Installed SP3, now getting "Generic Host Process for Win32 Services has encountered a problem" message

[Guest foobar5@home.com]

Installed SP3, now getting "Generic Host Process for Win32 Services has encountered a problem" message

 

My daughter has a laptop, and a non-admin user account on it.

 

I take it every month or so and log on as administrator to take care

of some basic maintenance.

 

It was running XP SP2 and AVG 8.

 

When I logged in, the first updates it asked me to install were the

ones from the 9/14 Windows Update, seven in all.

 

After the required restart, it pushed SP3 to me (I'd had a problem

related to a corrupted installation file installing this previously).

 

This installed fine and quickly, and then the computer restarted. No

big deal, I've installed three other SP3s with no issues. Logged in,

still okay.

 

After a short while, a notice appeared in the system tray saying that

I had 30 days to activate Windows. Now this was weird. When I

purchased and set the computer up a year ago (OEM XP Home), I never

had to activate Windows. When I installed SP3 on three other

machines, no activation was required.

 

I tried to go through the server and the computer said it couldn't

connect, even though I did have a good internet connection and could

connect to any site on the web. So I called Microsoft, got the

required product key or activation code or whatever it's called, and

activated.

 

The yellow Windows update shield was there again and pushed another

update to me. I forget which one, but it was one that failed from the

first seven downloaded today. That failed again. I restarted my

computer and then the real fun started.

 

At about the same time, I got a warning "Generic Host Process for

Win32 Services has encountered a problem" and I got an error from AVG

8 Free saying that my license key was invalid.

 

When I tried to check the status of my Windows Updates, I could launch

Internet Explorer (7), but going to the Windows Update screen would

cause IE7 to crash.

 

Several restarts, and outright turning the computer off, waiting two

minutes, and starting, did nothing. I'd get the same problems about

Generic Host Process, AVG, and IE7.

 

I uninstalled AVG (grasping at straws, I know). No go.

 

Downloaded and ran Stinger and it found a Trojan horse on the computer

and deleted it. Restarted, same problems.

 

Renamed c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe to be svchostBAD.exe, copied a

known good svchost.exe from another computer to it, restarted, and it

got worse. My quick launch toolbar was gone, I couldn't restore it, I

couldn't access the internet.

 

Switched the svchost.exe files so the original one was in place,

restarted, and I still had no quick launch bar, no expected program

behavior, no internet.

 

I finally did a system restore back to how it had been right before

installing SP3 and everything seems up and running again. I can go to

the Windows Update page. The computer is on my home network again and

internet access is restored. But I'm back to SP2, which I can live

with.

 

So my questions are:

 

1. Why did I have to activate my Windows SP3 for this, when I'd never

been asked to after installing SP3 on other computers?

 

2. Why might my host process and AVG have been hosed like they were?

 

3. How do I, just in case I had a bad SP3 installer, go through

Windows Update to download a new one? If I go to Windows Update, it

tells me that I have an SP3 installation waiting to be installed, and

I'd like to delete that and start fresh.

 

4. Should I just be happy with the computer as it is? Up to now, I've

religiously kept it updated and I'd hate to not have SP3. Probably

not that big a deal today to not have it, but I'm sure in a year, some

key software will expect me to have it.

[Guest PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Re: Installed SP3, now getting "Generic Host Process for Win32 Services has encountered a problem" message

 

Re: Installed SP3, now getting "Generic Host Process for Win32 Services has encountered a problem" message

 

The machine was and still is infected with hijackware.

 

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

 

Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting your hijackthis log

to an appropriate forum.

 

Checking for/Help with Hijackware

http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm

http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=5878

http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Introduction

http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/data/prevention.htm

http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html

http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm

http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

 

When all else fails, HijackThis v2.0.2

(http://aumha.org/downloads/hijackthis.exe) is the preferred tool to use (in

conjuction with some other utilities). HijackThis will NOT fix anything on

its own, but it will help you to both identify and remove any

hijackware/spyware with assistance from an expert. **Post your log to

http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=10.0,

http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22,

http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30, or another appropriate forum for review

by an expert in such matters, not here.**

 

If the procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting this

isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and

independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA or Geek Squad) computer repair shop.

--

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)

MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002

AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net

DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

 

 

foobar5@home.com wrote:

> My daughter has a laptop, and a non-admin user account on it.

>

> I take it every month or so and log on as administrator to take care

> of some basic maintenance.

>

> It was running XP SP2 and AVG 8.

>

> When I logged in, the first updates it asked me to install were the

> ones from the 9/14 Windows Update, seven in all.

>

> After the required restart, it pushed SP3 to me (I'd had a problem

> related to a corrupted installation file installing this previously).

>

> This installed fine and quickly, and then the computer restarted. No

> big deal, I've installed three other SP3s with no issues. Logged in,

> still okay.

>

> After a short while, a notice appeared in the system tray saying that

> I had 30 days to activate Windows. Now this was weird. When I

> purchased and set the computer up a year ago (OEM XP Home), I never

> had to activate Windows. When I installed SP3 on three other

> machines, no activation was required.

>

> I tried to go through the server and the computer said it couldn't

> connect, even though I did have a good internet connection and could

> connect to any site on the web. So I called Microsoft, got the

> required product key or activation code or whatever it's called, and

> activated.

>

> The yellow Windows update shield was there again and pushed another

> update to me. I forget which one, but it was one that failed from the

> first seven downloaded today. That failed again. I restarted my

> computer and then the real fun started.

>

> At about the same time, I got a warning "Generic Host Process for

> Win32 Services has encountered a problem" and I got an error from AVG

> 8 Free saying that my license key was invalid.

>

> When I tried to check the status of my Windows Updates, I could launch

> Internet Explorer (7), but going to the Windows Update screen would

> cause IE7 to crash.

>

> Several restarts, and outright turning the computer off, waiting two

> minutes, and starting, did nothing. I'd get the same problems about

> Generic Host Process, AVG, and IE7.

>

> I uninstalled AVG (grasping at straws, I know). No go.

>

> Downloaded and ran Stinger and it found a Trojan horse on the computer

> and deleted it. Restarted, same problems.

>

> Renamed c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe to be svchostBAD.exe, copied a

> known good svchost.exe from another computer to it, restarted, and it

> got worse. My quick launch toolbar was gone, I couldn't restore it, I

> couldn't access the internet.

>

> Switched the svchost.exe files so the original one was in place,

> restarted, and I still had no quick launch bar, no expected program

> behavior, no internet.

>

> I finally did a system restore back to how it had been right before

> installing SP3 and everything seems up and running again. I can go to

> the Windows Update page. The computer is on my home network again and

> internet access is restored. But I'm back to SP2, which I can live

> with.

>

> So my questions are:

>

> 1. Why did I have to activate my Windows SP3 for this, when I'd never

> been asked to after installing SP3 on other computers?

>

> 2. Why might my host process and AVG have been hosed like they were?

>

> 3. How do I, just in case I had a bad SP3 installer, go through

> Windows Update to download a new one? If I go to Windows Update, it

> tells me that I have an SP3 installation waiting to be installed, and

> I'd like to delete that and start fresh.

>

> 4. Should I just be happy with the computer as it is? Up to now, I've

> religiously kept it updated and I'd hate to not have SP3. Probably

> not that big a deal today to not have it, but I'm sure in a year, some

> key software will expect me to have it.