Copied Post from Malware Forum

"Hello,

I hope someone here can help. I have been going nuts since Sunday with this situation. I used my computer just fine on Saturday. When I booted it up on Sunday morning I received the following error message: ""Windows cannot find C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\dstsvc.exe"
I could not understand this and assumed something must not have shut down properly on Sat night. I was able to click through it and continue on my way. After going through some basics, checked email, ran adaware, malwarebytes and my antivirus and found nothing I again just thought it was something from previous shut down, since I could still go online etc and the scans found nothing. So I rebooted. Again I received the same error. I tried to defrag the computer would not let me defrag the main drive only the external one. It stated that it could not start defrag. I then tried to restore the computer to a previous date. There were no previous restore points. I have been creating several along the way recently so I knew there should be at least one there. It also would not let me create a new point. Also my drive names have changed. My external drive used to be listed as drive F: now it is called drive G: (No change in where the usb is plugged into the system. My cd drive is now called drive E: AND drive drive F: it is listed twice in my computer window. I placed a dvd in the drive and it is recognized in both drive names and does play if I go into media center for example and click on play dvd. It did not autorun. Another instance that gives me pause is when I googled the dstsvc error the first item listed is a dell forum by the url listed but when I clicked on it it took me to some other site totally unrelated and it did so again when trying to use the back button. I use Firefox as my primary browser and still maintain Internet Explorer. One other thing, not sure it is related, when watching shows on Hulu.com they tend to stutter in picture but not sound. The audio track poves along fine and sometime the pictures will sputter or stop then jump to catch up with the audio. I have a Dell Inspiron E1505 with XP and Media Center (TV tuner) installed. The computer is about 3 years old. I was hit with an autorun virus several months ago which you all helped me with and I did have a system crash about a month ago. In which I had to re-image my machine. Everything was going so well especially after I took the machine to basically factory settings. Now this. Attached is a hjt log. Please let me know what may be hidden in there as the clean scans are diveing me nuts because I know something is wrong. Thank you. Mickey7"
link:
http://forums.whatthetech.com/Probable_Hij...596#entry574596

The above is the original post from the hjt forum. I have run all the tests and scans and my system looks clean. Ken545 suggests I post here to see if you all can be any assistance. As for the dstsvc.exe error , Ken suggestd I go into the msconfig and remove it from my start up. I could not locate it there. So it still appears on boot. But goes away when I click it. Also the system restore, defrag and drive name issues still exist. I don't seem to be having any browser issues any more, and my computer seems to function ok, but I am really concerned that I cannot perform a defrag or back up my system with a restore point. Please look at this and any insight would greatly be appreciated. Again thank you for you valuable time. Mickey7

Hi Mickey.

Several threads I found via Google say that uninstalling, rebooting and reinstalling your sound card driver/software will fix this problem. You can do this from Device Manager.

Click on Start then Run, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter
Expand Sound, Video and Game Controllers
Right click on your sound card and select Uninstall
Reboot

XP should re-detect the card and reload the driver.

Ok will try that. But just to verify before I do: I currently have no actual sound issue eventhough that error message pops up. Will uninstalling this adversely affect my sound? Do you think doing this will also correct the system tools problems or is it one step at a time?

This post has been edited by mickey7: Jul 4 2009, 07:45 AM

When you uninstall it, on the next boot you will not have any sound. When XP detects teh sound card and reloads the driver, your shound will be back, hopefully without the dstsvc.exe problem.

For your second problem, it sounds like you have picked up some kind of malware that is redirecting your web browsing.

Is this the Dell link you tried to go to from your search? Windows cannot find dstsvc.exe after a disk copying - DELL COMMUNITY If so, it works fine for me. Where did you get redirected to?

You need to go to the HijackThis™ Logs and Infections Removal forum, read the info there and follow the posted directions. Once you receive a clean bill of health, come back here if you have any additional questions or concerns or it turns out not to be a malware problem.

Please be patient as that is a very busy area. If you do not receive a response in 5 days, post a message here: http://forums.whatthetech.com/What_Do_If_Y...ays_t78698.html

Ok before I do this here is what I found when I expanded the Sound, Video and Game Controllers in the devmgmt.msc:
The following items were listed:
Angel USB MPEG Device
Audio Codecs
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
USB Audio Device
Video Codecs

So I did not uninstall any yet. Was not sure which audio line to uninstall.

Also per the first post in this topic, I have already visited the malware and hijacks forum. I have been cleared there and now sent here. i really do not have any other redirects at this time. Occasionally in firefox not as much in IE but I have also just updated firefox so it is fine. The only concerns at this time is that error on boot, the drive naming and subsequent duplication of my cd drive as well as the very important non functioning system tools.

I don't see any audio device listed there, need more information.

Please Run the PCPitstop Full Tests, here: PCPitstop Full Tests

You must use Internet Explorer as it needs to install an ActiveX program.

Note: Vista users with UAC must first Right-click IE - Select "Run as Administrator"

If you haven't already registered, Click - Sign up now! (left hand column in User Login)

Register and create a password
Accept the ActiveX component to allow your machine to run the Full Tests
Registering and accepting the ActiveX are both SAFE and FREE.

The Full Tests take less than 5 minutes for most machines.

Once you have your Results, please post the URL (the http:// stuff) back here into this thread for review. Post the entire URL address (link) information back here into this Forum thread.

Note: Vista users, please close your instance of IE "Running as Administrator" after you are finished reviewing your Results.

Caution: During the testing of Video Adapter, a variety of patterns, shapes, colors and text are “flashed” onto the users monitor screen. In the many thousands of daily uses of the PCPitstop Full Tests over several years, two individuals who suffer epilepsy experienced discomfort and temporary dizziness when viewing the flashing patterns.

If you know that you are susceptible to photo driven seizure, please look away from your screen during the Video Adapter testing sequence.

Note: The PCPitstop Full Tests Results is a free service, but is supported by various paid product advertisements for utilities that "could" remedy the OP's problem.

Since WTT is a "free-help" forum, we do not recommend or endorse purchase of automated utilities, and will assist you in manually correcting any problems and settings necessary to optimize your machine's performance. Ask your questions here. We'll help you walk through any necessary steps.[/color]

Mickey, sorry about the malware post. I did read your thread there but then forgot about it.

I'll wait for your PCPitStop link before continuing.

ok here is the link:

http://www.pcpitstop.com/betapit/sec.asp?conid=22342344

I recognize some of the items but not all. Where do we go from here?

Thanks again. Mickey7

Mickey, leave the sound stuff for a bit. Instead, shutdown your computer (power off).
Unplug all your USB devices, printer, scanner, external hard drive, the Angel MPEG tuner, flash drive, everything. Now power up and let XP boot normally.

What driver letters are occupied by what devices now?

Edit: I believe the sound device is the SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC, but hold off on that for a bit as I mentioned above.

Edit #2: Looking at your installed software, I see several entries for Sound Blaster Audigy but I do not see any Sound Blaster hardware. Not in the list you reported or in the PCPitStop link, which I find very strange. But .... the dstsvc.exe error is linked to Sound Blaster so instead of uninstalling any sound device via Device Manager, uninstall all Sound Blaster software via Add or Remove Programs. Reboot and see if the error is gone. IF yes, then you can reinstall the Sound Blaster software if you need it.

One last thought on this. If you leave everything as it is, but boot to Safe Mode, What driver letters are occupied by what devices?

Sorry my thoughts are a bit jumbled but as I continue to look at your PCPitStop link and your initial post, more ideas are popping into my head, so rather than keep them to myself or wait until you respond I thought it best to put them all here, then you can look them over and decide what you want to do first, second, etc.

I'm going to call it a night so I won't get back to you until some time tomorrow afternoon. If you have any questions hopefully someone else can answer them. If not I'll talk to you tomorrow.

This post has been edited by Ztruker: Jul 4 2009, 08:45 PM

Ok I unplugged my TV Tuner, the infared remote sensor for my remote control, my external hard drive, my laptop cooler (with usb hub) from the laptop directly (the usb mouse and web cam were plugged into the hub. When I booted up, I received the same error message. And when I went into my computer the cd/dvd drive was again listed twice with the designations drive E: and drive F: One change of note, I WAS able to create a restore point this morning, but unfortunately still not able to run a defrag. Disk cleanup works but there isn't really anything much left at this point to clean up. I have not tried uninstalling the sound blaster items yet. Here however are the ones listed in my control panels add/remove programs:
Sound Blaster ADVANCED MB drivers
Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED MB
Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED MB Product Registration.

Do I go ahead and remove any/or all of them and reboot to see where I stand? What should be my next move at this point?

Thank you for your assistance

Got some advice from a few of the other techs here. One was to look at the Dell web site for your E1505.: Dell E1505 Drivers & Downloads

You do have SigmaTel sound, but there are also a couple of Creative updates which it appears you installed.
 Dell_E1505_Audio.png ( 17.79K ) Number of downloads: 9


Try reinstalling the Creative drivers I hilighted, see if that gets rid of the error at boot time. Try it one at a time and reboot between each one.

Re: System Restore, you were able to create restore points previously but they did not show up when you went to use them, right? If you open System Restore now, does the restore point you created show or not. If yes, that's good and we can leave it for now but it would be a good idea to try it at some point to see if it works or not.

For the duplicate drive letters for your CD\DVD drive:

Edit: It looks like you use or have used Sonic DLA. Try disabling it and see if that resolves the drive letter problem. If not, Windows keeps a Device Manager entry for every piece of hardware that's ever been recognized by the system, regardless of whether it is currently present in the machine or was even set up correctly in the first place. The "View Hidden Devices" option in Device Manager won't show you these "residual" drivers.

You can force it to show you everything by going to

• Open My Computer then Properties
• Click on the the Advanced tab
• Click on the Environment Variables button
• Under User variables for, clcik the Add button
• Set Variable name to DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES and Variable value to 1.

Now opening Device Manager and choosing "Show Hidden Devices" really will show you everything.

Expand DVD/CD-Rom drives. What does it show?

This post has been edited by Ztruker: Jul 5 2009, 02:57 PM

Ok now I am lost.

I do not recall this sigmatel sound before all this started. I always assumed it was creative sound blaster audio, that's what I always thought it was when I configured the machine. When I go to reinstall the drivers for the Creative item you suggest, I don't know where to go to do that. The only place I see them listed is in the add/remove list in the control panel, and I can only delete from there not reinstall right? (FYI I do not have any driver disks at my disposal either in case the driver is not recognized on reboot. This is the main reason I keep getting reassurances before I uninstall or delete anything.) I do not see them listed any where else. See the attached file for a screen shot of my device manager and my computer properties. Where there was no advanced tab. The only things listed under drives was the name of the hard drive used for the computer and the sony one for the dvd/cd drive but no names. You can see the c: drive the back up drive d: (not used is there a way to reclaim those gb?) and the two listings for the cd dirve e and f. Where do I go to disable sonic (but don't I need that for burning cds or something?) With regard to the system restore. Prior to me noticing these problems, yes I was able to create points. When I tried to create a new one or view old ones it would not let me. System restore just would not function and there were no prior points listed. After doing the first thing you had me do, the tfc or something, I could then create a restore point again. I still cannot see any previous months points but there are restore points on the 4th and 5th. The system defrag still does not work. It opens but when you try either the analyze or defrag button you receive an error message stating "disk defragmenter could not start". Also, could I start replugging in my usb devices? So there I am........ Sorry to be a conundrum

Sorry, I'm not providing you with very good directions. My fault, not yours.

Go ahead and plug your USB devices back in. We'll work on one problem at a time.

To install the Creative driver, you need to download it from the Dell site I provided the link to. Expand the Audio section and you'll see the 3 choices I show in the picture I posted. The one you need is most likely the Creative Labs Integrated Audigy invitation

You download it, then run it to install it. Expand the Install Instructions section for installation details.

Ok at work now but will do this when I get home. So I am basically reinstalling the drivers overtop the existing ones or and update if it needs it type of thing?...... Let you know what happens.

This post has been edited by mickey7: Jul 6 2009, 07:40 AM

Ok I did the first two downloads from the dell site. I downloaded, installed and rebooted each one. There was no change in either the error message on boot nor the drive name changes. Do I uninstall the sonic now? There is an icon on my desktop with regard to sonic to use it to burn cd and dvds. If I unistall that, do I still have the software to use my burner?