> Have just set up a brand new acer laptop for my nephew by updating xp
> (excluding sp3) but when I use windows+L the user is not "logged on"
> but has "2 programs running" even though there are aparently no
> applications left open.
> The same thing happens if I reboot, log on and then use win+L
> immediately. This was not happening before the windows updates.
>
> Is there any simple way to find out what is going on and a solution
> to this annoying problem?
> Any advice/help will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Should also mention that I updated Mcafee Security Centre before the
> windows update and everything seemed normal then.
XP Version? SP level? Quote any and all screen messages that might be
helpful. Provide as much info as you can that might relate to the
problem.
They are probably just (famous last words!) something the update or more
likely McAfee may have installed. Or, it could indicate a problem, so
you're wise to check it out.
The possibilities range from a simple glitch to a "Run Once" entry
that's stuck and wants to keep running to a failed or partial install to
a virus or other malware or even a hardware problem. So, lots of
possibilities, especially considering you said this is something new
happening.
Start by booting, and then right away opening Task Manager and clicking
the Applications tab if it isn't already selected. At this point it
would be expected to be empty - no entries. Are there any there? What
are their names, if there are entries there?
Click the Processes tab: How many processes are there (lower left
of the window)? 40 or more isn't unusual.
If there are no entries there, click Start; Run; type msconfig
in the box, and press Return.
Click the Startup tab, and look thru those entries and see if
anything there looks suspicious. Untick the box next to any entries you
can't identify and Restart your computer. See if you still see the
symptoms. If not, then it's being caused by one of the items you
unticked. If that was only one, then you've located the cause. If more
than one, put the tick marks back one by one and Restart after each
change and look for the problem to come back; the last one ticked will
be the cause of the symptoms your'e seeing.
NOTE that mcsonfig is only a TOOL, and NOT the way to turn things off
permanelty. So put back all the ticks you removed and restart the
machine again; it should restart normally and the symptom of course will
be back.
Now, go to the program you decided was causing the problem (if you
were able to find one), and fix it from there. It's impossible to
guess what program etc. you may find, so if you can't figure out what to
do, come back here and explain it again; now it'll likely be a lot
easier to solve.
Just for grins, check Task Manager one more time and see if it's
still blank after you have closed all windows you opened. Check Task
Manager, Process tab again; how many processes are there? It should be
the same as the first check when you have closed all of your windows.
If nothing above provides any useful hints or help, come back and
explain it in as much detail as you can. I think the above will at
least get you to the point where you can get more targeted help. Do not
panic if the above gives nothing solid to go on; there are a lot of
different possibilities yet.
HTH
Twayne
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