Multiple Windows 2000 problems

[Guest]

There is one PC on our network that has had several problems:

1) On startup it would display a message that reads "Files that are
requested for Windows to run properly have been
replaced by unrecognized versions. Please insert the Windows 2000 CD." After
inserting the CD the message goes away. On the next startup, if the CD is in
the drive it starts up normally. If the CD is not in the drive the message
re-appears.

2) The system was running SP3. Attempting to install SP4 would yield a
message that reads "Setup could not verify the inf file. Please make sure
that the Cryptographic service is running.", and then it would abort the
install.

I found some info in another thread here titled "Windows File Protection"
posted on 1/18/2005 by Ofer. In the 1st reply neo stated that this was caused
by the loss of the root certificates. He outlined how to import the 'magic 6'
certificates into the system. This solved the above two problems. However, it
still has several other problems:

3) Clicking on Windows Update opens a blank IE window. If I change the
address to http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com it opens the "Checking for
the latest version of the Windows Update software..." window, but it justs
hangs there and never goes on.

4) The system will not print from IE or Outlook Express. It prints fine from
everything else.

5) Add/Remove Programs does not open properly and therefore is unusable.

6) Norton Anit-Virus will not run or re-install.


I have run several online and remote virus scans and it always shows as
clean. Have also run three different spyware removers which found and removed
a significant number of objects. So far this has not effected the last four
problems.

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?

 

[Guest]

Wow, this is interesting. We've (sort of) had a similiar thing happen. We've
had a machine running Win2K SP4 "eat" itself. THe machine runs for a while no
problems and then WFP kicks in and replaces files. But, there are also a
whole bunch of other files not covered under WFP that are missing. For
example, the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users directory has a bunch of
stuff gone. C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer has a bunch of stuff missing.
Our best guess is some process is somehow removing files. Things we've tried
is to use Sysinternals Filemon to monitor what is going on with the
directories and file level auditing. We haven't had much success with either.
And, this has happened on 2 different machines.

We haven't been able to either fix, replicate or diagnose the problem;
reinstalling has been our only option.

I've using Microsoft's server product from the beginning (Windows NT 3.1)
and I have *never* seen anything like this. It just doesn't make sense.

Andy