Windows XP - Start error - SMSSE.EXE - File missing

[Hari Prasadh]

Hi,

I was trying to install a program yesterday (Adobe Acrobat) but due to some
problem it didnt get installed.

I restarted my computer (Win XP Pro) and when i got on to the log on screen
and clicked my name to get to the desktop, it took an unusually long time to
show me the desktop 100 seconds (normally after i click my name i get the
desktop within 10 seconds - I have a AMD athlon with 1 GB RAM).

And there was a Error message box titled "smsse.exe" which said that Windows
was unable to find smsse.exe file. Use the find feature in start menu to
find the same.

I dont anything about smsse.exe file. I searched for this file in my
harddrive, but couldnt find it. I thought that it might be one of the
system files and this sudden error could have been caused due to the aborted
Adobe installation. I thought may be Adobe might have deleted/damaged it.
One of my friends searched smsse.exe file in his computer (Win XP Home - his
computer is working fine) but he couldnt find it.

Please note I have tried system restore point (automatic restore point) but
it has not worked. On the other hand the system restore point deleted some
of my harmless exe kind of files. like I had downloaded VBA language
references from MS site and even those were deleted. I undid the restore
point.

Please guide me as to what this file is and how I could be able to get my
log on to windows smooth as ever.

Thanks a lot,
Hari
India

 

[Mikhail Zhilin]

Hari,

It was a part of malware program. Probably it had been deleted by
antivirus. What to do next -- you can find if follow the links at:

http://www.google.com/search?query=smsse.exe&num=10

--
Mikhail Zhilin
http://www.aha.ru/~mwz
Sorry, no technical support by e-mail.
Please reply to the newsgroups only.
======

 

[Drew Tognola]

Hari,

click Start > Run > type msconfig, click OK > go into the Startup tab >
uncheck the reference to smsse.exe > Reboot.
The error message should cease to exist.
To get rid of the reference to smsse.exe in the Startup tab, click Start >
Run > type regedit, click OK > navigate to registry folder
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupfolder >
right-click the folder relating ONLY to smsse.exe and Delete > After
rebooting the reference will also cease to exist.

Drew


Hi,

I was trying to install a program yesterday (Adobe Acrobat) but due to some
problem it didnt get installed.

I restarted my computer (Win XP Pro) and when i got on to the log on screen
and clicked my name to get to the desktop, it took an unusually long time to
show me the desktop 100 seconds (normally after i click my name i get the
desktop within 10 seconds - I have a AMD athlon with 1 GB RAM).

And there was a Error message box titled "smsse.exe" which said that Windows
was unable to find smsse.exe file. Use the find feature in start menu to
find the same.

I dont anything about smsse.exe file. I searched for this file in my
harddrive, but couldnt find it. I thought that it might be one of the
system files and this sudden error could have been caused due to the aborted
Adobe installation. I thought may be Adobe might have deleted/damaged it.
One of my friends searched smsse.exe file in his computer (Win XP Home - his
computer is working fine) but he couldnt find it.

Please note I have tried system restore point (automatic restore point) but
it has not worked. On the other hand the system restore point deleted some
of my harmless exe kind of files. like I had downloaded VBA language
references from MS site and even those were deleted. I undid the restore
point.

Please guide me as to what this file is and how I could be able to get my
log on to windows smooth as ever.

Thanks a lot,
Hari
India

 

[Hari Prasadh]

Hi Drew and Mikhail,

Thanks a lot for your help.

I googled Mikhail's link and came up with some good info on the same. One
site mentioned using some anti-spyware program. I fired up my Lavasoft
(ad-aware) and it removed the offending object. And the problem was solved.

Afterwards, I went to regedit and did a search for -- smsse -- and found
one entry in Hkey local Machine\ Software\Microsoft\Windows Nt\Current
Version\Winlogon - "shell"( explorerexe smsse.exe)

I deleted the above entry also.

Thanks again for all your help.

Regards,
Hari
India

 

[Mikhail Zhilin]

You are welcome, Hari.

And if you deleted the whole 'Shell', but not only 'smsse.exe' part of
its value -- you must restore

Shell

name (it is a String Value) -- and set its value as:

Explorer.exe

as it is by default.
--
Mikhail Zhilin
http://www.aha.ru/~mwz
Sorry, no technical support by e-mail.
Please reply to the newsgroups only.
======