Can't load Explorer OR boot in Safe Mode

[adampm]

I started to have problems with my system yesterday evening. When I try to load Explorer, I get an error message and am returned to the desktop. Ditto when I try to run a scan on Norton. I can use Netscape, but it won't allow me to download any files and/or save anything to my local drives. Basically, any application that calls on Windows Explorer (e.g. anything that prompts me to select a folder, etc.) doesn't work properly. I can use all the other apps on my system fine.

I ran Ad-Aware and Spybot, but it didn't turn up anything special.

I tried to boot into safe mode, but that doesn't work properly either. It boots to a black screen, where I get an explorer that winexplorer can't load. Then I have to ctrl-alt-dlt to the task manager in order to shut down.

I ran Hijack. This is the log:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 6:15:24 PM, on 6/7/2005
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
C:\Program Files\NavNT\vptray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\devldr32.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\ASF Agent\ASFAgent.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\CTsvcCDA.EXE
C:\Program Files\NavNT\defwatch.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7Debug\mdm.exe
C:\Program Files\NavNT\rtvscan.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\MsPMSPSv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MsgSys.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.dell.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.upenn.edu/
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.dell.com
N3 - Netscape 7: user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://www.upenn.edu"); (C:\Documents and Settings\Adam_Michaels\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\i7qneo3s.slt\prefs.js)
N3 - Netscape 7: user_pref("browser.search.defaultengine", "engine://C%3A%5CProgram%20Files%5CNetscape%5CNetscape%206%5Csearchplugins%5CSBWeb_01.src"); (C:\Documents and Settings\Adam_Michaels\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\i7qneo3s.slt\prefs.js)
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdReg] C:\WINDOWS\Updreg.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AHQInit] C:\Program Files\Creative\SBLive\Program\AHQInit.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [vptray] C:\Program Files\NavNT\vptray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RunDlI] C:\windows\systemp\server.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KernelFaultCheck] %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MsnMsgr] "C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\Program Files\AIM95\aim.exe
O9 - Extra button: ICQ Lite - {B863453A-26C3-4e1f-A54D-A2CD196348E9} - C:\Program Files\ICQLite\ICQLite.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: ICQ Lite - {B863453A-26C3-4e1f-A54D-A2CD196348E9} - C:\Program Files\ICQLite\ICQLite.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\PROGRA~1\INTERN~1\PLUGINS\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: Yahoo! Chat - http://us.chat1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/chat/applet/c381/chat.cab
O16 - DPF: {01A88BB1-1174-41EC-ACCB-963509EAE56B} (SysProWmi Class) - http://support.dell.com/systemprofiler/SysPro.CAB
O16 - DPF: {0246ECA8-996F-11D1-BE2F-00A0C9037DFE} (TDServer Control) - http://www.usmd.edu/wfplayer/tdserver.cab
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/v5consumer/V5Controls/en/x86/client/wuweb_site.cab?1092968554338
O16 - DPF: {6F750200-1362-4815-A476-88533DE61D0C} (Ofoto Upload Manager Class) - http://www.ofoto.com/downloads/BUM/BUM_WIN_IE_1/axofupld.cab
O16 - DPF: {7DD62E58-5FA8-11D2-AFB7-00104B64F126} (Sview Control) - https://www.oxhp.com/BenSum/swiftview/svinstall_a_stat.cab
O16 - DPF: {917623D1-D8E5-11D2-BE8B-00104B06BDE3} (CamImage Class) - http://guest:guest@155.247.171.2/activex/AxisCamControl.cab
O16 - DPF: {9522B3FB-7A2B-4646-8AF6-36E7F593073C} (cpbrkpie Control) - http://a19.g.akamai.net/7/19/7125/1437/ftp.coupons.com/v3123/cpbrkpie.cab
O16 - DPF: {B9191F79-5613-4C76-AA2A-398534BB8999} - http://us.dl1.yimg.com/download.yahoo.com/dl/installs/suite/yautocomplete.cab
O16 - DPF: {E504EE6E-47C6-11D5-B8AB-00D0B78F3D48} (Yahoo! Webcam Viewer Wrapper) - http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/chat/webcam/v110/yvwrctl.cab
O16 - DPF: {E7DBFB6C-113A-47CF-B278-F5C6AF4DE1BD} - http://download.abacast.com/download/files/abasetup.cab
O16 - DPF: {FA3662C3-B8E8-11D6-A667-0010B556D978} (IWinAmpActiveX Class) - http://cdn.digitalcity.com/_media/dalaillama/ampx.cab
O20 - Winlogon Notify: igfxcui - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\igfxsrvc.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: NavLogon - C:\WINDOWS\System32\NavLogon.dll
O23 - Service: ASF Agent (ASFAgent) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\ASF Agent\ASFAgent.exe
O23 - Service: Creative Service for CDROM Access - Creative Technology Ltd - C:\WINDOWS\System32\CTsvcCDA.EXE
O23 - Service: DefWatch - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\NavNT\defwatch.exe
O23 - Service: Intel(R) NMS (NMSSvc) - Intel Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\System32\NMSSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Norton AntiVirus Client (Norton AntiVirus Server) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\NavNT\rtvscan.exe

Any suggestions? This is *very* frustrating!

[DMR]

When I try to load Explorer, I get an error message

Before we do anything else, you should post the full and exact text of any/all error messages you're getting.

[adampm]

Before we do anything else, you should post the full and exact text of any/all error messages you're getting.

I get the following message when I try and run Explorer:

EventType : InPageError P1 : c000009c P2 : 00000003
C:\DOCUME~1\ADAM_M~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER930a.dir00\iexplore.exe.mdmp
C:\DOCUME~1\ADAM_M~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER930a.dir00\appcompat.txt

Same thing when I try and load Norton, except substitute iexplore.exe.mdmp for the Norton executable file. Same when I try to save a file from Netscape.

[DMR]

1. I only see one suspicious entry in your HijackThis log (but I don't think it's the source of your Explorer problems). Please do the following:

a) Run HJT again and have it fix:

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RunDlI] C:\windows\systemp\server.exe

b) Delete the C:\windows\systemp\server.exe file and empty your Recycle Bin. If you can't use Explorer to locate and delete the file, try it from a DOS window:

- Under your Start menu, go to Programs->Accessories and click on Command Prompt.

- type the following command at the DOS prompt and then hit Enter:

del C:\windows\systemp\server.exe

- Close the DOS box when the command completes.

2. The .mdmp (minidump) and appcompat.txt files are log files that Windows creates when a program crash occurs. The contents of the files can help programmers debug the crashing application code, but unfortunately they won't be of much help to us.

Let's see if your system and application log files can give us more specific information:

- Open the Event Viewer utility in your Administrative Tools control panel.

- Look through the System and Application logs for entries flagged as "Warning" or "Error"; double-clicking on any of those entries will open a "details" window with more information about the error/warning. If you find any entries that seem to relate to your problem, post the full and exact contents given in the detail windows.

3. You should try the following to clean out old Temp, etc. files; they can sometimes cause system slowdowns and crashes (some of this can only be fully done in Safe Mode, but since you said you can't boot to Safe Mode just do as much as you can):

Open Windows Explorer, and in the Folder Options->View settings under the Tools menu, select "show hidden files and folders", and uncheck "Hide protected operating system files" and "Hide extentions for known file types".

- For every user account listed under C:\Documents and Settings, delete the entire contents of these folders (but not the folders themselves):

Important: One of the normal steps in eliminating malicious programs is to entirely delete the contents of all Temp folders. Given that, if any data that you care about is living in those Temp folders, you need to move it to a safe location now, or it will be erased along with everything else!

1. Cookies
2. Local Settings\Temp
3. Local Settings\History
4. Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

- Delete the entire content of your C:\Windows\Temp folder.

- Delete the entire content of your C:\Windows\Prefetch folder.

Note- If you get any messages concerning the deletion of system files such as desktop.ini or index.dat, just choose to delete those files; they'll be automatically regenerated by Windows if needed. Windows will allow you to delete the versions of those files which exist in sub-folders within the main Temp/Temorary folders, but might not let you delete the versions of those files that exist in the main Temp folders themselves; this is normal and OK.

- Empty your Recycle Bin.

4. Run the System File Checker. It will scan for missing or corrupt system files (you may have more than one).

To run the System File Checker, click on the "Run..." option in your Start menu and type the following command in the "Open:" box:

sfc /scannow

If the Checker finds things that need to be fixed, it will prompt you to insert your XP CD and will extract fresh copies of the file(s) it needs from there.
If you don't have the XP CD, but you do have a C:\Windows\i386 folder on your machine, point the File Checker to that folder; fresh copies of the file(s) it needs may exist in that location.

If the Checker finds no problems, it will simply close/quit itself after it finishes scanning.

[scottus]

I had the same problem on an acer notebook, turned out to be a failing hard drive.

Hope that helps!

[Joie]

Try these steps, it works !

Go to START > RUN
Then type in "regsvr32 /u msctf.dll "
Then OK
Repeat for "regsvr32 /u msimtf.dll"
Then Restart

[Joie]

Try these steps, it should solve the prob.

Go to START > RUN
Then type in "regsvr32 /u msctf.dll "
Then OK
Repeat for "regsvr32 /u msimtf.dll"
Then Restart