COM surrogate stopped working error - no solution seems to work

PrinorB · Mar 22, 2012

Hi all,

I have Windows 7 professional and a minimal set of software installed.

I have pretty much exactly the same problem then the one posted here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/136140-com-surrogate-windows-7-64bit.html

I keep getting a "COM Surrogate has stopped working" error when viewing JPEGs with Windows Photo Viewer. This happens at random times when I view the photos. Sometimes it happens when I open the first image but mostly it is at some point when I change to the next picture.

Just as above problem wasn't solved, mine isn't either. I just wondered if anyone had a new idea.

Just to make sure:

I have seen the page at howtogeek.com and:
- I have no Nero or Divx
- I tried to add dllhost.exe to the DEP exception but I get the message "you cannot set DEP attributes on 64-bit executables". I did this under Advanced Settings-> Performance tab: Settings->Data Execution Prevention->Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select:->add.... Also I read somewhere that changing the DEP isn't the best solution for security.
- I will probably have to try disabling thumbnails but this isn't the ideal solution. Also it didn't work for the person that posted the same problem a year ago.
- I am not aware of any Windows 7 codec update (my Windows says there are no updates)
I have seen 'COM Surrogate has stopped working' - Microsoft Answers
- I tried the "clean boot" and with everything disabled, the error still occurred.

I don't know when it started. recently installed Adobe CS5.5 and I am not sure if the error occurred before (because I didn't really looked at pictures). The computer is newly built so I am really not quite sure when this started or if this was there, from the beginning.

Is anyone aware of a solution to this problem?

Thanks for your help!

writhziden · Mar 22, 2012

First, make sure Windows files are as they should be:

Run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html up to three times to fix all errors with a restart in between each. Post back if it continues to show errors after a fourth run or if the first run comes back with no integrity violations.

Also, do you have ANY codecs installed beyond what comes with Windows 7?

Please provide us with your Event Viewer administrative logs by following these steps:

Click Start Menu
Type eventvwr into Search programs and files (do not hit enter)
Right click eventvwr.exe and click Run as administrator
Expand Custom Views
Click Administrative Events
Right click Administrative Events
Save all Events in Custom View As...
Save them in a folder where you will remember which folder and save as Errors.evtx
When asked, save the display information in English.
Go to where you saved Errors.evtx
Create a new folder by right clicking in a blank area within the folder Errors.evtx is saved in. You could also click New Folder at the top of the directory under the directory path box.
Name the new folder Errors.
Place Errors.evtx and the LocaleMetaData folder into the new Errors folder.
Right click the Errors folder -> send to -> compressed (zipped) folder
Upload the .zip file here.

PrinorB · Mar 22, 2012

EDIT: Sorry, I tried to include screenshots...

Thank you for the answer

I tried repairing and I don't think it helped. I did a verify only after the repair and it didn't find anything.

I also attached the Event-viewer. Most of the errors occurred yesterday March 21 when I tried different things.

I am not aware of any codecs other than the windows install.

A list of software installed is attached as well:

All proprietary software is genuine and no hacks etc.

Hmm. I am going to restart and try the fix one more time.

Thanks for the help

PrinorB · Mar 22, 2012

Updated attachment with list of software etc

Looks like there are quite a few errors that I never see... This WMI error seems pretty persistent. Has that got anything to do with it?

writhziden · Mar 22, 2012

Error:

Code:

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.

Can be fixed with Event ID 10 is logged in the Application log after you install Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2

Errors:

Code:

An error was detected on device \Device\Harddisk2\DR2 during a paging operation.

Code:

The system failed to flush data to the transaction log. Corruption may occur.

Suggest that you check your hard disks for errors:

Run Disk Check with both boxes checked for all HDDs and with Automatically fix file system errors checked for all SSDs. Post back your logs for the checks after finding them using http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/96938-check-disk-chkdsk-read-event-viewer-log.html.
For any drives that do not give the message:
Windows has checked the file system and found no problems
run disk check again as above. In other words, if it says:
Windows has made corrections to the file system
after running the disk check, run the disk check again.

PrinorB · Mar 22, 2012

Cool. Thanks.
It seems like the ID 10 error shouldn't cause a problem

I am just running one of the hard disk scans. It is taking a while...
The problem viewing the pics occurred on both my Internal HDD and External HD however. Just to let you know.

writhziden · Mar 22, 2012

No problem. If the hard disk checks do not resolve it, there are a few other options.

PrinorB · Mar 23, 2012

Hi writhziden,

I finished the disk checks. Nothing on E was found. However, at file number 1781 it took a long time to proceed. Then there was a black screen and I had to click "OK" on an error message. Stupidly I didn't note that down (i think it was something about an empty something?). It still said it didn't find any problems. I reran it again and it took a long while at 1781 again. I am not sure if the black screen appeared. I ran it remotely and when I checked again the run was finished. Sorry; that isn't really helpful...

I ran the C drive (SSD) and apparently an error was fixed (ChkdiskCdriveNr1). I ran it another time (ChkdiskCdriveNr2) and nothing was detected. Then I tried viewing the pics but the COM surrogate error returned. It took a long time of flicking rapidly back and forth through pics (I guess about 30-40seconds) where before it occured often much earlier. Afterwards I ran the C drive again (ChkdiskCdriveNr3) but nothing was detected.

Hmm. I am not sure if that is clear...

PS: I also found a VSS error (message attached) that happened at night when I wasn't using the computer. Not sure if that is important.

Thanks so much

PrinorB · Mar 23, 2012

Forgot attachment

writhziden · Mar 23, 2012

If the VSS error only happened once, it is not anything to worry about. Stalls on file numbers usually mean large files are being examined and are nothing to worry about. The fact that you received an error is somewhat concerning, but without knowing the exact error, I cannot determine the nature of it and whether it is significant. Might be worth running a diagnostic on the drive.

At some point, run the short and long tests with SeaTools on the Barracuda drive.

Also, the Crucial M4 drives have seen some crashes and other problems on this forum that were resolved with a firmware update. Is your firmware up to date for the drive? Crucial.com Product Downloads - Firmware Updates

PrinorB · Mar 23, 2012

I followed the procedure outlined here for the VSS error. I hope that was ok...
Event ID 12348

I think my Crucial firmware is up to date c.f. attachment.

I am on testing drives again

.

PrinorB · Mar 23, 2012

Just to let you know. I copied the pics to my C drive (SSD) and viewed them and there is the same problem. I have my operating system on C (and thus photo viewer runs from that drive).

So I am not sure how the Seagate drive can be the problem... I guess it must be a problem with the SSD or with Windows somehow? Someone suggested Windows may be faulty. It's a genuine CD purchased from Newegg but I guess that doesn't mean there can't be problems. Is there any way to find out if the Windows installation has issues that it shouldn't have beyond the Scan that I did to start with?

writhziden · Mar 23, 2012

How old is the installation? Any chance you have a corrupted user file? Fix a corrupted user profile

You could just start by making a new user and see if the problem persists. Then if it does not, think about creating a permanent new user and moving things over through the steps in that link.

PrinorB · Mar 23, 2012

The installation is about two months old. I wouldn't know what should have happened to corrupt it (I also ran virus scans etc.)

I am also not aware that I deleted anything in any file that I shouldn't have. I only changed some of the windows features that were switched on.

I'll try the new user profile anyway.

PrinorB · Mar 24, 2012

Hi writhziden,

I am just about to make a new user profile. Then I noticed another thing. Internet was really slow for a moment and I found the attached errors. I think I kept getting the DNS error before. The name of the script (?) that timed out varies. Should I follow this: Event ID 1014 Microsoft Windows DNS Client - TechNet Articles - Home - TechNet Wiki

Might this be a hardware problem?

I also found a user profile error. Maybe that is relevant (attached) because you were suggesting the user profile had a problem.
http://www.sevenforums.com/member.php?u=184974

PrinorB · Mar 24, 2012

Same with the other user account!

i just created a new account and viewed pics in there. I didn't delete the old one. I don't know if that is important.

Attached is the event viewer stuff that was associated with the new user account.
Note that the first time I logged onto the new user account I hadn't logged out of the old one and I got a message from a program "Panda vaccine" that it is still open in another account and cannot run twice. Some errors might have arisen from that. Then I logged out of the old one and logged into the new one again. In both cases the COM surrogate error occurred.

writhziden · Mar 24, 2012

Yes, proceed through the steps in Event ID 1014 Microsoft Windows DNS Client - TechNet Articles - Home - TechNet Wiki and see if it helps.

Also, how do you connect to the internet? Do you connect directly through a modem provided by your ISP or do you have a router that the computer and modem connect to?

You may also want to look at these: http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/119339-com-surrogate-has-stopped-working.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/6736-com-surrogate-has-stopped-working.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/9701-rc1-com-surrogate-has-stopped-working.html

I am also now subscribed to: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/136140-com-surrogate-windows-7-64bit.html

You have received excellent advice in that thread, as well. It was actually going to be what I suggested next.

PrinorB · Mar 24, 2012

In other words you think I should reinstall windows with a different disk then the one I have? It is the last thing I would want to do because I have some software licensed through the university etc and it would be a pain getting all that back... If it is the only solution that you think would work though. So be it. I connect to a university network through a LAN cable. And i also had a look at all the other posts and tried most of the things (except disabling thumbnails and I didn't find this application that can check codecs (MMCompView). Does something similar exist for Windows 7?)

writhziden · Mar 24, 2012

I was actually thinking you could use a new disc and do a repair install. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html does not affect your programs or user files, so you shouldn't have to get licenses set up again.

You may have to http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html if the repair install does not work, but I would prefer to start with the least invasive method, first.

PrinorB · Mar 24, 2012

quick question: How do I find out if my windows DVD has SP1 installed on it? The resulting installation procedure is different. I thought I try installing with the DVD I have and see if the error persists before downloading something else. Maybe its stupid

COM surrogate stopped working error - no solution seems to work

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