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My HP Media Center PC with vista has odd behavior: destroys usb drive, crashes computer
My HP Media Center PC with vista has odd behavior: destroys usb drive, crashes computer
- I have a serious problem: my computer is destroying itself!
It all started when I ran pinnacle studio 8 installation in compatability mode for windows xp service pack 2. After that, Windows Media Center Receiver Service Started Crashing. Then RunDLL32 windows host process. And then COM Surrogate. The last one it started crashing was Windows DVD maker. For A while I didn't Know why. Then I discovered it was Pinnacle and it was using AVI files (I'm not kidding, AVIs) to crash programs. I immediatelly probed my system for anytyhing with the name pinnacle or AVI and deleted it.
Here's where I was REALLY stupid. I found the LAST pinnacle files in my PC . As I ran the uninstaller, I noticed its name was UNWISE. I Ignored it.I got rid of all the pinnacle files, but it still crashed those programs!
And JUST when I thought it couldn't get ANY worse, I put in a USB device. As SOON as I took it out , the screen changed To blue and it said
Start process: minidump
Dumping Physical Memory
IMMEDIATELY I cut the power to the PC, took out the USB port, And turned on the PC. Fine.
THEN IT SAID:(in a window)
Windows has recovered from an unexpected Shut Down.
I clicked "More Details"
The name of the program: BlueScreen.
AAAAH! The Blue Screen Of Death!
I Put in my USB device Again and took it out. Nothing happened. LITERALLY!
MY DRIVE WAS DESTROYED!
If anybody could help me out I'd really appreciate it
-ComputerHamster
All Replies
- That minidump was a virus - a fake bluescreen. You can Alt-Tab out of it.
Your thumbdrive probably bit the dust when you pulled the plug, your power supply is probably next to go.
Unwise.exe is the uninstallation program for Pinacle, as it's installed with the WISE installation wisard
you should put your windows CD into your drive a boot from it, press R at the beginning screen and run chkdsk /r /p to clean up your drive.
then boot windows in safe mode and scan for virii with Malwarebytes or Avira.
Your thumbdrive might still work if you go into control panel to computer management and click on Disk Management. On the lower division of the right side of the management console it shows the drives identified by the system, whether they are initialized or not. You may just have to re-initialize it and format it.
Good luck - Been there and it still does it. I'd say you are using America Online LLC. Take note of error on Blue Screen and Windows defender history will lead you to the problem child. I get this error, trap cause unknown , then, no less than equal . I have changed drives to isolate problem, no difference. Then I signed on Master name on ISP and no crash. Only crahes when I use my normal account name.
And this is after a clean install backed by a format. I had an old AMD K-6 500 it went >3< years between formats with Win 98. And now I use XP and Vistas and I cannot belive what Im seeing. And America depends on computers. Someone needs to get on the stick. Keep me in mind and get some more people in on this. I know of hundreds more in this same Blue Screen sinking ship and some are in other parts of the world. The area where problem is here is the Winsock thingie. Good Luck and keep me informed if it quits. Id say malware of an ISP kind. And who knows what will happen next :)
