Recently I upgraded my Video card and installed Rome: Total War. Since then, my computer only operates properly for about 5 minutes before it freezes and I get "The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000142). Click on OK to terminate the application." After this message, it won't start any other programs. I have watched my task manager and can't seem to find any applications associated with my computer crapping out.
It DOES work properly if I run Spybot S&D right after booting up, before whatever happens has a chance to lock everything up. Spybot tells me that the registry values for my firewall and antivirus were changed to disable notification. As long as I allow spybot to fix this discrepancy, the computer works properly. If I don't, then it freezes after 5 minutes. It won't even let me shut down, I have to cut power to the CPU.
I am running XP and none of the adware programs seem to catch what is going on. Spybot S&D only fixes the symptoms since the problem occurs again as soon as I boot the next time. I suspect a trojan but none of my programs seem to identify it.
I have noticed my firewall icon appearing upon startup whereas it didn't usually appear until I connected to the internet. For some reason I think it is related to the wuauclt.exe file that does automatic updates for windows. I have deleted it and it keeps coming back.
Please help, my online classes and wife's online shopping addiction are greatly suffering.
Below is my logfile from HijackThis after I successfully intervened with spybot and deleted wuauclt:
Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 2:02:56 PM, on 10/16/2005
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\csrss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
C:\WINDOWS\GWMDMMSG.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\SK9910DM.EXE
C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 5\DirectCD\DirectCD.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\SYMANT~1\SYMANT~2\VPTray.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\Program Files\Launch Manager\LaunchAp.exe
C:\Program Files\Launch Manager\HotkeyApp.exe
C:\Program Files\Launch Manager\PanelICON.exe
C:\Program Files\Launch Manager\Wbutton.exe
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\Tmas\Tmas.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccProxy.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec Client Security\Symantec AntiVirus\DefWatch.exe
C:\Program Files\ewido\security suite\ewidoctrl.exe
C:\Program Files\ewido\security suite\ewidoguard.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\NMSSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\snmp.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec Client Security\Symantec AntiVirus\Rtvscan.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wdfmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec Client Security\Symantec Client Firewall\SymSPort.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner.OURCOMPUTER\Desktop\Downloads\ProcessExplorerNt\procexp.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wscntfy.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\alg.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wbem\wmiapsrv.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\DOCUME~1\OWNER~1.OUR\LOCALS~1\Temp\Temporary Directory 1 for hijackthis.zip\HijackThis.exe
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDHelper.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [GWMDMMSG] GWMDMMSG.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Hot Key Kbd 9910 Daemon] SK9910DM.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VGA Startup] vgacard.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Microsoft DirectX] PDSched.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AdaptecDirectCD] "C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 5\DirectCD\DirectCD.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [vptray] C:\PROGRA~1\SYMANT~1\SYMANT~2\VPTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LaunchAp] C:\Program Files\Launch Manager\LaunchAp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotkeyApp] C:\Program Files\Launch Manager\HotkeyApp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CtrlVol] C:\Program Files\Launch Manager\CtrlVol.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LMgrPanelICON] C:\Program Files\Launch Manager\PanelICON.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Wbutton] "C:\Program Files\Launch Manager\Wbutton.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [THGuard] "C:\Program Files\TrojanHunter 4.2\THGuard.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [VGA Startup] vgacard.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [Microsoft DirectX] PDSched.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [VGA Startup] vgacard.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Microsoft DirectX] PDSched.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Install Pending Files.LNK = C:\Program Files\SIFXINST\SIFXINST.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Trend Micro Anti-Spyware.lnk = C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\Tmas\Tmas.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {6F750200-1362-4815-A476-88533DE61D0C} (Ofoto Upload Manager Class) - http://www.kodakgall..._1/axofupld.cab
O16 - DPF: {9A9307A0-7DA4-4DAF-B042-5009F29E09E1} (ActiveScan Installer Class) - http://acs.pandasoft...free/asinst.cab
O16 - DPF: {A82C3A33-5C0E-466C-B020-71585433A7E4} (PhxStudent.OeSetup15) - https://mycampus.pho...hxStudent15.CAB
O16 - DPF: {FE0BD779-44EE-4A4B-AA2E-743C63F2E5E6} (IWinAmpActiveX Class) - http://pdl.stream.ao.../ampx_en_dl.cab
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{EE05B07C-3228-4D38-BF7E-C4B03D6BDFA5}: NameServer = 217.237.151.97 217.237.150.33
O20 - Winlogon Notify: igfxcui - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\igfxsrvc.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: NavLogon - C:\WINDOWS\System32\NavLogon.dll
O23 - Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Network Proxy (ccProxy) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccProxy.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Password Validation (ccPwdSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccPwdSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Settings Manager (ccSetMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec AntiVirus Definition Watcher (DefWatch) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec Client Security\Symantec AntiVirus\DefWatch.exe
O23 - Service: ewido security suite control - ewido networks - C:\Program Files\ewido\security suite\ewidoctrl.exe
O23 - Service: ewido security suite guard - ewido networks - C:\Program Files\ewido\security suite\ewidoguard.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service (iPodService) - Apple Computer, Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Intel® NMS (NMSSvc) - Intel Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\System32\NMSSvc.exe
O23 - Service: PictureTaker - LANovation - C:\WINDOWS\System32\PCTKRNT.SYS
O23 - Service: SAVRoam (SavRoam) - symantec - C:\Program Files\Symantec Client Security\Symantec AntiVirus\SavRoam.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Network Drivers Service (SNDSrvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec AntiVirus - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec Client Security\Symantec AntiVirus\Rtvscan.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec SecurePort (SymSecurePort) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec Client Security\Symantec Client Firewall\SymSPort.exe
Thanks for your time and help.