XP-SP2 Suddenly Goes South

[Carl Thomas]

I have been using WinXP SP2 for a month or so with no significant
operational problem (only a few annoyances). Thursday when I booted up, I
got an error message at the Welcome screen from SVCHOST.EXE stating that
"The instruction at "0x7c93d4ac" referenced memory at "0x00b0924c". The
memory could not be "written". It left me the option of terminating or
debugging the app. I terminated and soon got a similar message from
NTPROTECT.EXE (I have Norton System Works installed). The system came up
with no network connections and when I tried to open WinExplorer, I got the
same message (different instruction and memory addresses) three times with
another dialog box about Runtime error 216 interspersed. Explorer closed.
I have been unable to open Internet Explorer or Outlook Express (although
without a connection, that doesn't surprise me.). I am unable to run a
System Restore because it tells me it can't protect my system, to reboot and
try again. I've also tried running sfc /scannow, but it simply hangs on the
scan. I've run AdAware and Spybot, but nothing suspicious there. I've run
Norton WinDoctor, but again nothing suspicious. I've started a virus scan
with NAV, but that'll take all night and I thought I'd get this out on
another system white NAV is running to see if anyone had any ideas and NAV
failed to find anythinfg amiss. I've also gone to Safe Mode with and
without networking, but the results are basically the same as Normal Mode.
If I remove startup of system services, I don't get the error messages, but
otherwise Exploere and IE behave the same.

OK - anybody have any thoughts or suggestions? Short of a complete reinstall
repair of XP, I can't find any other tricks.

TIA

Carl

 

[Kelly]

White space needed, Carl. (

 

[Ross Durie]

Hardware fault.

 

[Les Herrman]

Sounds more like a piece of your memory has gone south.

 

[Carl Thomas]

Yeah, I know - take a deep breath and slow down. But this is exceeding
frustrating, so a Faulknerian stream emerges. I've seen this same error
message on occasion with IE6 when viewing a site with lots of graphics, but
never on this scale where almost all launches that involve Explorer or IE
are involved. In the earlier case, reinstalling IE6 had no effect, so I've
learned to live with it. But this practically shuts me down.

What's even weirder, svchost.exe still has several instances running when
the system finally finishes booting. I suspect other network services use
it (I'm not sure which 'cause I can't find any references to it in the
MSKB), but the one that actually connects through the ethernet card doesn't
survive to the LAN. Is there a clue there?

I'll see if I can find anything on your or the other MVP sites, but it
doesn't look like there are any sensible solutions out there. I'm not even
sure what to search for. And my wife would like her machine back

Sigh!

Carl

 

[Carl Thomas]

Les,

Is there a software test? I may or may not be able to launch it since
software startups are problematical if WinExplorer is involved. But it is
another thought I can pursue. Any more info would be appreciated.

Carl

 

[Carl Thomas]

A new development or two - -

Both the Recovery Console and the Reinstallation (both on the original
install CD) refuse to do anything because XP SP2 is newer than they are. So
I decided to uninstall SP2 and, to add insult to injury, it apparently tried
to use SVCHOST.EXE which failed and the XPSP2 uninstall has been hung for
three hours now with no sign of activity. The Removal Wizard hung on the
last item on its checklist: "Running Processes Before Uninstall". So I
don't know what part of the uninstall process has been completed and whether
it makes sense to start again. Did it already roll back to SP1 or not?

How's them apples? Any new thoughts from anyone? SP1 looks awfully good
about now.

BTW - the last thing I installed about two days before this began was the
SP3 for Office XP.

Carl.

 

[Les Herrman]

Les,

Is there a software test? I may or may not be able to launch it since
software startups are problematical if WinExplorer is involved. But it is
another thought I can pursue. Any more info would be appreciated.

Carl

http://www.memtest86.com/

 

[Carl Thomas]

Sending through IE6 from a Win2K machine.

Thanks I'll check it out. It looks like I can actually
open almost anything that has it's own GUI and doesn't
depend on IE6, OE6, Explorer or whatever SVCHOST.EXE is
that calls an illicit memory location. I can open all my
VS IDEs and #D, so I was going to write a little console
app that just alloxates memory to the max and see where
and how it fails, I'm that desperate. I'll try your URL
first and see how it goes. Thanks

Carl

 

[Carl Thomas]

Can you be more specific? Les Herrman suggested a memory
problem. Sound right?

Carl

 

[Guest]

I just remembered after I sent a reply. Can't use IE6 to
go out. I may have to write that app after all:-(

Carl

 

[Carl Thomas]

Tried MemTest86 and Microsoft's Windows Memory Diagnostic which looks like
it does the same thing. Multiple passes for both on both default and
extended tests. All succeeded - there are no detectable memory problems.
I'm back to the software. Saw posts on another user forum with the same
problems with the same software elements. A new one shows up also on
shutdown - Lsass.exe. Since that and svchost.exe are of unknown function, I
guess I need to try reinstalling them if I can find them.

Carl