Hi,

I have a really weird problem that i was hoping somebody might be able to assist with.

Whenever i click on the control panel the window will open, and then close, taking the rest of explorer with it. The Start menu and task bar disappear, i see the background, and then explorer starts up again, so get the Start menu and task bar back, but no Control Panel.

It does not matter if I launch from Control Panel from the Start menu, or from Windows Exploer. It does the same thing either way.

This is a fresh install of Windows (legal install) with Service Pack 3. On top of that I installed my core apps (Anti-Vir, winRAR, Quicktime Alternative, RealAlternative, Adobe Reader 8, etc), and then I installed some games for my nephues.

Prior to installing the games I had some headaches installing the (nVidia) drivers for the graphics card, as it appears to not like the Intel on-board graphics/drivers. I did not try to launch the Control Panel after this, so it broke either from the video driver installs, or from the games.

I went through a couple of different forums and posts., the main one being:
http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread95470.html

I did was was written in that post, I installed the AVG Anti-Spyware and went into Safe Mode and ran the complete scan for everything, and then after the Quarentine, I deleted all the files that were found (only 3 Cookies). I ran a hijackthis report, although I did not notice anything from it., but have included it below.

Any assistance with this matter is GREATLY appreciated.

R.

HijackThis report:


Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 3:05:12 PM, on 15/06/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16674)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\sched.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\NCS\PROSet\PRONoMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\avgnt.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\Program Files\Logitech\Gaming Software\LWEMon.exe
C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\avgas.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\avguard.exe
C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\guard.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\HiJackThis\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.google.ca/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PRONoMgr.exe] c:\Program Files\Intel\NCS\PROSet\PRONoMgr.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avgnt] "C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\avgnt.exe" /min
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Start WingMan Profiler] C:\Program Files\Logitech\Gaming Software\LWEMon.exe /noui
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [!AVG Anti-Spyware] "C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\avgas.exe" /minimized
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93} (Java Runtime Environment 1.6.0) - http://sdlc-esd.sun.com/ESD40/JSCDL/...ws-i586-jc.cab
O23 - Service: Avira AntiVir Personal – Free Antivirus Scheduler (AntiVirScheduler) - Avira GmbH - C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\sched.exe
O23 - Service: Avira AntiVir Personal – Free Antivirus Guard (AntiVirService) - Avira GmbH - C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\avguard.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Anti-Spyware Guard - GRISOFT s.r.o. - C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\guard.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\1050\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: Intel NCS NetService (NetSvc) - Intel(R) Corporation - c:\Program Files\Intel\NCS\Sync\NetSvc.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe

--
End of file - 4527 bytes

I Found a nice and surpisingly simple solution.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/221153

This was inteneded for Windows 2000, but it works for Windows XP as well, the only differnce being that once you remove the .cpl files and launch the Control Panel, it restores the .cpl files you removed (except these ones work).


Thanks for any of those who tried to help out.

Happy Surfing

R.

From Dos prompt type this

CTRL CONTROL PANEL