Malware and maybe more [Solved]

[Starbuck]

Maybe there was something blocking a change to the registry.

Could be that now the malware has been removed you can change the registry key.

Just a thought.

[RandyL]

Well I changed everything back and set the value to 4 and startup was a complete failure. So I made the other 2 changes and startup worked. So I'll leave all 3 changes as follows.

 

1. In the BIOS changed PS/2 mouse from auto detect to disabled.

 

2. In the Registry Editor I navigated to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042p and changed the REG_DWORD value from 1 to 4 where 1 was start and 4 is disabled.

 

3. In the Registry Editor I navigated to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters and added a new REG_DWORD Headless and set the value to 1.

 

 

​Now I just have to run more starts to test further. Fingers crossed again.

[RandyL]

Bad luck. I get it started with fewer trys but it is still messed up.

 

I only see one major issue in Event viewer at startup but not sure what to make of it.

 

The source is WMI and it's an ID 10 error.

 

Event filter with query "SELECT * FROM __InstanceModificationEvent WITHIN 60 WHERE TargetInstance ISA "Win32_Processor" AND TargetInstance.LoadPercentage > 99" could not be reactivated in namespace "//./root/CIMV2" because of error 0x80041003. Events cannot be delivered through this filter until the problem is corrected.

[Starbuck]

Event filter with query "SELECT * FROM __InstanceModificationEvent WITHIN 60 WHERE TargetInstance ISA "Win32_Processor" AND TargetInstance.LoadPercentage > 99" could not be reactivated in namespace "//./root/CIMV2" because of error 0x80041003. Events cannot be delivered through this filter until the problem is corrected.

Wow, that will take some de-cyphering. :confused:

[RandyL]

This has got to be a memory problem.

 

Turned on today and nothing. Not even the monitor would recognize a boot. So I pulled one of two memory sticks and it booted right up.

 

But it gets weird. It boots just fine with either stick in either of the two slots. So one would think both sticks and both slots are fine. But noooooooo.

 

If I try both sticks in either configuration I get no boot or blue screen or it goes to "Detecting arrays" and stays there. (No RAID setup so I think it refers to memory).

 

In spite of the fact I checked the memory with PC-Doctor for Compaq and the Windows memory diagnostic and they passed I'm thinking one of these sticks are bad.

 

Although it boots great on one stick things are running painfully slow on 1Gb.

[Starbuck]

But it gets weird. It boots just fine with either stick in either of the two slots. So one would think both sticks and both slots are fine. But noooooooo.

Obvious question is, are the 2 sticks of Ram the same type and make?

[RandyL]

That's a big yes Starbuck. It's the original memory on a 2007 desktop Presario.

[Starbuck]

1.87 Gb Total Physical Memory | 1.13 Gb Available Physical Memory | 60.19% Memory free

Otl recognised the memory as well.

[RandyL]

Yes once in a while I can get it to boot with both sticks in. It might take 5 or 6 tries before it does though. When I ran OTL both sticks were in. With either stick in either slot individually it boots every single time.

 

It is strange. I might have to bite the bullet and buy new memory just to see if it solves the problem.

[Starbuck]

I think it best to wait until this possible memory problem has been sorted before we carry on with any other scans.

We have removed what we can see so far, so there's only a few double checks to do.

[RandyL]

I agree. You did a fantastic job once again. I'll see what I can figure out with the memory and let you know.

 

Thanks for everything Starbuck. I need to get some air now. The polyurethane fumes are nasty here.

[Starbuck]

I need to get some air now. The polyurethane fumes are nasty here.

I can imagine!

 

We still have some double checks to do, but as agreed we'll wait for now.

 

Thanks for everything Starbuck.

No problem at all.

 

It's what the Boss pays me for......

Oops, you're the boss and you don't pay me!

[RandyL]

I'm back.

 

I learned an amazing amount of things from you Starbuck so your work was not in vain. Actually it has benifited me greatly in other unexpected ways. I'll explain.

 

The owner of the PC decided not to risk $70 to buy new RAM so she bought a new all-in-one HP instead. Not only did she not want the PC back she also gave me her huge HP glossy screen monitor with built in speakers. What a great deal.

 

She hasn't found the recovery disks I made for her yet but I did use the HP recovery partition to reinstall Windows. All that crap that her grandkids did (Limewire included which I had removed once before) is gone as well as the malware and system changes.

 

Now that the system is clean I can boot 10 out of 10 times without blue screens but do have to choose "to start windows normally" 1 out of 10 times. And this is with both sticks of RAM installed. This is great. Faults are now "bad pool header" or "irq more or less not equal"

 

With both RAM modules now installed on a clean system and far less boot problems and with those errors and no others it is safe to assume that the memory slots on the motherboard are fine. It has to be failing RAM so new memory would almost surely solve the final issue should I choose to purchase it now or later for a secondary system.

 

As for reinstalling Windows should I need disks I made an ISO for Vista using the Digital River files. It was a real pain as it is not as simple as it is for Windows 7. Of course I would still need the drivers for the hardware but can always do that easy enough. I also made a new startup repair disk (R.E.) as I found an old ISO file in my archives.

 

Sooner or later I know I have to buy that memory. I should put it on my Christmas list. Then I will have a fully functional Vista machine I hope. Even if I do not I have a fantastic new monitor.

 

Mark this one as solved my friend.I'm well on the path here thanks to you.

[Starbuck]

Hi Randy,

 

To be honest, i'd forgotten all about this thread. :o

Glad it all ended well.

 

Then I will have a fully functional Vista machine I hope. Even if I do not I have a fantastic new monitor.

Stick that on the Christmas list as well. :)