[M1ckvb]

Hello all:

I have a Dell XP400 computer with XP service pack 2. All my initial problems started after loading Windows service pack 3 and after my 30 day trail of Bit Defender finished and after trying to remove Bit Defender everything went crazy. Even after buying a new hard drive and installing a clean version of Windows without service pack 3 and without Bit Defender I still had the same problem. (Probably brought over from the old drive date, documents and settings, or programs.

First problem: Windows would load up normally and the log on screen would come on as usual, after clicking my logon the screen would indicate "loading personal setting" immediately after the screen would flash and then would state "saving personal settings" followed by "logging off". It would do this every time I tried to log on. I have found that the only way to fix this was to reload Windows. Since I didn't want to completely wipe out my data I would load Windows without formatting. I know that this probably kept the problem within the hard drive but since I needed to get data and programs from my old login copied over to my new logon I have found that the problem is still there cause it happened again, I know that I just brought it over. I know I may have to go through each and every file/folder in order to find out which file is causing the problem and delete it to remedy the problem. I have also found out that if I do not turn off the computer but just shut it down through the power options in the control panel that the problem was held in check until my anti virus or a windows update causes the computer to reboot then it starts all over again.

But, the last time I reload Windows a new problem occurred. After I downloading a mal-ware program (Cyber-Defender) from PC World and trying to run it after loading it successfully the blue screen of death came on with the following "Stop: c000021a {fatal system error} The windows subsystem process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000005 (0x7c9106c3 0x0052dcdc) The system has been shutdown." When this occurred I checked the text above on the web with another computer and the Windows help said to do a recovery of Windows using the repair mode. I used the Windows disk and did the repair mode. This basically did not work, it would now just loop from the desktop screen to the same error message on the blue screen and would continue to do that until I shut the computer down manually. I will be reloading Windows without formatting one more time to see if that will at least get me back to the initial problem and then bring over a folder at a time from the old drive to see when it malfunctions.

I have Norton Internet security, Ad-aware, spybot search and destroy, Secunia PSI, Spy sweeper, various registry cleaners and other spam and plishing software's running with real time capabilities. I have updated all my drivers, windows securities tried service pack 3 and without service pack 3 cleaning out registries etc thought this process.
I also plan on looking at each process that is running if I can get it to that start on the web so see if any are illegal in nature.

The question I have for you is, without doing a format of my hard drives and starting everything from scratch do you think that my process will eventually find the problem?

Are you aware of any software downloadable from PC World that would eliminate the initial problem?

I have written PC World about this problem but have never received a response and I am basically at my last resort before I switch to Linux or some other operating system. I hope that you can help me.

Thank you very much in advance!
Mike

[LincolnSpector]

Hi, M1.

I think you have too many security programs loading in the background, and something is conflicting with something else. Try booting into Safe Mode, and removing some of them via msconfig.

For more details, see Diagnose and Repair an Unbootable XP or Vista PC.

Lincoln

[M1ckvb]

LincolnSpector:
Thank you for your response and although I have not had all of these items on the pc when these issues started including when I tried repairs in safe mode I will try what you suggest. Who knows, it may work. Windows can be so fickel. If I have the time tonight I will try removing or at least turning off many of the programs and will let you know if it works....assuming I can get that far!
Thanks Again!
M1ckvb

[coastie65]

Hi M1, You will find that there are few, if any, fans of Norton or McAfee in the community. I would recommend going to Symantec's site and downloading and running the Norton removal tool. I would also recommend the going to www.CCleaner.com and downloading and running that to finish cleaning out the junk. Norton is a system hog and doesn't necessarily play well with other apps. There are some good FREE security utilities out there, such as Avast! antivirus and SUPERantispyware. Also, you can have multiple apps, but only one of each running actively. coastie65

[SpiritWind]

:D Hi :



"Cyber-Defender" is considered a borderline "Rogue" program and should be AVOIDED .

Someone else Posted in these Forums requesting Help in uninstalling that program

which could ONLY be accomplished by running the FREE "Revo Uninstaller" in SAFE

Mode .

[alchav21]

Hi M1,

It seems your Dell XP400 is a Laptop, and if you bought a new HDD and did a Clean Load of Windows you should not have all these problems if you did it right. My interpretation of Clean Load is to Format and Load Windows and your Disc is SP2. Now you check your Device Manager to see if Drivers are needed and clear all errors. After that you should have a clean running machine, don't load your Data yet, and forget Norton download and install AVG or Avast. You can Activate your Windows and with an Intel Processor update to SP3. Now after this let us know if everything is running stable, before adding anything else.

[M1ckvb]

Hello:
Thanks for your comments.

I had an hour to kill so I reloaded windows onto my desktop, clean load but left folders in tact. (I will only reformat as a last resort). The blue screen system shutdown has been corrected as far as I can tell at this time. I deleted Cyber-defender as suggested by one of the group. I have updated my video & audio drivers, check the bios, updated most of the windows updates (did not do SP3 yet). Turned the computer off and back on to see if the original problem would return, it has not so far. My next step is to obtain a copy of the CCleaner as suggested by one of the group and to run this on each hard drive. As far an an anti-virus program, I have had AVG on the computer before and it really ran slowly, taking over a day to complete its scan. But, it may have been a conflict so I will try it again by itself.

I do intend on reloading a program at a time, shutting the computer off and on to see if any of the programs cause the boot-logon on logoff problem that I had before the system shutdown. Then if none of the programs are at fault then I will move a folder at a time and do the same thing to see if a particular folder causes the logging problem. Once it happens I will at least know in what folder is causing the problem and then I can tackel each file separately or just delete them all. At least with this problem I can reload Windows and get running again. That is why I want to find the problem this way since none of the tools I have find the problem. If anyone has a better method let me know.

Any agreement on what I have planned? Any additonal suggestions?

Is Avast the same thing or is that a different anti-virus program?

Thanks again to all that provided comments!
M1ckvb

[coastie65]

Hi M1, It looks as though you are taking a good approach to it. Once I have a clean install of the OS and drivers, I generally do one thing at a time as far as the security goes, to make sure there will be no problems. Avast! is an anti virus utility that is free ans very good. That coupled with SUPERantispyware is a good combo and both are free. There are other good free secuirty programs as well. If you look through the Security & Privacy category, you will find some good suggestions there. coastie65

[alchav21]

You keep talking about Clean Loads with old Folders, I think now is a little late to Format and do a Clean Load. This should have been done with the new HDD, boot from the Windows Disc, Format and Load Windows Clean with nothing else. Check Device Manager update Drivers as needed. Dell has good Support and they have all the Drivers you need. From here you know you have a solid running machine, and you can upgrade to SP3 with no problem, don't attach any other HDD yet. Now I'm not talking about a RAID configuration, just the old Master and Slave HDD's.


As for Anti-Virus, Free AVG does have a default Daily Scan, that I disable I don't feel it's necessary and that's the only option you have in this version. If you like to schedule Full Scans, buy the Pro Version and you can. Avast does not have this Daily Scan default.

[M1ckvb]

Alchav:
When I first started with this problem I had one drive. I installed a new drive and started that one from scratch also using Dell support for drives etc. The problem was in going through my files on the now slave drive I brought the problem over to my new master drive. If I can localize the problem, which will be time consuming, I may be able to rid myself of the problem forever. This weekend I hope to have some time to work on it and I will post my results.

Thank you for your suggestions and comments!

m1ckvb

[alchav21]

I think I know what you did wrong M1. You should only move over Personal Data Files, like Pictures and Documents, maybe Favorites and eMail, but no System Files. You probably tried to move over some Settings Files, and Windows said, "What's going on here." If you can't get this corrected and cleaned up soon, what I would do is start all over. You have all your Data on the other HDD's so you won't lose anything. So just Format and Load Windows with SP3 on the new HDD, and don't worry about transferring anything from the old HDD until you need it. Load all your Programs into the new OS and HDD, and just access or transfer Data as you need it, but remember no System or Settings Files.