task manager windows xp

[rappoman]

When opening task manager on my windows xp. the task manager immediately minimises to the task bar and cannot be opened.If i right click on this minimised window it gives no options, not even allowing me to close it. To close it i need to reboot the computer. Any advice would be appreciated (please bear in mind i am a complete novice)

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi rappoman,

Welcome at Wilders. :)

Could you post your HijackThis log (http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/)
Download, Unzip and run HijackThis, Then click Scan > Save log, save the log as a .txt file and copy & paste its content into your next post. Please run the scan with the Taskmanager in it's minimized state.
Don´t fix anything yet. Most of what it finds is harmless.

Regards,

Pieter

[rappoman]

Thanks Pieter
i have attached to this the txt file I must point out that i now have a new similar problem. There is a minimised internet explorer window on the task bar which i cannot maximise or close. this is the same problem that i am having with the task manager. However i am able to continue using internet explorer and open as many new windows as i want (just the one is "frozen"on the taskbar)
i have had to rename the file as test.txt as this forum wont let me send the file as is as it says "this filename is already taken"

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi rappoman,

I see no apparent reason for this happening in your log.
The only strange entry is:
O4 - Startup: Belkin USB WLAN Monitor.lnk = F:\RECYCLER\NPROTECT\00005714.EXE

These are the programs you can experiment with:
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CnxDslTaskBar] F:\Program Files\Conexant\AccessRunner ADSL\CnxDslTb.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Advanced Tools Check] F:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\AdvTools\ADVCHK.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AdaptecDirectCD] "F:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 5\DirectCD\DirectCD.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "F:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] F:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [H/PC Connection Agent] "F:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\WCESCOMM.EXE"
O4 - Global Startup: KODAK Picture Transfer Software.lnk = ?
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = F:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE

If disabling the first one does not fix your problem, I would advise you to uncheck all of them in msconfig and reboot.
If that helps you can start checking them one by one, until the problem re-appears. Then you will have found the guilty party.
None of them are necessary for your computer operating properly, but you might find some of them usefull.

Keep us posted,

Pieter

[rappoman]

Thanks Pieter
tried first disabling the one, did not work. Then disabled all as you suggested but unfortunately to no avail. I am still unable to open my taskmanager (whether i do ctrl+alt+del or right clicking on my task bar) i still end up with a minimised task manager icon on my task bar which cannot be maximised or closed. Is there any way for me to reinstall just my task manager from my windows XP cd?

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi rappoman,

Please first try doing an online virusscan, you can find several listed here:
http://www.wilders.org/free_services.htm

If nothing is found:
Start > Run > type or paste sfc /scannow > click OK
Windows will check if all important files are present and uncorrupted. If any are in need to be replaced, you will be prompted to insert the XP CD.

Keep us posted,

Pieter

[rappoman]

Still no luck Pieter
Did a few virus scans, no problems. Then did the xp self scan for protected files, again no problems. Task manager still cannot be maximised.
Mike

[Pieter_Arntz]

Hi rappoman,

Could you try this:
copy the bold print below to notepad and then save that file as taskmanager.reg
Doubleclick it and confirm to the prompt if you want to add it to the registry.
Always make a backup before changing the registry. In this case making a Restore point manually should do.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\TaskManager]
"UsrColumnSettings"=hex:1c,0c,00,00,34,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,78,00,00,00,01,00,\
00,00,1d,0c,00,00,35,04,00,00,01,00,00,00,23,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,1e,0c,00,\
00,36,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,5d,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,1f,0c,00,00,39,04,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,64,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,20,0c,00,00,37,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,78,\
00,00,00,01,00,00,00
"Preferences"=hex:9c,02,00,00,e8,03,00,00,02,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,\
fa,ff,ff,ff,20,00,00,00,8e,01,00,00,e7,01,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,\
00,00,00,03,00,00,00,04,00,00,00,ff,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,04,\
00,00,00,06,00,00,00,07,00,00,00,08,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0c,00,00,00,0d,00,\
00,00,0f,00,00,00,10,00,00,00,ff,ff,ff,ff,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,\
00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,\
0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,0b,00,00,00,6b,\
00,00,00,23,00,00,00,63,00,00,00,72,00,00,00,64,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,5d,00,\
00,00,46,00,00,00,3c,00,00,00,3c,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,\
00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,\
46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,00,00,00,46,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,04,00,00,00,05,00,\
00,00,06,00,00,00,07,00,00,00,08,00,00,00,09,00,00,00,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,47,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00


HTH,

Pieter

[rappoman]

You wont believe this Pieter, I havent used notepad for ages.So following the advice you gave me, i needed to open notepad to paste as you suggested. On opening the notepad i am experiencing exactly the same problem as with the task manager. Iit immediately minimises to the taskbar and will not allow me to maximise the programme. The only difference compared to the task manager, is that when i right click on this minimised notepad it does close. So now i also have a notepad which is non functional
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.(is there any way of reinstalling my windows xp but without deleting all existing files-or do you think that this wont help?)
thanks
mike

[rappoman]

Pieter
problem solved
i uninstalled a pinnacle video editing program that has been the root of all the evil on my machine!!
as soon as i uninstalled my pinnacle pro one which compresses video files in real time, everything is back to normal
thanks for all the help
mike ;)

[Pieter_Arntz]

Good job, rappoman.

I was beginning to become desperate when I read about your troubles with notepad, to be honest.
Thanks for posting the solution. That might come in handy sometime.

Regards,

Pieter