Windows XP: IE/Firefox crash when searching, sysrestore&spybot wont load
IE/Firefox crash when searching, sysrestore&spybot wont load
by hatandglasses13 - 3/2/09 4:52 PMI'm having multiple difficulties with a Dell Inspiron E1405 running Windows XP SP3.
The most noticeable symptom is that Internet Explorer and Firefox will crash whenever a trying to search using Google, Yahoo, etc. in the toolbar or in the browser. Some pages also will not load completely. These problems occur both on a regular boot of XP or in Safe Mode.
System Restore opens, but it will not let me click "Next" after selecting a date to restore to. The program just hangs. Nothing happens. Again, regular boot or Safe Mode still causes the same problems.
AntiVir virus scanner and Ad-aware scans located some small issues but they were deleted. Additional scans (with XP booted in Safe Mode) do not locate any bad files.
Spybot S&D will not open. I was able to uninstall Spybot and install it again, but the program still will not load, on a regular boot of XP or in Safe Mode.
Any questions or additional troubleshooting suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Not Sure This Is Answer But
by tobeach - 3/2/09 11:20 PM In reply to: IE/Firefox crash when searching, sysrestore&spybot wont load by hatandglasses13there have been reports of incompatibility between Ad-Aware (current versions) & Spybot. At one point, both Ad-Aware & Norton were insisting Spybot be un-installed BEFORE loading their programs. This (AAW) might be preventing the opening of Spybot. I'm assuming latest versions of both.
I've dumped Ad-Aware since of late it was finding too many FPs and allowing it to fix was trashing some pretty important parts of the OS functions. Luckily I was able to repair via SFC &/or sys restore.
I would suggest further study of any AAW reported items BEFORE having it fix them!
Additionally, you could try disabling any & all "toolbars" & see if that solves problem. If it does, then re-enable toolbars 1 by 1 to see which is the problem.
Noting that IF your getting some spoofed re-directs (such as the Google Trojan: Faked Google site) possibly your protectors are "killing" the contact? Since Spybot tries to protect both IE & Firefox from such by various means, it could be unable to if Adaware is doing basically the same thing including "links on page" scanning in advance
& finding malicious links and blocking the site?
Sys Restore hanging could be a # of reasons including damage/disabling from previous infection (now removed but damage remains), inadequate HD space for SR to run (12% of HD is default).
You could try start>run>msc.services and try to reset SR to automatic if not set that way now. Can also be checked via msconfig.
Possible an SFC run could reset if just disabled/set to "not start".
Has your Host file been corrupted by addition of such sites as Google/Yahoo/security sites? Spybot would have locked Host file to read only to prevent this but it's not onboard now.
You could try Free SuperantiSpyware (SAS) program. You might have to disable AAW for this but besides scan & removal of Virus/trojans etc., it has a repair tools tab (under preferences)that can repair many malware commonly disabled items like SR, task Mgr, IE restriction resets, Desktop & taskbar repairs, logon, etc.
Following link has links & alternate instructions IF install blocked by various things.
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6132_102-0.html?forumID=32&threadID=329090&messageID=2972614&tag=forums06;forum-threads
Just some thoughts. Good Luck! 
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
