Errors occur when opening programs

Hi all. I have a problem with the PC. When ever I open certain programs, Windows informs me that an error has occurred and it needs to close down. This happens EVERY time I open Internet Explorer. I can still use it by moving the box out of the way, but it's frustrating. If I click on a link in an opened IE page, it doesn't bring the box up, just when I open it. It also happens with Windows Media Player, but only sometimes. It happens every time with McAfee Security Centre. This error says there's a problem with the HTML Dialog. No matter how many times I click 'Don't Send Error Report', 'Send Error Report', or 'Debug', it always happens. I had a nightmare trying to install broadband because it wouldn't work with that either. I have Windows XP Home, SP2. I have run Spybot Search and destroy, it found nothing. I ran Ad-Aware, it found 13 cookies, and all have been deleted. I have also run McAfee, it has found nothing. All of these are up-to-date.

Someone please help.

Thanks in advance.

 

what's in startup? and is win updated? i'd also check u'r pc maker's site for any system level updates like firmware/bios etc

 

Hi enrique86, it seems that some files of WinXP are hosed. Best to take a backup, reformat and reinstall. Period.

 

What's the exact error message?

 

This is the exact message. I'm really stuck for what it is.

http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=untitled2db1.jpg

 

Here's another error. I haven't seen this one before. It happened when I tried to play a music CD from the disc drive. Tried it again and it works.

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/305/mediaeventerror2jz.jpg

 

Sometimes it'll only bring up the error in IE after I have clicked my Favourites and the chosen one.

 

I'm not sure what to tell you. The first picture you linked to is way to small for me to be able to read anything on it.

As for the second error related to memory, I've seen the same message on mine in the past (probably different memory addresses though) and in my case it was because I was overclocking my processor. My computer ran for a couple years overclocked and I never had a problem. Then, I installed a game and the game would crash with memory errors like this. Setting things back to the default fixed the problem. So, I have to ask, are you overclocking? If so, set things back to the default. If not, you could try opening the case and remove and re-seat the memory chips. If that doesn't do it, you could try removing one of the chips (if you have more than one) and see what happens. If, still no joy, put that one back in and remove another. If that doesn't do it you could try downloading and running Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and see if it comes up with any memory errors.

I'm not saying you have a memory problem for sure. It's just the place I would start looking for an error like that. The memory error and the other one might not even be related but there's always a possibility that they are.

 

Here is an idea of the error messages I get:

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3007/mulitpleerrors1dq.jpg

The memory checked out fine so I don't think it is that. I don't even know what over-clocking is or how to do it so I really doubt it is that. The error will pop-up, closes the application down, and will just continue. It used to happen very very rarely, but now it's without fail. Doesn't happen with things like Paint. Every single application is up-to-date, that's the first thing I check for, then I scan and everything is coming back clean. I thought it was because I had my HD up to 40GB, and I never let it go over 20. Thought it would stop if I cleaned up, managed to get it right down to 13.5GB, but still the same, although the PC is slightly quicker. Someone mentioned something about programs that change the way Windows looks and I got rid of that too. I don’t recall installing anything and then it happening, it just got progressive. The last major thing I installed was Office 2003. I’m really confused. Don't understand why it will work if I click a link and opens in new window, but if I open it, it will bring up the errors.

 

Well, there's not much to go on in those error message screenshots so, the next time you get one, click the "click here" link next to the line that says "to see what data this error report contains" and copy and paste the contents here. It would be nice to have 2 or 3 of them (one is better than none though )to give us an idea if they are all related or not. My guess is they are.

 

Here's the one for IE:

'AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 6.0.2900.2180 ModName: wininet.dll
ModVer: 6.0.2900.2781 Offset: 0001b810'

Here's the one for WMP:

'AppName: wmplayer.exe AppVer: 10.0.0.3646 ModName: wininet.dll
ModVer: 6.0.2900.2781 Offset: 0001b810'

Here's the one for MSN Messenger:

'AppName: msnmsgr.exe AppVer: 7.5.322.0 ModName: wininet.dll
ModVer: 6.0.2900.2781 Offset: 0001b810'

Here's one for McAfee:

'AppName: mghtml.exe AppVer: 4.0.0.73 ModName: wininet.dll
ModVer: 6.0.2900.2781 Offset: 0001b810'

If you mean the bit that gets sent, I don't know how to copy and paste that part, I'd have to Print Screen it. If you mean the appcompat.txt, I can send that.

 

If you haven't already done so, update your virus definitions and do a full scan of your system. I don't know if you have a virus or not but I did a search on this and it seems that a lot of the people that have the same problem end up with it being virus related.

Have a look at this web page from McAfee. It's a page that tells you how to remove a virus that replaces wininet.dll with a file of it's own.
How to remove the Alemod virus

Let us know what you come up with here. Whatever it is, the errors in each of the programs are all related to the same file.

 

Had no viruses the first three times I scanned so I was doubtful it would find something this time. Anyway, it didn't. Everything is up-to-date, McAfee, Windows, Spybot, Ad-Aware etc. I thought it could have been something to do with wininnet.dll after I had posted that post and seen them all, tried to replace it with a new one but it wouldn't let me. You got any more ideas?

 

Try running the system file checker. To do this, click start>run and type sfc /scannow. You may be prompted for your windows CD so have it ready. If it runs and doesn't prompt you for the CD, you can see if it replaced anything by checking your event viewer. For this, click start>run and type eventvwr.msc . I don't remember just where you'll find it (anybody else know?) but have a look in the system part. The event you're looking for will have a time stamp on it which should coincide with the time that you ran sfc and it should be at the top of the list if you check immediately after running it. Double click on an event to see it's contents.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have the CD as I never got one, but 'sfc' always asks me for the CD so I guess that's out of the question. Would the fact that the PC is six years old make a difference? Is it time for a new one?

 

zander event viewer is in administrative tools

if that is what you were asking