Need help!!!

[Killer360]

Yesterday, I wanted to try this on my parents computer: http://www.smartlaunch.net/webpages/

I installed it, and it asked me if you wanted to make it the permanent kernal or something, I clicked No, so it would only be launched the one time.

This was a bad idea..

This morning my mom started the computer, clicked on her username, and the screen just sat there. Explorer didn't launch, and it's just the mouse and the backround.

I tried launching explorer manually, and it didn't work. HELP!!

I'm not sure what to do, I noticed that the CPU Usage was at 100% and the process the was eating up all the usage was SVCHOST.exe. I ended it, and went over to my computer for a while and Norton said "Norton has blocked a security <something>."

Anyways, I'm wondering if this is a virus, or if smartlaunch royally fucked up the Kernal.

Any advice would be great, the computer is running Windows XP Pro.

[Newby]

Well, I doubt it's a virus, but I don't think you know what the hell you were doing.

Reinstall Windows. Or boot into safe mode and uninstall it. But even that probably won't fix it.

[MyndFyre]

Why would you install a point-of-sale system for cybercafes on your home computer?  That just seems odd to me.

Restart Windows into Safe Mode, and one thing you might try to do is to do a System Restore to a point in time before you installed this program.  Typically, System Restore will have backed that kind of thing up, and it seems like the problem is that you're using a windows service.  That will be disabled once you perform a System Restore, because the area of the registry that is responsible for launching services at startup will be replaced.

Norton most likely detected and blocked multicast traffic coming from the computer because it seems like this software has an administration system (the point-of-sale computers) and client system (the computers that are available for public use).  Seems like Smartlaunch was probably probing the other systems to see if there was already and administrator/client network set up.

Newby, stop telling people to reinstall Windows at the first sign of trouble.  That's stupid.

If a System Restore doesn't work, your next step would be to boot into the Recovery Console using the installation media, and manually disabling the service.  I can talk you through it, but we should try System Restore first.

[Newby]

Newby, stop telling people to reinstall Windows at the first sign of trouble.  That's stupid.

It takes 3 hours total. 1 hour to back shit up, 1 hour to reinstall, 1 hour to put everything back.

Now he's gonna spend that same amount of time trying to fix it, and it may not even be as successful!

[MyndFyre]

It takes 3 hours total. 1 hour to back shit up, 1 hour to reinstall, 1 hour to put everything back.

Bullshit!  I usually figure on a complete wipe and reinstall being 3 days - 1 day to prep and back up my data, and download anything I'll need to reinstall; 1 day to do the installation and patching (although it rarely takes the full day), and then reset my user settings (for instance, disabling "low disk space notification" in the registry); and 1 day to reinstall applications and games.

[Killer360]

Why would you install a point-of-sale system for cybercafes on your home computer?  That just seems odd to me.

Restart Windows into Safe Mode, and one thing you might try to do is to do a System Restore to a point in time before you installed this program.  Typically, System Restore will have backed that kind of thing up, and it seems like the problem is that you're using a windows service.  That will be disabled once you perform a System Restore, because the area of the registry that is responsible for launching services at startup will be replaced.

Norton most likely detected and blocked multicast traffic coming from the computer because it seems like this software has an administration system (the point-of-sale computers) and client system (the computers that are available for public use).  Seems like Smartlaunch was probably probing the other systems to see if there was already and administrator/client network set up.

Newby, stop telling people to reinstall Windows at the first sign of trouble.  That's stupid.

If a System Restore doesn't work, your next step would be to boot into the Recovery Console using the installation media, and manually disabling the service.  I can talk you through it, but we should try System Restore first.

Thanks! I know it seems lame-assed, but I just wanted to test the trial, then uninstall it.
Can you please give me some instructions on how to do a system restore without being able to access explorer?

[iago]

Thanks! I know it seems lame-assed, but I just wanted to test the trial, then uninstall it.
Can you please give me some instructions on how to do a system restore without being able to access explorer?

Reboot the computer, while it's booting Windows hit F8.  Pick "Boot in safe mode" or whatever.  Pray.  If that fails to boot, I suspect you're outta luck and will have to get into the hard stuff. 

You might also be able to use the "Last known good configuration" from that menu.  I think that might actually do the same thing.

Good luck!

[Explicit]

Repairing the installation would also be another option.  After all, it does keep the files intact, which is what you want.

[MyndFyre]

Thanks! I know it seems lame-assed, but I just wanted to test the trial, then uninstall it.
Can you please give me some instructions on how to do a system restore without being able to access explorer?

Reboot the computer, while it's booting Windows hit F8.  Pick "Boot in safe mode" or whatever.  Pray.  If that fails to boot, I suspect you're outta luck and will have to get into the hard stuff. 

You might also be able to use the "Last known good configuration" from that menu.  I think that might actually do the same thing.

Good luck!

LKG is hit-or-miss.  I can't recall precisely when the hardware profile is saved as "Last Known Good," it might be immediately after GINA authenticates, or it might be when control is passed to the shell, or even before authentication.

Safe mode is the easiest way to get into System Restore.  When you reboot into safe mode, it will ask you whether you want to use System Restore or boot into the shell.  Specifying System Restore will skip loading explorer altogether and go straight to the System Restore UI.

I have to say that SR is far improved over the first version that shipped with Windows "Me".  But like most of the 9x-based Windows, "Me" sucked.

[Killer360]

Ok, well, when I hit F8, it had a blue screen saying "Windows Setup" at the top, and it said what it was loading at the bottom. I pressed R to get into the "Recovery Console" and now what I have on the screen is this:

The recovery console provides system repair and recovery funcationally

Type EXIT to quit the recovery and restart the computer

Which windows installation would you like to log onto
(To cancel press ENTER)? 1
Type the administrator password: <I entered my password>

C:\WINDOWS>

Is that where I'm suppost to be?

[iago]

I think you have the Windows cd in your computer.  Pull it out, boot, and hit F8 while booting.  It should give you a few choices, and one of them should be "Safe Mode"

[MyndFyre]

iago is correct.

[Killer360]

Ok, I tried Last Known Good and it did boot, but it still didn't launch the desktop and start menu. When I try CTRL+ALT+DEL it works and I can specify which programs I want to launch, IE worked. I just can't load iexplore.exe

Safe Mode worked too, but I didn't see the System Restore in the menu.

When I hit F8, I hit Safe Mode and it launched safe mode and it showed me the windows login screen but it still didn't give me explorer. I also didn't see a System Restore option.

[MyndFyre]

Ok, I tried Last Known Good and it did boot, but it still didn't launch the desktop and start menu. When I try CTRL+ALT+DEL it works and I can specify which programs I want to launch, IE worked. I just can't load iexplore.exe

Safe Mode worked too, but I didn't see the System Restore in the menu.

When I hit F8, I hit Safe Mode and it launched safe mode and it showed me the windows login screen but it still didn't give me explorer. I also didn't see a System Restore option.

When you launch safe mode, it prompts you "Would you like to start System Restore or go into Explorer?" after you log in as an administrator.  Or something along those lines.  It is a yes/no dialog, and it'll tell you which (yes or no) will take you to System Restore.

[Killer360]

Thanks, I got it working now.

When the computer started up, and I clicked my username, I did CTRL+ALT+DEL and then clicked new task then ran msconfig then clicked on do a system restore, it then did a restart and now it's working!

Thanks!