Vista PC Problems - Help !

bristol_pilot

I bought a new PC a couple of months ago with Vista Home Premium installed. The other software installed is MS Office (pre-installed) and Kaspersky Anti-Virus (put on by me on the first day of use). I also had Yahoo Messenger on but have since removed it.

Everything was fine until just yesterday when things (like bits of Windows)seem to just stop working at random. I have a had a bluescreen a couple of times and get messages like:

Windows shut down unexpectedly
Windows Explorer stopped working
Microsoft Windows Search Indexer Stopped Working
Microsoft Windows Search Protocol Host stopped working
Remote Procedure call stopped working
Superfetch stopped working
Desktop Window Manager stopped working
Host processor windows servicing stopped working
Internet Explorer stopped working
Kaspersky Anti-Virus stopped working
Local Security Authority Process stopped working

Can anyone advise what the problem is and what can be done? The PC is under warranty but it is a lot of inconvenience to return it (it was bought mail order) plus the warranty is for hardware only. If I return the PC and no hardware fault is found there is a charge of £35. The Microsoft Windows memory scan thingy (that Vista advised me to run) says that there IS a hardware fault (with no further details) - how reliable is that diagnosis?

Any help much appreciated !

albertross_2

try a system restore.

Fonz_2

Have you installed anything new in the last couple of days? Could you use system restore to go back a few days?

bristol_pilot

Sorry, forgot to mention that I did a system restore to the earliest point available, which was several days before the problems started.

Fonz_2

Is there a certain point when the errors appear? Is it when you're using a certain application, or on startup, or after a certain amount of time?

Jzpop

If I understand correctly, you have performed the standard Vista memory check, similar to -
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial146.html

This reported that memory problems were found, but did not report which errors it found, or which memory module is faulty? If so, all you can do is remove one module (or pair, if you are using paired memory), and see whether the faults disappear. If they do, you have found the faulty ram, and need to replace it (under warranty). If not, reverse the procedure (reinstall the ram you removed and remove the other module(s) ).

You might also want to perform the self-repair steps outlined at the link below, in case your faulty ram has damaged any system files -
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial148.html

bristol_pilot

Thanks Fonz, no it appears to be random. Using Internet Explorer, Windows start-up or just plain doing nothing. Latest problem was today, when I locked the computer while I went to make a coffee and when I got back it wouldn't accept my password - said I had the wrong handle. I restarted Windows and logged in but the the Anti-Virus wasn't working and there was a message from the anti-virus program saying something was corrupted. I restarted again and the computer is OK now, which is how I am able to type on this forum - for now!

albertross_2

Have you scanned for malware? See sticky thread above.

JonnyThunder

Random issues crashing applications is usually down to a physical memory fault. I'd remove a stick and run without it for a bit. If it doesn't fix the issue, try just the other stick by itself (in the same slot). If that doesn't work, try a single stick again in a different slot etc.

If none of these configurations work, then i'm not sure what it would be. But it's a really good place to start.

bristol_pilot

Yes I have scanned for malware - nothing found by Windows Defender. There has been Anti-Virus on since day 1.

Jzpop,
Yes, the test I did was as you described (prompted by Vista). The test found a hardware fault but did not say where it is. I did the startup repair from disk as suggested in the second link in your post, it said there was nothing wrong with my installation of Vista.
If this gets narrowed down to a hardware fault, I will either return the PC or ask for replacement memory to be sent out by post. Both are covered by warranty, but I want to eliminate software as an issue first.

andipandi_2

you need other spyware,malware detection software as well,i use A squared free,avg anti root kit free,spybot search and destroy,best to have a multi layered aproach to spyware,malware because each may find something the other cannot.