Anything under Explorer.exe is frozen

Hey again. No, there isn't a gecko in my fan this time… What seems to be happening is that shortly after booting my computer, my task bar freezes. I try opening My Computer, it freezes. The 'run' program only works through task manager, which does work. I think it has something to do with one of several drivers I downloaded last night to try and get my Motorola v180 to work with my computer or the program xingtones, however, when I go into add/remove programs, the list will not populate. Programs like Firefox seems to work just fine, letting me come here and seek help. I'm running Windows XP home edition on a Dell. Service Pack 2, dunno what else off the top of my head since I can't bring up properties in My Computer. Any help is appreciated, and sorry if this is in the wrong forum. Thanks. EDIT: I also tried running Spyware Doctor to see if the problem was viral. While it pulled up a couple adware, low threat bugs, it stopped working when it went to go look in my Windows folder.

Since this was last night, I would try to do a System Restore to yesterday before you started making changes to at least get you back to where you were. You may have to do this in Safe Mode.

Well, you'll have to excuse my ignorance, but I apparently don't know how to boot my computer in safe mood since tapping on F8 while booting and then selecting "Safe Mode" just brings up a bunch of file paths in white on a screen of black and nothing more. I also am not sure how to System Restore. If I remember correctly, I would have had to set a point the other day to return to, which I did not. Am I wrong? Either way, I'll need more exact help since I'm kind of dumb at these things (hence my coming here.) Thanks.

I'm kind of dumb at these things (hence my coming here.)

Hence our being here! No need to apologize. Everyone was and is ignorant at some point - the smart ones ask questions.

If System Restore was enabled, it should have been setting Restore Points almost daily and before many upgrades and all driver upgrades. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools and follow the prompts to select a restore point - it will walk you through the process. Hopefully there will be a very recent one - you don't want to go back too many days.

"Safe Mode" just brings up a bunch of file paths in white on a screen of black and nothing more.

What do you mean by "nothing more"? It freezes there? What is the last line? MUP?

I'd love to click "Start" and have anything pop up right now. My task bar will not respond at all, so clicking "Start" does nothing. Is there a way I can run the system restore tool from task manager by starting a new task? I'm not sure what the last line is… I'd need to restart again attempting safe mode to see. It looks like it justs shows me the paths of a few files in I believe my Windows folder, stops, then tells me to hit "Esc" to stop something, which I forget what, but it's not "Safe Mode".

Sorry. You said that before.

To start system restore from the task manager click new task and enter in "c:\windows\system32\restore" then double click on rstrui.exe.

If no luck, I think you need to head over and have an HijackThis log analyzed. See What TheTech HijackThis Log Procedures for complete instructions on running HijackThis, then post a log where instructed. Please refer to this post so they can catch up. When the HJT analysts give you a clean bill of health, please post back here with an update. Sorry could not be of more help here.

Well, I got the folder to open, and I double clicked rstrui.exe, and task manager recognized that it was operating, but the window would not appear on my screen, and because the task bar is frozen, I can't see it appear there. Although, before I try HijackThis, I want to try alt+tab to see if system restore's window is someplace. EDIT: Alt+tab reveals that the window for system restore has not opened even though task manager says it's operating. I also found that while it is ridiculously slow, my windows explorer seems to actually explore. I'll run hijack this now. EDIT 2: While I have managed to get the restore window up (took a while of waiting), I hit "next" for "restore to a previous save point" or something or other, and it looks like it's loading, and presents me with the same page after a few minutes. I used hijack this, got the thing to scan, albeit with problems, but there is not 'edit' button for my to click on and copy the log. x_x

I'm going to see if one of our HJT experts will take a look here.

Once you open HJT, click on the button that says "Run scan and save Log file". You can copy and paste the HJT log into the forum link that Digerati posted. Just highlight all text in the log by holding the left click button (on your mouse) down, then right click and choose 'copy'. Next , left click again to get your cursor started, now right click and choose 'paste' into the new topic you started.

star6phoenix9,

but there is not 'edit' button for my to click on and copy the log.

There won't be an 'edit" button.
If you don't know how to copy/paste hopefully this will help.

• Click anywhere in the text file that should open as Jacee noted - with the left button of your mouse.
• On your keyboard, hold the Ctrl key and press the A key (for all). Everything should highlight.
• While still holding the Ctrl key, press the C key (for copy). This will copy everything to your clipboard. You won't see anything but it is there.
• In your topic window you get when you follow Digerati's link and open a thread - click anywhere in the white window.
• Hold Ctrl key again and press V key. This will paste the information.

OOps. Sorry Jacee. I was way slow responding and cross posted.

I know how to copy and paste. The problem is that I don't have a log file, and if I do, I don't know where it is to copy and paste it. HJT won't let me highlight more than one thing in the program, and once highlighted, right clicking does nothing. And no log file opened after the scan. I ran into problems with the scan, it said it cannot complete the scan while a certain process is on. It gave me the options to switch over, try again, and i think to cancel the process. Switching over did nothing and gave me the prompt again. It eventually stopped giving the prompt and seemed to finish the scan. Edit: I just wanted you guys to know that I will be out of town until Tuesday, so I didn't want y'all to think I've fixed the problem or whatever… Thanks.

Hi

It eventually stopped giving the prompt and seemed to finish the scan.

If you manage to get the scan to finish, click the "Save Log" button in the bottom left hand corner, as indicated here:

[external image: Posted Image]

This will give you the option to save the log to file - save it somewhere where you can find it again. If the log still doesn't open after doing this, navigate to where you saved the log and try opening that manually. If still no go, attach the log to a new reply here by browsing to the file:

[external image: Posted Image]

Hope that helps.

I just wanted you guys to know that I will be out of town until Tuesday, so I didn't want y'all to think I've fixed the problem or whatever…

Check in when you get back and thanks.

Alright, something must be wrong, then, because instead of that button saying "Save Log", which I would have pressed if present, is replaced with a button that says, "Scan". So… Yeah. Another thing I noticed is that my computer seems to have switched to the old school display… I don't even know what it's called, but it's the old layout for each window with the grey bars and ridiculously square buttons and scroll bar like the thing just came from Win 98… Didn't do that myself, I'll tell you. But now I'm off until Tuesday. Thanks.