Search Assistant Always Crashes in Windows XP Pro

[Guest]

Following assumes Search Assistant and Search Companion are same thing. If
not I need to rethink.

I have an annoying and peculiar problem with Search Assistant (Windows XP
Professional SP2 automatically updated.) If started by clicking on the
"Search" (with magnifying glass icon) on the Start menu it always crashes
before opening the folder with search options and just shows the dialog box
requesting a report be sent to Microsoft. (Have sent one report.)

However, if started by clicking on the "Search" (with magnifying glass icon)
on the tool bar of any open folder, Search Assistant starts and runs
perfectly as far as I can tell.

The problem occurred after being forced to do a system restore following the
crash of installation software supplied by an ISP. Foolishly (a bit ill and
jet lagged and didn't want to phone up for mailbox settings etc.) I thought I
would take the lazy way and allow the supplied software to do the setup for
me. (AAPT Australia if anyone needs to know - can give details of
circumstances if anyone else is affected or doesn't want to be.) The crash
occurred when the software failed to find the web page it was looking for and
I suspect this was in the middle of adding the required new email account.
After the crash email accounts were locked up and couldn't be fixed from
either Office or Control Panel. I suspected the problem was in Office
(Outlook) and tried reinstalling Office to no effect. Finally fixed the email
problem by a system restore.

I did not attempt to use Search Assistant during all this so can't say
whether the problem with it was initiated by the ISP software crash or the
system restore or all the problems of reinstalling including needing to
downlaod and use Microsoft Windows Installer Cleanup Utility to fix the
Registry to allow reinstallation of Office after the system Restore.

I have tried reinstalling Search Assistant files using Right-click on the
Srchasst.inf file, and then clicking Install. No effect.

I have tried altering preferences in Search Assistant after starting it from
a folder toolbar in the forlorn hope of maybe correcting some problem in the
Registry. The effect of this is that the next few attempts to start Search
Assistant is from the Start menu rather than a folder toolbar result in a
"sorry have to close" dialog rather than the "send report to Microsoft"
dialog. Thereafter it reverts to crashing with the "send report" dialog.

It's annoying rather than catastrophic because Search Assistant is still
available via folders. However, it's like an unidentified noise in your car -
something's not right and what is it?

Thanks for bothering to read this and for any thoughts in response.

Peter
Peter C

 

[Guest]

Reinstalling the search assistant was the right path except for the search
assistants old registry keys that are corrupted are still in your computers
hive.. First remove the old corrupted registry keys for the search assistant
then reboot then reinstall the search assistant and it should function again
normally.... Most people do not realize that a malfunctioning program will
still store its corrupted registry keys in the hive.. The program needs to
be removed then removal of all its corrupted registry keys come next then
reboot to complete the removal process then reinstallation of the program
will take and will function again as normal...

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your help.

Lacking experience with manual alteration of the registry I will go away and
do a bit more study of this particular area before I try it. This will take
some time but I will come back to this post when I have either tried it and
have a result or have decided I need more advice before I try.

 

[Guest]

But!!! How are search assistant/search companion and corrupted registry to be
removed? They seem not to be in Add/Remove Programs, nor in Windows
Components. Please explain.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for reviving this. I have been looking for answers to same questions
without success so hope someone else can help.

BUT - meanwhile in looking for the answer I have come to doubt that the
problem lies with search assistant/companion itself. I am wondering if
problem lies with Windows Explorer given that problem only occurs from start
menu.

Have you experienced similar/identical problem to mine? If so would be
grateful for info on how it arose in case this stimulates some new ideas.