OT: Windows Disaster Time

[budgie]

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 19:27:35 -0400, Spehro Pefhany
<speffSNIP@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 23:14:36 GMT, the renowned Joerg
notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Hello Jim,

I also have a HW firewall (Barricade). I have Norton configured with
NO "blessings", all downloads must ask for my OK.

That's the way to go. I am also running with the SMC Barricade. Nice
solid design.

I've verified that Windows Explorer is indeed the culprit.

Not a good sign :-(

I'm really not OS-savvy, so here goes the dumb question: Does an OS
re-install destroy all my installed programs? :-(

I am not either. Have to leave that to the OS gurus. AFAIK it works like
this: While the OS re-install may not destroy the actual folders and
subdirectories of your applications you could end up with a blank
registry and other blank settings. So most likely they need to be
re-installed. But I am not an expert on that. I had just seen an IT guy
do exactly that when it happened on a machine at a client. Next to the
OS CD he brought all the others that were registered as being on the system.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

IME, an install over the previous version wipes out nothing (but may
not fix your problem). An install in a new Win directory wipes out all
the installations of all programs (but generally leaves all your data
intact).

That's also my understanding. Over-the-top reinstals accept the existing
registry, warts and all. If the problem is registry-based (and most unwanted
"features" entrench themselves in the registry to execute at startup) then it
won't fix the issue. If it is a corrupted WinExploder file then an O-T-T
*should* fix it.

I'd be inclined to try identifying the "feature". Try AdAware and Spybot S&D
for starters, and also try an alternative virus scanner. I use F-Prot's free
DOS version for that task.

 

[Martin Riddle]

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message news:msj0e1d0sgukjebasif57i2rkns941oec8@4ax.com...

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 01:42:55 GMT, "Martin Riddle"
martinriddle@hotmail.com> wrote:

From Safe mode you can selectivly turn off services and other drivers that load during the boot phase.
Possible remove the software you wanted to.

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message news:tab0e15kh44n8dgo2qkm7jqtitb7vt9p87@4ax.com...
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 19:23:25 -0400, Spehro Pefhany
speffSNIP@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 15:30:31 -0700, the renowned Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 22:11:49 GMT, Joerg
notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Hello Jim,

Did you (or rather, can you still) run a newer virus checker program on
that PC? If it's too shot to do that I am afraid you might be looking at
a complete Windows re-install :-(

Hopefully you don't have to...

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

I run a scan weekly, and Norton sits there scanning anything inbound,
so I don't _think_ it's a virus.

...Jim Thompson

Can you start in safe mode (F8 on boot)? There's also last known good
in that menu, but IIRC, you might trash some recent installations with
that choice.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

Yep, I can boot into safe mode, but what will that buy me?

Oh, run 'cmd' and then run a chkdsk /f. See if your disk is corrupt.

Martin

 

[James T. White]

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:i1a0e1d7ri2q0h54k5k7gf0kr7o2nqnooa@4ax.com...

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 22:49:00 GMT, Joerg
notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

I'm really not OS-savvy, so here goes the dumb question: Does an OS
re-install destroy all my installed programs? :-(

I can easily back-up everything, the network is working, and I have
ample drive space on other machines.

But I'd rather not have to re-install all the programs I own :-(

Jim,

Have you tried booting from the W2K distribution CD and selecting the Repair
option? Repair has two options - one takes you to a command prompt and the
other is an automatic mode that should reinstall all the critical OS executable
files but leaves the registry intact. Take the automatic repair mode.

Good luck.

--
James T. White
SPAMjtwhiteGUARD@hal-pc.org

Note: Remove SPAM-GUARD to reply.

 

[JeffM]

Saying "mission-critical" while talking about Windoze just seems absurd.
JeffM

Windows isn't, at its core, any less stable or usable than Linux.
The kernel is actually somewhat more sophisticated that Linux's,
which I suspect is why Microsoft's IIS
typically beats Linux's Apache for throughput.
Joel Kolstad

"Stable" (or "unstable") wasn't what I was thinking.
The word that cames to my mind when I think of M$ products
(yeah, out of context for this thread) is "insecure". (think: fragile)

WRT Internet Information Server, 70% of webmasters agree with me:
http://news.netcraft.com/archives/web_server_survey.html

Apparently, 21% (IIS users) think that "fast" trumps "secure".

 

[NunYa Bidness]

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 14:45:37 -0700, Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> Gave us:

I've got a blue screen issue...

All of a sudden I acquired a "Search results" icon on my desktop.

Where it came from I have no idea, sometimes my sloppy mouse movements
get things on the desktop that don't belong.

I right-clicked in an attempt to delete it... no dice, no delete
option.

So, like a dummy, I drug it onto the toolbar, figuring it to be a copy
of Explorer.

No dice.

So I re-booted.

So I get an error message, "Explorer (no surprise) has committed an
illegal" something or other, then I get a blue screen.

Turns out the machine still "talks", I'm running this message right
now by loading Agent using Task Manager.

OS is Win2K.

Any ideas on how to fix?

No smart-ass remarks about Linux, PLEASE ;-)

Probably a viral attack. Got Norton? Likely a corrupted registry
as well, so even re-installing or repairing windows will yield
problems.

You could always load Linux. (not a smart-ass remark, more so an
intelligent suggestion) Download and boot the ultimate Linux machine
repair tool known as Knoppix! It doesn't write to any of your hard
drives, and allows access to them after it is up and running. If you
know exactly what files comprise your registry, you could back them
up, re-load windows, then reload the old registry to see if the
problem returns. If not, then you'd have all your installed programs
back.

Hard drives are dirt cheap, dude. Get a cheap drive, make it your
number 2 drive, and load Suse Linux (a Novell product) onto the second
drive. You'll likely be using the OS more and more as you discover
things that it will do that windows won't as well as things windows
does that it does just as well. The big difference... The price.

 

[Robert]

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:msj0e1d0sgukjebasif57i2rkns941oec8@4ax.com...

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 01:42:55 GMT, "Martin Riddle"
martinriddle@hotmail.com> wrote:

From Safe mode you can selectivly turn off services and other drivers that
load during the boot phase.
Possible remove the software you wanted to.

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:tab0e15kh44n8dgo2qkm7jqtitb7vt9p87@4ax.com...
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 19:23:25 -0400, Spehro Pefhany
speffSNIP@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 15:30:31 -0700, the renowned Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 22:11:49 GMT, Joerg
notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Hello Jim,

Did you (or rather, can you still) run a newer virus checker program
on
that PC? If it's too shot to do that I am afraid you might be looking
at
a complete Windows re-install :-(

Hopefully you don't have to...

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

I run a scan weekly, and Norton sits there scanning anything inbound,
so I don't _think_ it's a virus.

...Jim Thompson

Can you start in safe mode (F8 on boot)? There's also last known good
in that menu, but IIRC, you might trash some recent installations with
that choice.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

Yep, I can boot into safe mode, but what will that buy me?

...Jim Thompson
--
If you can get to the Internet you might want to run the free version of

Spybot Search and Destroy. A highjacked search icon is one symptom I've
heard of for Spyware/Malware. And Norton's not so good about picking that
kind of thing up. If you can, run it more than once.

www.safer-networking.org

The $30 version of Pest Patrol is supposed to be pretty good as well.

www.pestpatrol.com


Robert

 

[Glenn Gundlach]

<snip>

Yep, I can boot into safe mode, but what will that buy me?

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.


In Safe Mode I'm getting the same blank screen as in normal mode. yet
I can load any program via Task Manager.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

In Win XP there is 'SFC' System File Checker. I heard this from Leo
LaPorte's radio show. <sfc/scannow> checks system files and repairs as
needed. I just checked the Microsoft site and it does exist for Win 2K.
They also say it may overwrite hotfixes. But, it might restore the
broken explorer. Good luck.
GG

 

[Glenn Gundlach]

<snip>

Yep, I can boot into safe mode, but what will that buy me?

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.


In Safe Mode I'm getting the same blank screen as in normal mode. yet
I can load any program via Task Manager.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

In Win XP there is 'SFC' System File Checker. I heard this from Leo
LaPorte's radio show. <sfc/scannow> checks system files and repairs as
needed. I just checked the Microsoft site and it does exist for Win 2K.
They also say it may overwrite hotfixes. But, it might restore the
broken explorer. Good luck.
GG

 

[Jeff]

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:9g40e11ogm9u6vkg8rrhu9u7lspkavc2bu@4ax.com...

I've got a blue screen issue...

All of a sudden I acquired a "Search results" icon on my desktop.

Where it came from I have no idea, sometimes my sloppy mouse movements
get things on the desktop that don't belong.

I right-clicked in an attempt to delete it... no dice, no delete
option.

So, like a dummy, I drug it onto the toolbar, figuring it to be a copy
of Explorer.

No dice.

So I re-booted.

So I get an error message, "Explorer (no surprise) has committed an
illegal" something or other, then I get a blue screen.

Turns out the machine still "talks", I'm running this message right
now by loading Agent using Task Manager.

OS is Win2K.

Any ideas on how to fix?

No smart-ass remarks about Linux, PLEASE ;-)

I had a similar problem from a virus. It would boot into a blue screen
desktop with no icons, etc. I fixed it by hitting ctrl alt del, stopping
explorer.exe, restarting explorer.exe by typing it in the new task box. That
got the computer running well enough to run adaware, spyware doctor,
trendmicro house call, and panda's online scanner. Panda and Spyware doctor
seem to work the best at finding the really hidden crap. Once done, install
Firefox, as a lot of problems disappear after that. The virus I had came
from a malicious website, and then the virus downloaded a bunch of it's
friends which made a mess.

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 13:01:51 GMT, "Jeff" <antispam@hotmail.com> wrote:

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:9g40e11ogm9u6vkg8rrhu9u7lspkavc2bu@4ax.com...
I've got a blue screen issue...

All of a sudden I acquired a "Search results" icon on my desktop.

Where it came from I have no idea, sometimes my sloppy mouse movements
get things on the desktop that don't belong.

I right-clicked in an attempt to delete it... no dice, no delete
option.

So, like a dummy, I drug it onto the toolbar, figuring it to be a copy
of Explorer.

No dice.

So I re-booted.

So I get an error message, "Explorer (no surprise) has committed an
illegal" something or other, then I get a blue screen.

Turns out the machine still "talks", I'm running this message right
now by loading Agent using Task Manager.

OS is Win2K.

Any ideas on how to fix?

No smart-ass remarks about Linux, PLEASE ;-)


I had a similar problem from a virus. It would boot into a blue screen
desktop with no icons, etc. I fixed it by hitting ctrl alt del, stopping
explorer.exe, restarting explorer.exe by typing it in the new task box. That
got the computer running well enough to run adaware, spyware doctor,
trendmicro house call, and panda's online scanner. Panda and Spyware doctor
seem to work the best at finding the really hidden crap. Once done, install
Firefox, as a lot of problems disappear after that. The virus I had came
from a malicious website, and then the virus downloaded a bunch of it's
friends which made a mess.

Mine is different. Explorer IS stopped. Trying to start it gives an
error message.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 

[Tom MacIntyre]

Sorry for the top-post, have to cut to the chase...sounds like
Spyware, Trojan, Virus...ET phoning home for some reason.

Tom

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 14:45:37 -0700, Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

I've got a blue screen issue...

All of a sudden I acquired a "Search results" icon on my desktop.

Where it came from I have no idea, sometimes my sloppy mouse movements
get things on the desktop that don't belong.

I right-clicked in an attempt to delete it... no dice, no delete
option.

So, like a dummy, I drug it onto the toolbar, figuring it to be a copy
of Explorer.

No dice.

So I re-booted.

So I get an error message, "Explorer (no surprise) has committed an
illegal" something or other, then I get a blue screen.

Turns out the machine still "talks", I'm running this message right
now by loading Agent using Task Manager.

OS is Win2K.

Any ideas on how to fix?

No smart-ass remarks about Linux, PLEASE ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Pooh Bear]

Jim Thompson wrote:

Mine is different. Explorer IS stopped. Trying to start it gives an
error message.

Have you tried doing a file compare between the 'damaged' explorer.exe and the
same file on one of your 'undamaged' PCs ?

If the files match, you're likely looking at a damaged dll file.

You could conceivably copy all the critical windows exe and dll files from one pc
to the affected one over your network.

Do you know what processes are running when you boot up ? I don't know if it
supports W2K but I've found 'startup control panel' a freeware tool very useful.
It'll also show certain other stuff like dialler trojans that install themselves
too.

Just checked. It's good for 2k so check it out.

I'd suggest you use the standalone version to begin with. No registry messing.

http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml


Graham

 

[Clint Sharp]

In message <idv2e11tv1v30cnj05stkv8r6k589p762b@4ax.com>, Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> writes

Any ideas on how to fix?
Put the drive in another machine, make a complete backup of it, put it
back where it came from, then, from the task manager, run the last
service pack you installed (SP4 I hope unless you're running SQL
Personal). Providing this brings the machine back, you need to re-apply
all the hotfixes and scan the drives for errors.


I have a 4-machine network. And the "sick" machine "talks" just ducky
across the network. Can I run a backup across the network?
If you have network connectivity, no problem, however it works is good.

If this is the case you could run the service pack from a network share
as well.

...Jim Thompson

--
Clint Sharp

 

[NunYa Bidness]

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 15:29:59 GMT, Tom MacIntyre
<tom__macintyre@hotmail.com> Gave us:

Sorry for the top-post, have to cut to the chase...sounds like
Spyware, Trojan, Virus...ET phoning home for some reason.

Proper posting is proper posting. Excuses are excuses. It took as
much time to make the apology as it would have to have placed the text
where it belongs.

 

[John Fields]

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 17:27:53 GMT, NunYa Bidness
<nunyabidness@nunyabidness.org> wrote:

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 15:29:59 GMT, Tom MacIntyre
tom__macintyre@hotmail.com> Gave us:


Sorry for the top-post, have to cut to the chase...sounds like
Spyware, Trojan, Virus...ET phoning home for some reason.


Proper posting is proper posting. Excuses are excuses. It took as
much time to make the apology as it would have to have placed the text
where it belongs.

---
And had you not chosen to be critical where no critcism was warranted,
I would not have chosen to criticize you.

--
John Fields
Professional Circuit Designer

 

[NunYa Bidness]

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 16:16:02 -0500, John Fields
<jfields@austininstruments.com> Gave us:

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 17:27:53 GMT, NunYa Bidness
nunyabidness@nunyabidness.org> wrote:

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 15:29:59 GMT, Tom MacIntyre
tom__macintyre@hotmail.com> Gave us:


Sorry for the top-post, have to cut to the chase...sounds like
Spyware, Trojan, Virus...ET phoning home for some reason.


Proper posting is proper posting. Excuses are excuses. It took as
much time to make the apology as it would have to have placed the text
where it belongs.

---
And had you not chosen to be critical where no critcism was warranted,
I would not have chosen to criticize you.

Said the great critique troll of the electronic forums of Usenet.
My post was then, and is now, right on cue.

I doubt you'll even get that phrase right, however. Here's a hint
"cue" IS the intended word. Your estimation that it should be "queue"
is as incorrect as your decision that my post was unwarranted.

It's a billiard phrase, and something that I have yet to see you be.

 

[Joerg]

Hello Jim,

Mine is different. Explorer IS stopped. Trying to start it gives an
error message.

That's often bad news. I would start by backing up whatever might not
yet have been (libraries etc.). You can boot in DOS to do that. Then do
a Windows repair as Spehro or someone else had suggested. This might not
fix it but if it does you'd be through the whole process in a jiffy.
Also, that should preserve your applications on there and their settings.

If repair doesn't fix it you can still do the whole delete-everything
and install from scratch thing.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 22:09:56 GMT, Joerg
<notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Hello Jim,

Mine is different. Explorer IS stopped. Trying to start it gives an
error message.

That's often bad news. I would start by backing up whatever might not
yet have been (libraries etc.). You can boot in DOS to do that. Then do
a Windows repair as Spehro or someone else had suggested. This might not
fix it but if it does you'd be through the whole process in a jiffy.
Also, that should preserve your applications on there and their settings.

If repair doesn't fix it you can still do the whole delete-everything
and install from scratch thing.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

The first thing I do in such situations (which seem to happen on two
year cycles , is backup. I backed up 45GB of verified files across
the network last night while we went to dinner.

This, fortunately, is NOT my PSpice machine. I keep my PSpice machine
free of downloads, E-mail and other such frivolities, because PSpice
is my bread-and-butter.

The screwed up machine is used for E-mail, newsgroups, and such.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 

[Joerg]

Hello Jim,

This, fortunately, is NOT my PSpice machine. I keep my PSpice machine
free of downloads, E-mail and other such frivolities, because PSpice
is my bread-and-butter.

Similar here. When at work I am always using two machines at the same
time. One for documentation, one for the electronic stuff. When one
crashes I can continue to do both on the other until it is back up.

The screwed up machine is used for E-mail, newsgroups, and such.

Then all you really need besides the email files should be the user
profiles and network settings.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

 

[John Fields]

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 21:33:23 GMT, NunYa Bidness
<nunyabidness@nunyabidness.org> wrote:

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 16:16:02 -0500, John Fields
jfields@austininstruments.com> Gave us:

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 17:27:53 GMT, NunYa Bidness
nunyabidness@nunyabidness.org> wrote:

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 15:29:59 GMT, Tom MacIntyre
tom__macintyre@hotmail.com> Gave us:


Sorry for the top-post, have to cut to the chase...sounds like
Spyware, Trojan, Virus...ET phoning home for some reason.


Proper posting is proper posting. Excuses are excuses. It took as
much time to make the apology as it would have to have placed the text
where it belongs.

---
And had you not chosen to be critical where no critcism was warranted,
I would not have chosen to criticize you.

Said the great critique troll of the electronic forums of Usenet.
My post was then, and is now, right on cue.

I doubt you'll even get that phrase right, however. Here's a hint
"cue" IS the intended word. Your estimation that it should be "queue"
is as incorrect as your decision that my post was unwarranted.

---
How convenient. You've already decided on what my response would be,
prior to the fact, and have issued an edict countering that imaginary
response.
---

It's a billiard phrase, and something that I have yet to see you be.

---
Perhaps that's because your field of vision is severely limited by
being perpetually behind the 8 ball?

--
John Fields
Professional Circuit Designer