Installed SP3, now getting "Generic Host Process for Win32 Services has encountered a problem" messa

[foobar5]

My daughter has a laptop, and a non-admin user account on it.

I take it every month or so and log on as administrator to take care
of some basic maintenance.

It was running XP SP2 and AVG 8.

When I logged in, the first updates it asked me to install were the
ones from the 9/14 Windows Update, seven in all.

After the required restart, it pushed SP3 to me (I'd had a problem
related to a corrupted installation file installing this previously).

This installed fine and quickly, and then the computer restarted. No
big deal, I've installed three other SP3s with no issues. Logged in,
still okay.

After a short while, a notice appeared in the system tray saying that
I had 30 days to activate Windows. Now this was weird. When I
purchased and set the computer up a year ago (OEM XP Home), I never
had to activate Windows. When I installed SP3 on three other
machines, no activation was required.

I tried to go through the server and the computer said it couldn't
connect, even though I did have a good internet connection and could
connect to any site on the web. So I called Microsoft, got the
required product key or activation code or whatever it's called, and
activated.

The yellow Windows update shield was there again and pushed another
update to me. I forget which one, but it was one that failed from the
first seven downloaded today. That failed again. I restarted my
computer and then the real fun started.

At about the same time, I got a warning "Generic Host Process for
Win32 Services has encountered a problem" and I got an error from AVG
8 Free saying that my license key was invalid.

When I tried to check the status of my Windows Updates, I could launch
Internet Explorer (7), but going to the Windows Update screen would
cause IE7 to crash.

Several restarts, and outright turning the computer off, waiting two
minutes, and starting, did nothing. I'd get the same problems about
Generic Host Process, AVG, and IE7.

I uninstalled AVG (grasping at straws, I know). No go.

Downloaded and ran Stinger and it found a Trojan horse on the computer
and deleted it. Restarted, same problems.

Renamed c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe to be svchostBAD.exe, copied a
known good svchost.exe from another computer to it, restarted, and it
got worse. My quick launch toolbar was gone, I couldn't restore it, I
couldn't access the internet.

Switched the svchost.exe files so the original one was in place,
restarted, and I still had no quick launch bar, no expected program
behavior, no internet.

I finally did a system restore back to how it had been right before
installing SP3 and everything seems up and running again. I can go to
the Windows Update page. The computer is on my home network again and
internet access is restored. But I'm back to SP2, which I can live
with.

So my questions are:

1. Why did I have to activate my Windows SP3 for this, when I'd never
been asked to after installing SP3 on other computers?

2. Why might my host process and AVG have been hosed like they were?

3. How do I, just in case I had a bad SP3 installer, go through
Windows Update to download a new one? If I go to Windows Update, it
tells me that I have an SP3 installation waiting to be installed, and
I'd like to delete that and start fresh.

4. Should I just be happy with the computer as it is? Up to now, I've
religiously kept it updated and I'd hate to not have SP3. Probably
not that big a deal today to not have it, but I'm sure in a year, some
key software will expect me to have it.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

The machine was and still is infected with hijackware.

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting your hijackthis log
to an appropriate forum.

Checking for/Help with Hijackware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=5878
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Introduction
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/data/prevention.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

When all else fails, HijackThis v2.0.2
(http://aumha.org/downloads/hijackthis.exe) is the preferred tool to use (in
conjuction with some other utilities). HijackThis will NOT fix anything on
its own, but it will help you to both identify and remove any
hijackware/spyware with assistance from an expert. **Post your log to
http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=10.0,
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22,
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30, or another appropriate forum for review
by an expert in such matters, not here.**

If the procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting this
isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA or Geek Squad) computer repair shop.

 

[thepcer]

Fix For Generic Host Error After Upgrade To Sp3

I had the same problem. When I upgraded to SP 3, I would get an error message, generic host process for Win32 services error. And my Internet connection would fail.

Here's how you can fix that. Uninstall SP3. Then you need to download a program called Belarc Adviser.

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

This is a program that tells you about your system. It will not fix the errors on its own, but it will tell you which hotfixes need to be reinstalled. A hotfix is a Microsoft update.

-=-

Download Belarc Adviser, install and run it. It will open in an Internet Explorer window. It is okay to install the active x controls. Belarc Adviser will ask to install active x every time you run it. So don't be surprised. Scroll down to where it says Installed Microsoft Hotfixes.

These are your Microsoft update's. The ones with the green checkmark next to them are installed properly and working okay. The ones with the red x next to them are bad, and need to be reinstalled. The ones with no checkmark or red x do not contain enough information to check. So assume that they are bad and replace those also.

To reinstall your bad hotfixes you need to go to Microsoft's web page.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads

Enter the KB number into the search box. Click on the magnifying glass, to search Microsoft downloads web page. Do not click on the button that says Web because you do not want to search the Internet. After that, look for your operating system, whether it be windows Xp or Windows 7 or what ever. Click on it, and install it.

-=-

When searching for your hotfixes you only need the KB number, you do not need to include the suffixes. For example is the number was KB945060-V3 you would only need to copy and paste KB945060 to get the correct hotfix.

Also note that after you install a hotfix, if you run Belarc again it will still show a red x next to the hotfix even after you reinstall it. This is a normal, it has updated even though it did not remove the red x. So do not worry about that, it will update when you install SP 3. So replace all the bad hotfixes, make a restore point, then upgrade to SP 3.

Then you are done. But you might want to download CCleaner. This is a free program that will help you clean your system.

http://www.piriform.com/

Install this and run it. Then click on the blue rubick's cube, where it says Registry. Then clean your Registry. Make sure to backup your Registry when prompted.

The reason your hotfixes became corrupted in the first place, was probably due to a virus attack or more correctly a Trojan horse attack. So I would advise you to Google rootkit. And learn what that is all about. Read the information on this web page, because it's good to know.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-tdss-tdl3-alureon-rootkit-using-tdsskiller

also Google UnHackMe. It is a program that searches for rootkit's

good luck with your computer! F**k all hackers.

I'm even taking it a step further and downloaded a program called peerblock. You can search Google for that. It blocks IP addresses from coming in or going out, of your computer. I used it to block all of Russia from my computer. Should cut out 75 percent of hackers.

Pupster321