SysFader: explorer.exe - Application Error on XP Home

[Guest]

Anyone,

My Microsoft Windows XP Home platform is in a state where any invocation of
Windows Explorer results in a fatal error in an error dialog window that
appears with the following text:

SysFader: explorer.exe - Application Error
The instruction at "0x10040065" referenced memory at "0x00000000". The
memory could not be written.
....

Other symptoms included:

other applications fail
after failure, the Microsoft Error Reporting interface appears (and I select
send), the desktop "freezes" and after a long wait, the task bar, system
trays and desktop shortcuts are slowly "redisplayed"
longer boot times

I've unsuccessfully applied many techniques that I've used in the past or
that are commonly posted in related threads, which included:

I applied all the latest operating system and application patches and
service packs, which had no impact on the problem.

I ran a virus detection & removal technology with the latest definition
files and engine. To be specific, I ran:

McAfee VirusScan Pro 2005 Version 9.0

with the latest definitions and several issues were identified. I tried to
delete, quarantine and clean the flagged files with McAfee VirusScan Pro 2005
Version 9.0 and a few were removed but for the majority of the files, it
failed on all attempts. It had issues with problematic files as identified
and named in the GUI that did not exist when it attempted to "cleanse", e.g.
it identified C:\WINDOWS\explorer.scf:jzdeh as one of the problematic files
during the scan but when I attempted a delete or quarantine or clean ", no
file of that name existed.

I scanned with "spyware" detection and removal tools with the latest
definition files and engine. I used:

Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware Beta
Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.05
Webroot Spy Sweeper 3.5
PepiMK Software Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.3

and each addressed other less significant issues but did not solve the
problem I identified earlier.

I executed the latest:

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool

that resulted in no change.

I reran all the previously mentioned tools in "Safe Mode", which made no
difference.

I've disabled all "Transition Effects", which did not solve my problem.

I looked at some of the descriptions of similar problems listed at sites like:

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=24363&page=2

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win2000/t1020125925

but all the recommendations did not work or the files or configuration
settings did not exist in this situation.

I manually removed the explorer.scf. This worked only for explorer.exe
issues and only temporarily. It allowed me to invoke Windows Explorer but
after several hours of use the problem reappeared.

I manually removed the explorer.scf since I didn't recognize it and it
seemed to be "wrapping" the real application. This worked. It allowed me to
invoke Windows Explorer but after several hours of use the problem reappeared.

Does anyone have any suggestions short of reformatting and reinstallation?

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[Guest]

...
I've unsuccessfully applied many techniques that I've used in the past or
that are commonly posted in related threads, which included:

I applied all the latest operating system and application patches and
service packs, which had no impact on the problem.
...

I feel your pain. When I Upgraded to SP2, I had numerous problems that I
thought were unsolvable. But just to clarify your statement that I quoted,
please tell me you didn't upgrade from SP1 to SP2 trying to think that will
solve the problem. SP2 loads in Windows Update as just another patch to be
applied and some people don't catch it. When SP2 is applied, it assumes you
have your system in a workable order that you like. It then incorporates that
configuration into it's upgrade. If the configuration is corrupted prior to
installing SP2, about the only way to reverse the corruption is to uninstall
the SP2 update. That's where so many people get into trouble. They assumed
that their system was good enough for the SP2 upgrade and refuse to do this
step.
To verify you didn't upgrade to SP2, open control panel. Open Add/Remove
Programs. Scroll down the list to just below the Windows XP - Software
Updates and see if you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed. If you do,
uninstall it and repeate the processes you already done. If that does not fix
the problem, use MSCONFIG and start in diagnostic mode. That should set you
on the right path. You may even want to start with trying MSCONFIG in
diagnostic mode. You know it's something not basic if diagnostic mode works
correctly and go from there.

 

[Guest]

"Black Wolf Standing",

I appreciate the suggestions.

I didn't back out SP2 since I'm not sure if it was configured before or
after this problem started.

I did run msconfig in safe mode with networking and I noticed several
services and startup process that I did not recognize or that looked
suspicious so I:

- disabled a service named "C-DillaCdaC11BA"
- disabled a service named "Machine Debug Manager"
- disabled a service named "SymWMIService"
- disabled a service named "Network Security Service (NSS)"
- disabled a startup process named "ALCXMNTR" and moved the files
- disabled a startup process named "appaq32" and moved the files

I haven't isolated it to one of the above changes but at the moment some of
the original symptoms have disappeared although my system in general still
seems slow but this might have more to do with all the virus & spyware
scanning that occurs at startup and during usage.

There have been occasions during previous debugging when I did see a
particular symptom for some time after a change but it returned after several
hours of usage.

I'm hoping that I do not return to my previous state.

If it turns out that one of the above mentioned removals solves the problem,
it is interesting that none of the antivirus or spyware detection engines I
itemized previously find it.

I'd be grateful for any additional comments that you or anyone else might
have in regard to the legitimacy of any of the services or startup processes
I mentioned earlier or additional "cleanup" that I could perform.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

"ahoops",

Yes, the changes seem to have corrected my troubles. I haven't seen the
original errors since taking the actions that I documented previously.

With respect to "...disabling some startup processes and moving the
files...", I blocked each during startup by "deselecting" the "Startup Item"
in the "Startup" tab of the msconfig interface.

In addition, I moved the files identified in the "Command" column to a
temporary directory that I created.

If my machine remains stable, I will permanently remove all references that
I blocked.