Windows XP crashes and restarts before completing ok

[genegold]

In the last couple of weeks I've noticed that my computer is crashing during startup after loading the desktop (XP/SP3). There is momentarily a blue DOS screen with text, including the error message, but too brief to read or record, then the computer restarts. Sometimes this cycle happens once, more often twice, then it completes startup and everything seems to run ok until next time.

I can't say that I know exactly when it started, since I usually walk away during startup. I first noticed it after installing Malwarebytes Anti-Malware free (nonresident) and thought it was a conflict between that and Spybot free resident, tho it didn't make much sense to me why a resident and nonresident program should collide at startup. After removing MBAM it seemed to stop, at least when I was watching, but perhaps that was random. In any event, after taking Spybot resident out of startup and installing SuperAntiSpyware Pro (resident), I noticed it occurring again. Two other things that are occuring, perhaps related, are that 1) with the Bresnan Communications online chat (my ISP), after sending the initial message to start, I get a disconnected error when trying to send again after their reply. It takes starting in Safe mode to make it work (no crashes in Safe mode). And 2) When shutting down the computer, Mailwasher free gives a pointer error (closing MW itself gives no error) . This seemed to start some weeks back after a registry edit to get rid of all evidence of Real Player.

I'd be grateful if anyone could suggest how to approach solving the startup problem. I've run anti virus and anti malware scans, but haven't come up with anything related. I've also read about boot logging (F8), but when I did it there was no ntblog.txt file to be found. Here's a list of apps, all current, that load at startup and show icons in the Notification tray (lower right):

Comodo PF free
AVG free
WinPatrol
SuperAntiSpyware Pro
Secunia
modem
Edison
Mailwasher free
Ad Muncher
Bookmark Buddy
Comodo BOC Clean
YPops
Cobain backup
Realtek audio manager
MSI PC Alert

[sparkax]

You may have inadvertently changed or deleted one or more required registry entries
Did you back up the registry before editing?
(Normal procedure)
If you did then restore to the previous registry.
If not use System Restore to go back to a point before editing.
Before you do this-create another Reg. backup- then if this is not the cause of the problem you won't have to go through the laborious process of deleting every entry related to Real Player.
If this solves the problem then delete the last Reg save.
Unfortunately,you will then have to go through the registry to remove all Real Player entries.
But ,If in doubt about an entry-save before deleting.
You will then be able to incrementally restore settings.

[genegold]

You may have inadvertently changed or deleted one or more required registry entries
Did you back up the registry before editing?
(Normal procedure)
If you did then restore to the previous registry.
If not use System Restore to go back to a point before editing.
Before you do this-create another Reg. backup- then if this is not the cause of the problem you won't have to go through the laborious process of deleting every entry related to Real Player.
If this solves the problem then delete the last Reg save.
Unfortunately,you will then have to go through the registry to remove all Real Player entries.
But ,If in doubt about an entry-save before deleting.
You will then be able to incrementally restore settings.

Remember we're talking weeks here. There was a system restore at the time, as well as before and since, however I've never seen one work more than a few days back. Today was no exception. Plan B needed.

[caperjack]

Comodo PF free
AVG free
WinPatrol
SuperAntiSpyware Pro
Secunia
modem
Edison
Mailwasher free
Ad Muncher
Bookmark Buddy
Comodo BOC Clean
YPops
Cobain backup
Realtek audio manager
MSI PC Alert ,

a bit paranoid aren't we.!

go to run and type in this"eventvwr.msc" with out the "" and then check for system errors see what you get ,you should get some info on the blue screen

[genegold]

Comodo PF free
AVG free
WinPatrol
SuperAntiSpyware Pro
Secunia
modem
Edison
Mailwasher free
Ad Muncher
Bookmark Buddy
Comodo BOC Clean
YPops
Cobain backup
Realtek audio manager
MSI PC Alert ,

a bit paranoid aren't we.!

go to run and type in this"eventvwr.msc" with out the "" and then check for system errors see what you get ,you should get some info on the blue screen

Paranoid? How much of that is duplicative?

In any event, after watching startup closely and doing some testing it appears that Cobain 8 backup was the crash problem. In the process I found a version 9, which seems (after 4 startups) to have solved the conflict. I did look at Events; the only error (x3) was Service Center Mgr, 7001. In hindsight that might have been Cobain, which was set up as a service. The thing is there's still one 7001 error per startup, but no noticeable symptoms.

That leaves the other two probably, most importantly the Mailwasher pointer error and difficulty the app has closing when shutting down the computer. Any thoughts about how to approach that would be appreciated (uninstall/reg clean/reinstall hasn't done it). Thanks.