windows freezes on DDS, spybot SD and sometimes boot

Ok for now lets do a few thing before moving on, was kinda hoping for some improvement, as you said some but not that great. I will double check again about the SFC scan to be sure of something.

1. I see you are using ERUNT and that is great. please be sure to have a current back up of your registry files, always best to have a backup
2. Please and more important, back up all your important data files in case their may be a need for them, always best to have them ready.
3. On your start up list, few items:

• A. Uncheck this - "Adobe Reader Speed Launcher",""C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"","Registry - Machine Run","0","Adobe Acrobat SpeedLauncher (Adobe Acrobat)","Adobe Systems Incorporated"
• B. Question? Are you using this, "RunNarrator","Narrator.exe","Registry - Def User RunOnce","0","Microsoft Narrator (Microsoft® Windows® Operating System)","Microsoft Corporation" - - if not using this then Uncheck it.

Once you have backed up your registry files and all of your important files and uncheck the other 2 items in your start up list boot back up to see what the machine is doing. Hold on before moving on to the next step of instructions, when we are ready we will move on to Step 4 in which I am going to get you to run a chkdsk /r, but please hold until I get the info on the SFC run we did and give you the go ahead..

4. Instructions of how to run Chkdsk:

• A. Click on start,Programs,Accessories
• B. In accessories click on the command prompt window,
• C. When the window opens type in this command: CHKDSK /R

Then you will see this message, Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system Restarts? Type in Y and then reboot, chkdsk should run next time you re-boot, once it starts let it run until it is finished, once it has finished let the machine boot to windows and lets see what happens.

Jimbo1

Hi Jimbo, Thanks for getting back to me. I've backup up the registry and I'm all ready to go with the chkdsk. Regarding the startup items, I disabled the runnarrator and adobe, but didn't delete them permanently (should I? I think the 0 refers to a negative "off" entry, as opposed to 1). Thanks, Simon p.s. the computer is actually running more smoothly once windows has booted - I have noticed an improved in performance without AVG etc. Just the boot up process seems labored for some reason (and the icons in the bottom right of the task bar don't all load properly…)

Sound good, looks to be on the right track, I hope another tech will be alone to help you with this problem and get your system fixed. Jimmy

Should I run the chkdsk at this point or wait? (I'm tempted to run, since it has run before without any hitches). Thanks for your help up to this point Jimbo, very much appreciated. Best, Simon

Boymonkey, I regret to inform you that I am no longer a tech here, any information or instructions would be at your own risk to follow if given, plus I no longer have access to information or support to help you if it were needed. It would be in your best interest that a tech would pick up where I left off, so this way you can have the support needed for additional items or instructions. Sincerely, Jimmy

Thanks for letting me know and thank you again for your help so far; as I said before, much appreciated. I'll wait at this point and see if anyone picks it up… All best wishes, Simon

, I disabled the runnarrator and adobe, but didn't delete them permanently (should I?)

No need to delete Adobe, just diabled is fine.

If you use Runnarrator -

Having this program run at startup is up to your discretion. If you find the program useful, you may want to leave it running at startup.
Additional Info: Associated with the Narrator accessibility feature on Windows XP. It is used to convert text to speech

If you do not use this program, uninstall it.

Yes, go ahead, run Jimbo1's instructions for Chkdsk /r Don't forget the space between the k and the /

Cheers,
Lee

Hi Lee, Thanks for picking this up. I ran the Chkdsk /r and, afterwards, the boot up process didn't change afterwards (still got stuck with the network drive icon showing and then windows finally loaded, but the toolbar only shows VPN, wireless network connection, dropbox, LAN, and quiet office - i.e. no windows MSE as expected and no option to expand it). Also, rather strangely, there is no option to uninstall Microsoft runnarrator (it doesn't appear in the add/remove programmes list and I can't see it in C:/program files/ either. Looking forward to hearing your opinion on these things. All best, Simon

Lets try and sort out Runnarrator with this powerful uninstaller.

Download and install Revo Uninstaller. Make sure you download the free version, not the paid for version.


Open RevoUninstaller (Interface is pretty straight forward).
1) Right click on the program you want to get rid of and select Uninstall. Click Yes when asked.
2) Select Advanced and click on Next.
3) Click OK if asked are you sure you want to remove it.
4) The normal uninstaller will run if there is one, click Next when it completes, otherwise Click Next.
5) Revo will then scan for leftover information in the Registry and on the hard drive, click Next.
6) If there are leftover registry entries, review them. Get rid all of the Bold entries only, Tick them and click the Delete button. When done, click Next.
7) Any left over files on the hard drive will be listed. Click on Select All then Delete to get rid of them. If any can not be deleted, you will have to reboot once Revo ends, then they will be deleted.
8) Click the Finish button.

Cheers.
Lee

Hi Lee, I followed the instructions, but haven't been able to find runnarrator. Edit: I have just done a search for narrator and a few matches come up (all in c:/documents and settings/user/start menu/programs/accessories/accessibility). I clicked this and it ran…so it does exist on the computer. It must be part of the windows installation and not a separate installed application. I can delete the registry entry for it and/or the startup entries, but that is probably as far as I can go if it's embedded in windows (and probably worth leaving in that case?) Let me know what you think and how to proceed from here. All best, Simon

Yes, probably just some leftovers but open "search" and then "all files and folders" and type in Runnarrator . If there is anything major there it will show up and point to where it is.

As I'm not familiar with this tread, is there any specific problems you are having as I don't quite understand what you mean by this?

an the Chkdsk /r and, afterwards, the boot up process didn't change afterwards (still got stuck with the network drive icon showing and then windows finally loaded, but the toolbar only shows VPN, wireless network connection, dropbox, LAN, and quiet office - i.e. no windows MSE as expected and no option to expand it).

Cheers,
Lee

Hi, I edited the previous post probably just as you posting: I found the runnarrator files, but I think it is probably part of the microsoft windows install so worth leaving alone. The third problem from my first post unfortunately still exists (first and second not so relevant anymore, since I do not need to use DDS and do not use Spybot SDD). To explain more clearly: the computer progressively got slower over the past few months, but the performance has now improved following Jimbobs instructions. The boot up process is still extremely labored though. After I enter the password, there is a long delay and then windows starts to load. At this point, there is usually only one icon in the task bar (usually the network drive icon/perhaps one other) and it looks as if the computer has crashed. Eventually windows loads normally (the whole process probably takes around 10 or 15 minutes). Once windows has loaded, there are icons missing from the task bar (bottom right next to the clock); for example, Microsoft MSE is not present there (even though it should be, just as AVG used to be before I unstalled it). Let me know if you need me to provide any more details. Thanks, Simon

Ok, leave runnarrator files alone, I think they might be windows files, I'm just not familiar with them. The taskbar issue depends a lot on how it is set up, but the icons that do show can take a little while to appear (depending how fast your PC is). What is ticked and what isn't, also determines what does eventually show (right click anywhere on the taskbar and click on "properties" to see below image). [attachment removed] Now click on "customize' to see the next image. .[attachment removed] Left-clicking to the right of the programs, gives you three options to "hide when inactive", "always show" and "always hide". This may or may not be the problem, but it might be if you are not familiar with the above customization. Re. MSE, is it installed and working (Start / all programs / MSE and then click on it's icon to see if it opens a window) ? The remaining problem appears to be a very slow boot up. Try booting in "safe mode with networking". When you press the boot button, start tapping the F8 button which will take you to the Safe mode boot options. Select the above. If you are not getting a slow boot now, then we will look at what you have in the normal startup menu that is causing the very slow bootup. Cheers, Lee

Thanks Lee. Quite a few strange things happening this morning: firstly, I booted in safe mode and it was relatively fast loading. I then re-booted and loaded windows normally and, to my surprise, that was also quite fast loading (and the icons in the task bar, bottom right, were present). I couldn't believe it, so re-booted and windows once again loaded relatively quickly. On this boot, the MSE icon was not present. I followed your instructions above and all the icons were present (hide when inactive), but there was no entry for MSE. Very strange… I uninstalled a few programmes yesterday with the Revouninstaller, but apart from that I didn't do anything else - so I don't know why the load time has (drastically) improved and I don't know why MSE is not present on the task bar. I assumed that the loading time issue and the loading of the items in the task bar were linked (since it always froze on the network drive icon…which, incidentally, is not there on this boot). What do you reckon? Many thanks, Simon

Great that your boot-up times have drastically improved.

What I need to know now is if MSE is even on your PC (the program itself, regardless of shortcut links not being where they should be) ?

Re. MSE, is it installed and working (Start / all programs / MSE and then click on it's icon to see if it opens a window) ?

Follow the above instructions and if nothing is there, open "Search" and click on "all files and folders" and the then type in Microsoft Security Essentials . Click on the "search" button.

Cheers,
Lee