Posts by dlh6213

ANY help would be much, much appreciated!

I would go along with the jest of the previous posts and recommend some
marital counseling. Good luck -- however it turns out.

Well, since no one else has responded to this, I may as well put in my two cents. Is there an error code with this message? That may be helpful. Are you sure these two systems meet the minimum requirements for SP2? Check this thread to see:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread10031.html

There must be something different about these two systems from the others.

I found the following info at:
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm#Cannot_install_Service_Pack_2

I know you've tried some of this already, but maybe there's something here that can help.

Error 0x800710D9 Unable to read from or write to the database
The quickest and most thorough way to solve this problem is a batch file, written by fellow MVP Torgeir Bakken from Norway. Reboot the computer and, before running any other program, run the batch file. It will tell you when it is finished. Here it is: fixdb.bat

For other possible solutions check http://www.updatexp.com/cryptographic-service.html and the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article for details.

You cannot install some updates or programs
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=822798

The most successful workaround for the cryptographic service error has been the method 3 mentioned in that article:

Rename the Catroot2 folder, and then try to install the program again. To rename the Catroot2 folder, follow these steps:

Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each …

A link to some more useful information:
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm#Cannot_install_Service_Pack_2

I have not used EasyCleaner so cannot judge it, but be careful using it, check this thread:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread10062.html

dlh6213,
I gotta add your bit into my Need update canned speech :)

Good idea, then I don't need to follow you around, lol.
:cheesy:

CS is Cable Select, the computer is supposed to automatically determine which is Master and which is Slave by their connections on the cable; the Master should be connected at the end and the slave should be connected in the middle of the cable. Makes things easier when it works, but it doesn't always work. What does? lol

:!:

I did some of those things i still have to do a spybot scan but i dont know if you just posted this at the exact same time as my post but if not please read the posts before offering a suggestion it sort of hard to get answers when you have to repeat yourself.

No disrespect.

Yeah, we were both posting at the same time (two minutes apart); that wasn't there when I was typing my reply.

700 detected by Ad-Aware!!!? :!:

Review this thread before deciding whether or not to upgrade to SP2:

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread10031.html

On the hjt log you can start by deleting all the red.clientapps and all items that end in (no file). Post a new log after you follow the advice in the previous posts.

Before deciding whether or not to upgrade to SP2, review this thread:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread10031.html

You should try to make sure you don't have any viruses or spyware before upgrading to SP2.

After you move hjt to a permanent folder, you can also delete the red.clientapps. Rescan and post.

Run Spybot and Adaware first. In addition to what Killer suggested, all the red.clientapps should be deleted. Scan again and post a new log for one of the guru's to review. Your friend might also want to install SpyWare Blaster to help prevent further infections.

XP has their recovery files on a different partition most of the time, if you bought it pre-made.

How can the recovery files be on a different partition if your computer has only one partition (which is how mine was when I first bought it from Dell)?

Also, the Restoration program will find deleted Restore Points, I haven't tried to restore any though so I don't know if it would work.

Sunflower hasn't posted to this thread in awile so the problem may have been sorted out already.

If you just want to access/transfer the data, this may work, but it will cost you more $$. Get an external case for the drive that connects through the USB port. I have one for that purpose and change drives in it all the time; doesn't seem to matter what the jumper settings are.

If you want to keep it in the computer as a slave, I have no idea :rolleyes: sorry.

On Windows XP there are three Microsoft applications that are all known as "Messenger". There's Messenger which handles alerts like net send commands. Then there's Windows Messenger which is the built in IM client that comes with XP and runs as msmsgs.exe. Then there's MSN Messenger which, if I remember correctly, runs as msnmsgr.exe and has more robust IM client capabilities for the MSN IM community.

Hope this helps.

Helps me :) I have a better understanding of these services now. Hope it can help resolve Karki's problem somehow.

A lot of people have it, I have it on one computer; was there something specific you wanted to know? Check out this thread for more info on it:

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread10031.html

Are you saying you tried to download it and only got part of it?

Sorry to tell you this, but you are still running it from a temp folder (and apparently you have several copies of it there).

Repeating Crunchies instructions for creating a folder, here's what you need to do:
Open (double-click) My Computer, and then open the C: drive (again, double-click). In the menu bar at the top, click on File, point to New, and then click on Folder. That will create a folder named New Folder, which you can rename to "HJT" or "HijackThis". Now you have C:\HJT\ folder. Put your HijackThis.exe in this folder and scan again. Good luck!

You may want to read through this thread before deciding whether or not to install SP2:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread10031.html

Mr Dani oh Dani where are you?

Ok heres the dilly-o:

Msn messenger has a feature that lets you start a program in it. Among these programs are a bunch of explicit ones that I want to get rid of. I tried reinstalling, but it didnt work.

What do I do?

Josh

Well, first of all, Dani is not a Mr., she's a young lady. Secondly, your question is not very clear (to me anyway). Can you rephrase it and/or be more specific? If not, maybe someone else will understand what it is you're trying to accomplish. Sorry I couldn't help.

You won't need a converter, Access 2002/3 can open and save Acsess 2000 files.

Either you got this part mixed up or I'm confused. I think Satch is asking for a converter so the upgrade isn't necessary (continue using 2000, but be able to open 2002 files). And I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that.

Did you install the motherboard drivers and set the BIOS to auto-detect your drives?

If this computer can see four others on the network, then it should be set up properly. Assuming the other four computers can see the rest of the network of 40+ computers as well as this one, then it seems there must be a problem with the physical connections somewhere. Have you tested all the cables to make sure they're good? With that many computers, there must be some routers, switches, and/or hubs; one of those could be bad. Other than that... :rolleyes: I dunno.

Check those things and post the results. If that doesn't fix it, maybe someone else will have some ideas.

Hey Jelly Head, as DMR said, more information is needed in order to give much advice. To get this info, right-click on My Computer, and then click on Properties. With the General tab selected, you should find most of what DMR requested.

As for defragmenting, there are different opinions; some say as seldom as two or three times a year, I say once a week. If it's only done a couple of times a year, it could take hours each time. The more frequently it's done, the less time it takes and the better your computer is running all the time. Note: Defragging normally will not make a noticable difference in speed, but it will be running more efficiently.

Here's a thread that may help with more suggestions:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread9205.html

If you're having trouble with agp440.sys, try this link:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324764

If you want to remove SP2, you should be able to do it from the Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel (you may need to boot to Safe Mode to do so).

Some people have had luck with this, others haven't. Give it a try and let us know.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324764

Hammer and duct tape, best tools ever, lol :lol:

Double check to make sure your BIOS is set to boot from the floppy first.

Karki, The easiest way to stop MSN Messenger from starting automatically is to open it, click on Tools (at the top), and then Options (at the bottom), Click on the Preferences tab, and then clear the box that says Run this program when Windows starts. Make any other changes you want while your there, and then click OK and close the program. It won't start automatically anymore.

For the Windows Messenger service, click on Start, point to Settings, click on Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, double-click Services, and scroll down to Messenger. It will probably show in the Startup Type as Automatic, right-click on it, and then click on Properties. At the Startup type box, click on the drop-down arrow and select either Manual or Disabled; Disabled will not allow you to use the program at all (unless you change it again), and Manual will let you start it whenever you want to.

Download Ad-Aware from here:
http://www.download.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=adaware&tg=dl-2001

And Spybot - Search and Destroy from here:
http://www.download.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=spybot&tg=dl-2001

If you're using WinXP, create a restore point before proceeding. Run both of these programs and allow them to fix whatever they find.

Then download and run hijack this from one of these links:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/HijackThis.exe

Don't fix anything in hijackthis yet! Save a log and then post it in the Security Forum along with details about the problems you're having. A tech will review your log and advise you of any additional steps you need to take.

Thanks Crunchie, does it need to be in Safe Mode do you think, or does it matter?

Several posts in this forum seem to have a common theme: problems with spyware after installing Service Pack 2 (SP2). Though Microsoft's new security update package is mainly about protecting systems from worms, viruses and spyware, it can't do much about what's already on these computers – and that's what's causing problems.

Microsoft is warning users of Windows XP to check for spyware before downloading SP2.

Barry Goff, a group product manager at Microsoft, said some spyware could cause computers to freeze up upon installation of the update.

Programs such as AdAware and Spybot can help remove spyware, and it would also be a good idea to run hijackthis and post a log in the security forum for review before downloading SP2 (sorry about creating more work for the HJT techs :) ).

Microsoft recommends that users clean their PCs of spyware and back up their data before turning on the auto update feature that automatically downloads SP2, or downloading it manually.

There could be many things, but the first thing that comes to my mind is, is there a Shared Folder on each of the systems that are trying to see each other? The folder also needs to have at least one file in it.

I also have an SMC Barricade router that has a built-in firewall and on the XP partition, the XP firewall, so I think I'm about as protected as I can get. I thought the logs looked okay, just wanted another opinion. Thanks!

If you haven't done so already, install the motherboard drivers or use the restore CD, whichever came with your computer. After that, you should see if there are updated drivers available (try Windows Update as well).

Chris, there's a newer version of HJT, 1.98.2, see if you can find/download that and post a new log with it. Hopefully someone will review your current log soon.

Here's the one from Windows XP Pro (with SP2):

Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 2:25:56 AM, on 9/5/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
E:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
E:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
E:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
E:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
E:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
E:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
E:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
E:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
E:\WINDOWS\system32\pctspk.exe
E:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\NORTON~1\navapw32.exe
E:\WINDOWS\system32\RUNDLL32.EXE
E:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
E:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton Utilities\NPROTECT.EXE
E:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Digital Imaging\bin\hpohmr08.exe
E:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Digital Imaging\bin\hpotdd01.exe
E:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
E:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\SPEEDD~1\nopdb.exe
E:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Digital Imaging\bin\hpoevm08.exe
E:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
E:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
E:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Digital Imaging\Bin\hpoSTS08.exe
E:\Documents and Settings\Hammy\Desktop\Tool Kit\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/ycomp_wave/defaults/sb/*http://www.yahoo.com/search/ie.html
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/ycomp_wave/defaults/sp/*http://www.yahoo.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/ycomp_wave/defaults/su/*http://www.yahoo.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = 127.0.0.1
O2 - BHO: Yahoo! Companion BHO - {02478D38-C3F9-4efb-9B51-7695ECA05670} - E:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\ycomp5_3_19_0.dll
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - E:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.ocx
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - E:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: CNavExtBho Class - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - E:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - E:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Yahoo! Companion - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - E:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\ycomp5_3_19_0.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PCTVOICE] pctspk.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NAV Agent] E:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\NORTON~1\navapw32.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE E:\WINDOWS\System32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE E:\WINDOWS\System32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Symantec NetDriver Monitor] …

Computer Make: Great Quality (yes, that's what it's really called)
Model: GQ3091
AMD Duron 1.6GHz CPU
384 MB RAM; 40GB HDD

I've just completed a fresh install of Win98SE & WinXP Pro (dual boot). Had a few buggers get in some how during the process but I believe I'm clean now. I've got an HJT log from each OS which I'll post separately, here's the one from Windows 98SE:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 2:05:38 AM, on 9/5/04
Platform: Windows 98 SE (Win9x 4.10.2222A)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MPREXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\PROGRAM FILES\TREND MICRO\PC-CILLIN 2002\PCCIOMON.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\TREND MICRO\PC-CILLIN 2002\PCCPFW.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\NVSVC.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\TASKMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\ptsnoop.exe
C:\PROGRAM FILES\TREND MICRO\PC-CILLIN 2002\PCCGUIDE.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\TREND MICRO\PC-CILLIN 2002\PCCCLIENT.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\TREND MICRO\PC-CILLIN 2002\POP3TRAP.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\TREND MICRO\PC-CILLIN 2002\WEBTRAP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WMIEXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DDHELP.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\TOOL KIT\HIJACKTHIS.EXE

O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSDXM.OCX
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ScanRegistry] C:\WINDOWS\scanregw.exe /autorun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TaskMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\taskmon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SystemTray] SysTray.Exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CountrySelection] pctptt.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PTSNOOP] ptsnoop.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [pccguide.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\pccguide.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PCCIOMON.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\PCCIOMON.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PCCClient.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\PCCClient.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Pop3trap.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\Pop3trap.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
…

This is a bit extreme, but sometimes desperate situations call for desperate measures, and it seems you may fall into that catagory.

Remove the hard drive and set it up in another computer as a slave drive (if you're not sure how to do this, request more detailed instructions).

Now that you have it in another computer, download Restoration from here:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html
(It will fit on a floppy disk if you wish to run it from there)

Double-click on Restoration.exe and the program will open up. In the Drives box, click the drop-down arrow and select the drive that had the missing .dll (you may need to go to My Computer first to find the correct drive).

In the empty box below that, type in hal.dll and then click Search Deleted Files.

With any luck, it will find the deleted file. If it does, click on it to highlight it, and then click on Restore by Copying.

Navigate to the folder it should go back into. Note: it will not be on the "C" drive since it's in another computer, it will be on whatever drive your slave is showing as, like f:\WINDOWS\system32.

If all this has gone correctly, put the drive back into the original computer and see if it will boot up.

Thanks DMR for straghtening me out. The part about partitioning was actually told to me by a linux tech last year, the rest was taught in a (Windows) class I took. Obviously techs and instructors don't have all the answers. I know I'm still learning -- thanks again!

So, what is your suggestion for fixing his problem now?

Here's a couple more suggestions:

Click on Start, point to Programs, point to Startup; if there are any programs listed there that you do not want to open everytime you start the computer, delete them (from Startup only, not the actual program!).

Click on Start, point to Settings, and then click on Control Panel. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click on Services. Look through the list for programs that are set to start automatically; sevearal you will want to start automatically, like an anti-virus program, but some you may wish to change to start manually (like AIM). To make the change, right-click on the service you wish to change and select the appropriate option. Unless you're sure about what you're doing here, only change one thing at a time, reboot, and wait a day or so to make sure you haven't changed something you shouldn't have; if you do, simply change it back.

I could be wrong, but this is what I believe to be relative to your situation:

Linux systems don't create partitions; in order to have partitions, and boot different OS's from them, Windows needs to be installed first.

Linux cannot read Windows and vice-versa, that is why each OS can only see the drive associated with that particular OS.

In this case, the original installation was done correctly, Windows first on one partition, then Linux on another. But when you reinstalled Windows, you probably overwrote the boot files for the dual boot.

Whether you want to reinstall Linux or get rid of it, the first step is to boot with your Windows98 startup disk and use fdisk to delete the partition Linux is on, and then create a new partition in the unused space you now have. From there, you can either reinstall Linux, or use it for Windows.

Chris, download HiJackThis from here:
http://209.133.47.12/~merijn/files/HijackThis.exe
(if you can't download from that link, do a search and find a place to download it from)
Install it into it's own folder, not directly on the desktop or C: drive. Run the program and click on Save Log (don't fix anything yet). Post the results of the log here in this thread.

Svikik, do the same thing, but post the results in a new thread of your own.

Another tech will review your logs and advise you from there.

:cheesy: Glad to hear it!

ok I would normaly just pop in the reformat disk..but Bestbuy lost it when I had to take their computer in, in Nov of last year to get a new motherboard fixed, and now they never gave it back to me and it has been of course to long and it's probably thrown out..anyway..so without a reformat disk..I really am lost.

Laura :confused:

Laura, what you need to do is an In Place Upgrade, instructions are at this link:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341&Product=winxp

But you need to have the CD. Since BestBuy lost your CD, talk to the manager there and see if they will do this for you -- in my opinion it's the least they could do after losing a CD worth a couple of hundred dollars. If they won't do it, I hope you can find a CD somewhere to use. Best of luck to you!

When I first started using SpyBot, I read the scan reports before fixing anything, but since then I've just been letting it fix whatever it finds. I guess this isn't a good practice -- better go back to reviewing before fixing so I don't end up with this problem. Thanks for the awareness!

Is this a recent problem or have you been having it since you've had the computer?

That's too hard to say without a lot more info about both systems and their memory. The easist thing to do would be to try it.
First open the case on the computer you wnat to add to and make sure there is an available slot for more memory. If there is not, your only choice is to purchase another stick with a higher capacity. If there is an extra slot, then take the memory out of the other case (use adequate measures to prevent damage from static electricity) and take a stick out of the computer you are going to add it to. Compare the two -- make sure they are the same length and have notches in the same places. If they don't match, it won't work. If they do match, it still may not work, but you can try it. Put both into the computer and start it up. After it boots up, see how much memory it has detected, if it has increased by the amount you added, then you're in luck! If it shows no increase, increases less than the amount you added, if you get an error message about memory, or the computer doesn't boot, then the new stick isn't compatible with your system and needs to be removed.

Try starting the computer in Safe Mode, then use System Restore to a point before the problems began:

Start or restart the computer.
As soon as the BIOS has finished loading, begin tapping the F8 key on your keyboard; continue to do so until the Windows Advanced Options menu appears (if you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a "keyboard error" message, if you get this message, restart the computer and try again).
Using the arrow keys on the keyboard, scroll to and select the Safe Mode menu item, and then press Enter.

To use System Restore, right click My Computer, go to Properties, go to System Restore, and then to the Restore tab (I believe these are the correct steps, I'm not on an XP computer now to try it).
Search for a Restore Point prior to the date which you began having trouble (if System Restore hasn't been activated, there may not be any restore points available).

Let us know if this works or not.

Your Photoshop is most likely freezing because you don't have enough RAM; you barely have enough to run Window XP very well! If you're going to use Photoshop on XP, you should add at least another 256MB. Of course, the more you can afford, the better off you'll be (I have 384MB on my computer and have no trouble with Photoshop).

To keep it running smooth, use Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter often about (once a month or so; I also recommend right before and again right after adding any new software), install an AntiVirus program and keep it updated, install Adaware, Spybot, and SpywareBlaster (all free, links can be found within this site or just do a search), and keep them updated as well. Keep XP updated using Windows Update. Open your case and carefully vacuum and/or blow out any dust (frequency depends on how quickly it accumlates dirt -- start with with once a month and adjust accordingly).

And one last, but very important thing, BACKUP all your important data frequently because sooner or later, something WILL go wrong!

Did I miss anything?

Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP is a recommended upgrade that fixes many issues (mainly security related). It includes all of the Critical Updates that have been issued since Windows XP was released, which should simplify new installations as well as reinstallations.

This thread will help you decide if you should get SP2, how to prepare for it, and some things to expect if you do.

First, make sure you meet the system requirements:

At least a 233MHz processor
At least 64MB of RAM (256MB is more realistic)
At least 1.8GB of free hard disk space (SP2 is about 75MB, but apparently needs 1.8GB to install)

And you must be using one of these Operating Systems:
Windows XP Home
Windows XP Professional
Windows XP Media Center Edition
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
NOT for Windows XP 64-bit version

Once you are sure you meet these requirements, go to this link for a list of known conflicts with SP2:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=884130&product=windowsxpsp2

If you are using any of the programs with conflicts, you need to decide if you want to go ahead and deal with any problems, remove the conflicting programs, or wait for patches to come out before installing SP2.

Once you have decided to upgrade to SP2, there are two options:

1.) Download, which, due to its 75MB size, will take awhile, even with DSL or cable.
-- Click on Start and look …

I agree that Norton's instructions are a bit hard to follow, and they won't completely eliminate the problem either, but they will start the process; what is it your having trouble with in Norton's instructions?

Someone else will have to review your HJT log, but I didn't notice the version number listed, if you don't have the latest (1.98.2), you should update it and post the new log.

One other thing to try is in this thread:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/showthread.php?t=8508&page=1&pp=15

Near the bottom of page 2, look for instructions on using reglite. That was the final step for me to get rid of the problem. Good luck!

Hi there, you found my thread :). That fix worked perfectly for me, I had the problem for over a month but it hasn't been back since fixed with reglite.

First of all, did you rename the folder back to "Windows" and restart the computer? If so, and it didn't work, you should try starting in Safe Mode and then try to delete it. If that still doesn't work, perhaps someone else can give you more ideas; I would suspect, however, since you were able to rename it, it shouldn't cause anymore problems.

As for the HJT log, I would think you should first run it in the Admin account and post just that one to get everything fixed, and then run it on each of the other accounts to see if there are any differences. If there are, then post them.

Hope this helps and that you are able to get rid of this pest!