System tray items not loading on start and spinning cursor

Hello all


My PC was running fine until yesterday, when it downloaded a Windows update, to be exact http://support2.microsoft.com/kb/3001554.

Shortly afterwards the PC stopped responding, and the clock was stuck at the time of the update. I had to press the power button to shut down.

I restarted and reached to the Windows desktop. The cursor was spinning, and the system tray items (firewall, AV, Adguard etc) didn't load.

I was able to get into safe mode so I did a malwarebytes scan (no issues) and an sfc/scannow scan (which also reported no issues).

I restored an image from a couple of days ago using Macrium reflect. The PC then booted as normal, and worked for a while before the hanging / non-responsiveness returned.

Do you think this is due to the windows update affecting sometining? On one occasion the Windows desktop was loaded but then the screen went black.

If it is, should I try and stop the action centre notifying me about windows update settings from safe mode, or take some other action?

Thanks

ddesktopissue

I restored an image from a couple of days ago using Macrium reflect

If that image was from before installing the update it shouldn't have affected the operation so that suggests something else is going on.
Try Uninstalling KB3001554 in Control Panel, Windows Update and the Installed Updates link at bottom left, then reboot. So far I'm having no issue with it, can play music from HDD, video from HDD, music from CD and movie from DVD.

Berton

Thanks for your reply and helpful suggestion.

I went into safe mode and looked at the installed updates via control panel. It doesn't have 3001554 installed which suggests, as you say, that the restore operation deleted it.

I went into msconfig, hid all MS services, and disabled things like iTunes, Blackberry etc from starting up. But a test restart into normal mode showed no change from before.

I'm wondering about the display. Over the last days, every so often I would right click a program in the toolbar. Instead of the normal right click menu, that menu would flicker on and off at speed, so I could not choose an option from it. Given that it now doesn't load the system tray icons at all, does this suggest anything? As you know, the update was for DVD playing, which is why I thought it may be that. But it is no longer installed, so it can't be that...

Finally, I left it in normal startup mode for ten minutes. Nothing happened, but when I clicked on the clock that came up once, but the second hand wasnt moving. And after I pressed cntrl, alt, del some minutes later the screen went black and I got the message "The logon process was unable to display security and logon options..."

Searching for that message, I found many people suggesting to try netsh winsock reset in safe mode. I did this, and got a success message. But on normal reboot, no change...

I'm stumped. I'd be very grateful for any other thoughts you or anyone else here can offer. :)

Thanks

Further news.

I have restarted the computer and left it. After ten minutes the desktop has a white film over it and a little button in the left corner says "Microsoft Windows". Under that "The application is not responding.." It then gives me the option to wait or terminate. I clicked on wait, and a minute later that button has gone away, but the screen still has the white film over it.

Also, when I start up, I'm not hearing the Windows signature sound for some reason...

Does any of this give anyone any more clues?

Thanks

Hmm.

Is it taunting me or what? I restartede and got the Windows Sound and the Outpost Firewall icon loading quickly in the system tray. Two minutes later, the Sandboxie icon has appeared. Normally, all this takes seconds.

I'll post again if there are any more development. But does anyone know what's going on here???

Thanks

Issue solved - it appears.

Problem was - Outpost firewall.

I stopped it starting up and Windows started and ran perfectly normally.

I have uninstalled Outpost and reinstalled. If the problem is gone after a few resrtarts I will mark this as solved.

Cheers