Possible Hardware Issue w/ Graphics Card?

Hi!

Thanks for taking a look at my dilema! I was referred here by Ken545 @ spybot (after a lengthy search for spyware and the like)! Which is not to suggest that I don't have such, it is just that Ken felt as though, this might be a hardware issue related to my graphics card? So here we go!

-Dell Latitude D800 w/ XP Pro (4 yrs old? machine that is used very little).
-We have a small appraisal firm so no hi-tech networking or the like (machine seldom sees the same network twice - other than my home network).
-Although everytime this thing is returned (by a member of our staff from some temporary use)? Then it is always in need of help!
-As such, the hard drive has fragmented files like no tomorrow (machine has never really run right almost from new).
-So this machine has always had failures, multiple restarts and the like. And so it seemed par for the course this time as well. Except that I started noticing that it had what seemed like glitches in the spybot system this time. As I started out having:

"Access Violation 005A2766
SypbotSD.exe
Read of Address - 455248BE"

Then I started getting virtumonde.sdn errors that would pop up and then Spy Bot would then just disappear from the screen. Well at one point I had finally downloaded the spybot updates (manually as I couldn't open spybot). And then I had finally gotten this thing to doing something which looked like a step in the right direction. However, that was short lived because once I had the virus or trojan thing fixed? Then I ended up with no networking capabilty as well.

So it all started with what I thought was a virtumonde.sdn attack (as that is what was showing in spybot as it would crash). However, to compress time here is the thread concerning the above noted attack (which thus far appears to be coming up empty).

spybot thread link

So at this point, we have not found any spyware, etc. However, the machine has become increasingly more and more unstable and it will not install IE 8 (although I can download it). But the install will start and the just stop for no apparent reason. And we have run every kind of malware test possible (aside from ESET as that is where the machine finally stopped us cold). In that, I cannot open and or down load from the ESET website. Nor can I open a new window (by using the click function or any other way for that matter). As the only way to navigate to a new page is to "right click" and then click on "open in a new tab". So here are my latest issues at the moment!

-Attempted to download IE 8 (three different times now). And everything seemed to be going just fine at first, however it didn't take long into the updates before I got a fatal error on the first one. Which was said to be something to do with the drivers? Therefore since the "DELL Accessory" was not there to check or repair the drivers? Then I just followed the microsoft fatal error recovery directions and reinstalled the repair tool. Then I tried to do the repair, however the tool said that everything was fine?

- I rebooted the machine and tried to download IE8 again. Only I tried it without the updates this time (to see if that would help)? No dice! The machine downloaded the file and I started the install, but all of a sudden "Blue Screen!" And after attempting to reboot it kept coming up with an error code and wouldn't let me log onto to windows at all. As it kept giving me an error code that said, "A Problem is preventing windows from accurately checking the license for this computer ERROR CODE 0x800703eb". <> So after this incident I had to restore the machine once again.

-Went back and made sure that I did Windows (and Office) Validation. All of which went off without a hitch. Therefore I decided that I would try this one last time?

-Downloaded IE8 again. Only this time I figured why not try and get the updates as well. However, that was probably a mistake as it went down even faster this time. So this time I got another "Blue Screen" and an all new fatal error code which was that of "c000021a" which then said "Fatal System Error 0xc0000005 (0x00000000 0x00000000)." And oddly enough I was just able to reboot this time (no need for system restore).

-Now I have noticed that Spybot has added some new "Start-Up Values" (highlighted in yellow) which I have seen before but not recently. In that the first one is "KernelFaultC", the next one is "NvCplDaemon" and the last one is always a pain. As it is "ctfmon.exe" which is that of S-1-5-21-999183565-2060898865-3068839346-1006\C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
So after all of that I went back and tried to do the Eset online scan. And yet, it still won't let me? So sorry for being a pain here! However, I have no idea what to do with this machine! So thanks for all of your help! As it is greatly appreciated! Thank You!

Hi and welcome to the WTT forums.

Sorry to hear of the problems with your machine, but its good to hear that Ken has checked things out from the malware perspective.
There are so many potential causes for the problems that you are experiencing, that on a forum by long range communication, it could be very time consuming to perform the diagnostic procedures that would …ordinarily be dealt with swiftly if the laptop was brought into the workshop.

In order to establish quickly, if this is a hardware fault, I suggest you download a live distro of Linux Puppy (about 100MB) burn it as an image to a CD, set your machine's BIOS to boot from cd/dvd/optical as boot priotity one with harddrive as boot priority as two. Then boot from Puppy, don't install it, it will run in memory as a separated stand-alone operating system independent of Windows……..the logic is that if Puppy runs OK on your machine then the hardware is OK…..so then we need to focus on software and in particular Windows……

.Ok ..That's the strategy I propose, so if you are agreeable here's how:
Before starting or doing anything on your machine we need a fallback position……see 1 below:

1 Please take the opportunity now to bring your back up/archive/copy of all your important stuff 100% up to date, check that it's accurate, reproducible and held securely on removable media (not your hard drive)……
the idea here is to ensure that all your important data, files, spreadsheets, work, music, emails, log in details, user names, address book, drivers, letters, invoices, videos etc….in fact everything that is important to you (stuff that you would not like to permanently lose) is kept safe on external media.
Whilst you are doing this collect together all your application installation discs (or downloaded installation executables) serial numbers, product licence keys (including the one for Windows itself and the Microsoft Windows installation disc and or Manufacturer's Restore and Driver /utilities discs.
If you have made a disc image then keep this safe also on removable media and ensure you have made a bootable CD/DVD for use in the event that Windows will not start.
2 Download Linux Puppy from here:
http://puppylinux.org/main/index.php?file=…g%20Started.htm
3 Burn the iso as an "image"…it must be as an image, a copy will not work!……..Imgburn is good for this, available from here:
4 http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download
5 Set Bios to Boot from CD as first priority…on most Dells it's F2 to enter the Bios (set up) otherwise try Esc or Del.
6 Boot from the CD (remember don't install it) let it run in memory, You will soon get used to Puppy and you'll find that you will be able to use the Internet and do most things that you want to do.
7 If Puppy won't work then either you have done it incorrectly or there is a hardware problem…..
Post back and let us know how you get on.
Regards
paws

Hey Paws!

Thanks a lot! It will take me a day or two (Saints play tomorrow), however we'll do! Thanks for your help and I like the idea as it makes perfect sense to me!

Thanks again!

Yep, I fully intend on doing just that too! Thanks!!

Hi Paws, I am not real sure what the deal is however it won't even let me see puppy. You see, I used imgburn and copy the software. Then I set the bios and tried to start, however as soon as the screen would come up? Then it would say, "The amount of system memory has changed. Strike the F1 Key to cointinue, F2 to run the setup utility." Then I reset everything and I thought that I was about to get it to load when it would then say that it was not a bootable function? So does this sound like a hardware issue to you?? Thanks for all of your help!

Hi, Yes it doesn't sound too good…..try booting from a Microsoft Windows XP disc (its Ok to borrow one from a chum if you can't lay your hands on your own one, or if you never had one) Just see if it will boot from the CD …if it does boot Ok just creep away dont actually do anything) then post back and we will try another test regards paws

Well Paws,

I tried it and the first time it didn't give me a chance to answer "Click any key to boot from disk". As it went straight on into Windows as usual. Even though I had clearly changed the bios settings and all of that (to only boot from CD as well).

So I tried it again and yet this time, when it asked if I wanted to "Boot From Disk" then I had time enough to respond and I had it boot from Windows XP Pro Disc (and it did so without a hitch)? Therefore I waited until I was prompted to restore, recover, or exit set up and I hit exit.

Therefore at this point it appears as though I am able to get it to boot from Windows CD (although it certainly didn't want to at first)? Bazzaarrro!!

Again thanks for your help!!

Hi seedlng, yes this is sure one interesting machine you have there! the next step is to try the Puppy bootable disc you burned with Imgburn in different machines……if you can get the other machines to boot into Puppy then it shows that the disc burned correctely as an image….. You can see what we are trying to do here….. If Puppy operates Ok from the disc in different machines, but not in yours, it confirms the disc is OK but the problem lies with the machine and we are one step nearer the final diagnosis! Regards paws

While I may not know a whole lot about these things, and my limited knowledge is usually just enough to get me into trouble with them. However, this machine is set to start a whole new precedent it seems! "Demon-Ware" perhaps? As in "Demonic-Possession" and the removal ritual being what an "Exercisism" <Not even sure how you spell that one?> Anyways, I will give it a shot and see what happens next? Thanks!

Well, I give up! This thing is possessed! As I had no issue with the other machine! So I am taking that I will just take this thing somewhere and get it fixed! In that, something just isn't right here! However, it is beyond my realm and I know that you guys have better things to do than to chase "Demons" all day! And I sure do thank you for your time and efforts here as they are much appreciated! Anyways, I apologize for the hassle and thatnks again for your help!