[The Skeptic]

You can check ram avalability by entering task manager (alt+ctr+del). Go to performance and look at Physical Memory. See what is the Total and how much is Available.

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Did that, have 228848 total and 44608 to around 46900 available. Thought I had fixed movie maker, but it crashed the computer again. Found a lot of error messages in system info/software environment/error reporting...a sample of the recent ones:

14/04/2007 4:31 PM Application Hang Hanging application ntvdm.exe, version 5.1.2600.2180, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

15/04/2007 2:03 PM Application Error Faulting application dlclient.exe, version 1.0.0.1, faulting module dlclient.exe, version 1.0.0.1, fault address 0x0002da65.

15/04/2007 3:04 PM Application Error Faulting application m4atomp3.exe, version 1.2.0.0, faulting module nctaudiofile3.dll, version 1.1.3.254, fault address 0x00032284.

15/04/2007 5:52 AM WinDefend Windows Defender scan has started.

	Scan ID: {80F7A052-8C7B-49C9-ACC7-D826093EBB52}

	Scan Type: AntiSpyware

	Scan Parameters: Quick Scan

	User: NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE

15/04/2007 5:56 AM WinDefend Windows Defender scan has finished.

	Scan ID: {80F7A052-8C7B-49C9-ACC7-D826093EBB52}

	Scan Type: AntiSpyware

	Scan Parameters: Quick Scan

	User: NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE

	Scan Time: 0:03:24

15/04/2007 7:49 PM Application Hang Hanging application iexplore.exe, version 7.0.6000.16414, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 10:21 AM Application Error Faulting application moviemk.exe, version 2.0.3312.0, faulting module comctl32.dll, version 6.0.2900.2982, fault address 0x0004e967.

18/04/2007 10:26 AM Application Error Fault bucket 10544845.

18/04/2007 2:06 PM Application Hang Hanging application DVD Shrink 3.2.exe, version 3.2.0.15, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 2:06 PM Application Hang Hanging application DVD Shrink 3.2.exe, version 3.2.0.15, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 2:06 PM Application Hang Hanging application DVD Shrink 3.2.exe, version 3.2.0.15, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 2:34 PM Application Hang Hanging application HelpCtr.exe, version 5.1.2600.2180, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 2:34 PM Application Hang Hanging application HelpCtr.exe, version 5.1.2600.2180, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.



Don't know if that's a help or hindrance! Have to go out for 3 or 4 hours. Will check back later.

[dancingdolphin]

Did that, have 228848 total and 44608 to around 46900 available. Thought I had fixed movie maker, but it crashed the computer again. Found a lot of error messages in system info/software environment/error reporting...a sample of the recent ones:

14/04/2007 4:31 PM Application Hang Hanging application ntvdm.exe, version 5.1.2600.2180, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

15/04/2007 2:03 PM Application Error Faulting application dlclient.exe, version 1.0.0.1, faulting module dlclient.exe, version 1.0.0.1, fault address 0x0002da65.

15/04/2007 3:04 PM Application Error Faulting application m4atomp3.exe, version 1.2.0.0, faulting module nctaudiofile3.dll, version 1.1.3.254, fault address 0x00032284.

15/04/2007 5:52 AM WinDefend Windows Defender scan has started.

	Scan ID: {80F7A052-8C7B-49C9-ACC7-D826093EBB52}

	Scan Type: AntiSpyware

	Scan Parameters: Quick Scan

	User: NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE

15/04/2007 5:56 AM WinDefend Windows Defender scan has finished.

	Scan ID: {80F7A052-8C7B-49C9-ACC7-D826093EBB52}

	Scan Type: AntiSpyware

	Scan Parameters: Quick Scan

	User: NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE

	Scan Time: 0:03:24

15/04/2007 7:49 PM Application Hang Hanging application iexplore.exe, version 7.0.6000.16414, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 10:21 AM Application Error Faulting application moviemk.exe, version 2.0.3312.0, faulting module comctl32.dll, version 6.0.2900.2982, fault address 0x0004e967.

18/04/2007 10:26 AM Application Error Fault bucket 10544845.

18/04/2007 2:06 PM Application Hang Hanging application DVD Shrink 3.2.exe, version 3.2.0.15, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 2:06 PM Application Hang Hanging application DVD Shrink 3.2.exe, version 3.2.0.15, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 2:06 PM Application Hang Hanging application DVD Shrink 3.2.exe, version 3.2.0.15, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 2:34 PM Application Hang Hanging application HelpCtr.exe, version 5.1.2600.2180, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

18/04/2007 2:34 PM Application Hang Hanging application HelpCtr.exe, version 5.1.2600.2180, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.



Don't know if that's a help or hindrance! Have to go out for 3 or 4 hours. Will check back later.

[Retired Tech]

Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

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

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD

Windows File Protection will show a blue onscreen progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot

If you do not have an XP CD you can borrow a same version as was originally installed XP CD, if you downloaded SP2 then you need an SP1 XP CD

Download and install Tune Up 2007 Trial

Run Tune Up Disc Clean Up

Run Tune Up Registry Clean Up

Click Optimize and Improve to run Reg Defrag, which will take a few minutes and need a reboot. You should disable the antivirus programme to run this

Check the anti virus is running after the reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

[The Skeptic]

Your computer is quite limited in performance because of small volume ram. You have 256 MB of which 32 MB are taken by on-board video device. That leaves you with only 228 MB. Of this you have only 44 MB free for use. That is very little and you can't expect much. I would recommend at least doubling the volume to 512 MB.

[dancingdolphin]

That's the problem.. had 512 and somehow it's down to half. The computer is just over a year old, and has been happily dealing with everything I asked of it until about 4 weeks ago, when it first started crashing. I went back to where I bought it yesterday - hence the delay in getting back to you - and they advised the RAM is probably covered by lifetime warranty. Will drop it in to the shop on Monday, probably.

[dancingdolphin]

Keith, did all that and still crashing. still only have half the ram i should have.

[Retired Tech]

Worth having the shop look at the memory, from post 6 it showed up as the likely culprit

http://www.geekstogo...s...st&p=951867

[dancingdolphin]

Discovered I somehow have a new disk partition, Drive E, and wonder if this is where half the ram has gone? Managed to delete the drive, but still haven't recovered the ram....

now have drive c capacity 38 146, unallocated 2 055 and reserve 0

Edited by dancingdolphin, 19 April 2007 - 07:39 PM.

[dancingdolphin]

Back Again...

Easynote has been in the shop to have the RAM replaced, as well as increased by 256 meg, so now have over 700... and still have the same problems: computer crashes when shrinking dvd files, and movie maker shuts down every time I try to open a project.

Any suggestions? Wondering if a virus of some kind got past the programs I have installed, or if there's some other kind of program error that's causing it. I was not using internet on this computer when the problems started, but was using an outside service. Still, could have brought a virus home on a disk, though I'm sure that Norton and AVG are both up dated to within 4 weeks of the problems starting.
Ran prefetch, defrag and disk cleanup as soon as I booted the easynote when I collected it from the store today.

[The Skeptic]

Discovered I somehow have a new disk partition, Drive E, and wonder if this is where half the ram has gone? Managed to delete the drive, but still haven't recovered the ram....

now have drive c capacity 38 146, unallocated 2 055 and reserve 0

I honestly don't understand what's written here. Where did you discover E partition and how did you delete it? Partitions exist only in storage devices, usually hard disk (flash memory storage devices can also be partitioned). The ram cannot be incorporated into any partition.

Please go to My Computer > right-click each "Local Disk" (if there are more then one) > Properties. Please report "used space" and "free space" for each of them.

[dancingdolphin]

Re: partition E. Wasn't hard to find, it was in My Computer under hard disk drives, and had two (c and e) where before had only been c. Followed the delete process in windows help files, using disk management, logged on as administrator, and it worked to delete the apparent partition from my computer, but I still have that portion of ROM assigned to it (2 gig) that is now unallocated space. Yes, I'm sure you're right it has nothing to do with RAM, but the store I bought the Easy Note from replaced the old sticks of RAM for free, but couldn't find anything wrong with them. They suggested upgrading (doubling) the existing 513 meg of RAM, and didn't charge for labor (the store ower is quite a good friend of mine). Anyway, forgive me for being a blonde female....but I had hoped the trip to the store fixed the problems. I'm getting rather concerned that I'll never be able to shrink a dvd or use movie maker again. Also, forgive delay in responding: been up nearly all night trying to work out what's wrong. Tried about every free antivirus and spyware disposal program, even paid for one recommended on geeks site (Active Scan) and it finds lots of spyware and hacking tools/rootkits, but the user name and password they emailed me doesn't work, so I couldn't use active scan to fix anything it found. Using the free version seemed to work till it got about 60% through the scan, then it froze.

[The Skeptic]

The fact that you had another partition is not surprising as such. The surprising thing is that it showed up where it was never seen before. That's weired. I am not familiar with your computer and I wonder if it has (had) a hidden partition which contained recovery files for the operating system. I hope that E: wasn't the one.

The fact that your friend couldn't find anything wrong with the RAM is also not surprising. It's possible, for examplw, that the module just wasn't sitting tight in the socket. The fact is that the operating system recognized only one module of 256 MB.

Geeks To Go, as a matter of policy do not recommend clear format. However, looking back through the thread with all the error massages, malware and failing applications I think you should seriously consider this option. If you decide to go for this make sure to backup important data, get organized with the operating system, drivers, applications etc. I can tell you for sure that if a commercial lab would have given you a honest opinion that's what they would recommend.

Last but not least: When you have your your data backed up scan it thorughly with a number of antimalware programs before re-installing it to the computer.

If you decide to keep getting help from us please re-post in the malware forum (link in my signature). My opinion is that there is not much point to continue as we do before you get a clean bill from the malware people.

Edited by The Skeptic, 27 April 2007 - 02:10 AM.

[dancingdolphin]

Hi and Thanks!

After some agonizing and frustrating research of my own, I discovered I had a virus, plus some assorted spyware and other such stuff. Took Paretologic and Spyware Detector to find and fix the various problems. Programs are running just fine now, no more crashes or hangs. And so, to your good self, Sceptic, and to Keith and Wannabe - my most sincere and heartfelt thanks for taking the time and trouble to help me. If it wasn't for all the help, I would never have been able to eliminate other problems and find the solution. Geeks Rule!!!!

P.S. Yep, will do a clean instal anyway now just to make sure everything really is smelling like roses instead of marigolds! Still can't figure where the virus etc came from as this computer has not been on internet before the problems started (I bought LAN connection time to solve the probs) but may have come in via a borrowed disk or something.

Thanks Again!
Yacht Dancing Dolphin
Australia

[The Skeptic]

Well done, dolphin. Good reason for a dance and some beer too. There must have been some cruel nasties over there. Good luck.