techy13
Topic Starter
Hi all,
I'm new to posting and an old school tech so please bear with me. I have a couple of Dell laptops different models/specs that are exhibiting strange problems. I've checked all online virus scanners and downloadable trials that I can and have realtime NAV corp with daily updates, etc. I've checked the typical clean cache, temp files, spyware scans, etc.
I have files building up in my root of C:\ that take on sequential form of s19k.7, s19k.8, etc. On each day they claim a new sequence. Today they are s178, s178.1, s178.2, s178.3
They are mail messages in content. I have all the windows updates, running outlook full version 2003 with all updates, etc.
These began on a day when I inserted a sprint air card a fellow employee complained didn't work. A pcmcia card. Her machine also has these files piling up. Her machine had pcmcia slot failure and dell replaced under warranty and she still has these file types building up.
My machine also on that day began crashing apps with "The instruction at (hex address) referenced memory at "0x00000ba0". The memory could not be "read". Click on OK to terminate program"
That day was not one of MS updates that we push out through WSUS. I know it sounds coincidence with sprint card and errors. Or their software corrupted something - I removed the software that day and have checked regisry entries.
I've ran extensive memory testors. All software that I can download and show no issues. My laptop is a Dell Latitude D820 with some bells and whistles, but fairly new.
I'm leaning towards pcmcia got shorted somehow/somewhere on both our machines causing these issues. I know it sounds a reach, but I've been a hardware tech, programmer, and everything in between for 30 years.
I'm hoping someone who is familiar with today's debugging can help me. Dell asks a complete restore, but I've got to move 30 gigs of data off and haven't had time (why they single partition I don't know). Plus I'm real curious to see what gives with this.
I know the mail problem and my crashes maybe totally different issues, but the "s" files are getting created at the same time stamp as my crashes throughout the day?!? I almost want to preserve the machine as is for the ultimate MS and Dell gurus to go fisty cuffs with each other- ha ha.
