msmsgs.exe - The process that will not stop - HELP

[TinMan]

I'm past screaming and kicking the dog (poor dog). This has taken me beyond
nuts.

I'll try to make this short, but it's a long story.

Every 6-8 seconds my XP Pro SP2 machine "blinks". In Word, I get a momentary
hour glass cursor. In some apps, a header bolds or something. The biggest
problem is that in Quicken, if I'm trying to make enties in my register, it
deletes the entry and jumps back to the first field, making it impossible to
enter anything.

I've noticed that every time this happens, I get a spike in the processor
utilization. The problem does not occur in safe mode.

SO - I've shut down gazillions of individual processes to try to isolate it
and have had no luck.

Finally, I came upon "Process Explorer" (sysinternals.com) that allowed me
to graph the performance spikes and click on the spike to determine the
source. It indicated Windows Messaging (msmsgs.exe)

Process Explorer allows me to "suspend" a process and "Wah La!" all is good.

But I reboot and it messes up again. I installed GRC's "Shoot the Messenger"
and disabled the messenger service (I'd already disabled it in the Services
Module under CP). I reboot and it's back.

I used "Security Task Manager" to quarintine the process. It no longer
showed up in the processes, but the behavior returned. I reload Process
Explorer and "Kill" the process tree, only to have it return in a few
minutes (in the meantime, the errant behavior continued). ONce the process
restarts itself, I can "suspend" it in Process Explorer and all is good
until the next restart.

I've got port 135 blocked at my router and my MS Firewall, however my
process properties indicates it's using several ports.

What is the kryptonite that will kill this thing? I want it gone forever. I
have no use for it - EVER!

Surely somebody out there has had to deal with something like this and can
give me the secret.

Thanks,
Tin

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Disable/Remove Windows Messenger
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_mess_disable.htm

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[kurttrail]

Disable/Remove Windows Messenger
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_mess_disable.htm

Until a service pack or critical update reinstalls it, at least. ;-)

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Hi Kurt,

You got me there.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[TinMan]

Ok, messenger appears to be dead (until the sequel anyway), but the behavior
persists.

Messnger was a subordinate process to svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch

I can kill that process and it fixes the behavior but breaks other things.

It seems that perhaps messenger wasn't causing behavior, but was responding
to a call. Now, whatever was calling for it, is stll creating the problem.

I'm REALLY stumped and frustrated. A re-build is really not a good option at
this point, but I'm running out of others.

Thanks,
Tin

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Tin,

I do not have SP2.

I have no idea why Windows Messenger service would be linked to
svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch. Windows Messenger service is supposed to be
disabled in XP SP2.

svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch is linked to Terminal Services service in XP SP2.

[[Update to move the Terminal Services service to the DCOMlaunch Svchost
service
This update moves the Terminal Services service to the DCOMlaunch service in
Svchost.exe. This is to help reduce the restart requirements in Windows XP
SP2 when you update Windows.]]
List of Remote Desktop fixes in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;838202

[[Terminal Services Service
Allows multiple users to be connected interactively to a machine as well as
the display of desktops and applications to remote computers. The
underpinning of Remote Desktop (including RD for Administrators), Fast User
Switching, Remote Assistance, and Terminal Server.

If you use any of the services listed in the description above, set this to
manual. If not, disabled is the way to go.]]
http://www.theeldergeek.com/terminal_services.htm

[[Terminal Services
Allows remote login to the local computer. This service is required for Fast
User Switching, Remote Desktop Server and Remote Assistance. You will not be
able to view who is logged on to a particular computer by viewing the "user"
tab located in the Task Manager if this service is disabled. For security
reasons, disable this unless you specifically require its functionality. For
some reason, start this service to install Norton 2003.]]
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/service411.htm#Terminal_Services

To see any names in the User Name column in Task Manager, Terminal Services
needs to be set to automatic and running.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[TinMan]

Wes,

I appreciate your interest, but I got lost in here somewhere. I use remote
desktop A LOT, but terminal services is already set to manual as suggested
in the article.

In my little tree display in Process Explorer, it shows about 5 svchost.exe
processes, but this is the only one with the -k DcomLaunch switch.

I had some issues getting SP2 installed because it refused to accept my
admin access, but we finally got that resolved.

Under svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch it shows rundll32.exe (Runn DLL as
application) and gcasDtServ.exe (Microsoft AntiSpyware Data Service). It
also seems to be tied to my ATI Desktop to use my TV Tuner card as it stops
if I stop the service.

I'm not sure how to describe this. You might take a look at
www.sysinternals.com and see how the app works to see what I'm trying to
describe.

Mostly I just need to know how to stop this incessant thing for blinking all
the time. It is completely impossible for me to work in my Quicken app or
Excel if I am entering long formulas. I've got 7 seconds and I'm bounced
out.

It's a HUGE pain.

Thanks for all the ideas.

Tin

Tin,

I do not have SP2.

I have no idea why Windows Messenger service would be linked to
svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch. Windows Messenger service is supposed to be
disabled in XP SP2.

svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch is linked to Terminal Services service in XP
SP2.

[[Update to move the Terminal Services service to the DCOMlaunch Svchost
service
This update moves the Terminal Services service to the DCOMlaunch service
in
Svchost.exe. This is to help reduce the restart requirements in Windows XP
SP2 when you update Windows.]]
List of Remote Desktop fixes in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;838202

[[Terminal Services Service
Allows multiple users to be connected interactively to a machine as well
as
the display of desktops and applications to remote computers. The
underpinning of Remote Desktop (including RD for Administrators), Fast
User
Switching, Remote Assistance, and Terminal Server.

If you use any of the services listed in the description above, set this
to
manual. If not, disabled is the way to go.]]
http://www.theeldergeek.com/terminal_services.htm

[[Terminal Services
Allows remote login to the local computer. This service is required for
Fast
User Switching, Remote Desktop Server and Remote Assistance. You will not
be
able to view who is logged on to a particular computer by viewing the
"user"
tab located in the Task Manager if this service is disabled. For security
reasons, disable this unless you specifically require its functionality.
For
some reason, start this service to install Norton 2003.]]
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/service411.htm#Terminal_Services

To see any names in the User Name column in Task Manager, Terminal
Services
needs to be set to automatic and running.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Ok, messenger appears to be dead (until the sequel anyway), but the
behavior persists.

Messnger was a subordinate process to svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch

I can kill that process and it fixes the behavior but breaks other
things.

It seems that perhaps messenger wasn't causing behavior, but was
responding to a call. Now, whatever was calling for it, is stll
creating the problem.

I'm REALLY stumped and frustrated. A re-build is really not a good
option at this point, but I'm running out of others.

Thanks,
Tin