Yahoo Messenger closes and restarts

Yahoo Messenger will, perhaps several times in an evening, close down and then immediately restart.

This started fairly recently but I can't associate it with any newly installed software.

I can't think of a strategy for finding out what is causing this. Can someone help please?

The system is XP Home, SP2 plus automatic updates.

 

Hello Syncopator,

To eliminate MS Updates as the cause:

One way is to uninstall the critical updates via Add/Remove.

Another way: use System Restore to restore prior to the updates. The critical updates create restore points, those points are prior to the particular update. Restore to the day before. That would also take care of rolling back the non-critical updates.

If you're not familiar with using SR, use Help and Support on the Start menu - type System Restore into the search box.

If an SR restore doesn't help, there will be an undo option in System Restore. That will bring you back to the current state.

If the problem is solved using SR, the problem may not be MS updates though, because any change to the system other than the updates may have caused this. I assume that Yahoo updates its software "silently ", and that also may be the culprit.

Regards - Charles

 

Hi Charles.

MS updates have not, as far as I know, caused me any problems before.

Last evening I ran my various software vigilantes and laxatives, disabling System Restore beforehand so the previous restore points have been lost. I created a new one immediately afterwards.

Yahoo doesn't update Messenger automatically, they just advertise new releases and leave the choice to the user.

I shall leave Messenger running now and see if any difference has been made.

 

Hi Syncopator,

A bad practice, you cut off a "life line" by doing that.

If there is malware found in SR's files, then it can be dealt with after a problem is resoved in System's live files.

Any malware in SR's files is inert, has no effect on the system.

Regards - Charles

 

That's what I thought Charles. However, it is advocated by dissertations on removing nasties on both CastleCops and MajorGeeks.

I also sfc.exe by the way.

Messenger is still being restarted at odd intervals.

Since it happens more than once in a few hours do you still think that M$'s automatic updater can be the reason?

 

Yes, the common wisdom. The last time this came up - quoting myself from this thread:
http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=49297&highlight=System+Restore

Don't know, but it would be nice to eliminate it. Since you don't have SR points, you can uninstall the latest criticals - one by on, test between.

You really should change the MS Update options. Change them from automatic download and install to either download them, then notify you to install or notify before downloading/installing. In both cases you install them one at a time with time (lets say a day) between each install. That way there's a chance to pin down problems to a particular install.

Regards - Charles

 

Ok Charles, thank you. I shall bear that in mind in future.

I've just run a Belarc scan so I can pick 'em off one by one.

Regards, David.

 

Temporarily removing the last few critical updates made no difference.

Messenger still closes and re-opens.