Windows keeps reloading without rebooting

[Guest]

I don't know how to describe this, but my computer keeps reloading without
rebooting. It does not shutdown. Rather the desktop is emptied of all icons,
the toolbar disappears, and then everything is reloaded. This will happen
continuously if the mouse pointer is on the desktop. If the pointer is on the
toolbar or an open window, most things seem to work. I can use my keyboard to
load programs and run them, but I have to be very careful with the movement
of my mouse.

I reinstalled the mouse driver with no changes. I checked the other devices
in the Device Manager and saw no errors except one audio controller warning.
My mouse is a Microsoft Intellimouse Optical. I finally gave up and
reinstalled Windows XP Pro SP2. Nothing changed. I'm at a loss. Can someone
help?

 

[Ron Badour]

Did you do a repair reinstallation or did you format and load clean? If a
repair, have you run full scans for virus and spyware using up to date
programs?

 

[Guest]

I did not format & load clean. It was a repair installation. I am using
Norton 360 which has been giving me problems. I intended to reinstall it
next. Thanks.

 

[M.I.5¾]

I don't know how to describe this, but my computer keeps reloading without
rebooting. It does not shutdown. Rather the desktop is emptied of all
icons,
the toolbar disappears, and then everything is reloaded. This will happen
continuously if the mouse pointer is on the desktop. If the pointer is on
the
toolbar or an open window, most things seem to work. I can use my keyboard
to
load programs and run them, but I have to be very careful with the
movement
of my mouse.

I reinstalled the mouse driver with no changes. I checked the other
devices
in the Device Manager and saw no errors except one audio controller
warning.
My mouse is a Microsoft Intellimouse Optical. I finally gave up and
reinstalled Windows XP Pro SP2. Nothing changed. I'm at a loss. Can
someone
help?

The user interface refresh is a normal Windows function (AIUI to do with
cacheing of the icons). It seems to be happening to you more frequently.

Copy the test below into a text file and name it "disablerefresh.reg".

Double click on it and see if it solves your problem. If you need to change
it back, just change the '00000001' to '00000000', and repeat.

--- Copy Below Here ---
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NoNetCrawling"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"Max Cached Icons"="12000"


--- Copy Above Here ---

 

[Ron Badour]

When you do a repair installation, it only repairs a part of the system if
broken--it does not get rid of virus or spyware that may be on the machine.
I think you need to check for those things as your first troubleshooting
step.

Norton products give MANY people MANY different problems so I would look for
another AV program--AVG is a free one: http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

I recommend you download and use AdAware and Spybot and consider removing
everything these programs identify. Be aware that there are frequent
updates to these programs and you need to check for them before every use
including the first time.

AdAware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php

Spybot: http://www.safer-networking.org/

 

[Guest]

Thanks Ron. I did end up doing a clean install after formatting. I hated to
do it, but the computer was definitely infected. I had both spyware programs
on the system prior to the 1st repair install of WinXP, but I couldn't
reinstall either of them. I was told Windows Installer was not present, and
I could not install or update the installer. I really needed a clean system
anyway.