Has My Computer Got A Virus?

[ashacat]

Everytime I turn on my computer Windows flashes up 2 warning. They say:

The instruction at "0x1000624c" referenced memory at "0x1000624c". The memory could not be "written".

Click OK to terminate the program.

Click cancel to debug the program.

and.....

The instruction at "0x1ff640e" referenced memory at "0x01ff640e" could not be "written".

Click OK to terminate the program.

Click cancel to debug the program.

I have tried clicking on both "cancel" and "OK" however the problem persists. Also I have noticed that this visus seems to slow down the booting up process.

What can I do to get rid of this annoying problem? Please keep it simple as I am allergic to computers!!

Thank you!

[cdnvic]

It's not a virus, don't worry.

Go to Control Panel >>> System >>> Advanced >>> Startup & Recovery >>> Settings

At the bottom make sure "Write debugging information" is set to "none"

Still in the System/Advanced window, go to Performance >>> Settings

Under visual effects choose "adjust for best performance"

Now click on the advanced tab

If the size of the virtual memory file listed at the bottom is under 1000mb, click on "change" and set the custom settings to 1024mb min/ 2048mb max

This problem also happens due to some bugs that Microsoft has already patched, so go to windows update and make sure all the updates have been installed. They also happen less often when using browsers other than Internet Explorer.

[ashacat]

Thanks cdnvic,

I'll give it a go in a sec...

I forgot to mention in my original post btw, at the top of the top up boxes it says "userinit.exe" on the first one and "explorer.exe" error on the second one. This doesn't make any difference to your diagnosis does it??

Cheers.

[cdnvic]

Not really. This problem results from a myriad of causes. I just gave you the fixes to the most common of them.

[ashacat]

Hmmm. Just tried that cdnvic, but it is still happening.

Any other suggestions please?

[cdnvic]

What exact version of Windows is it?

[ashacat]

xe professional

[cdnvic]

According to some postings from MS engineers on MS newsgroups, whats happening is Explorer.exe is crashing and userinit is restarting it for you. The fixes for this they speak of are of a degree of technicality far beyond my abilities so I can't advise them to you. I would backup your data and re-install windows after a format as it is the easiest solution.

Before doing that however, download Memtest and make sure that your RAM isn't at fault, although it's unlikely.

http://www.memtest86.com/

[ashacat]

OK thanks for your help mate.

[silvero]

You can do a few more easy things before reinstalling, at the very least you should try using System Restore, some instructions from Microsoft are here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/h...temrestore.mspx

Have a read through this and give it a try - it's quite straightforward - they key will be to try to recall when the problem first occurred and select a restore point before that time.