I would NOT install the Desktop Search or Risk Destroying Your Operating System

[Peter de B. Harrington]

Hi:

After rebuilding Windoze XP Pro SP2 for the umpteenth time, and successfully
intalling Office 2007, I was prompted to install the Desktop Search Engine
when I opened Outlook (aka LookOut) for the first time. The system started
indexing my two large harddrives and I could not use my computer. I was
basically locked out and even the task manager was inoperable. The desktop
search caused an error with lsass.exe that resulted in my system shutting
down.

On rebooting, the system entered an endless loop of BSOD and restarting when
trying to read the device drivers. I suspect that the Desktop Search Engine
installed a corrupted driver.

This problem is so bad that I cannot even boot into safe mode, so I am
hoping that I can resurrect my system with the system CD. I don't know of
any other way to get to the restore points, but when MS hoses its operating
system this badly, it looks like it will cost at least a half a day to get
back to normal.

Any suggestions on fixing this issue are appreciated, but I want to warn
other users to save them from this MS disaster. BTW, when it is installed
it works, it is worse than the default search that comes with explorer.

Best wishes,

Pete

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Hi:

After rebuilding Windoze XP Pro SP2 for the umpteenth time, and
successfully intalling Office 2007, I was prompted to install the Desktop
Search Engine when I opened Outlook (aka LookOut) for the first time. The
system started indexing my two large harddrives and I could not use my
computer. I was basically locked out and even the task manager was
inoperable. The desktop search caused an error with lsass.exe that
resulted in my system shutting down.

On rebooting, the system entered an endless loop of BSOD and restarting
when trying to read the device drivers. I suspect that the Desktop Search
Engine installed a corrupted driver.

This problem is so bad that I cannot even boot into safe mode, so I am
hoping that I can resurrect my system with the system CD. I don't know of
any other way to get to the restore points, but when MS hoses its
operating system this badly, it looks like it will cost at least a half a
day to get back to normal.

Any suggestions on fixing this issue are appreciated, but I want to warn
other users to save them from this MS disaster. BTW, when it is installed
it works, it is worse than the default search that comes with explorer.

Best wishes,

Pete

If you're finding that files are being corrupted during installation or
copying, that can be an indication of memory failure. Hardware failure
that leads to software problems. There is no way to fix this except by
replacing the faulty memory or memory controllers that are causing the
problems in the first place.

If you've been having to rebuild your system repeatedly, stop and try to
figure out what hardware problem is preventing the successful install.

HTH
-pk

 

[Colin Brown]

From what you're saying I would suggest doing a complete scan on your hard
drive(s).
Sounds like you're having a hardware problem and to me it sounds like either
your hard drive is on the way out or your possibly having some memory
errors.
I'm running XP SP2 with Office 2K7, Desktop Search and WLMD with no problems
on multiple machines and even within multiple VMs.

Colin Brown
WL MVP

 

[Vanguard]

Hi:

After rebuilding Windoze XP Pro SP2 for the umpteenth time, and
successfully intalling Office 2007, I was prompted to install the
Desktop Search Engine when I opened Outlook (aka LookOut) for the
first time. The system started indexing my two large harddrives and I
could not use my computer. I was basically locked out and even the
task manager was inoperable. The desktop search caused an error with
lsass.exe that resulted in my system shutting down.

On rebooting, the system entered an endless loop of BSOD and
restarting when trying to read the device drivers. I suspect that the
Desktop Search Engine installed a corrupted driver.

This problem is so bad that I cannot even boot into safe mode, so I am
hoping that I can resurrect my system with the system CD. I don't
know of any other way to get to the restore points, but when MS hoses
its operating system this badly, it looks like it will cost at least a
half a day to get back to normal.

Any suggestions on fixing this issue are appreciated, but I want to
warn other users to save them from this MS disaster. BTW, when it is
installed it works, it is worse than the default search that comes
with explorer.

Best wishes,

Pete

What happens when you instead choose "last known good configuration"
when booting into Windows? Hit F8 to get the boot menu.

 

[Charlie Tame]

Hi:

After rebuilding Windoze XP Pro SP2 for the umpteenth time, and successfully
intalling Office 2007, I was prompted to install the Desktop Search Engine
when I opened Outlook (aka LookOut) for the first time. The system started
indexing my two large harddrives and I could not use my computer. I was
basically locked out and even the task manager was inoperable. The desktop
search caused an error with lsass.exe that resulted in my system shutting
down.

On rebooting, the system entered an endless loop of BSOD and restarting when
trying to read the device drivers. I suspect that the Desktop Search Engine
installed a corrupted driver.

This problem is so bad that I cannot even boot into safe mode, so I am
hoping that I can resurrect my system with the system CD. I don't know of
any other way to get to the restore points, but when MS hoses its operating
system this badly, it looks like it will cost at least a half a day to get
back to normal.

Any suggestions on fixing this issue are appreciated, but I want to warn
other users to save them from this MS disaster. BTW, when it is installed
it works, it is worse than the default search that comes with explorer.

Best wishes,

Pete

Yes, been there and done that - or should I say "Suffered" that. It
sounds like you had to reset to get our of it (Or wait for a week) and
some damage has resulted to the data on the drive.

I would bear that in mind even if you do get up and running and maybe
invest in something like Acronis to image the drive for future
experimental installations. The Desktop search is absolutely not to my
liking, though it might suit some people - but I wouldn't recommend it
to anyone because I can't see the point.

If you look at your hard drives (Properties) there may be an option set
"Index this drive for faster searching" or similar and that too can be a
PITA, slowing things down considerably. This seems similar in terms of
worthlessness Takes longer ALL the time to index instead of only
taking longer when you are actually "Searching"

Incidentally I suggest Acronis because it's the only one I know from
experience that has excellent tech support and a useful "Always there"
restore utility (or boot from CD) that is another avenue that might help
in future.

 

[Peter de B. Harrington]

Same problem. However, after a while it failed to find the ntloader, so I
reformatted the drive and reinstalled windows. Although the windows install
and formatting procedes without errors, the system always fails to reboot,
and on the following install windows does not recognize the drive as
formatted..

It looks like the Seagate 320 GB Barracuda drive failed . I will send the
drive back because it is still under warrantly, only 6 mos old. The first
seagate was DOA that I bought, so maybe Seagate needs some work on thier QA.

Thanks for all the replies, they were right-on.

Best wishes,

Pete