[Basty]

Since I reported the above, I have done some work with videos - that went very well (thumbnail-wise). However, THIS PC has deteriorated further - shows even less content than before. Disabling Icaros in ShellExView, does not improve THIS PC behaviour now.  The inconsistency is maddening !

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Can I see another FRST scan?

[RKinner]

Can I see another FRST scan?

[Basty]

As I wrote - INCONSISTENCY. That misbehaviour by THIS PC was just a spat; it now opens and shows contents reliably; but even when it did NOT do that, it no longer singled out C:\

Attached Thumbnails

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Attached Files

•  Addition.txt   71.79KB   1 downloads
•  FRST.txt   55.55KB   2 downloads

[RKinner]

Yes.  Avast eats FRST.  That's why I say in my instructions for downloading FRST:

Smart Screen, Windows Defender and Avast have all been blocking FRST recently.  It's a false positive so pause your antivirus when downloading or running FRST.

 

 

Looking at your event logs:

 

Error: (02/26/2021 01:45:14 AM) (Source: Microsoft-Windows-LoadPerf) (EventID: 3011) (User: NT AUTHORITY)
Description: Unloading the performance counter strings for service WmiApRpl (WmiApRpl) failed. The first DWORD in the Data section contains the error code.

Error: (02/26/2021 01:45:14 AM) (Source: Microsoft-Windows-LoadPerf) (EventID: 3012) (User: NT AUTHORITY)
Description: The performance strings in the Performance registry value is corrupted when process Performance extension counter provider. The BaseIndex value from the Performance registry is the first DWORD in the Data section, LastCounter value is the second DWORD in the Data section, and LastHelp value is the third DWORD in the Data section.

 

"Rebuild the list of available counters

Membership in the local Administrators group is required to complete this procedure.

To rebuild the list of counters in the registry:

1. Click Start, expand All Programs, and expand Accessories.
2. Right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
3. At the command prompt, type lodctr /r, and then press ENTER."

From: https://docs.microso...rectedfrom=MSDN

 

 

Error: (02/26/2021 12:07:23 AM) (Source: Application Error) (EventID: 1000) (User: )
Description: Faulting application name: firefox.exe, version: 50.0.0.6152, time stamp: 0x581d78ba
Faulting module name: msaud32_divx.acm, version: 8.0.0.4487, time stamp: 0x3dd50000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00052170
Faulting process ID: 0xfbc
Faulting application start time: 0x01d70b75fc68dd4e
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\msaud32_divx.acm
Report ID: 9b711b15-7c40-4051-81f5-74b02848c371
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

 

 

Let's see if the file has been corrupted:
Pause Avast, start up FRST.  Put

msaud32_divx.acm

in its search box.  Hit Search Files.  You will only get one file.  Please post.

 

Error: (02/26/2021 01:40:56 AM) (Source: Microsoft-Windows-USB-USBXHCI) (EventID: 14) (User: NT AUTHORITY)
Description: Windows failed to start the USB xHCI Compliant Host Controller for the following reason:
3

I expect the USB controller is the one that talks to the USB connected hard drives so if it doesn't work then This PC is not going to show what you want.

Try:
Step 1: Click in the Windows Search box

Step 2:
Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
Step 3:
In Device Manager, click on View in the Menu bar and select “Show Hidden Devices”
Step 4:
Expand Universal Serial Bus Controller and uninstall the ghost drivers.

Step 5:
Also, uninstall the USB xHCI Compliant Host Controller along with the above once again

Step 6:
Restart PC

 

Windows will reinstall the USB controller.  Perhaps this will fix the corruption so it starts reliably.  Also possible that one of your USB connections is dragging the system down.

[Basty]

I thought you wanted me to rebuild performance counter, so I entered lodctr /r into elevated Command Prompt, and got "Error: Unable to rebuild performance counter setting from system backup store, error code is 2"

 

Your next paragraph mentions Firefox - I realise v50 is a very old out-of-date one, but it has an advantage that I will NOT sacrifice. I can use up-to-date versions of Chrome or Edge when the age of Firefox becomes an issue.

 

'USB connected hard drives'

The USB stick (16Gb) is the only 'permanent' contender.

Although I've had difficulty in seeing USB-connected-HDDs TROUGH A USB HUB WITH  A SWITCHE FOR EACH DEVICE- it seems to be under control currently.

 

'uninstall the ghost drivers'

Can you clarify which drivers are 'ghost', please ?

 

I have at various times in my attempts to get a PCIe-USB3 card recognised, uninstalled that USBxHCI Compliant Host Controller.

I might add that the card is recognised and works in a PC with the 64bit version of Win10V20H2.

I have four spare PCIe slots in which I have tried the USB3.0 card -  same problematical in Device Manager for that Host Controller.

I leave that card disconnected until such time as I have a solution to the problem of its non-recognition.

With that card not connected the problematical does not appear in Device Manager.

 

 

 

 

Attached Files

•  Search.txt   413bytes   2 downloads

[Basty]

I think I have found a clue. THIS PC was consistently failing (but no longer excluding just C:\);  Even a reboot would no longer fix it. I was using uTorrent and it indicated loss of access to T:\, the HDD to which I download movies. Paradoxically, File Explorer displayed T:\ contents without missing a beat. I reseated the leads into T:\ - both THIS PC and uTorrent came good !.

[RKinner]

Try

lodctr /R

instead of

lodctr /r

 

The msaud32_divx.acm

 

is only in one place on your PC so no backup available.  It's not used in Win 10 so I don't have a copy handy.   You can look at the file in File Explorer 

C:\Windows\System32\msaud32_divx.acm

right click on it and select Properties then Details and compare it to:

http://systemexplore...divx-acm/127298

See if ti looks the same.  Not sure why you still have the file.  Perhaps your old version of Firefox uses it for something.  What happens if you rename it temporarily.  Does Firefox still work?

[Basty]

Firefox works EXCELLENTLY although many sites object to it - I do most 'security' applications (financial transactions) in the latest Chrome.

I'll do the experimenting you suggest later.