Two problems: "sHotKey.exe" pops up upon logging on; IE7 crashing.

[smxp]

Within the last two days, two potential (interrelated) problems are occurring.

Two nights ago I was on a site using IE7. Suddenly a dialog box appears
(sorry, I didn't jot down the exact message) and it says that something has
failed and that I need to insert a SP2 recovery(?) disc or else my system may
become unstable. There were three boxes: one that said to proceed, another
saying "More Information", and another saying "Cancel". I selected Cancel, as
I was unsure about what this was. I feared it was malware asking to install
itself.

Yesterday, I noticed that when I attempted to adjust my volume control from
my keyboard, the green bars which appear onscreen when raising or lowering it
stopped displaying. Volume control functioned as normal, but the visual aid
disappeared.

Another issue is that now when I log on, I will get an error message stating
that "sHotKey.exe" or "SHOTKEY.EXE" failed to load and suggested
re-installing it. I have no idea how to do that.

And now, when I open IE7, it will crash with a couple of minutes. What is
strange is that there is no dialog box from Microsoft stating that "Internet
Explorer needed to close due to (whatever reason)", and asking to send a
error report. Anytime IE crashed, I'd always see this box pop up but now it
has stopped. I will also note that once it crashes, and I re-open it, it
doesn't seem to blankly crash again.

I ran full virus and spyware scans and they turned up nothing.

I realize this description is all over the place, but if anyone recognizes
any potential problem and a solution, I would be very appreciative.

I am thinking of doing a System Restore to a few days ago, before these
symptoms started up. Again, any advice or notes are welcome.

Thanks.

 

[Leonard Grey]

Unfortunately, we can't provide accurate assistance about an error
message without knowing exactly what the error message says. In your
case, the message may or may not have been legitimate. If you doubt its
legitimacy you should immediately and thoroughly scan your computer for
viruses and all other forms of malicious software. This frequently
requires scanning with multiple malware scanners.

The volume control that is part of Windows XP doesn't have green bars,
so the green bars you are writing about don't have to do with Windows.
They might possibly be associated with your sound card software, or
perhaps your keyboard if you have a multimedia keyboard.

A web search for SHOTKEY.EXE shows that it part of the software for a
multimedia keyboard originally made by Chicony Multimedia. Unless you
purchased your keyboard separately from your computer, I suggest you ask
your system builder about this file.

To troubleshoot your problem with Internet Explorer, start here:

"Internet Explorer stops responding, stops working, or restarts"
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/pc_ie_intro