Strange 64bit Windows 7 problem

[pheonixman]

System Spec
Windows 7 64bit Home Premium
Toshiba Netbook T130
3GB RAM
150GB HDD

Ok so i'll try and explain my problem the best way I can so please bear with me.
I started to get a very odd problem that i was unable to launch Internet Explorer, i would just get the hour glass circle and it would not open the window when looking at task manager the process iexplore.exe*32 opens briefly and then immediately closes no events generated in the event log.
The first thing I did was reboot my machine and everything worked perfectly again, although now every subsequent reboot i get the same issue.
I noticed that when I have the issue I am still able to run 64bit applications like IE 64bit and MSPaint 64bit.
Task manager seems to show fewer processes as it's failing to start *32 processes.
I'm really stumped with this one and hope someone can offer some advice as I really don’t want to have to resort to a os reinstallation.

 

[yowanvista]

Restore your system to an earlier date
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

 

[pheonixman]

Restore your system to an earlier date
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

Hi
Thanks for the reply i dont have any restore points

 

[Mike Connor]

Download and run this;

Malwarebytes

To see if malware is affecting your machine.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[pheonixman]

Hi Mike
Sorry to be a pain i have already run malwarebytes and initially it did find some malware and removed it, when I scan now it reports nothing.
I have also ran sfc /scannow and it reports it found corrupt files but i'm unsure how to interpret the log file.
Could this be due to malware? It's strange how it only happens after each reboot

 

[Hopalong X]

You need to open/run SFC /scannow as administrator.
Then if it finds problem but does not repair all the problems run it up to three times to fix files.
When it is done running just type the sfc /scannow into the open CMD window again and hit Enter once again.

Worth a try.
Tutorial if you need it.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html?ltr=S

Also this will reset IE to default settings which may work also. Easy to try.
Use Step #2 thru Control Panel since IE won't open properly. When reset try IE.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1222-internet-explorer-reset.html

Mike

 

[Mike Connor]

Hi Mike
Sorry to be a pain i have already run malwarebytes and initially it did find some malware and removed it, when I scan now it reports nothing.
I have also ran sfc /scannow and it reports it found corrupt files but i'm unsure how to interpret the log file.
Could this be due to malware? It's strange how it only happens after each reboot

Removing the malware does not automatically restore settings it changed, or repair other things it damaged or corrupted.You can spend a very long time checking all sorts of things and never find the problem.

With some viruses you can just change the settings it altered after removing it, ( I had two cases of that here yesterday), but where you have multiple viruses, or very "bad" ones ( "bad" in terms of the extent of the damage they cause), then you will never find and repair all the damage.

Unless you have a known "Good" image, the only sensible and reliable solution is a clean install after thoroughly wiping the machine.

Probably needless to say, but you also need to check that your Firewall is then running properly, and that you have a good Anti-Virus program installed.

Once this stuff gets on your machine you might just as well wipe the machine and start fresh. This is obviously extremely annoying, or worse, causing financial losses or other distress, but that is apparently why the perverted souls who write and distribute this stuff do it.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[pheonixman]

Hi Mike
Thanks for the speedy response excellent forum for prompt replies
I totally agree with you and would have done this a long time ago but I have several issues with doing the reinstall
Firstly the windows 7 64bit home premium that is installed on the machine I didn't get a disk for and cannot find how to download it.
Also the recovery partition on the HDD says it was unable to find the system image even though i can clearly see it on the d: drive and the Toshiba HDD recovery say that the recovery of the operating system is impossible!

 

[Mike Connor]

Get this;

Free backup software for data backup & disaster recovery. Hard drive system backup software, disk clone and disk image freeware - EASEUS

Run it, and make an image of the recovery partition. Mount it, and then burn it to disc. You should be able to run it then.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[pheonixman]

Get this;

Free backup software for data backup & disaster recovery. Hard drive system backup software, disk clone and disk image freeware - EASEUS

Run it, and make an image of the recovery partition. Mount it, and then burn it to disc. You should be able to run it then.

Regards....Mike Connor

Just to confirm to make things more difficult i dont have a cd drive as its a netbook, can I use a usb pen?

 

[Mike Connor]

Get this;

Free backup software for data backup & disaster recovery. Hard drive system backup software, disk clone and disk image freeware - EASEUS

Run it, and make an image of the recovery partition. Mount it, and then burn it to disc. You should be able to run it then.

Regards....Mike Connor

Just to confirm to make things more difficult i dont have a cd drive as its a netbook, can I use a usb pen?

Yes. You can use any external medium that the program can find, and is large enough to contain the image.

Burning to disc is really a safety precaution. Make a backup of anything you want to keep before you try to recover. Just in case.

Also, make at least one extra copy of the image before you use it.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[pheonixman]

I don't need to keep anything

So let me get this right

1. Backup my recovery partition only to the pen drive
2. Boot from the pen drive and recover

 

[Mike Connor]

I don't need to keep anything

So let me get this right

1. Backup my recovery partition only to the pen drive
2. Boot from the pen drive and recover

That is correct.

If that does not work, ( it sometimes fails). Then come back and we will try something else.

Remember that you need to boot the image recovery software from the drive. The actual image itself wont boot.

Also, restoring an image to the system drive destroys anything on it.

Which is why a backup of the system is a good idea if you don't have an install disc.

Further, there should be a product key somewhere on your machine, or in the documentation. You may need that to activate the product. Depends on how the OEM set it up. Or copy it from the system disc before you start;

http://www.killertechtips.com/2009/05/25/find-windows-7-product-key/

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[gregrocker]

If irreparable System Files still exist running SFC three times, you can run a Repair Install as a last resort before clean reinstalling. For either of these you need a Win7 installer for your version. Best is to borrow one from a friend, but if you need to download from web, be sure to check comments to see nothing is added and scan with your AV and Malwarebytes.

You can use any Win7 installer in the bit version you want, then extract the ISO using ImgBurn, run as Admin the Ei.cfg Removal Utility to unlock all versions, then write to flash stick by installing UltraISO trial version, on File tab open ISO, on Bootable tab Write Disk Image, Format, Write. Boot under USB or HD's.

Follow these tips to get a perfect reinstall of factory OEM: Reinstalling Windows 7 - Windows 7 Forums

 

[pheonixman]

You need to open/run SFC /scannow as administrator.
Then if it finds problem but does not repair all the problems run it up to three times to fix files.
When it is done running just type the sfc /scannow into the open CMD window again and hit Enter once again.

Worth a try.
Tutorial if you need it.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html?ltr=S

Also this will reset IE to default settings which may work also. Easy to try.
Use Step #2 thru Control Panel since IE won't open properly. When reset try IE.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1222-internet-explorer-reset.html

Mike

Hi
Thanks for your recommendations but I have run sfc multiple times and keep getting the same error.

IE is not just the problem I think it's common to 32bit processes and i'm convinced the malware must have attacked the 32bit subsystem or something as 64bit apps work all the time on every boot

 

[Mike Connor]

IE is not just the problem I think it's common to 32bit processes and i'm convinced the malware must have attacked the 32bit subsystem or something as 64bit apps work all the time on every boot

Indeed, that is almost certainly the case. Some of this stuff can only attack 32 BIT programs as it can not write to the 64 BIT section of the registry.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[pheonixman]

Mike

I have installed the backup software and selected my d: drive partition and it says 124GB is required for the backup which i dont have on my pen drive

 

[Mike Connor]

Mike

I have installed the backup software and selected my d: drive partition and it says 124GB is required for the backup which i dont have on my pen drive

Well, sorry, but if you don't have the space required on the medium you can't do it. You will have to borrow ( or buy!) an external drive with sufficient capacity.

You can TRY!!! just saving the recovery image to the pen drive ( What size is the recovery image? ), with Easeus and then just start recovery. The software MAY!!! drop into a special modus which will allow you to restore the image to the system drive, but this does not always work.

It's up to you. Give it a try, or wait until you have a suitable drive.

What does the 124 GByte you mention consist of? That can not be a normal recovery image. 124 GByte is a very great deal !

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[Mike Connor]

See if you can just "mount" the image in Easeus;



and then look at it using Explorer.

If you can, then you can just make an image of the relevant files to your pen drive, and restore from that.

You have to make the bootable medias using the media builder in Easeus. But that is not very large.




Regards....Mike Connor

 

[pheonixman]

On the recovery partition there is a 132GB VHD file