[inmoncolley]

I have run around in circles with the below problem for a week. I've done most of the troubleshooting as noted, short of a Windows XP Repair or rolling back SP3 and reinstalling. I'm not sure when the problem actually started but first noticed it on DEC 7, 09 when ripping CDs using Itunes, Roxio 5 and 8. I could rip one CD but would have to reboot to rip the next. From there, it just got worse as described below.

SYSTEM: Gateway GT5220, AMD Athlon 64x2, 3800+, 2.0Ghz, 2 x 512kb L2 Cache, 2000mhz System Bus, 1024 MB DDR2 dual channel memory, 250 GB HD with Windows XP Professional 32bit Media Center Edition 2005. (I just looked at my system info from the control panel and it indicates version 2002, not 2005. I thought it indicated version 2005 w/SP3.) (System Information dialog indicates WXP Pro ver 5.1.2600 SP3 build 2600.)

1. Initial Windows startup - activate CD with any media type in CD/DVD ROM drive(s), 2 installed - all seems well. The Windows dialog box "What should Windows do with this program" appears. This feature got corrupted early in life but somehow reappeared after the Nov or Dec MS updates. I did know where the exe for this function was located but lost the info and can't remember or else I'd rename it and turn it off.
a. While in this state all applications work normal.

2. Close the application that was using the CD, eject the CD then re-insert the CD again: (can be same media or different)
a. "What should Windows do with this media" dialog opens with missing Icons, background and characters.
b. Open Windows Desktop Explorer (I dislike "My Computer"), if it will open (see below). Text lines from both the 'tree' side and content pane as well as associated Icon gifs are missing. Most of the time the missing data is scattered while at other times all data text is missing.
c. Other times clicking the Windows Explorer Desktop Icon will produce a stop code of 0x000012 or 14d. Or, it will indicated the EXE is not a valid windows program or it can't find it. There's no choice but a reboot.
d. Click an application desktop Icon and received notices like "This is not a valid System 32 program" for a program that was just working correctly; "Do you want to install 'program' from the 'web site'" for a program working properly before. The text data within the dialog box may or may not be presented, it varies each time.
e. If a program does open, text lines and Icons are missing.

3. Regardless of the error received, it will required a reboot after which, ALL application will work normally. Of course, if a ROM drive is used, a reboot is required.

4.Troubleshooting so far:
a. Uninstalled and reinstalled ROM drive drivers;
b. Installed a new, out of the box, never used, CD/DVD ROM drive;
c. Restored back to 16 DEC - Earliest recorded restore point; Of note was the fact that none of the 'new installations' appeared in any restore point, only system restore points appeared.
d. Uninstalled Roxio 5 & 8 although these programs have been on the machine since day one but are also noted to become corrupt and cause problems:
e. Uninstalled Mozilla Seamonkey Browser Suite 2.0.1 initially installed mid Nov 09 as a replacement for Suite 1.1.18; This program, except update, has also been on this machine from day one.;
f. Uninstalled Ad-Ware Pro and RegCure pro, both recent upgrade installs, also long time program installations;
g. Uninstalled Itunes 9 which was an upgrade from ver 7, another long time program installation;
h. Removed the "upper and lower" CD entries in the registry and verified that KB967715 was installed.
i. The above programs were the latest installations except for the Roxio programs.
j. All MS updates as of DEC 09 are installed.

5. At one point on 5 Jan 10, I thought the problem had "fixed itself". Using the new CD drive which, wasn't doing any better than the original drives at the beginning, I was able to keep the PC fully operational as I switched from one form of CD media to another. However, today, 6 Jan, upon restart, everything is back to the original malfunction as stated above.

6. Whether it has any affect or not, the dwwin.exe dll not loading error has appeared since one of MS's updates a few months ago. Can't find a 'fix' for that either.

7. I probably have the wrong phrasing because Windows Knowledge Base and WWW searches are worthless.

Has anyone has this problem and what was the fix short of re-installing everything?
Thank you.

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My initial article on this subject still applies as to the symptoms. The problem is Apple Itunes and a conflict with Adobe Audition software. Itunes 9.0.2.25 will corrupt the drivers for the CD Drives and appears to write "Lowerfilters" and "Upperfilters" as described in Microsoft article KB314060 at the the link below.
I had gotten everything working then reinstalled Itunes. Upper & Lower filter entries appeared in the registry which were previously removed; Window's Desktop Explorer did not recognize the drives even though "Found Hardware" indicated it had installed the drives. A check of "Device Manager" indicated the drives were there but had 'problems'. Uninstalling Itunes does not fix it. The 'filters' have to be removed and the system restarted. Even so, the pointer for the drives in Adobe Audition is corrupt so it too requires an uninstall and reinstall. Although the program has a 'repair' capability, it will not fix it. (Make sure the program 'key' is available to reinstall.)
I could add a few more 'symptoms' to the my original list but the bottom line recommendation is; DO NOT install Itunes and Adobe Audition on the same system. I have Itunes installed on two PCs without Adobe Audition and both work.
Evidently with all the 'reads' for this article, no one seems to have had this problem. I hope it will help someone later.
Thank you,
Link to how to correct the Upper and Lower Filters entries in the system registry.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

[inmoncolley]

My initial article on this subject still applies as to the symptoms. The problem is Apple Itunes and a conflict with Adobe Audition software. Itunes 9.0.2.25 will corrupt the drivers for the CD Drives and appears to write "Lowerfilters" and "Upperfilters" as described in Microsoft article KB314060 at the the link below.
I had gotten everything working then reinstalled Itunes. Upper & Lower filter entries appeared in the registry which were previously removed; Window's Desktop Explorer did not recognize the drives even though "Found Hardware" indicated it had installed the drives. A check of "Device Manager" indicated the drives were there but had 'problems'. Uninstalling Itunes does not fix it. The 'filters' have to be removed and the system restarted. Even so, the pointer for the drives in Adobe Audition is corrupt so it too requires an uninstall and reinstall. Although the program has a 'repair' capability, it will not fix it. (Make sure the program 'key' is available to reinstall.)
I could add a few more 'symptoms' to the my original list but the bottom line recommendation is; DO NOT install Itunes and Adobe Audition on the same system. I have Itunes installed on two PCs without Adobe Audition and both work.
Evidently with all the 'reads' for this article, no one seems to have had this problem. I hope it will help someone later.
Thank you,
Link to how to correct the Upper and Lower Filters entries in the system registry.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060