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[Gatleos]

start->run->winipcfg

take note of the reported data from winipcfg.

start->run->command.com

route print

take note of the printed routing table.

Test for network connectivity:

ping 8.8.8.8

Hmm, missing some diagnostic tools. You are able to print a route table however, and everything seems normal up until you try to ping an external network location. Looks like this machine really can't connect to the internet.

[X] Check Recycle bin

You check the contents of the only file in the recycle bin:

Code: (polybius.txt) [Select]

44454233 453314151114 52244423 5354555554

This may or may not be garbage data.

Spoiler: Documents (click to show/hide)

Code: (polybius.txt) [Select]

44454233 453314151114 52244423 5354555554


[Dermonster]

Yep, we've got some unsettling noodles here.

[X} My documents! My Computer! Open all of the things!

[XXXXYYYY]

Huh. Interesting.

Spoiler: Text bits, for the lazy (click to show/hide)

The daedric translates to YALDABAOTH. Somewhat concerning.
Polybius.txt is in a polybius square cypher. Looking up the values reveals that it translates to "TURN UNDEAD WITH XYZZY". Interesting.

Spoiler: Rampant and unsubstantiated coincidencidising, to be expanded later (click to show/hide)

422 appears twice within the ticket - the number, and then inverted in the time. This happens to be the HTML status code for "Unprocessable Entity". Coincidence? probably.

[Olith McHuman]

Drag a slightly newer computer out of storage, attack it to the network, make it a router, then network this 98 box and it together over a LPT port. Get internets

Because, clearly, there aren't enough things wrong with this system.

[helmacon]

PTW

[wierd]

This could be a very obscure bit of networking hardware.  2-wire power line network.
https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Powerline-Ethernet-Adapter-TPL-303E2K/dp/B00392CI7E

Could also be LPT based Xircom thinnet, circa mid 90s.
http://www.brutman.com/Dos_Networking/xircom_pe3.html

(yay! So much esoteric crap I have actually worked with!)


As for how to proceed-- since this is clearly some serious black magic voodoo that is probably related to the unholy evil emanating from HR,  we should make a disk image of this system's hard drive before we do anything else.


Also-- just noticed:

You looked for "winipconfig"  this is WROONG.  it is winipcfg It looks like this bro.

[Olith McHuman]

You know, in 2 turn there will probably be elder gods coming out of this thing.
And we'll just ignore them and keep trying to fix the computer

Also, I'm sure it's just fine that program files has been replaced by profane scripts...

[wierd]

Oh, it's just some fun with a resource editor.  

Clearly, you have not seen what terrible things people did to win98 systems back in the day.  Hell, I am surprised it looks as sanitary as it does!

Still, having a disk image from before we do any meddling would be useful if we need to reset the eldritch abomination back to the way it was for any reason.

[Dermonster]

[X] The only solution is to get several candles, red chalk, a knife and a chicken. Proceed as ordained by local cult leader.

[crazyabe]

PTW

[Starver]

You look like you're having so much fun with this, you non-PTWers, that I really don't want to conflict your IRQs, but just want to make sure I can netstat the thread. Please carry on with the warped nostalgia! (I may @echo something of my own later, of course.)

[Gwolfski]

this is nice. What does Ctrl-Alt-Delete do?

[wierd]

On a non-crashing system:  It will halt normal user processes temporarily, and bring up a primitive task manager. (this often makes the system unstable though, because win9x era softwares were spoiled brats that expected to have everything their way.)

looks like this:


On a crashing system, it causes a "System is not responding" bluescreen.

[Gatleos]

As for how to proceed-- since this is clearly some serious black magic voodoo that is probably related to the unholy evil emanating from HR,  we should make a disk image of this system's hard drive before we do anything else.

Good idea! When all else fails, backups have your back.



After a moment of searching, you find a small container of floppy disks behind the tower.



Looks like the black one is blank, so you stick it in the A: drive and start the backup process.

You looked for "winipconfig"  this is WROONG.  it is winipcfg

Gahhh you always get that mixed up. Let's see if winipcfg works.








There we go! For a second there, you thought the utility wasn't present on the system. That would have been weird.

So, a few things. First, you don't recognize that ip address. After some command line fiddling, you figure out that it's 80.179.4.22, which doesn't match up with the company's network. However, the company domain (baldr.net) is up there. Hm. There are a couple of other weird things, you guess.

[X} My documents! My Computer! Open all of the things!

Huh. Disappointingly normal.

Drag a slightly newer computer out of storage, attack it to the network, make it a router, then network this 98 box and it together over a LPT port. Get internets

Because, clearly, there aren't enough things wrong with this system.

Despite the apparent occult influence over the network connection, you spend about half an hour jury-rigging another physical connection. Once everything seems ready to go, you perform a ping request. Once it predictably and boringly fails, you just try to resolve an address through internet explorer.



No dice.

[X] The only solution is to get several candles, red chalk, a knife and a chicken. Proceed as ordained by local cult leader.

You're able to retrieve a dry erase from a nearby conference room, and some leftovers and a knife from the break room. No candles, as far as you can see.

Spoiler: Documents (click to show/hide)

Code: (polybius.txt) [Select]

44454233 453314151114 52244423 5354555554
It translates to "TURN UNDEAD WITH XYZZY"

Spoiler: Inventory (click to show/hide)

Floppy disk (XYZZY)


Floppy disk ()


Floppy disk (backup) [in use]


Red dry erase marker


Chicken bucket


Butter knife

[Maximum Spin]

Try clicking "release all".

Stand well back of the probable ensuing outpouring of released demons.