[OptimisticInDenver]

rshaffer61,

You asked me to let you know what I have in my startup services area. Is there a way to cut and paste that info or do I need to type it all? If I need to type it I will but I want to remove all chances for errors I can (and laziness has NOTHING to do with it).

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Once you have this step completed: Click on the Hide All Microsoft Services
Then make sure everything that is listed can be seen and take a screenshot. Instructions below on how to do that.



To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard. It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
Now go to Start
All Programs
Accessories
Paint
In the empty white area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
Go to the File option at the top and click on save as
Save as file type JPEG and save it to your desktop


Attach it to your next reply.

If your attachment is to big to attach then go to Mediafire .
Register and upload your file.
Then reply with the link located to the right of your now uploaded file on Mediafire

Edited by rshaffer61, 04 May 2009 - 10:35 AM.

[rshaffer61]

Once you have this step completed: Click on the Hide All Microsoft Services
Then make sure everything that is listed can be seen and take a screenshot. Instructions below on how to do that.



To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard. It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
Now go to Start
All Programs
Accessories
Paint
In the empty white area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
Go to the File option at the top and click on save as
Save as file type JPEG and save it to your desktop


Attach it to your next reply.

If your attachment is to big to attach then go to Mediafire .
Register and upload your file.
Then reply with the link located to the right of your now uploaded file on Mediafire

Edited by rshaffer61, 04 May 2009 - 10:35 AM.

[OptimisticInDenver]

Rshaffer61 et al,

Here are the pix of my Startup services on Mediafire: http://www.mediafire...ogostartupservi. When I run the services remove-and-add-back-in exercise I’ll get you the results.

thanx again r

[Blood Elemental]

I'm curious to know if your laptop ever did run videos without any problems at one point in time. If so you can try doing a system restore back to that time. Doing so however would also revert other system settings back to that time period and that may not be what you want. Just a suggestion.

[OptimisticInDenver]

Yes, Blood Elemental, this desktop ran videos fine up until a year ago when I hired a "tech" company to do some work on it and I've had various problems ever since.
Thanks for the suggestion.

r

[rshaffer61]

Wow this has been going on for a year now? Well I think you need to do a SFC /SCANNOW and see if you can fix all the problems.



Go Start and then to Run ("Start Search" in Vista),
Type in: sfc /scannow
Click OK (Enter in Vista).
Have Windows CD/DVD handy.
If System File Checker (sfc) finds any errors, it may ask you for the CD/DVD.
If sfc does not find any errors in Windows XP, it will simply quit, without any message.
In Vista you will receive the following message: "Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations".

For Vista users ONLY: Navigate to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS folder. You'll see CBS.log file.
Usually, it's pretty big file, so upload it to Flyupload, and post download link.


If you don't have Windows CD....
This applies mostly to Windows XP, since Vista rarely requires use of its DVD while running "sfc"
Note This method will not necessarily work as well, as when using Windows CD, because not always ALL system files are backed up on your hard drive. Also, backed up files may be corrupted as well.

Go Start and then Run
type in regedit and click OK


Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup

You will see various entries Values on the right hand side.

The one we want is called: SourcePath

It probably has an entry pointing to your CD-ROM drive, usually D and that is why it is asking for the XP CD.
All we need to do is change it to: C:
Now, double click the SourcePatch setting and a new box will pop up.
Change the drive letter from your CD drive to your root drive, usually C:
Close Registry Editor.

Now restart your computer and try sfc /scannow again!


Thanks to Broni for the instructions

[OptimisticInDenver]

Rshaffer61, your patience is beyond belief. And greatly appreciated. I hate to get too verbose here, but maybe a little history and more detective work by me is in order.

In attempting to do the sfc /scannow you suggested, when I inserted the Win XP Pro CD it was not recognized. I emailed the computer company that installed it for a good copy (I think they must be OEM copies they make themselves) and all this started my head spinning.

Yes, I have had troubles with this machine for over a year, probably since it was built. Most of the time I could get productivity out of it. Occasionally I couldn’t get certain programs or efforts to work no matter what I tried and just assumed it was me. I then either gave up on those projects or did them on my laptop.

The first time this boiled over, I hired a computer company to send someone over to fix the problem. They wound up taking the machine back to the shop. When they returned, they told me the XP Home copy I had was BO and that they had installed a copy of their XP Pro to get it working and that I needed to get another copy of XP Home. I tried it with their copy of Pro but still had some things that wouldn’t work so I bought another upgrade-XP Home program and installed it. Still problems.

I just used it on what seemed to work and used the laptop for the others (major pain in the butt as I – or the gurus – never got my desktop-laptop network to work).

After months and months of intermittent trying things myself such as reloading, and working with Comcast (broadband) and others on the phone, I called another repair facility.

They returned the machine telling me one hard drive was incompatible (but which had worked fine for me) and had installed another and also installed (and sold me, this time) XP Pro. I still had problems, and in fact they were worse.

All this, and some more reading (http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813131540) has made me suspect that it isn’t software at all (except whatever they and I might have screwed up trying to fix it), but rather firmware – incorrect bios, chipset drivers, timing, etc. or incompatible hardware. And that’s all WAY over my head.

What do you suggest?

In the meantime, I’ll keep trying to get the XP Pro CD and perform the sfc /scannow.

Where do I sign the petition to get you into heaven?

r

[rshaffer61]

I would suggest backing up your data and format the system. This way you can start with nothing but the native OS and try the videos before installing any other programs. If you want to save your Outlook address's and Messages then go HERE and follow the steps.

Edited by rshaffer61, 11 May 2009 - 09:30 AM.

[OptimisticInDenver]

I have reformatted and reinstalled OS over half a dozen times – three when each of the hard drives was installed. I was lead to believe that each of the repairmen reformatted, too, when they couldn’t get XP Home to work right and installed XP Pro.

r

[rshaffer61]

That being the case then I would say the problem is looking more like a hardware issue or an infection.

I suggest you go to the Malware Forum and run all the steps located in the START HERE. These self-help tools will help you clean up 70% of problems on your own. If you are still having problems after doing the steps, then please post the reguested logs in THAT forum. If you are unable to run and/or post the required logs, then post that in your initial post in the topic you create in that forum.

If you are still having problems after being given a clean bill of health from the malware expert, then please return to THIS thread and we will pursue other options to help you solve your current problem(s).

Add a link to this topic so that malware tech can see what steps have been taken here