Uhh, something dreadful happened today.

It is again almoust 100 % related to my hard-disk, and communication between hard-disk and other devices, and OS.



1. It happened today, when I was copying some file from C:\ to E:\ partition. It was some 6 MB file, "encrypted container/volume", containg various personal data (i.e., files and folders), made by well-known and trusted application called Cryptainer PE (from www.cypherix.com). Well, the system just frozen in the middle of copying (similar to when KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR BSOD occurs, see number the paragraph number 3.), there was one window with "Disk is full" poping-up for few seconds (and it was/is more than 2 GB still free), and after that windows popup message, something like "External failure/exception, number C00000E4. Please, note that actual message displayed, including number is just for better imagination, I unfortunately didn't wrote it down, not I made screenshot of that window, as I usually do, well I couldn't actually.

After I clicked "Ok" on that error-message window, the system was "blank", meaning, only desktop was displayed, and nothing worked. Shell was terminated, as well as all other programs running at that time. I couldn't even execute Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc. So, I rebooter with "reboot-button", but here comes the most scary thing.

After rebooting, the pre-login window told me, that there is "no boot-disk available" (or something alike), and something about IDE related problem. I booted from floppy, but there was no disk (i.e. partitons) visible/available. Well, luckily after rebooting again, all seems to work normal again.

And here is log entry from my Windows XP EventViewer:

Hi Satyr,

Sound like a real problem. Your post indicates another in a different website which I also read. You didn't mention if this is happening in both OSs or just XP.

I haven't done a "low level" format in a while but I wouldn't try one unless I was doing the whole drive. I'm not sure that the software would even let you do just a partition since this information should be blown away by the LLF. It is disturbing that you have "hard" errors on your drive. Usually this is considered an indication that the drive is beginning to fail. A low level format may take care of it but make absolutely sure that you have the correct software for the drive before trying it.

I found some information on Microsofts support site on your kernel error at;

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315266

You need to get the code from the BSOD and check it our here, BUT first you need to scan your drive, (all partitions) for a Virus. MS indicates that this type of error can often be caused in XP by a Boot record virus.

Diskcacheing can cause errors in you files such as those that scandisk keeps finding but the answer really isn't turning off Cacheing but to solve the problem which causes the freeze. That said, you might have to turn off cacheing until you have the problem solved.

I think that I would try everything before resorting to a LLF which is a fairly radical operation.

BTW, while you are scanning for a viruses, scan for spyware too. OK?

Let me know what the scans finds( if anything) and take a look at the MS support page. If this doesn't help, we try something else.

Zippy is absolutely correct in everything that he said about the low-level format, and no, you can't LLF a single partition. It is the whole drive or nothing.

His advice about scanning is also good. Try these:

1) Download ad-aware here if it is not already installed on your computer, or if your version is not 6.0 Build 181.

Before you scan with AdAware, check for updates of the reference file by using the "webupdate".

Then ........

From main window :Click "Start" then " Activate in-depth scan"

then......

click "Use custom scanning options>Customize" and have these options on: "Scan within archives" ,"Scan active processes","Scan registry", "Deep scan registry" ,"Scan my IE Favorites for banned URL" and "Scan my host-files"

then.........

Click the "Tweak" button.

Open up the "Scanning Engine" section and tick "Unload recognized processes during scanning"

Then........"Cleaning engine" and "Let windows remove files in use at next reboot" and "Automatically try to unregister objects prior to deletion"

then...... click "proceed" to save your settings.

Now to scan it´s just to click the "Next" button.

When scan is finished, mark everything for removal and get rid of it. .(Right-click the window and choose"select all" from the drop down menu) then press "next" and then say "yes" to the prompt, "do you want to remove all these entries".

2) Download SPYBOT Search and Destroy here if it is not already installed on your computer or if your version is not Version 1.3.
Install the program and then start it. Once the program has started make sure you are in the Spybot-S&D section. Click on the "Search for Updates" button. Download all updates. In some cases the program will restart after an update. When updated, click on the "Check for Problems" button. When the Check is over All problems displayed in red are regarded as real threats and should be dealt with. Make sure they are all selected and click the "Fix selected problems" button.

3) Finally, do an online scan using Trend Micros Housecall. It is available here.

and this one:
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan/

and this one:
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/

and this one:
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/Msie/index.php (let it autoclean. Reboot)

Thanks for your response, ZippyZingo !!


Well, I need to do the low-level format, because usual (Windows FORMAT command/function) didn't repair some of bad-clusters. I posted about that in details on some other topic, or maybe also on other forums, don't remeber anymore. I surelly attend to use Powermax utility, and nothing else, cause it is from Maxtor, my HD's manufacturer.
And that Microsofts support site you provided link to mention also possibility od bad-clusters causing that particular BSOD.



P.S., All these BSODs are occuring only on my Windows XP platform ...

As far as my PC being "infected" in any way, I strongly doubt it. Though for better feeling, I will make full HD scan.



1. I started using Firefox few weeks ago, though, on the other hand, I made IE preety safe with disabling many options in Internet Options -- Advanced, various security related modifications in gpedit.msc, and various additional registry hacks (additional policies restrictions and others), disabled more than 20 useless, and few of them quite dangerous NT-services (I know what I am doing, using single-user PC, on dial-up ...), see below ...


And beside Firefox (as safer browser), I use many security related applications.


-- a.) Various xp-Antispy app (also commandline version available), and especially small, compact (all these pages contains many differenc apps, and also most of them are "non-setups"), like famous Merijin's apps, Roadkil's apps, apps from Pertinax - Securitysoftware.cc, there are just too many to be listed here.


-- b.) And additionally others, which "patch" many security holes, for example to also list some of them, I just need to mention mostly 10-30 KB, coded in assembler apps, from GibsonResearchCorporation, especially the most important are XPdite, UnPnP, DCOMbob, NoShare, Socketlock, ShoottheMessenger, etc.

/EDIT: Though, I always disable Messenger service already from services.msc, beside other useless NT-services, actually quite many of them possibly dangerous, here is the list I made for this occasion:

Alterer, ClipBook, Indexing Service, Distributed Link Tracking Client, IPSEC Services, Remote Registry Service, Messenger, Remote Desktop Help Session Manager, Secondary Logon, Smart Card, Smart Card Helper, Themes, Wireless Zero Configuration, Automatic Updates, Fast User Switching Compatibility, Error Reporting Service, IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service, Print Spooler, System Restore Service, Volume Shadow Copy, Remote Access Auto Connection Manager, Human Interface Device Access, SSDP Discovery Service


-- c.) And finally as the most important, I am using SpywareBlaster, and ZoneAlarm Pro firewall (version 4.0.146.029, for me the best and surely one of last non-bloated, and "resources fiendly" versions)


Uh yeah, and that "futile" (joke) thing called antivirus too (one that suites the best is CA EZ eTrust Antivirus, version 6.1.7.0, but slowly moving towards actually not using antivirus at all, but that's for another topic maybe ...)


If maybe you are interested, please, see my debate with users on Winforums, about using Microsoft's pathes or not (well, if it is neccessary for my particular case, i.e., dial-up connection, home-user, with quite good understanding of all this security related stuff)


Here is a link (my nick there is also satyr, same as here):

Do we really need software updates?




2. As far as recommending me adware and virus scans, especially about Ad-aware and Spybot S&D sotware:

I used (and huh, installed previously) both for occasional scanning on my previous Windows installations, but I actually do not use them anymore, at least I haven't installed it yet, on this Windows installation. Why ??


CAUSE IN THE END, THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING ALMOUST ONE YEAR (uhm, exept few "spyware cookies, I can simply manually delete those) FOR




3. I consider myself kind of "amateur-computing-professional", so belive me, I know very well what is running, what is installed, what is set to run at startup, etc., etc.


I use various tools from www.sysinternals.com (from Mark Russinovich, all "non-setups", no installation required, just .exe, the "form" of programs I prefer) ...

For example, with TCPview I can monitor and close process, connection (by process which established it) so by separate connection line/entry in its UI (each process usually has manny opened for you to imagine what I mean), so each two endpints, don't know. And there are also TDImon (monitors: activity at the Transport Driver Interface (TDI) level of networking operations in the operating system kernel), Tokenmon (monitors: Logon/logoff, Enabling/disabling privileges, Impersonation, Process creation/exit), and especially Regmon and Filemon, and many, many others.

Not to mention Mark's command-line programs, though they are not so "security related", rather system in general)



So I really know what is going on my system, but thanks for tips anyway.

Hojla !!


Actually, I did virus scan. Well, two scans of two different kinds.
On-line scan, the one you recommended (I think the first one, I mean first link, you listed), and with my antivirus software CA EZ eTrust Antivirus 6.1.7.0 (which of course includes boot-sector scanning), and none was found, as I suspected.


I actually also installed Ad-aware again (first time in this Windows installation), and guess what - as I predicted, it didn't find ANYTHING, with all important options selected a I am was used to scan (deep-registry, inside-archives, etc.), exept few false-alerts, "about:blank", registry restrctions made by SpywareBlaser and some by me, manually in registry in Policies:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

and under Restrictions:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions



Just reporting, thanks all, for your help and suggestions

I've locked this thread since the issue is resolved Please pm a mod if you want it reopened for any reason.

thanks,

ach