[gtshadow]

I posted about a problem I have been having with my computer in the malware forum and it was suggested that I post in this forum for further assistance.

The main problem I am having is when I log off or turn off my computer, it will get to the "saving your settings" screen and stay there until I unplug it and let the battery drain, at which time it will go ahead and turn off and I can restart the computer without any problem.

A couple of times when I have tried to turn off the computer, I have seen a blue screen (I think it is called a stop error screen) and after the computer restarts Iget a pop-up that says "Windows has recovered from a serious error" and I'm asked to send a report to Microsoft. I have done so and they give some info saying that the problem is caused by a device driver but that they don't know which one it is.

I have had some other weird things start happening too, such as having my desktop disappear. All I have is the wallpaper on my screen, no icon or toolbar.

I don't know if these problems all have the same underlying cause or if there are several causes.

Here is a link to what we have discussed so far in the malware forum:

http://www.geekstogo...howtopic=127000

I hope someone here can help me solve this problem. Thanks in advance.

GT

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Hi there gtsshadow,

Can you do a couple of things for me please;

Can you navigate to your device manager and note any issues highlighted - these will show as questionmarks.

(**easy way is to hold down your windows key and at the same time press r - this will take you into the run command box - please type "devmgmt.msc" - without the quotation marks)

I need to see if any of your hardware is showing an issue.

The reason i'm asking this is to try and diagnose an issue with your hardware. it seems at first glance that your system is having an issue with the explorer.exe function and as you have been directed here by the malware guys - this shouldn't be a malware issue (explorer issues tend to be malware or hardware - to make our lives easier!)

Can you also open another run box (same way) and type prefetch. Let me know what is in there (screenshot please - press print screen when you're on that page and then press cntrl v either in a graphics program (even word will do) or when you're replying here.

Paste what you see in your reply. I want to see if you have prefetch vs hardware problem.

When you have the issue mentioned can you also try a quickfix for me. when you only see your background on desktop - can you please press cntrl + alt + delete to access task manager and then go file>new task(run) and type "explorer.exe" without the quotation marks and tell me if it starts your system properly again??

Hope this is useful and that you're keeping to a degree smiley. Don't let this get you down - you'll get it sorted.

Speak soon,



Steve

[exparisstevie]

Hi there gtsshadow,

Can you do a couple of things for me please;

Can you navigate to your device manager and note any issues highlighted - these will show as questionmarks.

(**easy way is to hold down your windows key and at the same time press r - this will take you into the run command box - please type "devmgmt.msc" - without the quotation marks)

I need to see if any of your hardware is showing an issue.

The reason i'm asking this is to try and diagnose an issue with your hardware. it seems at first glance that your system is having an issue with the explorer.exe function and as you have been directed here by the malware guys - this shouldn't be a malware issue (explorer issues tend to be malware or hardware - to make our lives easier!)

Can you also open another run box (same way) and type prefetch. Let me know what is in there (screenshot please - press print screen when you're on that page and then press cntrl v either in a graphics program (even word will do) or when you're replying here.

Paste what you see in your reply. I want to see if you have prefetch vs hardware problem.

When you have the issue mentioned can you also try a quickfix for me. when you only see your background on desktop - can you please press cntrl + alt + delete to access task manager and then go file>new task(run) and type "explorer.exe" without the quotation marks and tell me if it starts your system properly again??

Hope this is useful and that you're keeping to a degree smiley. Don't let this get you down - you'll get it sorted.

Speak soon,



Steve

[gtshadow]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply. I am trying to keep a little smiley about this. I realize that people have had much worse problems with their computers than what I'm having. Right now, my problem is just an annoyance.

I went to the device manager as you instructed and didn't see any problems there. No question marks anyway. Hopefully I understand what to look for there.

As for the Prefetch... I've never tried to do a screenshot before... Hopefully this won't show how computer dumb I am, but I don't see an option to print anywhere on the Prefetch page... Maybe you can explain that some more? Think 2 year old here...

As for the quickfix you mentioned... I will try it the next time that problem occurs, but I should note that that problem has only happened a couple of times and I don't know how long it might be before it happens again. The only problem that I can count on to happen regularly is the shutdown problem, as that happens every time I turn off the computer.

Thanks for your help. I really appreciate the work you and the other staff here do.

GT

[exparisstevie]

Hi again,

My aologies for the lack of clear explanation in my last post - Should be more clear.

OK - print screen is actually a key on your keyboard - it's found next to the F12 key usually

When you've opened prefetch (windows key and r - to open run dialogue, then type prefetch and enter)

hit the print screen key and that will copy it to the clipboard - if you're posting right away, you can just post a reply and hit control and v (or right click - paste) to copy the snapshot in here. We'll most likely delete all the contents of this folder anyway - to ease your mind before we look at this please follow the below link to learn a little about prefetch....

http://keith.geeksto...om/Prefetch.htm

Hope i've been a touch more use to you today. My apologies once more for yesterday!



Steve

[gtshadow]

No need to appologize... It probably wouldn't hurt me to find out what all the buttons on this computer do.

I must still not understand something though because after pressing the print screen button on here I tried the ctrl+v and it didn't seem to do anything... so I decided to try the other option you mentioned and was able to paste it in Paint and save it. Now lets see if I can get it from there to here...



Looks like maybe I got it.

Thanks for the info on what prefetch is. I didn't have a clue.

GT

[exparisstevie]

Hey there,

Thanks for the post (well done by the way - HeHe ;-) please now follow instructions below;



Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete.

Restart your machine and post back for me please - let me know of any issues afterwards. If we don't solve it with this we're going to run a little internal repair function in windows that will repair your system files and see how we go from there.

We'll get there....


Steve

[gtshadow]

Well... Guess we need to move to the next step...

I did as you said and deleted all the files in prefetch. When I restarted the computer, I still had the same problem (got to "saving your settings" and stayed there). After I was able to restart the computer I got back on and decided to try restarting again, just to make sure I was still having the problem and had the same thing happen.

I did have something happen, both times that I restarted that I should tell you about. Each time, when I clicked "Restart" WIndows had to end an unresponsive program. The first time I only had a second to see the message, but I think the program it was ending was something called "base2paneform". The second time I restarted I got a better look and that time the program was something called "DDE Server Window". I don't know what either of those are, may not be anything important, but I thought I'd let you know.

So what next?

[exparisstevie]

Hi Again,

Did a little research re this program - base2paneform;

Here's a link to what I found: http://www.help2go.c...p-up_error.html

Before following the advice below - please open up your task manager (ctrl+alt+delete - will open this) - click on the processes tab and find the service base2paneplatform (if it's there) and once highlighted click end process. Close task manager.

Looks like it's associated with HP device files. The problem should be easily fixed following the steps below;

Click on Start, click Run - in the box that opens, type msconfig and press enter - when msconfig opens click on the startup tab - and click disable all. **Then replace the ticks for the firewall, anti virus and any anti spyware programmes you have, click apply and reboot** - CANNOT STRESS THIS STAGE ENOUGH

This will remove all unneccasary start up items (don't worry, this only stops programs starting at bootup - you can still run them manually should you require them)

Give that a whirl for me and post back.

Cheers


Steve

[gtshadow]

I did as you said and I don't see the error message about base2paneform any more, but I am still having the shutdown problem. Still can't get past "saving your settings".

And now, when the comuter starts I get the following message...

"You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts.

The System Configuration Utility is currently in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode, causing this message to be displayed and the utility to run every time Windows starts.

Choose the Normal Startup mode on the General tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made using the System Configuration Utility."

What should I do about that?

Thanks again for your help.

GT

[exparisstevie]

Hi - sorry for delay.

At start up the system configuration utility is doing it's job and telling you that you've made changes. Click tyhe checkbox in the lower left corner (asking it not to bother you again at start up) - this will solve the issue.

Everytime you run msconfig or services.msc - this box appears after start-up. It's supposed to be there to make sure you made your changes on purpose.

As for the continued issues restarting - can I ask, can you please try to leave it for a good 30mins before you force a shut down. I want to see if it is in fact hanging or if it's struggling to compute at restart.

Failing this, we're gonna have to get more involved with your system. That being the case, we'll try a couple of low-invasive steps before you need to start planning to back things up and try a high-invasive repair of your system (last resort)

Steve

[gtshadow]

I left the computer for an hour and it was still "saving your settings", so it is definitely hanging.

What do you mean by "invasive"? Invasive how? You won't learn of all my secrect plans to take over the world will you?

Hopefully the low-invasive methods will work. It would surely be a pain to back up everything on this computer. So what's next?

GT

[exparisstevie]

Hi there,

Sorry for delay - very busy this week.

OK. As far as the invasive procedures are concerned i'll be as non-destructive in the fix advice I give as possible and always inform you of any risk to your data BEFORE any procedure fix is offered. With reference to that I was just letting you know that there is a possibility that we'll have to do a fix (eventually) that will involve backing up your data prior to moving further forward.

That said - we'll do our best to fix the issues you're having as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

Next fix;

Manual steps to run Chkdsk at the command prompt
1. Click Start, and then Run.
2. In Open, type cmd, and then press ENTER.

• To repair errors, locate bad sectors, and recover readable information, at the command prompt, type chkdsk c:/r (please note the space after the word chkdsk) and then press ENTER. (the c here represents your main hard drive and should be replaced with your own hard drive letter if different from c)

Note If one or more of the files on the hard disk are open, you will receive the following message:
Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)
This is normal - Just Type Y, and then press ENTER to schedule the disk check, and then restart your computer to start the disk check. (I know your machine wont restart but carry through your own restart procedure as normal once the above is done.

I'm working under the assumption here that your system may have a problem saving to disk at start up and shut down - this procedure will search for and fix any issues found.

It may take a while (somewhere between an hour and overnight so let it run as long as it takes) ** stopping checkdisk part way through it's procedure can be extremely damaging to your system - in rare cases it can take longer to run than stated above - please be patient and let it do it's thing **

Hope that you have some success with this one and that soon you can start and restart with no issues at all.....

Let me know how it goes. I'll likely be as busy tomorrow so please bear with me. (up to my neck at the moment - Overtime with work (tech support) - as well as the 3 forums that I support.)

I'll be back with a reply as soon as I can - please don't think that you are forgotten - all replies to my posts are routed to all of my email accounts - I cannot forget you.

Thanks


Steve

Edited by exparisstevie, 31 August 2006 - 03:30 PM.

[gtshadow]

I understand perfectly about delays and it is no problem. I'm just glad there is this forum and people, like you, that are willing to help us who don't have a clue. For the most part things on this computer work normally, so I'm not in a real big hurry. I had my own delays today. One day off this week and I'm busier than when I'm working.

Well... I did the chkdsk and I'm still having the same problems. However, I did discover something that might or might not help in diagnosing the problem. When I restarted the computer, after scheduling the chkdsk, I found that my wife was still logged on to the computer in her username. I went ahead and told the computer to shut down despite this. When I did, the computer went ahead and shut down normally. When the computer restarted, I got on my wife's username and tried restarting the computer from there. It shut down and started normally. I don't know if that means anything, but I thought I would tell you.

GT

[exparisstevie]

Hi There,

Seems like you've found a bit of a clue there. Can you try keeping your wife logged out and log yourself in and try to restart from your user account.

Once done - either way - whether problems are persisting or not - can you carry out the steps that we've carried out on your user on her user account as well (not the checkdisk as this will make no difference)

Certainly clear your prefetch files for her user - check msconfig (start up tab) settings are only showing your firewall, antivirus software and any installed antimalware stuff. Nothing else needs to be in the startup tab

*** Please ensure that prior to restart - you have emptied the recycle bin of all files. ***

Same as before after restart - your machine will show the system config utility - click on the checkbox to tell the system that you did this on purpose and click ok.

Let me know how you get on.

Steve

[gtshadow]

I thought my problems were solved... Guess that's what I get for thinking...

Check this out... Right after I posted here, that I was still having problems, I tried again to restart the computer on my user account and everything worked perfectly! I didn't have time then to change my post and when I came back again, I read your reply asking me to go through the steps we had gone through here, on my wife's user account. I tried several more times to restart the computer from my account, with my wife still logged off and also used the "log off" feature, to make sure that was working as well. Every time things worked just as they were supposed to.

Then I went into my wife's user account. I checked the msconfig and the changes I had made on my user account were the same on her user account, except that some msn messenger file was checked. I don't remember checking that when I made the changes on my user account, but it is possible I did so without realizing it. I went ahead and unchecked it and clicked apply then close. I then went to the prefetch and deleted all the files there as I had done on my account. Then I went and emptied the recycle bin, logged off her account, and logged back into mine. I wanted to make sure that things were still working perfectly for me, so after just moving around my account a little while, pretty much randomly, I tried once more to log off my account. My first sign of trouble was that I again saw Windows shutting down the "DDE Server Window" program and then to my utter dismay, I found the "saving your settings" screen staring me in the face again, refusing to go away... Geesh! I give up!

So... What the heck happened? Everything was fine, then after messing around in my wife's account, everything goes to [bleep] again? It doesn't seem to me that anything I did on my wife's account was a problem. And what is this DDE Server Window? And why is it being "unresponsive"? Do you think it may have something to do with my problems?

Thanks again for your help.

GT