cannot access system information, msinfo, get "help and supporterror" instead

[duckstandard]

Hi, I may have disabled a service or setting that may have disabled
"system information" or msinfo

Anybody know what this service or setting could be?

Keep in mind also that I 'just' updated the bios on a pretty old
laptop, where I think that may have caused the issue also.

Thanks for suggestions

 

[Jose]

Hi, I may have disabled a service or setting that may have disabled
"system information" or msinfo

Anybody know what this service or setting could be?

Keep in mind also that I 'just' updated the bios on a pretty old
laptop, where I think that may have caused the issue also.

Thanks for suggestions

There is a Help and Support Service where if it is disabled or
afflicted, msinfo32 will tell you:

Windows cannot open Help and Support because a system service is not
running.
To fix this problem, start the service named 'Help and Support'.

I have my Help and Support service set to manual and if msinfo32 needs
it, it will start it. I do not have mine set to start automatically
since I hardly ever need it and I don't ever want something running I
don't need. If something needs it running, it will start it. If you
completely disable it, you will get the message.

Either enable it or set it to manual and see if the Service starts and
then see if msinfo32 works.

If the Help and Support service is missing or afflicted, that can also
be fixed.

You can launch the Services applet to check the Service by clicking
Start, Run and in the box enter:

%SystemRoot%\system32\services.msc /s

Click OK.

 

[duckstandard]

There is a Help and Support Service where if it is disabled or
afflicted, msinfo32 will tell you:

Windows cannot open Help and Support because a system service is not
running.
To fix this problem, start the service named 'Help and Support'.

I have my Help and Support service set to manual and if msinfo32 needs
it, it will start it. I do not have mine set to start automatically
since I hardly ever need it and I don't ever want something running I
don't need. If something needs it running, it will start it. If you
completely disable it, you will get the message.

Either enable it or set it to manual and see if the Service starts and
then see if msinfo32 works.

yes msinfo started right up after enabling 'help and support' without
a help error coming up, and the bios update is shown correctly.

This xphome only has enable or disable options, so no manual startup
option.

Thanks. It's now all finished, very fast and responsive, especially
for a laptop from 2000

 

[Jose]

yes msinfo started right up after enabling 'help and support' without
a help error coming up, and the bios update is shown correctly.

This xphome only has enable or disable options, so no manual startup
option.

Thanks. It's now all finished, very fast and responsive, especially
for a laptop from 2000

Good job.

I did not know about that XP Home not having a manual Service option
feature.

Now that you know how it works, unless you need msinfo32 or use the
built in XP Help and Support often, consider leaving the non essential
Service turned off.

I believe that anything running I don't need for my day to day
operation is going to consume some amount or memory and CPU cycles and
slow me down!

 

[John John - MVP]

Good job.

I did not know about that XP Home not having a manual Service option
feature.

That is because there is no difference on the Home & Pro versions of the
Services Management Console. Something must be wrong with the OP's
installation, the services can be set to manual start on XP Home.

John

 

[Teflon]

I believe that anything running I don't need for my day to day
operation is going to consume some amount or memory and CPU cycles and
slow me down!

Jose,

For those of us who would like to turn off those non-essential
services, like you do, but are not as computer savvy as folks like
yourself, how or where would we find a reliable reference as to what
services have to be set to automatic and those services that can be
safely set to manual or disabled?

Thanks for any pointer(s) you can provide.