windows applications hang-up, programs run "behind" desktop

I have a Toshiba notebook with XP sp2, when I attempt to start an application or sometimes when I attempt to install or uninstall a program, it will freeze up and not respond. Windows Media Player will play one video and freeze, Internet Explorer is perpetually frozen connecting to the windows update site. Some programs will appear on the desktop during shutdown, they will be fully functional in the few seconds remaining before windows starts shutting down. It seems they were there the entire time but they don't show up in Windows Task Manager. Also all the error reports show up during shutdown too late to send. And any time I attempt follow a ".microsoft." link such as the help and support center it just plain won't do it. Firefox and Thunderbird both work fine, Winamp media player works fine except I can't access any online services directly from it.
Help! I have pasted events from my event viewer below, these are typical of all the rest.



Event Type: Warning
Event Source: ACPIEC
Event Category: None
Event ID: 3
Date: 4/13/2007
Time: 5:59:56 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SOLOMON
Description:
\Device\ACPIEC: The embedded controller (EC) hardware returned data when none was requested. This may indicate that the BIOS is incorectly trying to access
the EC without syncronizing with the OS. The data is being ignored.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 00 00 68 00 01 00 be 00 ..h...¾.
0008: 00 00 00 00 03 00 05 80 .......€
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0028: 99 9e 36 00 20 00 06 00 ™ž6. ...
0030: 10 01 25 00 60 00 05 00 ..%.`...
0038: 90 01 ff ff 00 00 00 00 .ÿÿ....
0040: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0048: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0050: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0058: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0060: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0068: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0070: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0078: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0080: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0088: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........





Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Hang
Event Category: (101)
Event ID: 1002
Date: 4/11/2007
Time: 9:02:07 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SOLOMON
Description:
Hanging application OUTLOOK.EXE, version 11.0.5510.0, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 48 61 6e 67 ion Hang
0010: 20 20 4f 55 54 4c 4f 4f OUTLOO
0018: 4b 2e 45 58 45 20 31 31 K.EXE 11
0020: 2e 30 2e 35 35 31 30 2e .0.5510.
0028: 30 20 69 6e 20 68 75 6e 0 in hun
0030: 67 61 70 70 20 30 2e 30 gapp 0.0
0038: 2e 30 2e 30 20 61 74 20 .0.0 at
0040: 6f 66 66 73 65 74 20 30 offset 0
0048: 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 0000000



Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Userenv
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1517
Date: 4/11/2007
Time: 10:41:46 PM
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer: SOLOMON
Description:
Windows saved user SOLOMON\ahomicz registry while an application or service was still using the registry during log off. The memory used by the user's
registry has not been freed. The registry will be unloaded when it is no longer in use.

This is often caused by services running as a user account, try configuring the services to run in either the LocalService
or NetworkService account.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.



Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7000
Date: 4/13/2007
Time: 6:00:02 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SOLOMON
Description:
The mrtRate service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.



Event Type: Failure Audit
Event Source: Security
Event Category: Policy Change
Event ID: 615
Date: 4/13/2007
Time: 5:59:54 PM
User: NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE
Computer: SOLOMON
Description:
IPSec Services: IPSec Services failed to get the complete list of network interfaces on the machine. This can be a potential security hazard to the machine since some of the network interfaces may not get the protection as desired by the applied IPSec filters. Please run IPSec monitor snap-in to further diagnose the problem.



For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

 

Hello solomon and welcome to the Board,

Start by doing hardware disgnostics.

RAM: http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

HD: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/chkdsk.mspx

Run chkdsk without any switches, just let it report.

Regards - Charles

 

thanx for tips

thanx for the reply, I'll do what you suggested and report back - hopefully it's not a hardware problem, I had to have the BIOS replaced when the computer was only about a month old (over 6 weeks waiting for it to return) we'll see

 

how to make cdburn.exe work?

HI Charles,
I've run chkdsk and it performs its three steps and then dissappears,where do I get the report? No errors appeared while it was running, is everything fine?
I downloaded mtinstall and was instructed to download 2003 resource tool kit. I am suppossed to use cdburn.exe to create a cd boot disk with windiag on it but have been unable to make it work, I have XP Home (sp2) do I need to use XP Proffesional in order to get cdburn.exe to work? I also tried an external (usb) floppy drive but mtinstall would not recognize it. Any suggestions?
Sorry about my slow reply but I have both chem and calculus tests this week so I've been a bit busy, thanx for continued help.

 

Hi solomon,

On chkdsk, if no messages and it went to completion, then no problems that chkdsk recognized. There are stronger disk diagbostics that can be downloaded from the disk's OEM.

On MS's RAM diagnostic: try Arie's article on the tool: http://www.helpwithwindows.com/memdiag.html

I've run it - a few years ago - on a XP Home system, so needing Pro is not the issue.

Regards - Charles

 

Fixed problem

Ended up not needing windiag. I read what you and others have recommended about also using an OEM utility as well as the windows utility to check your system. So, I did a little digging and found the Toshiba PC Diagnostic Utility, used it, took about five minutes and everything seems fine.
One interesting note, the next time I plugged in my Pocket PC the "Finish" Installation window for ActiveSync appeared. And, when I downloaded and opened a Microsoft Streets and Trips from my PocketPC the "Finish" Installation window for Streets and Trips appeared. Both of these programs had been working (albiet with a few bugs) but it seems there installation was never final, maybe the root of the problem?
Thanx much for the help, excellent forum I'll be reading it often.

 

Thanks solomon for the resolution, appreciate it

Regards - Charles