Version 1.0.615 Slow to load on restart

[Hyde]

I'm experiencing a problem since the update to the above
version where I execute a shutdown with a restart.

The time taken for system tray applets to appear takes
ages (upwards of 2 minutes), sometimes not completing at
all. I often get warnings from the security centre
reporting that either my AVG Free anti virus software or
the XP Firewall is switched off. If I click the system
tray balloons to open the security centre, this is delayed
until after the MS Antispyware application has finished
loading. When the security centre screen is loaded it
shows all the settings as on and in normal operation.

A complete shutdown with a cold restart is usually OK but
can sometimes give the same problems.

The work around I've found is to select the Log off
procedure and then log back on.

My XP Home SP2 system is set for single user.

Is this a known issue? I can't search your forum yet to
see if other users are reporting this.

 

[Linuxgirl]

Is this a known issue? I can't search your forum yet to
see if other users are reporting this.

If you would use a newsreader (outlook express in Windows) to access this
group, searching for any subject is quite simple.

LG

 

[plun]

Hi

- Start with a house clean of all temporarily junk.
CCleaner helps you with that, www.ccleaner.com.

- Remove all unused programs, Control panel > add/remove programs

- Defragment your drive
Double click My Computer
Highlight a local hard disk drive by clicking on it once.
Right click the highlighted local drive
Click properties
Click the tools tab and click the defragment now button.

--
plun



Hyde submitted this idea :

 

[Hyde]

I do all that anyway on a regular basis, so I know it's
not general clutter.

I've used the XP defrag and O&O's defrag on a regular
basis, so it's not that either.

Registry is also optimised.

Latest SP's are installed for the OS and all applications.

It started happening the day the antispyware was updated.
Nothing else has been changed.

 

[Hyde]

Good tip. I forget about O Express.

-----Original Message-----


If you would use a newsreader (outlook express in Windows) to access this
group, searching for any subject is quite simple.

LG


.

 

[plun]

Hi

- Any other antispyware app with real time protection running ?

- Any "Full scans" within safe mode (F8) ?

I´ve noticed this a lot of times within messed up PCs overloaded
with temporarily files and registry mess but your PC seems to
be well maintained.

Maybe also to reinstall/repair MSAS ?

--
plun



Hyde submitted this idea :

 

[Hyde]

No other antispyware. In the early days I also used
AdAware and SpyBlaster (not sure about the name of this
last one), but both have long since been removed and
checked as fully removed with Registry Mechanic V5.

Not sure what you mean by Full Scans within safe mode.
Are you saying I should run one in safe mode, or are you
asking if I do run them in safe mode?

MSAS doesn't appear to have a "repair" option, so might
have to fully uninstall and then reinstall, unless it
comes up as an option from the CP Add/Remove Prog applet.

I'll check and post back.

Regards
Hyde

 

[plun]

Hi

Answer below.

Hyde submitted this idea :

No other antispyware. In the early days I also used
AdAware and SpyBlaster (not sure about the name of this
last one), but both have long since been removed and
checked as fully removed with Registry Mechanic V5.

Not sure what you mean by Full Scans within safe mode.
Are you saying I should run one in safe mode, or are you
asking if I do run them in safe mode?

Yes a "full scan" (not a quick scan), change with scan options.
Run this scan in safe mode. F8 during reboot

MSAS doesn't appear to have a "repair" option, so might
have to fully uninstall and then reinstall, unless it
comes up as an option from the CP Add/Remove Prog applet.

Add/remove > change MSAS gives you option to "repair".

Maybe uninstall/reinstall is better if your problem persist.

Or if you have some undetected spyware ? HijackThis is a good tool for
that.

About (be careful):
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?showtutorial=42

Download:
http://www.merijn.org/files/hijackthis.zip

[/QUOTE]

 

[Alan]

I has NOTHING to do with MSAS.

This is a well known, and well documented bug in XP.

If you log of and log back in, ALL the icons WILL display
in the systray.

It's annoying, but the only work around is to log off and
log back on.

Alan

 

[Guest]

Many thanks for the extra info...

I've actioned an Update/Repair from the CP Add/Remove
Programs and it did download and install again, but I
couldn't tell what exactly it had done.

However, a restart following todays XP security updates,
still had my laptop waiting for around a minute and half
after all the normal system tray icons loaded before the
MSAS icon loaded and I could manually start my ADSL dialup
and load Outlook.

I've also tried running MSAS and AVG Free whilst in Safe
Mode using the Administrator logon. They both run for a
short while and then my laptop shut downs instantly, as if
it was running on batteries and switches off before any
power alarms get to sound. The laptop was on mains power
at the time, and it's shut down twice now.

I'll try Safe Mode again but this time using my own named
logon before running these programs.

I've also tried the latest MS Malicious Software Removal
Tool which reported that everything was fine.

A full scan from MSAS in normal mode didn't find anything
either.

Regards
Hyde.

 

[Hyde]

OK I've run another Full Scan in Safe Mode from my own
logon and not that of the Administrator and the laptop
switches off when MSAS attempts to look at ntuser.dat

MSAS had checked the memory, known areas, and was some
8000 files into the C drive before it encountered
ntuser.dat

I can't tell which location of ntuser.dat it was looking
at as the folder structure changes so fast during the scan.

Regards
Hyde

 

[plun]

Hi

Strange ! Corrupt user or memory problem ?

Can you see any faults within admin tools > log book ?

Virtual Memory > Page file set to auto ?

Is this a low specs notebook ie 128MB RAM ?

--
plun





Hyde formulated on torsdag :

 

[Hyde]

laptop Spec:-

2.6Ghz Intel P4
512Mb RAM

40Gb Hard Drive Partitioned:-
c: 20Gb NTFS
d: 12Gb NTFS
e: 8GB FAT32

Swap File set to 1024Mb on drive e:

Application Event Log shows a few warnings in connection
with:-

Userenv
Windows saved user MachineName\Account registry while an
application or service was still using the registry during
log off. The memory used by the user's registry has not
been freed. The registry will be unloaded when it is no
longer in use.

This is often caused by services running as a user
account, try configuring the services to run in either the
LocalService or NetworkService account.

Errors are also listed:-

crypt32
Failed extract of third-party root list from auto update
cab at:
<http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3
/static/trustedr/en/authrootstl.cab> with error: A
required certificate is not within its validity period
when verifying against the current system clock or the
timestamp in the signed file.

I also had a security failure audit around the same time
as the warnings/errors above and this reads (I don't know
how to run the IPSec monitor snap-in by the way):-

IPSec Services: IPSec Services failed to get the
complete list of network interfaces on the machine. This
can be a potential security hazard to the machine since
some of the network interfaces may not get the protection
as desired by the applied IPSec filters. Please run IPSec
monitor snap-in to further diagnose the problem.

There were also some system error entries, but these
appear to be down to not finding drivers/files because the
laptop was in safe mode. Mostly to do with DCOM, TCP/IP,
NetBIOS etc.

Regards
Hyde.

 

[plun]

Hi

Well that´s good specs
But no clues ;(

One more standard tool for spyware removal is
Lavasofts Adaware, maybe worth to try.

http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022-10399602.html?tag=list

If this also fails HijackThis must be used. Also a standard tool for
spywareremoval, but it´s powerful and must be used with knowledge about
PCs, I don´t believe thats a problem for you.

About:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?showtutorial=42

Download:
http://www.merijn.org/files/hijackthis.zip

Forums with HijackThis specialists:
http://www.merijn.org/forums.html

 

[Hyde]

I've just tried the NNTP link on the front web page to
these forums to learn how to set-up Outlook Express to
access the newsgroup, but that link just takes me to a
search window and not a page describing how to access
these goups using Outlook Express.

Can anyone provide details on how to do this?

Many thanks
Hyde

 

[Linuxgirl]

I've just tried the NNTP link on the front web page to
these forums to learn how to set-up Outlook Express to
access the newsgroup, but that link just takes me to a
search window and not a page describing how to access
these goups using Outlook Express.

Can anyone provide details on how to do this?

Accounts/news/add

server: privatenews.microsoft.com

account name: privatenews\spyware

password: spyware

 

[Hyde]

There's nothing alarming in the HijackThis report.

I'm guessing that the latest versions of gacsDTServe.exe and gcasServe.exe
are just slow to load for some reason.

Regards
Hyde.

 

[plun]

Well, it´s strange anyway !

Change Virtual Memory settings to auto >
Control Panel > System > tab advanced

 

[Robin Walker [MVP]]

The time taken for system tray applets to appear takes
ages (upwards of 2 minutes),

How many items do you have in these directories:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft AntiSpyware\DeactivatedItems
C:\Program Files\Microsoft AntiSpyware\Quarantine

 

[Hyde]

I have just changed the virtual memory back to my C drive, although I'd
still set it to 1024Mb rather auto. During Safe Mode the MSAS just blew
away the laptop within seconds. It wouldn't then boot into Safe Mode again,
just kept shutting down as soon as hit the return key for the XP Home OS
option.

It does re-boot into normal XP mode though, hence my being able to type this
reply.

I'll try the auto setting for VMemory next.

Regards
Hyde.

PS I'm using Outlook Express now to access this forum. I'm having problems
with posting replies. They either go to the wrong position in the thread
despite my highlighting the posting I want to reply to. If I use the Reply
to Group option it enables me to add these top posts to the existing post
rather than create a sub-level post in the thread. You don't know what I'm
doing wrong do you?