Seaport

Using Event Viewer (XP) under the System tag, I am getting Errors and they all refer to the Source being DCOM or Service Control Manager and the Error Properties Description being SEAPORT. How do I sort the problem out SEAPORT and get less errors?

That is Microsoft's Search Enhancement pack. You can disable it in Services from Control Panel > Administrative Tools. But, it may impact your local (hard drives) search capabilities. Or you can delete Seaport - http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows…cles/25609.aspx

If I go down the deleting route and get rid of Microsoft's Search Enhancement Pack/Seaport and the find I need it, how do I get it back and install it again?

That seems to be a tough question. All my searching only shows where people want to get rid of it. It appears to be part of Windows Live Toolbar, or the Bing Bar. Do you have one or both of them installed? If so, that may be your problem and maybe they need to be uninstalled, then reinstalled.

I dont have either as far as I can see in ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS but WINDOWS LIVE TOLLBAR is an (unused) option in IE8/View/Toolbars. According to ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS in Control Panel I have WINDOWS LIVE ESSENTIALS, WINDOWS LIVE FAVOURITES FOR WINDOWS LIVE TOOLBAR, WINDOWS LIVE SIGN-IN ASSISTANT, WINDOWS LIVE SYNC and WINDOWS LIVE UPLOAD TOOL.

I dont have either as far as I can see in ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS but WINDOWS LIVE TOLLBAR is an (unused) option in IE8/View/Toolbars.

According to ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS in Control Panel I have WINDOWS LIVE ESSENTIALS, WINDOWS LIVE FAVOURITES FOR WINDOWS LIVE TOOLBAR, WINDOWS LIVE SIGN-IN ASSISTANT, WINDOWS LIVE SYNC and WINDOWS LIVE UPLOAD TOOL.

WINDOWS LIVE SYNC is a freeware software program that has nothing to do with Microsoft and has know problems and issues.
WINDOWS LIVE SIGN-IN ASSISTANT (user problems)
WINDOWS LIVE UPLOAD TOOL (user problems)
WINDOWS LIVE ESSENTIALS (user problems) contains:
Messenger
Photo Gallery
Movie Maker
Windows Live Mesh
Writer
Parental controls to help parents keep their children safe online.
Mail
Bing Bar
Microsoft Outlook Hotmail Connector and Outlook Social Connector Provider for Messenger
Microsoft Silverlight

WINDOWS LIVE SYNC is a clone of Windows Live Mesh that is included in Windows Live Essentials.
Having both of these programs installed might be causing a program clash and problems.

None of the above programs are necessary and any one of them or more than one could be causing problems.
For the moment, I'd uninstall the lot of them as they are wasting valuable PC resources. Defrag. your PC afterwards.
Re-install only what you just can't live without.


Cheers,
Lee

PS Edit.
Windows Live Essentials used to be formerly called Windows Live Installer which many users had problems with. I very much doubt all these problems have disappeared (see image) and there is nothing you can't do without any of it's bloatware apps.

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I have uninstalled all the above WINDOWS LIVE stuff via Add/Remove programs (in XP) but still I am getting SeaPort errors in EVENT VIEWER. In SERVICES the decription for SeaPort is 'Enables the detection, download and installation of up-to-date configuration files for Microsoft Search'. Does this point towards a problem with Microsoft Search?

SeaPort.exe runs all the time from startup and is part of Microsofts Search Enhancement. SeaPort auto updates configuration files for Search Enhancement which offers dubious advantages IMHO. The search enhancement features won't work if Seaport is disabled, but I don't use it and I never have any search problems without this type of "enhancement" add-on. I'd disable it in startup or change it from auto to disabled in "services". I like to free up my RAM space for when it's needed, not clutter it up with bloated apps. that can often cause problems. However, that said It's your call. Cheers, Lee

No problems since I eventually got rid of Search Enhancement and there have been no problems come up in Event Viewer since. Now what is Search Enhancement for if it doesnt affect your ability to search?

Search Enhancement is supposed to do exactly what it sounds like. Seaport is supposed to help keep Search Enhancement updates but appears to be flaky from some and a bloated for all.