Startup failed with appmain.sdb

[Stan Hilliard]

At startup of XP Pro SP2 I got the following message:

====
"When I boot up my PC get an error message 'Windows could not start
because the following file is missing or corrupt
Windows\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb
You can attempt to repair this file by starting windows set up using
original set up CD-ROM. Select r on the first screen to start repair."
====

If I shutdown and restart the computer it often starts but startup
takes a long time.

Before the slow startup or the failure-with-message there is a large
band across the bottom of the screen that looks kind of like barcode
and like a progress bar.

I recently tried to install SP3 and got an access denied error
followed by the running of an uninstall wizard.

What is happening and what is my best course of action?

Help will be appreciated,
Stan Hilliard

 

[MowGreen [MVP]]

See the last post on this page by 'rogue_red':
http://x220.minasi.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14216


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

 

[nass]

At startup of XP Pro SP2 I got the following message:

====
"When I boot up my PC get an error message 'Windows could not start
because the following file is missing or corrupt
Windows\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb
You can attempt to repair this file by starting windows set up using
original set up CD-ROM. Select r on the first screen to start repair."
====

If I shutdown and restart the computer it often starts but startup
takes a long time.

Before the slow startup or the failure-with-message there is a large
band across the bottom of the screen that looks kind of like barcode
and like a progress bar.

I recently tried to install SP3 and got an access denied error
followed by the running of an uninstall wizard.

What is happening and what is my best course of action?

Help will be appreciated,
Stan Hilliard

- Any New Hardware/software installed recently?
- Have a look in the Device manager and see if there is /are malfunctioing
devices or Conflict in IRQs
- Did you scan for malware and visruese with an upd2date anti-viru and
anti-malware applications?
-How old is the machine?
- Open a run command and type in:
sfc /scannow click [OK]
Note you will need your XP CD Installation media handy if the SFC asked you!

How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

If that doesn't help, a repair/reinstall may be in order:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315341

HTH,
nass

 

[Stan Hilliard]

- Any New Hardware/software installed recently?

You reminded me that yesterday I was having trouble with a program
message that running out of memory. I have 2G RAM. I increased the
virtual memory manually:
Initial size 2046 -->3069 MB
Final size 4092 --> 5116 MB
That did not solve the program's problem so I don't think the page
file size was wrong to begin with.

Another question before I undo that change.

I have 6 partitions: C: to H:. The paging file is on partition F: as
custom size. Partition F: has 9956 MB available and it is on the same
HDD as C:.

Partitions D:,E:,G:, and H: are set to "no paging file". But C: is set
to "System Managed Size" with no size shown. Does this mean that I
currently have two paging files?

Partition C: has room for 29,596 MB. I started to set C: to "no paging
file" but got a warning about possible trouble getting debugging
information if a stop error occurs -- so I left the setting as it was.

Could I be having a problem with the paging file(s)? Do I have a
problem with this setup? Should I the paging file setting on partition
F: back to the way it was, or to let the system manage the size?
Stan Hilliard

- Have a look in the Device manager and see if there is /are malfunctioing
devices or Conflict in IRQs
- Did you scan for malware and visruese with an upd2date anti-viru and
anti-malware applications?
-How old is the machine?
- Open a run command and type in:
sfc /scannow click [OK]
Note you will need your XP CD Installation media handy if the SFC asked you!

How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

If that doesn't help, a repair/reinstall may be in order:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315341

HTH,
nass

 

[Stan Hilliard]

You reminded me that yesterday I was having trouble with a program
message that running out of memory. I have 2G RAM. I increased the
virtual memory manually:
Initial size 2046 -->3069 MB
Final size 4092 --> 5116 MB
That did not solve the program's problem so I don't think the page
file size was wrong to begin with.

Another question before I undo that change.

I have 6 partitions: C: to H:. The paging file is on partition F: as
custom size. Partition F: has 9956 MB available and it is on the same
HDD as C:.

CORRECTION: Partition F: is NOT on the same HDD as C:. Partition C: is
on a 500 GB RAID 0 whereas F: is on a 250 GB non-raid drive.

Partitions D:,E:,G:, and H: are set to "no paging file". But C: is set
to "System Managed Size" with no size shown. Does this mean that I
currently have two paging files?

Partition C: has room for 29,596 MB. I started to set C: to "no paging
file" but got a warning about possible trouble getting debugging
information if a stop error occurs -- so I left the setting as it was.

Could I be having a problem with the paging file(s)? Do I have a
problem with this setup? Should I the paging file setting on partition
F: back to the way it was, or to let the system manage the size?
Stan Hilliard

- Have a look in the Device manager and see if there is /are malfunctioing
devices or Conflict in IRQs
- Did you scan for malware and visruese with an upd2date anti-viru and
anti-malware applications?
-How old is the machine?
- Open a run command and type in:
sfc /scannow click [OK]
Note you will need your XP CD Installation media handy if the SFC asked you!

How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

If that doesn't help, a repair/reinstall may be in order:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315341

HTH,
nass

 

[nass]

Try to make Windows manage the page File on both Partitions and see if that
will solve the issue.
And also try the SFC on start up if there is dirty or bad sectors it will be
corrected by the checker.
HTH,
Let us know your progress.
nass

You reminded me that yesterday I was having trouble with a program
message that running out of memory. I have 2G RAM. I increased the
virtual memory manually:
Initial size 2046 -->3069 MB
Final size 4092 --> 5116 MB
That did not solve the program's problem so I don't think the page
file size was wrong to begin with.

Another question before I undo that change.

I have 6 partitions: C: to H:. The paging file is on partition F: as
custom size. Partition F: has 9956 MB available and it is on the same
HDD as C:.

CORRECTION: Partition F: is NOT on the same HDD as C:. Partition C: is
on a 500 GB RAID 0 whereas F: is on a 250 GB non-raid drive.

Partitions D:,E:,G:, and H: are set to "no paging file". But C: is set
to "System Managed Size" with no size shown. Does this mean that I
currently have two paging files?

Partition C: has room for 29,596 MB. I started to set C: to "no paging
file" but got a warning about possible trouble getting debugging
information if a stop error occurs -- so I left the setting as it was.

Could I be having a problem with the paging file(s)? Do I have a
problem with this setup? Should I the paging file setting on partition
F: back to the way it was, or to let the system manage the size?
Stan Hilliard

- Have a look in the Device manager and see if there is /are malfunctioing
devices or Conflict in IRQs
- Did you scan for malware and visruese with an upd2date anti-viru and
anti-malware applications?
-How old is the machine?
- Open a run command and type in:
sfc /scannow click [OK]
Note you will need your XP CD Installation media handy if the SFC asked you!

How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

If that doesn't help, a repair/reinstall may be in order:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315341

HTH,
nass

 

[Stan Hilliard]

Try to make Windows manage the page File on both Partitions and see if that
will solve the issue.

I changed partition F: to let windows manage the page file. Now both
C: and F: are that way. The PC booted OK. The startup hang did not
occur every time before so I will need to reboot several times before
being sure.

No problems indicated in device manager, but the system froze when I
tried to close the device manager window.

Manual shutdown. Startup was fast. Device Manager closed OK this time.

And also try the SFC on start up if there is dirty or bad sectors it will be
corrected by the checker.

I can't find my XP-Pro CD right now. (It's around here somewhere.)
Will SFC diagnose without it?
Stan Hilliard

HTH,
Let us know your progress.
nass

At startup of XP Pro SP2 I got the following message:

====
"When I boot up my PC get an error message 'Windows could not start
because the following file is missing or corrupt
Windows\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb
You can attempt to repair this file by starting windows set up using
original set up CD-ROM. Select r on the first screen to start repair."
====

If I shutdown and restart the computer it often starts but startup
takes a long time.

Before the slow startup or the failure-with-message there is a large
band across the bottom of the screen that looks kind of like barcode
and like a progress bar.

I recently tried to install SP3 and got an access denied error
followed by the running of an uninstall wizard.

What is happening and what is my best course of action?

Help will be appreciated,
Stan Hilliard

- Any New Hardware/software installed recently?

You reminded me that yesterday I was having trouble with a program
message that running out of memory. I have 2G RAM. I increased the
virtual memory manually:
Initial size 2046 -->3069 MB
Final size 4092 --> 5116 MB
That did not solve the program's problem so I don't think the page
file size was wrong to begin with.

Another question before I undo that change.

I have 6 partitions: C: to H:. The paging file is on partition F: as
custom size. Partition F: has 9956 MB available and it is on the same
HDD as C:.

CORRECTION: Partition F: is NOT on the same HDD as C:. Partition C: is
on a 500 GB RAID 0 whereas F: is on a 250 GB non-raid drive.

Partitions D:,E:,G:, and H: are set to "no paging file". But C: is set
to "System Managed Size" with no size shown. Does this mean that I
currently have two paging files?

Partition C: has room for 29,596 MB. I started to set C: to "no paging
file" but got a warning about possible trouble getting debugging
information if a stop error occurs -- so I left the setting as it was.

Could I be having a problem with the paging file(s)? Do I have a
problem with this setup? Should I the paging file setting on partition
F: back to the way it was, or to let the system manage the size?
Stan Hilliard

- Have a look in the Device manager and see if there is /are malfunctioing
devices or Conflict in IRQs
- Did you scan for malware and visruese with an upd2date anti-viru and
anti-malware applications?
-How old is the machine?
- Open a run command and type in:
sfc /scannow click [OK]
Note you will need your XP CD Installation media handy if the SFC asked you!

How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

If that doesn't help, a repair/reinstall may be in order:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315341

HTH,
nass

 

[Stan Hilliard]

I changed partition F: to let windows manage the page file. Now both
C: and F: are that way. The PC booted OK. The startup hang did not
occur every time before so I will need to reboot several times before
being sure.

No problems indicated in device manager, but the system froze when I
tried to close the device manager window.

Manual shutdown. Startup was fast. Device Manager closed OK this time.

There were several more freeze-ups -- at the end of an Ad-Aware run
and at the end of an F-Prot run. Also it would be frozen after
switching to power saving mode.

I noticed that Ad-Watch was running a lot so I prevented it from
starting at PC startup. I also set the PC to not switch to energy
saving. This might have fixed the problem, but I'm not sure.

I can't find my XP-Pro CD right now. (It's around here somewhere.)
Will SFC diagnose without it?
Stan Hilliard

I found my XP-Pro SP2 CDROM and ran SFC. There was a lot of CD reading
and I had to push the [retry] button four times.

So far so good. I will try to re-institute power saving and Ad-Watch
in small steps.

Q1 -- Is it a good idea to copy I386 from CD to C:\ as per the link?

Q2 -- How would that effect possible future installation of SP3?

Q3 -- Is it good practice to run SFC periodically?

Thanks for the help.
Stan Hilliard

On Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:37:13 -0500, Stan Hilliard

At startup of XP Pro SP2 I got the following message:

====
"When I boot up my PC get an error message 'Windows could not start
because the following file is missing or corrupt
Windows\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb
You can attempt to repair this file by starting windows set up using
original set up CD-ROM. Select r on the first screen to start repair."
====

If I shutdown and restart the computer it often starts but startup
takes a long time.

Before the slow startup or the failure-with-message there is a large
band across the bottom of the screen that looks kind of like barcode
and like a progress bar.

I recently tried to install SP3 and got an access denied error
followed by the running of an uninstall wizard.

What is happening and what is my best course of action?

Help will be appreciated,
Stan Hilliard

- Any New Hardware/software installed recently?

You reminded me that yesterday I was having trouble with a program
message that running out of memory. I have 2G RAM. I increased the
virtual memory manually:
Initial size 2046 -->3069 MB
Final size 4092 --> 5116 MB
That did not solve the program's problem so I don't think the page
file size was wrong to begin with.

Another question before I undo that change.

I have 6 partitions: C: to H:. The paging file is on partition F: as
custom size. Partition F: has 9956 MB available and it is on the same
HDD as C:.

CORRECTION: Partition F: is NOT on the same HDD as C:. Partition C: is
on a 500 GB RAID 0 whereas F: is on a 250 GB non-raid drive.

Partitions D:,E:,G:, and H: are set to "no paging file". But C: is set
to "System Managed Size" with no size shown. Does this mean that I
currently have two paging files?

Partition C: has room for 29,596 MB. I started to set C: to "no paging
file" but got a warning about possible trouble getting debugging
information if a stop error occurs -- so I left the setting as it was.

Could I be having a problem with the paging file(s)? Do I have a
problem with this setup? Should I the paging file setting on partition
F: back to the way it was, or to let the system manage the size?
Stan Hilliard

- Have a look in the Device manager and see if there is /are malfunctioing
devices or Conflict in IRQs
- Did you scan for malware and visruese with an upd2date anti-viru and
anti-malware applications?
-How old is the machine?
- Open a run command and type in:
sfc /scannow click [OK]
Note you will need your XP CD Installation media handy if the SFC asked you!

How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

If that doesn't help, a repair/reinstall may be in order:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315341

HTH,
nass