Task Manager problems

[Saaman]

Hey everyone I've got a problem and need some help. I can't get my task
manager to work no matter what i try. All the normal ways do nothing. And
have even tried several things others have suggested in registry and such.
There is no error messages or warnings. I get the hour glass like it's trying
to start then... nothing. I've run several virus scanners and spyware
scanners but none of them find a thing. Any suggestions?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this
machine (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?

 

[Jose]

Hey everyone I've got a problem and need some help. I can't get my task
manager to work no matter what i try. All the normal ways do nothing. And
have even tried several things others have suggested in registry and such..
There is no error messages or warnings. I get the hour glass like it's trying
to start then... nothing. I've run several virus scanners and spyware
scanners but none of them find a thing. Any suggestions?

Try these scanners while your scanning:

Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free
malware detection programs:

Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/
SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

They can be uninstalled later if desired.

Sometimes a malware problem can stop things from running just because
of their name.

Always scan first.

Look in c:\windows\system23 for the executable taskmgr.exe (this is
Task Manager).

Make a copy of it and call it saaman.exe and double click saaman.exe
and see if TM starts.

 

[Saaman]

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this
machine (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?

I had a Macafee subsricption before but it ran out, but the program is
still on my computer. I use AVG 8.5 and Spybot S&D, Maleware bytes, super
antispyware now. And I my computer is hooked to a prosafe VPN firewall by
Netgear.

 

[Kelly]

Emergency Msconfig, Regedit, Task Manager (Line 261)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Enable the Task Manager (Line 51)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Lift Restrictions - Task Manager, Regedit and CMD (Line 275)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Troubleshooting the Task Manager
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_t.htm#tm

Checkpoints:

Disable Task Manager

Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system

Create a new DWORD valued named "DisableTaskMgr" and set it to "1" to
disable Task Manager. You may need to log off for the changes to take
effect.

The taskmgr.exe is located in your System 32 folder. If it can't be
accessed via double clicking the .exe or you can extract it:

Go to Start/Run/CMD and type in:

D: (Replace D: with your proper CD Rom letter)
cd \i386
expand taskmgr.ex_ %SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\taskmgr.exe

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Saaman wrote:

Hey everyone I've got a problem and need some help. I can't get my task
manager to work no matter what i try. All the normal ways do nothing. And
have even tried several things others have suggested in registry and such.
There is no error messages or warnings. I get the hour glass like it's
trying
to start then... nothing. I've run several virus scanners and spyware
scanners but none of them find a thing. Any suggestions?

I had a Macafee subsricption before but it ran out, but the program is
still on my computer. I use AVG 8.5 and Spybot S&D, Maleware bytes, super
antispyware now. And I my computer is hooked to a prosafe VPN firewall by
Netgear.

You should have uninstalled the McAfee application *before the subscription
expired* and then run the McAfee Consumer Products Removal tool prior to
installing AVG (Free) v8.5. Now you're up the proverbial creek because you
didn't do so.

Here's my recommendation: Backup your personal data, then do a format &
clean install of Windows. Please note that a Repair Install (AKA in-place
upgrade) will NOT fix this!

cf. http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html#steps

After the clean install, you'll have the equivalent of a "new computer" so
take care of everything on the following page before otherwise connecting
the machine to the internet or a network and before using a USB key that
isn't brand-new or hasn't been freshly formatted:

5 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/advanced/xppc.mspx

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP Gold (no Service Packs) fully patched
(after a clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/msg/3f5afa8ed33e121c

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP SP1(a) or SP2 fully patched (after a
clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/a066ae41add7dd2b

Also see:

Steps To Help Prevent Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/spyware/prevent.mspx

Rogue Security Software - Microsoft Security:
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/rogue.mspx

 

[Saaman]

You should have uninstalled the McAfee application *before the subscription
expired* and then run the McAfee Consumer Products Removal tool prior to
installing AVG (Free) v8.5. Now you're up the proverbial creek because you
didn't do so.

Here's my recommendation: Backup your personal data, then do a format &
clean install of Windows. Please note that a Repair Install (AKA in-place
upgrade) will NOT fix this!

cf. http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html#steps

After the clean install, you'll have the equivalent of a "new computer" so
take care of everything on the following page before otherwise connecting
the machine to the internet or a network and before using a USB key that
isn't brand-new or hasn't been freshly formatted:

5 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/advanced/xppc.mspx

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP Gold (no Service Packs) fully patched
(after a clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/msg/3f5afa8ed33e121c

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP SP1(a) or SP2 fully patched (after a
clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/a066ae41add7dd2b

I don't quite understand, why does it matter if I didn't erase the Macafee
before it ran out? I've had AVG on my computer long before Macafee and the
subscription ran out almost 6 months ago. I havn't had any problems until
about 2 weeks ago.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

I don't quite understand, why does it matter if I didn't erase the Macafee
before it ran out? I've had AVG on my computer long before Macafee and the
subscription ran out almost 6 months ago. I havn't had any problems until
about 2 weeks ago.

Why does it matter? How about to avoid the exact problem you're having now?

If you've had both AVG and the McAfee app installed and loading at boot,
chances are that neither of them was working properly/protecting the
computer.

 

[Saaman]

Try these scanners while your scanning:

Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free
malware detection programs:

Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/
SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

They can be uninstalled later if desired.

Sometimes a malware problem can stop things from running just because
of their name.

Always scan first.

Look in c:\windows\system23 for the executable taskmgr.exe (this is
Task Manager).

Make a copy of it and call it saaman.exe and double click saaman.exe
and see if TM starts.

Finally a break through. I renamed it like you said and it came up. The
dumb thing is I didn't make a copy and now it won't let me change it back. So
now what? Is there something on my comp attacking or blocking taskmgr?

 

[Tim Meddick]

When you renamed "Taskmgr.exe" to something else, Window's File Protection (WFP) will
have copied a backup file to the [system32] directory within a few seconds.

The same thing happens when you delete the file.

You can check this by typing :

dir c:\windows\system32\taskmgr.exe

....at the Command Prompt (dos-box).

Also, check out the registry values :

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"DisableTaskMgr"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"DisableTaskMgr"=dword:00000001

....the above values, if present, should be deleted, plus check out the one below
which defines what program runs as Task Manager. If it does not exist then
"Taskmgr.exe" should run (if nothing else prevents it) but if this value is set to a
non-existant file then nothing will come up when you try to summon the Task Manager.


[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution
Options\taskmgr.exe]
"Debugger"="c:\\windows\\system32\\taskmgr.exe"


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.