirus program that folks are always recommending here? I tried searching for it but somehow couldn't get the right keywords.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. AntiVirus Guard

http://www.grisoft.com

[mac56]

2. How does this AVG compare to Norton Antivirus?

I hadn't heard of it before.

[Bossy Monkey]

7. Can't answer for TS, but it has exactly the same features as McAfee

Don't know how well it works in the long run, but I've always heard good things about it. Free version has no customer support, but does update definitions (automatically if you like).

[Bossy Monkey]

4. Thanks! I have an email in to McAfee

I'll see what they say first. As hardly anybody bothers writing viruses for W98 anymore, I guess I can go nekkid for a little while. I did check at TrendMicro and they didn't find anything.

[Bossy Monkey]

6. Thanks again; downloaded, installed and running n/t

[cheezus]

3. sounds like standard win98 random corruption

I'd suggest uninstalling antivirus, then reinstalling and updating.

[Bossy Monkey]

5. That would be 3 years worth of updates via dialup

I hope you're right, but even so I'd probably prefer to get a new package, possibly the free one TS links to above.