1. You are viewing our forum as a guest. For full access please Register. WindowsBBS.com is completely free, paid for by advertisers and donations.

Program 'Not Responding'

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by rowal, 2005/06/08.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. 2005/06/08
    rowal

    rowal Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2005/03/22
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    Can someone please tell me why some programs regularly 'stop responding', and what I can do to overcome this problem while surfing. :confused:
    Thanks
     
    rowal,
    #1
  2. 2005/06/08
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    Which particular programs?
     
    PeteC,
    #2


  3. to hide this advert.

  4. 2005/06/08
    rowal

    rowal Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2005/03/22
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    Usually I.E.6, but often there are others I don't recognise. Showing my ignorance here, but they seem to have something to do with the website I happen to be viewing at the time, and usually happens when there is a buildup of sites recorded on the task bar.

    Cheers
     
    rowal,
    #3
  5. 2005/06/08
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    As the problem seems to be basically with IE the first step is to run System File Checker ....

    Start > Run > Type in sfc /scannow - note the space and have your XP CE handy. SFC will run and exit without any closing dialogue - to see which files, if any have been replaced look in Event Viewer (Right click My Computer > Manage > Event Viewer > System).
     
    PeteC,
    #4
  6. 2005/06/09
    rowal

    rowal Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2005/03/22
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thanks Pete. Will do that but my XP was pre-installed so do not have a CD. Is there any way I can burn a backup copy?
    Cheers
     
    rowal,
    #5
  7. 2005/06/09
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    The best you can do is make a ghost image of your drive using Norton Ghost or some such similar program. This will not help as far as SFC is concerned.

    However, if your copy of XP came pre-installed there may well be a mirror copy of the install image on the drive. This is OK as long as it is not an image file.

    Search your drive for an i386 folder - if you find it then follow the instructions given here, about 50% of the way down the page.
     
    PeteC,
    #6
  8. 2005/06/09
    sparrow

    sparrow Inactive

    Joined:
    2004/03/21
    Messages:
    2,282
    Likes Received:
    0
    rowal

    definitely make the ghost image (get ghost here - click 'here'} Pete, your url seems to have been hijacked???

    Also, you may have the /i386 folder in a hidden partition on the hdd, so in my computer >tools>folder options make sure there's NOTHING hidden, especially system files.

    If your system files are hidden by COMPAQ or HP there's another file you have to stop. I cant recall what it is but you can find it with hijackthis.exe ( donloaded from a url in the security forum) Sorry, not at my computer now (travelling).
     
    Last edited: 2005/06/09
    sparrow,
    #7
  9. 2005/06/09
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    Sparrow
    Works for me :)
     
    PeteC,
    #8
  10. 2005/06/09
    rowal

    rowal Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2005/03/22
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thanks folks

    The most common error message over the last few weeks from SFC is 'Error ID7023', The computer browser service terminated with the following error: This operation returned because the timeout period expired. ??

    The strange thing is, that although the problem has persisted recently, there have been no further error messages over the last few days so don't know if this is relevant to the problem.

    Thanks for the 'Ghost ' info. Will try this .
     
    rowal,
    #9
  11. 2005/06/10
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    PeteC,
    #10
  12. 2005/06/10
    rowal

    rowal Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2005/03/22
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thanks Pete. I never turn off my Windows Firewall, but something does. I have to remember to deliberately go in and turn it on each time I log on.
     
    rowal,
    #11
  13. 2005/06/10
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    We may be going off track on this - or along the right path :D

    Do you use any Norton Software?

    Are you running by any chance 2 firewalls?

    As a trial download either Zone Alarm (free version without antivirus) or Kerio Personal Firewall and turn off the Windows Firewall. Security Centre should recognise either of these third party firewalls.
     
    PeteC,
    #12
  14. 2005/06/10
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    More ....

    Have you checked your PC for adware/malware, etc recently?

    If not I suggest you download and run Microsoft Antispyware Beta - through Quicklinks in my signature and Spybot and Ad-Aware (also via Quicklinks) as a double check. One may find something the other is not programmed to find.

    Also run an online virus scan from Housecall or RAV (Quicklinks) and an online trojan scan here
     
    PeteC,
    #13
  15. 2005/06/10
    sparrow

    sparrow Inactive

    Joined:
    2004/03/21
    Messages:
    2,282
    Likes Received:
    0
    PeteC, You're right; home now - must have been the computer I borrowed.
     
    sparrow,
    #14
  16. 2005/06/11
    rowal

    rowal Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2005/03/22
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thanks Pete.

    I have Nortons 2003 pre-installed, but run Zone Alarm - MS AntiSpyware - AVG - SpyBot's TeaTimer and WinPatrol full time. Automatic daily check with MS AntiSpyware and regular Adaware.

    When I have doubts about a negative result, I do a RAV scan. Will run a RAV and trojan scan now as suggested.
     
    rowal,
    #15
  17. 2005/06/11
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    Just Norton Antivirus or a Norton Suite?

    You should run only one firewall as per MS recommendation - running 2 may cause conflicts and is basically unnecessary. I guess ZoneAlarm is shutting down the Windows Firewall and you should leave it that way.

    Some other thoughts - do you clear out your Temporary Internet files regularly? A good setting ... under Tools > Internet Options > Advanced scoll down to 'Empty Temporary Internet Files folder ....' and check the box. Also a good idea to limit the space for TIF's to say 50 Mb or even less.

    Any progress with SFC - have you located an i386 folder?
     
    PeteC,
    #16
  18. 2005/06/11
    rowal

    rowal Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2005/03/22
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    HI.

    1. Nortons Antivirus (not running). Do you recommend livening this up too?

    2. Will leave the firewall to Zone Alarm.

    3. TIF box has been checked for a long time.

    4. RAV found 1 virus in 5 Temp/HTMLCodeBaseExec files. RAV didn't report what it had done but I had the Autoclean box checked so hopefully it has been dealt to.

    5. Haven't been looking for the i386 files yet but did notice Windows\i386\ & Service Pack\i386\ during the RAV scan.

    Will attack the trojans now.

    Cheers
     
    rowal,
    #17
  19. 2005/06/11
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    Absolutely essential in this day and age - not running an antivirus program is a bit like crossing the road without looking - you'll get clobbered sooner rather than later :D We see far too many posts on this Board from folk in trouble because they are not running antivirus software.

    Make sure that Auto Protect is on, Auto Update is on. Run Live Update - now - to get the latest program updates as well as virus definitions.
     
    PeteC,
    #18
  20. 2005/06/11
    rowal

    rowal Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2005/03/22
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    You're completely correct of course Pete. I wouldn't dream of going online without a functioning anti virus. As mentioned in #15, my main one is AVG which I have found to be very good and is automatically updated every evening. I have heard that having too much of the same type can cause conflict which is why I asked about livening up Nortons as well.

    While running the trojan scan, several things happened. This site went 'not responding', the scan stopped, and IE crashed with the message "access violation at address 0666C182 in module 'axscan.ocx'. Read of address 00000000 ". I sent an error report and downloaded KB888240 which is supposed to reveal hidden add-ons. Nothing obvious there.

    Am pretty sure I have picked up trojan 'soft.exe' as I visually caught this auto-downloading last night and have just found out what it is so will set the dogs on it, and also rerun the trojan scan.

    Thanks
     
    rowal,
    #19
  21. 2005/06/11
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    Missed the mention of AVG :( - hence my warning. AVG is fine - leave Norton off. As with firewalls running two antivirus programs simultaneously can cause conflicts too.

    If indeed you have soft.exe this would seem to be a nasty b****r - see here re. modifications it makes to the Registry, including disabling (?), firewall, antivirus ....

    Carry on with the trojan scan, but I think it is time for you to post a HijackThis log for our experts to look at....

    Download HijackThis through Quicklinks in my signature, save it to a folder on your drive, e.g. C:\HJT - not the desktop Run it and post the log here. I will then move your thread to the Removing Spyware and Viruses forum (std practice on the Board when an HJT log is posted).
     
    PeteC,
    #20
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Accept Learn More...