[M W Miller]

Today I updated Webroot Spy Sweeper and then I updated Spyware Doctor. Immediately after I updated the latter program I started getting several strange error messages.

One of the error messages says, for example:

“mscifapp.exe – Application Error

The instruction at “0x5a002916” referenced memory at “0x00580024”. The memory could not be “read”.

Click on OK to terminate the program
Click on CANCEL to debug the program”


A variation of this error message says, in general:

“mscifapp.exe – Application Error

The instruction at “0x5a00201f” referenced memory at “0x00580090”. The memory could not be “written”.

Click on OK to terminate the program
Click on CANCEL to debug the program”


I’ve also been getting a similar error message that says, in general:

“drwtsn32.exe – Application Error

The instruction at “0x0052302e” referenced memory at “0x00560ac8”. The memory could not be “read”.

Click on OK to terminate the program
Click on CANCEL to debug the program”


Each of these error messages is followed by an “OK” button and a “Cancel” button. I must click on these buttons (or on the “X” button in the upper right-hand corner of the message box) hundreds of times to get these error message windows to close. Even then they reappear after a short time.

I have never seen anything like this. I have tried restarting the computer, but the error messages return when the computer reboots. Fortunately, I can move these error messages to the bottom of the screen and keep working for now.

Is this related to Spyware Doctor? I also have McAfee Anti-virus and SecurityCenter, as well as Microsoft AntiSpyware (beta).

I am not particularly well versed in computer science, and I just located this site today by searching for the error messages above using Google.com.

Thank you sincerely for any advice on how to eliminate these errors.

M W Miller

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I thought I'd add an update. While browsing this site looking for clues as to how to proceed I found the link to "Bug Doctor". I tried their software, but it has not solved the problem. "Bug Doctor" did claim to locate and fix many errors on the computer, however.

I'm guessing that perhaps I should try "Norton Disk Doctor" next. I cannot get the error messages to close for even a moment now.

Thanks sincerely for any advice.

M. W. Miller

[M W Miller]

I thought I'd add an update. While browsing this site looking for clues as to how to proceed I found the link to "Bug Doctor". I tried their software, but it has not solved the problem. "Bug Doctor" did claim to locate and fix many errors on the computer, however.

I'm guessing that perhaps I should try "Norton Disk Doctor" next. I cannot get the error messages to close for even a moment now.

Thanks sincerely for any advice.

M. W. Miller

[LIONWOODS]

Welcome to G2G:

*Mscifapp.exe is the executable file for the McAfee Privacy service. If you do not use it, uninstall it. If you do want to use it, try reinstalling your McAfee apps. This often fixes errors in programs.

[M W Miller]

Lionwoods,

Thanks for the suggestion. I am still working on it. I do use McAfee Privacy Services, which I believe I purchased over the internet. So I am still trying to figure out how to reinstall it.

That led to a series of adventures described below in case some of this provides a clue as to the solution:

I attempted to contact McAfee via e-mail to ask about reinstalling their Privacy Services. I found a McAfee chat line, but not an e-mail address. Their chat-line was too busy for me to connect.

After giving up there I started closing internet windows and Microsoft Internet Explorer crashed. I reported the crash and received an automated response to upgrade to Internet Explorer 6 for XP Service Pack 2.

So I downloaded and installed that free service pack. The instructions said to restart the computer in Safe Mode. It took maybe 10-15 minutes to close the computer because these error messages simply will not shutdown, making it extremely difficult for the computer to shut down.

Once in Safe Mode neither the keyboard nor the mouse worked. Nor could I turn off the computer using "ctrl-alt-del". So I had to shutdown the computer the harsh way, by pressing the power button on the computer case.

The computer rebooted into normal mode and once McAfee Privacy Services started up again, the "mscifapp.exe" error message returned.

I will now return to looking for an e-mail address for McAfee to report this error message and ask about re-installing their product. Thank you sincerely to anybody who knows that e-mail address and posts it here.

Thanks also to anybody who knows of a way to correct the Dr. Watson error message.

Thanks again,

M W Miller

[M W Miller]

If any of you use "McAfee Privacy Service 7" you might be very interested in the following forum regarding the "mscifapp.exe" error message I described. It seems a number of people have been having the same problem:

http://forums.mcafee...p=259126#259126


I still need to try and locate information on the Dr. Watson error message.

[Tyger]

Basically what is happening is that two applications are trying to use the same locations in memory. One of them needs to be removed or the location in memory it uses needs to be changed.

[M W Miller]

Tyger,

Thank you for the reply and the suggestion. I just saw your reply after getting back online after removing McAfee Privacy Services 7 from my computer.

The error messages are gone. I don't think I will re-install the deleted software. I don't know what the other program was that was trying to use the same location in memory. Dr. Watson perhaps or maybe Spyware Doctor.

I still have the McAfee Anti-virus and Firewall installed and running. I don't know what advantage the Privacy Service added to that. I am the only one to access this computer (from the keyboard anyway).

This problem took over 8 hours to solve. But I learned a bit about my computer and various software. I hope these posts help others who stumble upon them with Google.

Thanks again,

M W Miller