Member Avatar for Jamaican Beauty

Can someone please help me out? I have been having issues with my computer. My computer has been freezing up everytime a do an McAfee anti-virus scan. I also tried to do a ESet.com virus scan, but it freezes up at the same location:

C:\Driver\audio\R186858\st645866.dll

I already tried to uninstall McAfee and re-install and it does the same thing. It sometimes freezes when I'm online. I have already done a diagonostic scan on hard drive and memory and it seemed to pass everything on there.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I should do?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Bob_180_Bob

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Multiple scanners stopping at the same audio DLL (C:\Driver\audio\R186858\st645866.dll) — and the pop‑ups reported by after watching an online movie — point to three practical possibilities: a corrupted driver file or filesystem sector, an AV conflict / false positive, or malware/rootkit hooking into the driver. The replies from , , and already cover useful approaches; the steps below prioritize low-risk diagnostics and give concrete follow-ups that weren’t posted yet.

Start with non-destructive checks and verification:

  • Obtain a cryptographic hash of the DLL and check it against a multi‑engine scanner (helps separate legitimate driver files from malware-identified files).
  • Confirm the file’s digital signature (Properties → Digital Signatures) and scan Event Viewer for related errors.
  • Run Windows integrity tools and a filesystem check:
certutil -hashfile "C:\Driver\audio\R186858\st645866.dll" SHA256

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

chkdsk C: /f /r

If the system still freezes during in‑Windows scans, move to offline analysis:

  • Boot into Safe Mode (or use a trusted rescue environment such as Windows Defender Offline or a reputable rescue ISO) and run full scans so malware cannot hide inside loaded drivers.
  • Use Sysinternals Process Explorer / Handle to see which process holds the DLL and whether a filter-driver is intercepting AV access.
  • For driver-level issues, list installed driver packages with pnputil -e and, if a package is known-bad and removable, remove it with pnputil -f -d oem#.inf (backup and caution: this can disable hardware).

was right to flag false positives; hash/digital-signature checks will clarify that quickly. ’s boot-scan idea is valuable; treat a full OS reinstall (as did) as the last resort after backups.

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Member Avatar for mjdodd

Some anti virus detect some files as 'false'!
Have you tried any other anti virus? Microsoft security essentials or AVast? (both free).
If you get the same file jaming it try googling the name of that .dll file. that may give further info.
Try renaming that file (once you know what it does via google to) an .old file and see if you get the same result.
Finally if computers get too hot they sieze up to protect themselves and we think it is frozen. Unlikely to do this always a the same place though.

BOL
M

Member Avatar for Jamaican Beauty

Okay I tried the Avast scan and it stopped too not on the same exact file, but right near the other file location. I tried the MBA-Malware and it froze up near the same location. I tried the atf-cleaner and it did its thing fine.

I tried googling those locations, but nothing really comes back. I know that it is a part of my Sigmatel audio driver. I have received an error message before, but the audio still works fine. I was able to scan back then too.

I this all started to happen once I viewed a free movie on-line, and then I started to get all of the pop-up messages.

I haven't tried to change the name of the file. How will that help out?

Member Avatar for Digifriend

I had the same problem, but after i reinstalled windows, i had no problem

Member Avatar for mjdodd

have you tried a good cleanup job.
Microsoft security essentials (download free) or advanced system care 3 from iOBIT (DOWNLOAD FREE) THESE WILL DETECT MANY HORRORS OF VIRUS OR MALWARE;

OOPS SORRY ABOUT The CAPS LOCK!
m

Member Avatar for Asphodel

If it's a driver problem, then try updating it or reinstalling it.

Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

Hi,
I have pasted some information here and the link for Avira boot scan. Doing a scan from boot stops the viruses from hiding in windows files.
Another boot disk to check for errors and viruses is UBCD, check my signature for link. Some of the programs included in UBCD are...
Hardware Tests
* MemTest-86 v3.5 (for testing system RAM)
* NTFS for DOS (for testing NTFS hard drives)
* Gabriel Topala’s System Info for Windows (for verifying hardware)
* Western Digital WinDlg (for hard drive testing)
* AusLogics Disk Defrag (for defragmenting hard drives)
* NicSpeed (for testing Network Interface Card speed)
Software Tests
* Avira Anti-Virus Scanner (with definitions current to December 18, 2009)
* Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Scanner (with definitions current to December 20, 2009)
* McAfee Stinger Anti-Virus Scanner (with definitions current to November 23, 2009)


http://www.free-av.com/en/tools/12/avira_antivir_rescue_system.html

Avira AntiVir Rescue System

Avira AntiVir Rescue System is a Linux-based application that allows accessing computers that cannot be booted anymore. Thus it is possible to:
repair a damaged system,
rescue data,
scan the system for virus infections.
Just double-click on the rescue system package to burn it to a CD/DVD. You can then use this CD/DVD to boot your computer.

The Avira AntiVir Rescue System is updated several times a day so that the most recent security updates are always available.

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