Everytime I boot up my computer, my CPU usage and memory
goes to 100% rendering my computer useless. I have
downloaded and installed service pack 4 with no success.
I have also downloaded and installed a patch with no
success.

My start-up and shut-down sequence highlights a couple of
things that I am confused about. First, when I boot up my
computer and windows is loaded, I get a window with a DOS
prompt that pops up telling me that a specific file and
path does not exist (c:\winnt\system32\cmd.exe).

Further, everytime I shut down the computer, I get the
following message: c:\winnt\system32\hoho\numbers.exe -
"windows cannot end this program. It may need more time
to complete an operation".

I know my problem may involve "numbers.exe"
and "services.exe". I was hoping the SP4 download would
have fixed the problem, but it did not.

Can anyone help?
..

Sounds quite suspicious that a process is calling cmd.exe at startup. Also
odd that the file is missing? Have you confirmed this? "hoho\numbers.exe"
definitely shouldn't be there. Make sure your AV definitions are up to date.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]

"Todd" wrote:
| Everytime I boot up my computer, my CPU usage and memory
| goes to 100% rendering my computer useless. I have
| downloaded and installed service pack 4 with no success.
| I have also downloaded and installed a patch with no
| success.
|
| My start-up and shut-down sequence highlights a couple of
| things that I am confused about. First, when I boot up my
| computer and windows is loaded, I get a window with a DOS
| prompt that pops up telling me that a specific file and
| path does not exist (c:\winnt\system32\cmd.exe).
|
| Further, everytime I shut down the computer, I get the
| following message: c:\winnt\system32\hoho\numbers.exe -
| "windows cannot end this program. It may need more time
| to complete an operation".
|
| I know my problem may involve "numbers.exe"
| and "services.exe". I was hoping the SP4 download would
| have fixed the problem, but it did not.
|
| Can anyone help?
| .
|
|

Todd - Google for "numbers.exe" (with the quotes). You'll get several
hits that may be germane. At least one example in the first page of hits
is a C language tutorial piece of code, a "DOS" numbers.exe that invokes
cmd.exe.

If nothing jogs your memory, just check your startup list ... there'll
be a program in there causing this aberration (which is definitely not
normal) and which you can remove from the list. And which perhaps,
eventually when you're sure, you should remove from the machine.

Todd wrote:

> Everytime I boot up my computer, my CPU usage and memory
> goes to 100% rendering my computer useless. I have
> downloaded and installed service pack 4 with no success.
> I have also downloaded and installed a patch with no
> success.
>
> My start-up and shut-down sequence highlights a couple of
> things that I am confused about. First, when I boot up my
> computer and windows is loaded, I get a window with a DOS
> prompt that pops up telling me that a specific file and
> path does not exist (c:\winnt\system32\cmd.exe).
>
> Further, everytime I shut down the computer, I get the
> following message: c:\winnt\system32\hoho\numbers.exe -
> "windows cannot end this program. It may need more time
> to complete an operation".
>
> I know my problem may involve "numbers.exe"
> and "services.exe". I was hoping the SP4 download would
> have fixed the problem, but it did not.
>
> Can anyone help?
> .
>
>

Hello

your Computer may have Avirus, the folder HOHO sounds
fishy, copy the folder and all its contents to a CD, then
remove or delete the folder and see if it helps.

another note try to boot the system in safe mode and see
if it helps,

this may give you some ideas.

Good Day.

Kamel