Crashes after SP2 / Boot.ini

[Guest]

I installed Service Pack 2 for XP Pro and now I am getting crashes on certain
folders and files when in thumbnail view, or if not in thumbnail view, when I
select the item.

I found a website describing my problem and how to fix it, and they said:

"Explorer.exe and other applications may crash or be closed by Date
Execution Prevention when opening a DIVX movie file or opening a folder using
thumbnail view in explorer containing such a file

There are known issues between DIVX 5.2 and the memory protection
improvements provided as part of SP2 (Data Execution Prevention). To prevent
the issues you must modify DEP on your system to turn off Data Execution
protection for the most trouble free expirence, to do this Go to Start -> Run
and type in 'Notepad %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Boot.ini' without quotes. Under [operating
systems] replace the parameter '/NoExecute= xxxxx' with '/Execute' (without
quotes). Save the Boot.ini file and restart your computer. However you can
'Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select' and exclude
the applications which will use the codec such as explorer.exe and
wmplayer.exe using the in System Properties > Advanced Tab > Performance
Settings > Data Execution Prevention Tab, however you may cause problems with
other applications. Once a new version of DIVX compatible with SP2 is
released you should upgrade and re-enable DEP for security purposes on your
machine. Systems using software DEP appear to work for playback correctly in
the default configuration to use DEP only for critial system processes and
services."



This fix involves editing the "Boot.ini" file in the XP Pro system. The fix
seems logical, but when I tried to edit the "Boot.ini" file, it reported that
the file is read only. I searched for "Boot.ini" in Start Menu > Search
because I wanted to disable the Read-Only on the file temporarily in order to
edit it. Windows could not find the file, it is hidden very well.

I am hoping that someone who knows what they are doing will examine this
post and point me in the right direction to implement this fix.


Thank you for reading,

Jeremy

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

With Windows Explorer open, go to Tools>Folder Options>View - then enable
'Show hidden files and folders'. Click on the C: drive, then right click on
boot.ini, select Properties and uncheck the 'read-only' box. You can then
edit boot.ini.

 

[Guest]

I found a website describing my problem and how to fix it, and they said:

By the way, the website where I found the fix to this problem is at:

http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/WindowsXP/SP2/common.php#divx

Thanks again for your help.

Jeremy

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your timely response.

I did as you said, and boot.ini still refuses to show. Boot.ini doesn't
even show in the command prompt, when I use the <dir> command to show the
contents of the C: Drive. I know the file is there, however, because when I
type the command 'Notepad %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Boot.ini' without the quotes in the
Start Menu > Run dialog box, the boot.ini file is opened in notepad from the
C: Drive. I know it is opened from the C: Drive because when I try to save
the edited boot.ini file, I am informed that it is "read-only" and cannot be
saved to "C:Boot.ini".

I hope you still have some ideas, or anyone else.

Thanks again,

Jeremy

 

[Guest]

Hi again.

I have MORE clarification from the post named "Strange SP2 Bug":

I have just discovered something, if I browse to the folder and change the
view to Tiles it opens correctly via the shortcut also. So after a little
more experimentation I have discovered that it has something to do with the
properties of the video files that are in this folder, but 1 file in
particular. I now notice that the crash *only* occurs in listview when
either of the following 3 properties are visible in the columns,

Bit Rate, Duration or Artist

The file is a 574mb AVI of a boxing match, so why would this now be causing
problems. Does explorer now have a bug when acquiring file properties?
Hmmm!

If I right click the file after browsing to it manually and click on
properties, in the summery tag I can see that,

Bit Rate = 160kbps
Duration = 00:53:16

But no artist is property is in the list. Surely this is a bit of a bizaar
bug?!?! And surely it has something to do with resolving shortcuts because
explorer does not crash if I browse to the folder manually, merely if I
launch this shortcut to the folder *anywhere* on my computer!

Nick.

I am having this same problem.

Thanks again,


JEremy

 

[Will Denny]

I'm glad you fixed your problem, but you should be able to see boot.ini.
Change to the C: drive at a command prompt and try the following. Then see
if boot.ini is visible:

attrib -s -h -r boot.ini

 

[Guest]

That worked and I just learned a new command for the command prompt.

Thanks Will, you were a big help

Jeremy

 

[Will Denny]

You're welcome Jeremy - glad to help. Try typing

help

at a command prompt.