Active desktop turns off by it self

You may have an anti-"anti-virus"-virus (or a Stealth virus)... You may need to recover or clean up and reinstall everything on your computer again...

Hi, menghu1989!

Welcome to the CR4 Blog-site. Hope you enjoy yourself, learn a lot, and if you are able, contribute some occasional knowledgeable help to your fellow engineers in here. Great to have you aboard.

Mark

Hi Decebalus,

I suggest that you get another AntiVirus/AntiAdware/AntiSpyware (AV/AA/AS) program and install it. My first place to look would be my Internet Service Provider (ISP). Many ISPs provide free AV/AA/AS programs. Run the AV scan and the Spyware scan (if it's separate) and see what it finds. If you can't get your hands on free software, spend $25 - $50 for Symantec, McAfee, or other well-known AV/AA/AS software. It's better than having to wipe and reinstall!

If the new AV/AA/AS software doesn't find anything, then there is probably a glitch in your OS.

Try what I've suggested and come back and let us know what happened.

Mike

Thank you, Mikerho,

When the problem started I had Avast Antivirus that did not find any virus after scan. I switched on NOD32, I scaned again and nothing. I have an other thing name Ad-Aware SE Personal that cannot find anything either. Do you think they are not enough efficient?

Hi Decebalus,

With this new info you have given, and after reading some of the other posts, I am thinking that this may not be virus-related at all.

It may be that you have a corrupted or outdated video driver.

The first thing I would do is to update my video driver. If you have Windows XP:

• Right click on "My Computer" and click "Properties"
• Click on the "Hardware" Tab
• Click the "Device Manager Button" - You will then see a list of your system hardware.
• Click on "Display Adapters"
• Below that, double-click on the item that corresponds to your video card - This will open the properties dialog for your video card.
• Click on the "Driver" Tab, then click on the "Update Driver" Button
• This will bring up the "Hardware Update Wizard" Dialog - It is asking you "Can Windows connect to Windows Update to search for software?"
• Choose "Yes, this time only"
• Wait while the search is in progress
• If it finds newer drivers, (it will tell you if it doesn't), choose the driver that is already selected and follow the prompts to install it.

Let us know what happens!

Mike

Thank you Mikerho. I do not have XP, it is 2000Pro. It stoped for a while but started again.

What I noticed: after a couple of hours of well running, explore.exe or iexplorer.exe take a huge capacity of memory, 40-100 Mb, read on Task Manager, and just crush in that specific way, the active desktop turn off.

I changed Antivirus and Antispyware, after scan they found Vundo and it was fixed. But the symptom is still there.

You can try clicking your mouse pointer in the open blank area of the computer screen and then using the key combination "ALT" + F4 which closes the active windows program.

If you click on a normal Windows desktop with no other programs running it will initiate a shutdown sequence. This is my prefered way to exit windows because I have trouble using "START" to stop.

Good luck.

if you can get to a run dialog box ([windows key] + r or from task manager) and type "explorer.exe" then you can restore the icon,startmenu, etc program .

This is simply one of the costs of running Windows, you will be attacked and you will have to pay good money after bad. Microsoft is unstable and very vulnerable. This is why so many are leaving Microsoft for good and going to MAC and/or Linux.

Hi,

assuming you have a legal copy of Windows, I strongly recommend you use the Help feature to find answers. That way you will not be inundated with rhetoric and falsehoods. If I buy a particular tool, who do I ask for assistance in using it? It makes sense to go to the makers ...doesn't it?

When this happens try right-clicking on the desktop. You should get a drop down menu. find the <refresh> button and right click it. That should bring the Desktop back up, everything else being equal.

Does this happen when you exit every program or just certain programs?

Let me know how it's going.

Orpheuse

Thank you Orpheuse, but does not work.

Every now and then my daughter's computer won't boot. I find that unplugging it from the the electricity from the system side and then plugging it back in works every time.

I just don't know why this works. It shouldn't make a difference but it does work for her.

You know, looking at it again, the system may be going into hibernation. I would turn off all hibernation and screen savers.

Keep us posted.

Orpheuse

What version of IE are you running? Did change versions recently?

I switched on Firefox and nothing new.

I'm running an Intel Duo Core, 3 Gig of RAM, 3 266Gig Hard disks all under Windows XP with the latest updates

I use I.E. 7.0.5730.13 (no update) But I only use IE7 for sites that absolutely require it - like my daughter's school site.

Usually I use Mozilla Firefox version 2.0.0.13 - I like Firefox better. It handles tab browsing better than IE7. And it rarely crashes.

I changed browsers sometime in November 2007 or there abouts. I recall that there was a warning of a virus that no one had a block and clean for so I said "Chuck it" and switched to Firefox.

I was a little upset right after I installed Firefox because I thought I lost my 'Favorites'. I had to go into the 'My Computer' tab and copy My Favorites into Firefox. I lost some of my Folders, that is, the folder itself but not the website names - so be aware of that.

Besides, I really don't like Bill Gates very much. I find that Microsoft promises you the Sun, Moon and Stars and then delivers Vista r.1, sp2 and, frankly, I hate it.

I hope this helped.

Orpheuse

FWIW, I have a similar issue. However, my situation only occurs when I first start my computer. It never happens twice in a row (meaning I only have to reboot once) and usually happens about two or three times every 2 weeks, about 10% - 15% of my starts.

try going online and see if there are any updates for your mother board and sound card.

Orpheuse

Hello,

What is the size of your page file?

I do not know what do you mean by page file?

Go to start/computer/r clk then properties/advanced system settings/performance settings/advanced/virtual memory/change.

The panel will include page file size / clk custom and change size to about 740MB

set and exit. Over time windows uses a portion of HD space to store temporary files and it becomes a jumbled mess.

Go to start left clk computer/r clk C:/properties/ run disc clean up. reboot

It is strange that none of the answers to Decebalus's problem point a finger at the operating system that is known to have problems. I through out my Microsoft operating system a couple years ago and all my system failures with it. Yes, I have had a few hardware failure but not system failures since.

I'm sure we are all aware of Windows faults, it only takes 10 minutes to discover something you hate about any Windows release. I was told (by a Linux programmer) that it's part of the price you pay for backward compatibility.

Most new users buy a system with Vista pre-installed. Problem is - no backward compatibility. I've seen end users throwing good money after bad by buying new software that is supposed to work with Vista.

I haven't seen problems like this since Windows 3.1. We will survive but we won't be happy till our stuff works!

As for Linux Distro's, most new-be's are intimidated by the Command Line and the learning curve. Besides, they really like the 'point and click' concept.

I'm waiting for Ubuntu to grow up a bit, besides, I have too many users that I have to support on Windows.

Orpheuse

You have missed out on one Linux desktop distribution that even a died in the wool Windows user would rave about, http://www.pclinuxos.com/. In fact, you can buy a very advanced computer with PCLinuxOS already installed for far less than you can buy the same machine with Vista or (like so many are opting to do) XP installed, see http://linpc.us/. In fact, I bet if you asked Eric, he could put you on in dual boot with windows if you wanted, but he will tell you, he makes his living as a service tech repairing the same windows systems about once every six months.

To let you know, I am a dinosaur (age 75) who does not do commandline at all. I did, however, successfully built (actually rebuild) my own primary computer. It is now an AMD 64 X2 dual core 4000+ processor on an Asus M2N-E motherboard with 2 gig of DDR2 ram, a PCIe video card to run my new 19" Acer LCD monitor for less than $500. I run PCLinuxOS exclusively. I got rid of Windows, WIn2000pro, two years ago and have not been bother with malware since. I love my PCLinuxOS and will continue to actively support it and the open source community.

I prefer the challenge and I too make a little every six months (:

Nah I've got so much MS software it'd be brutal to switch OS.

After your boot up and splash screen, does the system take you to the desktop or to a login screen. If it's a login screen it may be that the system is only allowing your profile to stay logged in for a certain period of time.

This answer is a 'grasp at straws' because I don't use the login feature so I'm not even sure that Windows can do this, but with all the attacks that Windows is prone to, it may be an 'undocumented feature' (that's inside code for a bug in the software).

Since I don't use the login feature I don't know how to turn it off without a format/reload.

Please, please make a backup of your data files and make sure you have all of your software install disks so you can reinstall after a format/reload.

BTW, did you try using the on board graphics system instead of your graphics card? Let me know if this is giving you trouble and I'll talk you through it.

Good luck,

Orpheuse

Go to start/control panel/user accounts/ change pass word and turn it off in the administrative account. At next reboot the feature will not reappear.

#8

"Ad-Aware SE Personal" has now latest version "Ad-Aware 2007" from majorgeeks.com or else

Although Ad-Aware by Lavasoft is quite effective for spy-wares, I have been using since it appeared as a

"Warning Site" for AddWares, I recommend ...

Spybot-S&D as it is easy to update & has "Resident" to watche for new or deleted malware items, while this facillity in

Ad-Aware 2007 is in its Pro edition.

BHO, Browser Helper Object are also a problem & looked-in by Spybot-S&D

A BHO is a small program that extends Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Examples of BHO usage include visible add-on toolbars in Internet Explorer, but can also be hidden functions. Ad- and spyware as well as browser hijackers often use BHOs to display ads or follow your track across the internet, because a BHO has access to each URL you visit and can redirect you or display other pages than you requested (ads, for example).

BHOs often use ActiveX installation programs.

Try for AV free edition of AVG by Grisoft. I have found it very effective & daily on-line-update, Scan on Boot

http://free.grisoft.com/

Hope may be of any help.

Note:

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/

distributes daily a registered programm free of cost daily.

Thank you guys for your help.

Amazing but now it seem to be fixed. At least for now, in last two days it worked well.

What was the problem? The name is Trojan Vundo Variant or, Gen.10, or Vunto, could has a couple of other names. This Trojan created a lot of extensions type "dll" files in System32, but in other places too, for example Temporary Internet Files. I run one by one a couple of Antivirus trial softwares. I had Avasti. It can not detect it. AVG, Nod32, NortonAV either. BitDefender detected it after online scanned but was not able to remove it. I tried a couple of VundoFix-es, RemoveOnReboot, HighJacks etc. Nothing...

The job was done by Sophos, trial version, that detected in first and second day after installing around 5 roots of Vundo and 10-12 extensions, and cleaned them in a minute.

How worked the virus in the computer? It caused the running program to take a huge amount of memory, for example explore.exe took 95 Mb, usually it works on my machine at 25Mb. First I got Low Virtual Memory. Then the system crashed when any program started running. I installed Firefox and it helped a lot is not so vulnerable like Internet Explorer.

Once again

Thank you guys for your help.

Amazing but now it seem to be fixed. At least for now, in last two days it worked well.

What was the problem? The name is Trojan Vundo Variant or, Gen.10, or Vunto, could has a couple of other names. This Trojan created a lot of extensions type "dll" files in System32, but in other places too, for example Temporary Internet Files. I run one by one a couple of Antivirus trial softwares. I had Avasti. It can not detect it. AVG, Nod32, NortonAV either. BitDefender detected it after online scanned but was not able to remove it. I tried a couple of VundoFix-es, RemoveOnReboot, HighJacks etc. Nothing...

The job was done by Sophos, trial version, that detected in first and second day after installing around 5 roots of Vundo and 10-12 extensions, and cleaned them in a minute.

How worked the virus in the computer? It caused the running program to take a huge amount of memory, for example explore.exe took 95 Mb, usually it works on my machine at 25Mb. First I got Low Virtual Memory. Then the system crashed when any program started running. I installed Firefox and it helped a lot is not so vulnerable like Internet Explorer.

http://www.us-cert.gov/