URGENT HELP NEEDED !!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Yeah, this is about as close to "emergency" status as ever ...

My computer keeps crashing ... I reboot .. all comes up ... I can get one,
or if I'm lucky two programs opened .. but then it freezes .. I can still
move the mouse around but it has no use ... trying to navigate with the
keyboard is equally useless. Going to the Taskbar shows what I opened (allows
me to close them) but my system does not become usable again ... doesn't
matter which or what programs) I attempt to open ... I can't even get into
"My Documents" ... which is actually all I really want to open tonight (!!!)

Norton does come up right after reboot telling me there are some malicious
scripts I am advised to stop .. which I promptly do ...

I had trouble evn getting to this point in Windows XP Security help forum ..

Whew boy, what's this all about???

I steadily run Norton, Spybot, AdAware ... use constant updates .. have a
firewall ... have done viral fixes in Safe Mode .. and with System Restore
"off"
(then back "on" of course ...)

Any clue? Boym this is a real bad dilemma for me.

Thanks a ton for any rec's

Michael
 
I would suggest making a new Windows XP
CD with SP2 slipstreamed and then perform a
"Repair Install". Make sure you scan your PC for
malicious spyware and viruses first.

Either one of the following utilities makes slipstreaming
(integrating) SP2 into Windows XP a breeze:

Windows Slipstreaming and Bootable CD Guide
http://www.msfn.org/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=49

or

AutoStreamer 1.0.33 (preferred)
http://www.wbeta.com/comments.php?shownews=1063&catid=2

Windows XP Service Pack 2 - Direct Download
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.mspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Yeah, this is about as close to "emergency" status as ever ...
|
| My computer keeps crashing ... I reboot .. all comes up ... I can get one,
| or if I'm lucky two programs opened .. but then it freezes .. I can still
| move the mouse around but it has no use ... trying to navigate with the
| keyboard is equally useless. Going to the Taskbar shows what I opened (allows
| me to close them) but my system does not become usable again ... doesn't
| matter which or what programs) I attempt to open ... I can't even get into
| "My Documents" ... which is actually all I really want to open tonight (!!!)
|
| Norton does come up right after reboot telling me there are some malicious
| scripts I am advised to stop .. which I promptly do ...
|
| I had trouble evn getting to this point in Windows XP Security help forum ..
|
| Whew boy, what's this all about???
|
| I steadily run Norton, Spybot, AdAware ... use constant updates .. have a
| firewall ... have done viral fixes in Safe Mode .. and with System Restore
| "off"
| (then back "on" of course ...)
|
| Any clue? Boym this is a real bad dilemma for me.
|
| Thanks a ton for any rec's
|
| Michael
 
Uh-oh, I tried autostreamer ... got all the way to the point where I insert
my original Windows XP disks ... and clicking on that "hourglass" results in
nothing. period. I've checked though their lit .. and thier forum is out-of
order presently ...

do these items add any further clues?

I looked at the otherthing slipstreaming ... looked pretty intimidating to
get going on .. is it?
 
I realize that this is a subjective comment, but you seem up to it:
Slipstreaming SP2 is not exceptionally challenging.

The SBS instructions provided by the folks at MSFN.org are
very thorough and easy to understand for those of us who are
not card-carrying geeks.

Also, it is virtually impossible (but not TOTALLY, though;-)
to screw-up the creation of a simple slip-streamed SP2 disc
as long as you:
1) perform the integration step properly (just pay attn to
what you type)
2) remember to create the resulting folderset as an ISO-image
BEFORE burning the CD!

I suggest you use CD-RW media if you have that option so you can experiment
some with the ISO-image aspect of it, if you
are unfamiliar with that sort of thing.

ANOTHER consideration (taking Carey's slipstreamed Install
disc approach a step further): is to make an UNATTENDED
flavor of your slip-streamed install CD. This allows you to
make some pretty nifty and time-saving "enhancements" to your
slipstreamed disc saving you from lots of post-Windows setup
work typical of system rebuilds. I will also mention at this
point that you should read through what is envolved with an
Unattended install CD before making one, and not go too far
in the "what-else-can-I-add-to-it" direction, as you may
inadvertantly add what is causing your trouble in the first
place and therefore not eliminate your culprit. This alone
is a worthy consideration of sticking to a simple SP2 slip-
streamed install CD. But... a lot of the basic features of
the Unattended process will automate things that certainly
are NOT the cuase of your troubles, so _investigating_ this
possibility is still of sound and reasonable advice, and
could very well be profitable to you should you experience
recurrent difficulty with your initial trouble, or perhaps
so other one now known or as yet unknown...:-).

The same MSFN.org folks also have a fabulous tutorial Step-
By-Step set of instructions for this CD as well. You can find
the link to those instructions on the same MSFN.org page
that Carey pointed you to, just look in the upper right-hand
area of that page and you'll see "Unattended CD/DVD Guide".

Don't misunderstand this recommendation though: I am not try-
ing to suggest that an UNATTENDED version of an install CD
will somehow cure your present ills where a simple slip-
streamed one won't. That's not the case at all nor the
impetus of my suggestion. But it _will_, however, make the
reBUILD process considerably faster. Something you may wish
to consider before making the CD you choose, because you just
might find later on you need to rebuild your system yet
again, and that's where you will realize the benefits of the
Unattended version of your SP2 slipstreamed install CD.
You should read through BOTH of the MSFN tutorials before
deciding which is best for your needs at this time.

But if you have any questions regarding either, please let
us know!

Best Wishes,
Danor
 
Here’s my update:

So I did all the steps in that slipstreaming SP2 thing …. Made an ISO disk …
booted from it, but my attempt to do a “Windows Repair Install†somehow came
up on the screen as a requirement to do a “Compaq System Recoveryâ€, which
then requested I use all my Windows XP disks and the ISO disk I made.

Well, ok .. So did that … took all day … didn’t loose any data … but a lot
of programs on my system are now their old(er) versions … very troubling …

But most urgent is this:

I frequently get this message box, warning me of an unavoidable shutdown:

“System Shutdown

The system is shutting down. Please save all work in progress and log off.
Any unsaved changes will be lost.
This shutdown was initiated by NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.

Time before shutdown xx:xx:xx

Windows must now restart because the Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Terminated unexpectedly.


Can you please recommend a quick tweak or whatever I can do to satisfy
whatever this RPC needs so I’m not crashing anymore.

Thanks so much.

Michael
 
Hi Michael-
In your last post you said: "...my attempt to do a “Windows Repair Installâ€
somehow came up on the screen as a requirement to do a “Compaq System
Recoveryâ€"...

This tells me that you have a Compaq PC, right? And that the version of
WinXP installed on it is likely to be the
Compaq OEM version?
If these answers are yes (as I expect they are), I would direct you to the
Compaq Support folks for their input on
this situation - and on how you got there. There may be some special Compaq
considerations on making a slipstreamed Install CD using the Compaq OEM
install CD as a base which weren't included on your CD.
This may be why you are having *these* troubles...
Let us know what you hear from the Support folks at Compaq.
 
Yes, thanks for that reply; you're correct on all those; I do have a Compaq
system ... and my disks are "Compaq Recovery Disks" .. so they're named.

I should mention, however, that in the past, whenever I have had issues
pertaining to Windows related problems (as opposed to strictly speaking some
hardware malfunction .. like smoke coming out of my cd dirve ....) they've
*always* directed me to go to <these> forums and get my concerns addressed.
Is that the correct setup between Compaq, Dell, etc. and Windows?

Anyhow, that shut-down issue has not re-surfaced (yet) ... it only occurs
sometimes; don't know if that's any clue.

But since the full re-install, all my other problems are fixed .. only I
have to re-install lots of add-on programs I had before ... sigh ... but all
the bugs are wiped out, so that's the really good news.

I will check with Compaq as you recommend.

Thanks, Michael
 
A couple of final comments and you s/b on your way to full recovery:
a) re: COMPAQ and them referring you to this (and any other online forum) is
(possibly) a putoff! EVERY OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) licensed to
distribute MS Operating systems as an add-on get a TREMENDOUS price break
from MS PROVIDED that they take on 100% of the OS support burden from MS. If
you were to try and contact Microsoft for ANY kind of OS support, they will
do dissly-squat for you but to tell you to contact the OEM provider you
bought it from (this is because the CD-Key installed is from an OEM license,
not a retail license which MS *will* support under the terms of their service
agreement). In your case, COMPAQ is responsible for your OS support for the
duration of *their* warranty terms when you bought their computer. Check your
warranty status. If it is still under warranty, or you bought an extended
warranty or had one kind-of-automatically added by your credit card company -
if you have one that does that and used it to buy this pc! - you should
investigate that. If it is still under warranty, then COMPAQ is obligated to
assist you and not put you off.
b) The symptoms about shutting down you are reporting are consistent with
the BLASTER.worm virus (see this article)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;826955
I found this by doing a simple search of the Microsoft Help and Support
Knowledgebase by merely typing in your error message. You can (and should
be!;-) doing this on your own to learn more about computing in the Windows
world before going to the forums. The url to this search utility is:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=0
c) Finally, I'm glad to hear that your other issues seem to have evaporated
with the system reinstall. But prima facia evidence (latin legalese for "at
face value") seems to indicate a remaining or recurrent virus, as the MS-KB
hints. But this may not be the case either, as this is an older virus and my
research thus far (what little I did on your behalf) shows that you should'nt
be vulnerable if your OS was installed with SP2 integrated. But if you were
getting these shutdowns before you could reinstall your antivirus... the best
course would be to agressively seek if this virus is on your system and
eradicate it by any means possible (read the article!).

Best of luck to you!
 
Back
Top