System Profiler

  • Thread starter Thread starter BobS
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B

BobS

I have an HP Media Center PC (Pavillion z1250n) running Windows Media
Center, with a Dell 942 printer attached. Each time I reboot, I get a
Windows explorer window up showing the following folder "c:\Program
Files\Dell\" which has but a single folder in it, namely "SystemProfiler",
which in turn has but a single file in it, namely "WMIInput.xml". This has
been happening for a few weeks, and I do not know what caused it to start.

Can someone tell me
1. why this started,
2. if there is anything wrong which I should attend to, and
3. how to get it to stop?

Thank you in advance.
Bob
 
Update: I also have a Dell Axim (PDA) attached to the system, but presently
the Axim is NOT in its cradle, if that makes any difference.
Thanks. Bob
 
Check the startup folders with msconfig. This should point you to whether
there is anything suspicious in the folders (Startup) or Run registry keys.
 
I do not find anything in the startup tab in msconfig that points to the
c:\Program Files\Dell folder. Any other thoughts?
Bob
 
It doesn't necessarily have to reference that folder ... it could be an
application that opens that folder at startup.
Or it could be an *.ini file.
 
Here are the only 3 that I do not understand.
dumprep 0 -k %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
ALCXMNTR ALCXMNTR.exe
ctfmon c:\windows\system32\ctfmon.exe

Do you know what these are? Could any of these relate?
Bob
 
File alcxmntr.exe is installed with the drivers for Realtek AC97 audio chip-set
dumprep is Microsoft Dump Reporter
Ctfmon is in support of Office Language bar

Any other users on the system ... have you tried logging in as one ... and see.
Or try logging in as Administrator .. and see if it happens.
If it doesn't then that means it is something only with your environment and minimizes the areas that would cause this.
If all the users have this, then it is something that has been installed for the system not per user.
 
I do not have any other users registered on the system. I even have the
Guest user turned off at this time. I am registered as the administrator of
the system. When I just now tried creating one called Administrator, it
said that I already had one by that name. But I do not see it as an option
to switch to.

How can I log on using the "Administrator"?
Bob

File alcxmntr.exe is installed with the drivers for Realtek AC97 audio
chip-set
dumprep is Microsoft Dump Reporter
Ctfmon is in support of Office Language bar

Any other users on the system ... have you tried logging in as one ... and
see.
Or try logging in as Administrator .. and see if it happens.
If it doesn't then that means it is something only with your environment and
minimizes the areas that would cause this.
If all the users have this, then it is something that has been installed for
the system not per user.
 
The Administrator account is the default Windows XP Admin account.

1. Reboot
2. Welcome screen, type CTRL+ALT+DEL+DEL (the keystrokes not the words).
3. Type Administrator
4. Enter password (if you ever gave it one, else just click on OK).

You should now be in the system Adminsitrator account.
By the way, you can enable the Guest account thru Control Panel | User
Accounts
 
Thanks Larry. I learned something there.

The Explorer window with the Dell System Profiler did come up for the
Administrator too. Does that help to narrow it down?
Bob
 
Yes, that means whatever was changed affects the entire system. Since you
already checked ALL Users/Start Menu/Programs/Startup and found nothing
(empty ... or something), that means it more than likely is something that
is in the registry OR some process that starts automatically from the Run.

How long has this happened ... and do you recall if it started happening
AFTER you installed anything?
How old is your system?

Have you checked out what is in that folder that is opened?
Can you give me a list?

I have a Dell and this is what's in mine:

Digital
Digital Jukebox Drivers
ELIcon
JBSeries2Drv
McAfee
Media Experience
SearchPortal
ShareDLL
SystemProfiler
TrainingIcon

Come close?

Can you give me a list of what is in your
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run?
Specifically see if you have:

DMXLauncher
DellSupport

Have you tried to delete any DELL BloatWare (crap delivered with your
system, e.g., C:\Program Files\Dell\Media Experience\DMXLauncher.exe
recently?
 
How long has this happened ... and do you recall if it started happening
AFTER you installed anything? I am pretty sure it has been for
less than 3 weeks of actual usage (with a 3 week period in the middle of
that when I was out
Click to expand...
of town and not using the system). The only things I can think of that I
did during that time was to install my connection software for my Dell Axim
PDA and to create a new profile.
How old is your system? About 6 months old

Have you checked out what is in that folder that is opened?
Can you give me a list? The folder that is opened is c:\Program
Files\Dell, and there is only one item in that folder, which is named
SystemProfiler. There is only one file in the SystemProfiler folder,
which is named WMIInput.xml which is 5k dated 6/11/2002.
Click to expand...
Can you give me a list of what is in your
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run?
Click to expand...
AlcxMonitor
CaAvTray my antivirus
CAVRID my antivirus
Dell Photo AIO Printer 942 my printer
DellMCM my printer
ehTray ehome (I suppose related to
it being an HP computer)
HPBootOp HP boot optimizer
HPHUPD08 HP digital imaging
IntelliPoint mouse
ISUSPM Startup Install Shield Do I
really need this?
ISUSScheduler Install Shield Do I
really need this?
iTunesHelper iTunes
KernelFaultCheck ?
LogitechGalleryRepair My webcam
LogitechImageStudioTray My webcam
LSBWatcher lsBurn watcher (HP related to the
DVD burner)
LVCOMS Logitech (I guess related to the
webcam)
PCDrProfiler ?
SunJavaUpdateSched Do I need this?
Specifically see if you have:
DMXLauncher NO
DellSupport NO

Have you tried to delete any DELL BloatWare (crap delivered with your
system, e.g., C:\Program Files\Dell\Media Experience\DMXLauncher.exe
recently? HP has its own versions of
BloatWare, the I think I have gotten rid of.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your detailed help.
Bob
 
Just read this on the net:

Try this: Control Panel | Folder Options | View tab, uncheck the line
"restore
previous folder windows at logon". Click apply/ok, do not reboot yet.

Start/run msconfig, on the general tab select the diagnostic mode. Click
apply/ok and reboot at prompted.

The folder should not show up now. Rerun msconfig, put the system back in
normal mode. Click apply/ok and reboot once more. Does this help?
Try that.

The InstallSheild processes are a pain in the neck. If you have nothing for
that to monitor, you can remove them from the Run key. I have.

PCDrProfiler is in support for PC Doctor. Do you have that?

ehTray is in support of Media Center. You have Windows Xp Media Center?

Good Article to read:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&docname=bph07149

SunJavaUpdateSched: Auto checks for Java Updates, you can uncheck this
feature from Control Panel | Java

I real quick solution would be the following test:

1. Open Registry
2. Go to key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and rename
it to Run-Archive (you have nothing in there that you need for Windows to
startup).
3. Create another Run key under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion (you really
don't have to ... Windows will re-create it).
4. Close Regedit
5. Reboot

Since if you get the window. If not, then you know ... one of those
processes, when started are causing this. Then all you have to do is add
each one in, one-at-a-time and see which one is causing it.

I would try the Control Panel | Folder Options | View (above) test first.

If any of these don't fix or point out who is doing this, then you may need
to use a app like RegMon to monitor the system or set the Registry fields
UsrEnvDebugLevel to log what is going on at startup. I can tell you what
key to change to create a log file that shows whats going on.
 
Thanks Larry,
I already had that line unchecked. But I went ahead and started msconfig,
selected diagnostic mode and clicked apply/OK. But I got the "System
Configuration" error message: An Access Denied error was returned while
attempting to change a service. You may need to log on using an
Adinistrator account to make teh specified changes."

I do have PCDoctor and XP Media Center.
I will get rid of InstallShield and JavaUpdates.

I will wait to do the final quick solution till after I see your response to
my unexpected Access Denied error.

Thanks again,
Bob
 
When it came up in the diagnostic config. the folder did not show up. When
I changed it back to normal boot, I got th emessage "an error occurred when
changing the settings" or something like that. Then I rebooted and the
folder showed up again.
Bob
 
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