Windows XP glitch

[Jecca]

I automatically get the windows XP updates, and one of the downloads has caused a glitch on my computer! Every time I now rightclick on my desktop, or select "file" from any folder (i.e. to create a new folder), i just get the egg timer appearing, and it crashes my computer.

anyone else come across this or have a suggestion on how to solve it? did microsoft release a patch for this glitch? (I'm 99% sure it's a Windows glitch caused by microsoft rather than a virus)

[Slimmi]

mmmm have you tried running a Virus scanner. To be honest I don't think it is a Windows Glitch.

Go to this website http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ and scan your computer. This is an _ version of Virus Scan.

[Jecca]

I've run AVG antivirus and not a virus in sight...

This problem started occuring after I had a windows update, so I'm quite sure it's them that's caused it.

[monosodium]

I come across a hell fo a lot of systems and I've not heard of this being caused by windows update. The heat has been killing harddiscs left, right & centre. I've also come across systems suddenly running *really* slowly for no obvious reason and it's usually the same thing. I'm willing to bet you've got a harddisc error.

You should run a disk check. To do this...

Click Start - My Computer
Right-click C: and go to the properties
Click Tools - Check Now - Automatically fix file system errors
then click start

your system will run a partial check and then you need to reboot to do a full check. Odds on it will find a couple of errors and fix them.
Try it & see how it goes anyway. More likely that the update uncovered a problem that was already there...

[Jecca]

ok, i tried that, and it says no problems found and all is fine!!

sigh.

any other suggestions?

(thanks for suggestions so far...)

[monosodium]

Does your computer actually crash, (ie a window comes up to tell you this) or does the system just stop responding (hang).

[Jecca]

it stops responding, and the eggtimer just appears. i can move the mouse curser still, but can't click on any icons or get the right click menu to appear. BUT... i can open windows already open i.e. Mozilla or solitaire!

[Jecca]

oh, and when i do open a mozilla or any other window when the eggtimer has appeared, i can't minimise it to see the desktop again.

[monosodium]

Worst case scenario is that the program "explorer.exe" has crashed. Until you can find the cause, you can at least free up your system again like this...

Hit Ctrl-Shift-Escape - this will take you to "Task Manager"
Select the "Processes" tab then Image Name to sort by that column if it's not already.
Find Explorer.exe in the list, (let me know what the % of utilisation is while you're there)
Then right click it and choose "End Process"
It will ask if you want to terminate the process, which you do, so click "Yes"

Your start menu and any explorer windows will probably disappear all the other apps will remain open, give it a minute and the start bar should come back and it will all go back to how it was before.

If it doesn't in a minute or so then in task manager go to File - Run and type explorer.exe and hit ok.

I could explain the behaviour and why the apps don't minimize, but it's pretty academic. Fixing it could be a little more difficult because it's harder to identify the exact source, but I would make a stab at it being something related to how the system allows applications to hook into the context (right-click) menu. It wont' be trivial to find.

A few more questions..

What does the problem affect, specific types of file, any file, anywhere in explorer?
Is the desktop affected?
When did it start happening?

[Jecca]

monosodium,

i did all that, but when i closed "explorer.exe" and left it, then nothing happend, so i had to do the file/run option.

the problem occurs when I either:

1) right click on the desk top or
2) select the "file" menu in any folder i.e. My Documents/ My Music

for example, i wanted to create a new folder to put some MP3s in, so clicked on 'file' in "My Music", but instead of the menu dropping down, the eggtimer just appeared.

I guess it's been like this a few months, although i only noticed it when i wanted to create a folder and use the 'file' drop down menu.

thanks for all your help btw!

CPU % is around 2%

[cosmicB]

Sounds like your computer is seriously messed up with Macromedia stuff, and a bug...

[cosmicB]

Sounds like your computer is seriously messed up with Macromedia stuff, and a bug...

Download: Spybot, Tiny personal Firewall, Easy Cleaner, Eraser, Power Defrag, CCleaner, and Cacheman Memory Restore...

Do a FIND, and Uninstall everything "macromedia"...
Do a START, RUN, Regedit, and delete everything that says "macromedia"...

Do a FIND and Regedit for everything "backweb" & "desktop messenger", and uninstal and delete it all...

Do a Power Defrag for surface scan...takes about an hour.. and do everything else those softwares do... That should fix your problem, and save you a couple hundred bucks...

Caution with EasyCleaner.. Don't mess with the "duplicates"... In using the registry cleaner, don't delete any registry items that resemble anything like "microsoft server"...

If that doesn't fix it, your PC has several more serious problems...

Uninstall your browser, and reinstall it...

Restart with "Mega Boot Floppie" download...

Try "HouseCall"...

Save all your files and personal stuff on CD's and/or floppies, and delete it all from your machine...

Update your AVS, and run it at full options...

Configure "Tweak UI"...

If you get things working, delete all those contaminated cleaner software's registry backups, then scandisk & defrag, and make new registry backups in all those cleanser that can make backups... You can restore a backup when your PC acts up again...

[anitaleeds]

Sounds like your computer is seriously messed up with Macromedia stuff, and a bug..

err, say what?! What the hell do Macromedia have to do with anything?

Some of your advice is just plain rubbish, and advising non-geeks to go hacking the registry is just plain irresponsible!!

[monosodium]

Thanks anita - cosmic always posts the same garbage. I think they must have it copied in a text file somewhere. I appreciate the intention to help and I'm sure it is meant to help, but you're right, pointing a stranger in the direction of regedit with instructions to delete "stuff" is like handing them a hand grenade and removing the pin.

Same goes for recommending tools which make major changes to a system (like registry cleaners) when it's not in a stable state, you have no idea what gremlins you may unleash.

btw - Jecca. I've not forgotten you, I need to look some stuff up and I haven't done it yet. I'll post back when I've done it.

[Jecca]

Cosmic B's posting just baffled me, so I didn't do anything!

Thankyou for not forgetting me

By stopping "explorer.exe" then re-running it I can at least stop the eggtimer and page freezing, so i can get on with stuff, but no such luck in creating a folder yet. I'm still optimistic that it'll get sorted

jecca x