partial collapse of Vista system

[David Salmon]

I am currently experiencing a high number of Search Service
errors, and I am missing the Indexing function (but not loss of
the Control Panel icon and partial execution), access to Windows
Features (in Command Prompt\Programs), and any Windows Mail search
capability.

I tried to run sfc /scannow. I did it as administrator. It
started and began the verification process. After completing 3 %,
it quit, with the message: "Windows Resource Protection could not
complete the requested operation."

The System also reports that I have no restore points, although
numerous restore points were created over the past week or so
while I made a reinstall of Vista Home Premium. My programs are
up-to-date with the latest fixes.

In short, the creeping crud is making mincemeat of my system,
cleaving off whole blocks.

My impression from messages in this or the installation forum is
that this kind of thing is known but there are no current fixes.

Short of yet another reinstall?

Please advise.

Thanks.

David

 

[Malke]

I am currently experiencing a high number of Search Service errors, and
I am missing the Indexing function (but not loss of the Control Panel
icon and partial execution), access to Windows Features (in Command
Prompt\Programs), and any Windows Mail search capability.

I tried to run sfc /scannow. I did it as administrator. It started and
began the verification process. After completing 3 %, it quit, with the
message: "Windows Resource Protection could not complete the requested
operation."

The System also reports that I have no restore points, although numerous
restore points were created over the past week or so while I made a
reinstall of Vista Home Premium. My programs are up-to-date with the
latest fixes.

In short, the creeping crud is making mincemeat of my system, cleaving
off whole blocks.

My impression from messages in this or the installation forum is that
this kind of thing is known but there are no current fixes.

I don't see any posts describing your issue to come to the conclusion
that "this kind of thing is known". Let's start by narrowing down some
things first:

The First Question Of Troubleshooting: what changed between the time
things worked and the time they didn't?

The Second Question of Windows Troubleshooting: what is the
malware/virus status of the machine? If you think it is clean, what
programs (and versions) did you use to determine this?

Be sure the computer is clean:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

And the third thing I would do is some hardware testing:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Hardware_Tshoot


Malke

 

[David Salmon]

If you will search for messages involving indexing and search
problems, you will find several in this forum and the installation
and general forums, and on Google. In response to my query about
missing Windows features and indexing, Andre Da Costa sent me to
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936686/en-us, which concludes,
"Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem . . . ." Some
messages suggest remedies like reinstalling the .txt files in
Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Search\Data\Applications, which I
have done without success.

What changed: I don't know. I was completing a complete reinstall
both of Windows and programs, which took several days. I noticed
these problems near the end of the process, but I have no idea if
a particular program triggered this, or which one.

I have searched the PC for malware and viruses with up-to-date
Norton 360 and Spy Sweeper, which report nothing apart from a few
tracking cookies, since deleted.

Hardware: I added a new SATA drive, but did not notice a problem
until a couple of days later. In the meantime, I installed many
programs.

I will run the malware and hardware utilities you suggest, but I
think I will have to revert to a backup I did earlier in the
process, and start installing programs again. But from what I
gather from the messages, the search and indexing problems do not
appear to be linked to program incompatibilities. I'll report
back after running the utilities.

Thanks for the advice,

David

 

[Malke]

If you will search for messages involving indexing and search problems,
you will find several in this forum and the installation and general
forums, and on Google. In response to my query about missing Windows
features and indexing, Andre Da Costa sent me to
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936686/en-us, which concludes,
"Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem . . . ." Some messages
suggest remedies like reinstalling the .txt files in Program
Data\Microsoft\Windows\Search\Data\Applications, which I have done
without success.

From your description in the first post in this thread, it sounded like
your installation of Windows was eroding, not just missing some
features. I haven't seen anything where an installation was continually
losing more of itself unless the hardware was bad.

What changed: I don't know. I was completing a complete reinstall both
of Windows and programs, which took several days. I noticed these
problems near the end of the process, but I have no idea if a particular
program triggered this, or which one.

I have searched the PC for malware and viruses with up-to-date Norton
360 and Spy Sweeper, which report nothing apart from a few tracking
cookies, since deleted.

It doesn't really sound like malware then. More like hardware.

Hardware: I added a new SATA drive, but did not notice a problem until a
couple of days later. In the meantime, I installed many programs.

Could be bad hard drive, bad RAM, bad motherboard, etc. and not
necessarily the new SATA drive.

I will run the malware and hardware utilities you suggest, but I think I
will have to revert to a backup I did earlier in the process, and start
installing programs again. But from what I gather from the messages,
the search and indexing problems do not appear to be linked to program
incompatibilities. I'll report back after running the utilities.

I'd test hardware before doing anything else. Hope you get it figured
out. Sorry I was unable to help you.


Malke

 

[David Salmon]

I downloaded the test programs you suggested and ran them.

Memtest86 ran for nearly an hour, and then started what appeared
to be a second round of testing, although the first tests had
finished only 20 percent. No errors found during the hour it ran.
I may let it complete when I go to bed tonight.

The SeaTools tests found no problems.

The TuffTest tests were all fine except the program hung while
doing the rotational timing test for the diskette (CD\DVD) drive.
It required pulling the power plug to force a reboot. It also
hung while doing several extended memory tests: allzeroes and
walking ones hung in the 2816-3072 range, and address test hung in
the 2560-2816 range. I have pulled those chips but see no
improvement in system performance.

Latest event in my eroding system: my network icon reports
"connection status unknown; server execution failed." Network
diagnostics reports no problem with connection, and I am able to
use the internet. Network and Sharing Center loads extremely
slowly, also reports server execution failed. The task options on
the left do not execute.

I do thank you for your assistance. I have at least eliminated
some possibilities.

David