Taskbar issue/possible malware?

  • Thread starter Thread starter The Shadow
  • Start date Start date
T

The Shadow

My network, volume control, and power meter icons randomly dissappeared
from my taskbar. I went into "taskbar and start menu properties" to enable
these icons, but the only icon that my computer would allow me to turn back
on, under the "notification area" tab was the network icon. I hope this is
not due to malware. I just got this computer in late may. I had Mcfee which
did not find anything (now my trial has expired), CA antivirus, anti-spy...
did not find anything other than a few low risk spyware cookies. Anyway, the
reason I am going into this whole virus thing is because I have also had some
issues with my display "Z order". And, when I start up my computer, CA tells
me that someone is trying to access my computer. Am I being paranoid?
 
The Shadow said:
My network, volume control, and power meter icons randomly dissappeared
from my taskbar. I went into "taskbar and start menu properties" to enable
these icons, but the only icon that my computer would allow me to turn
back
on, under the "notification area" tab was the network icon. I hope this is
not due to malware. I just got this computer in late may. I had Mcfee
which
did not find anything (now my trial has expired), CA antivirus,
anti-spy...
did not find anything other than a few low risk spyware cookies. Anyway,
the
reason I am going into this whole virus thing is because I have also had
some
issues with my display "Z order". And, when I start up my computer, CA
tells
me that someone is trying to access my computer. Am I being paranoid?
Click to expand...

Some system tray icons do not reappear after explorer.exe crashes. In my
experience, explorer.exe crashes quite a lot in Vista, whereas this is a
very rare thing in XP. Check Event Viewer to see if explorer.exe has been
crashing.

Try this online scan if you want to check for malware:
http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/

You might have to run IE7 without Protected Mode on, or run as Admin.

ss.
 
By the way, I have tried restarting - same problems.
P.S. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to write
 
Some system tray icons do not reappear after explorer.exe crashes. In my
experience, explorer.exe crashes quite a lot in Vista, whereas this is a
very rare thing in XP. Check Event Viewer to see if explorer.exe has been
crashing.
Click to expand...

You have something wrong. I have only had Vista on this machine for
almost three months, but I've never had an explorer crash that I can
remember. It's not a cutting-edge system by any stretch of the
imagination, but it's rock solid stable.
 
Nonny said:
You have something wrong. I have only had Vista on this machine for
almost three months, but I've never had an explorer crash that I can
remember. It's not a cutting-edge system by any stretch of the
imagination, but it's rock solid stable.
Click to expand...

I had been using Vista since August 2006 (RC1), but I transferred my Vista
Ultimate License to my HTPC instead in August 2007, and have only been using
it for that since then.

Explorer.exe used to crash a lot, on a fresh install, so there was nothing
wrong with my system. I suspect SP1 has improved things a lot, but in any
case, I don't give too much credit to what you say. Aren't you the guy who
says he runs Outlook 2000 on Vista without any issues? LOL.

In your Reliability Monitor, there is an option to save the .xml file.
Attach it here and let's see if you are lying again. I bet you there are
explorer.exe crashes.

ss.
 
I had been using Vista since August 2006 (RC1), but I transferred my Vista
Ultimate License to my HTPC instead in August 2007, and have only been using
it for that since then.

Explorer.exe used to crash a lot, on a fresh install, so there was nothing
wrong with my system. I suspect SP1 has improved things a lot, but in any
case, I don't give too much credit to what you say. Aren't you the guy who
says he runs Outlook 2000 on Vista without any issues? LOL.
Click to expand...

Nope. Outlook 2003. I have Office 2000 installed but not Outlook 2000.
In your Reliability Monitor, there is an option to save the .xml file.
Attach it here and let's see if you are lying again. I bet you there are
explorer.exe crashes.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I don't have any crashes. I would load XP back if that were
the case (I have a saved image). I only put Vista on this machine so
I'd know what some friends are looking at when they call me with
problems. I liked it so much, I abandoned XP after about 3 weeks.

When I first installed it, I had XP on "D" and Vista on "C" and used
the BIOS for dual-booting (you can use Google Groups to check that
out). I even have "C" and "D" on removable trays in case I wanted to
use that setup for dual booting.
 
In your Reliability Monitor, there is an option to save the .xml file.
Attach it here and let's see if you are lying again. I bet you there are
explorer.exe crashes.
Click to expand...

I have no idea where to find that.

Clue me in.
 
In your Reliability Monitor, there is an option to save the .xml file.
Attach it here and let's see if you are lying again. I bet you there are
explorer.exe crashes.
Click to expand...

Found it.

Had three crashes in 30 days... no wonder I didn't remember them.

One was ugly... Explorer, Outlook, True Image, and Firefox were
involved so I'll call that a system crash.

Another involved explorer, Download Accelerator Plus (have stopped
using that) and irfanView.

Only one was truly traceable just to explorer.
 
Nonny said:
Found it.

Had three crashes in 30 days... no wonder I didn't remember them.

One was ugly... Explorer, Outlook, True Image, and Firefox were
involved so I'll call that a system crash.

Another involved explorer, Download Accelerator Plus (have stopped
using that) and irfanView.

Only one was truly traceable just to explorer.
Click to expand...

I bet you there are more. Where's the file?

ss.
 
That's not what you said here:
http://groups.google.co.uk:80/group...8b64961a0c52921c?hl=en&lnk=st&q=nonny+outlook

ss.
Click to expand...

The OP in that thread was talking about Office 2003 and that must have
stuck in my head.

The post from DL that I replied to... I clearly missed the "pre-"2003.

No wonder you got so fried at me and called me a liar. I may be many
things, but I am NOT a liar.

I have never used Outlook 2000, even though it's available to me.
Heck, I even have Outlook 97 somewhere.

I only picked up Outlook 2003 because pre-release reviewers raved
about it's spam-catching ability. They were right.
 
I bet you there are more. Where's the file?
Click to expand...

You are one suspicious bastard. You will see.

In a later message I told you to send your snaily... I meant your
email addie. I use "snaily" a lot in another forum where we send
things to one another (cigars).
 
You are one suspicious bastard. You will see.

In a later message I told you to send your snaily... I meant your
email addie. I use "snaily" a lot in another forum where we send
things to one another (cigars).
Click to expand...

perfmon.msc is in the mail and on its way to the addie you use here.

After you have viewed it and verified it shows exactly what I said
hereI would expect that you tell everyone that you were wrong when you
called me a liar.
 
I bet you there are more.  Where's the file?
Click to expand...

You have it. And I looked again... the ONE that I said was only
traceable to explorer was actually an IE crash, so I have NO crashes
with explorer alone. None. Nada.
 
I know that explorer crashed a few times before I got SP1, but it has not
since. What will turning off protected mode do for me? I turned off UAC if
that is what you meant by running it as an administrator. When I did that the
computer blocked everything but the battery icon, and clock; even though I
got my network icon to work before I turned off the UAC. Now that I turned
the UAC back on, I have no power meter icon, and my Z order is giving me
issues again. This is getting extremely disturbing. I want to be polite, but
I need real help so please do not chat on my post any more. It makes finding
any real help extremely difficult.
 
You have something wrong.  I have only had Vista on this machine for
almost three months, but I've never had an explorer crash that I can
remember.  It's not a cutting-edge system by any stretch of the
imagination, but it's rock solid stable.
Click to expand...
[snip]

In your Reliability Monitor, there is an option to save the .xml file.
Attach it here and let's see if you are lying again.  I bet you there are
explorer.exe crashes.
Click to expand...

Where, oh WHERE has SS gone!?

I sent him the file attached to an email that proved my claim of
having only two crashes (actually, freezes) involving Win Explorer
(and several other programs at the same time - so it would be
difficult to blame it on Win Explorer), and haven't heard boo from him
since. He posted twice in other threads today, but nothing here.

I'm waiting for his apology for calling me a liar (I had a simple
explanation for his earlier claim that I was a liar: it was a mistake
on my part).
 
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