Category Archives: Computer Fixes

Broken Computer? Try my trusty list of fixes and other computer tricks.

Windows: No Shell, Explorer.exe not found

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Running Windows XP (2k maybe)? Try to boot your computer and all you get is a background with no icons, no taskbar, no start menu and just a mouse cursor? Try this:

Symptom

When you try to boot your computer: all you get is a background with no icons, no taskbar, no start menu and just a mouse cursor. If you try to launch explorer.exe manually from Task Manager, you get “explorer” could not be found or “explorer.exe” could not be found.

Cause

A registry key that handles how the Windows shell (explorer.exe) loads is corrupt.

Fix

Delete the offending registry key and reboot the computer. Use Task Manager (CTRL+ALT+DEL) to run regedit manually. Then find the following key and delete it:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\
Image File Execution Options\explorer.exe

Then, reboot the computer. Problem solved.

Malware Removal causes STOP: C0000135

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Symptom

You are running Windows XP and you recently removed some malware. After removing the malware, you get the following message on a blue screen (BSOD):

STOP: C0000135 {Unable to locate component} This application has failed to start because [name] was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem.

… where [name] is a word starting with the letters ‘base’ (not winsrv or user32) and has some random crap on the end of it, and you can’t boot the machine anymore.

Cause

You have inadvertently deleted a file windows ‘thinks’ it needs, but doesn’t really. The malware you removed hijacked a registry entry to ensure it is loaded with every Windows session, so you have to un-hijack the registry it to fix it, basically pointing Windows to the original non-malware version of the file it thinks it needs.

Solution

  • Load the hijacked “SYSTEM” hive file on a clean system. (You can do this any way you wish. You can use Windows PE, or another Windows machine; it basically goes like this)
    • Get access to the file called “system” on the infected machine in the folder C:\windows\system32\config (the previous path may be different if Windows is installed in a different folder or on a different drive letter)
    • Use the clean system to run regedit, highlight the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” branch at the left, click “File”, then “Load Hive…”, and point it to the “system” file I talked about above.
    • Regedit will ask you for a name. Just call it “FIX”.
  • Next, navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\FIX\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\SubSystems
    • The folder above called CurrentControlSet may be called ControlSet1 or ControlSet2, or the like. There may be more than one. If you are unsure which one to use, perform the following steps in all of them.
  • At the right, you will see the value at the right called “Windows”. This is the infected registry value. You must replace the value with the following, all on one line:
    • At the right, right click on the item called “Windows”, and select “Modify”, then paste in the following value:
    • %SystemRoot%\system32\csrss.exe ObjectDirectory=\Windows SharedSection=1024,3072,512 Windows=On SubSystemType=Windows ServerDll=basesrv,1 ServerDll=winsrv:UserServerDllInitialization,3 ServerDll=winsrv:ConServerDllInitialization,2 ProfileControl=Off MaxRequestThreads=16
  • When done, go back to the top and highlight the FIX folder underneath HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Then click “File” and “Unload Hive…”
  • Put your fixed machine back together (i.e. put the hard drive back in it, or throw the fixed system file back in the right place . .. or basically reverse whatever you did to get access to the system file )
  • Boot up your fixed computer.

How to burn APE/CUE combo as a disc

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Sometimes I have an APE/CUE image combo of a CD on my computer and I want it on a CD for playing in the car or such, but I don’t have a CD Burning program that can automatically burn an APE/CUE combo as a whole disc with seperate tracks. I do however have a program that can burn a WAV/CUE combo as a disc.

What I do to achieve this is use a converter program (I prefer dbPowerAmp Music Converter with the APE codec plugin) to convert the APE file into a WAV file. I then edit the CUE file to read the filename of my WAV file instead of my APE file. Then, I feed the CUE file to my CD Burning program and I get the disc I want, seperated into the tracks I want.

It works very well. I guess I could get a program that just burns the APE/CUE combo, but I like the tools I have. Besides, what fun is there in having something work perfectly without just a -little- hacking? :)

HP LJ 1020 Spooler Service Restart Revisited

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My previous fix for the HP LaserJet 1020 Spooler Service Restart issue did not stick. Upon reboot of the server, the problem returned and was not correctable in the manner previously described.

I researched the issue again and found a Microsoft forum post where they actually fixed the issue. The fix goes as follows:

  • NOTE: Do this on the machine connected to the printer.
  • Run gpdedit.msc
  • Go to “Local Computer Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers”
    • Set the setting “Allow print spooler to accept client connections” to “Enabled”
  • Go to “User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Printers\”
    • Set the setting “Point and Print Restrictions” to “Disabled”
  • Close the Group Policy Editor
  • Go into the Printers and Faxes control panel, right click on the printer and hit properties.
  • Click the “Ports” tab
  • Uncheck “Enable Bidirectional Printing”
  • Close the Printer panels/windows
  • Run a command line, type in “gpupdate /force”, and hit enter

Fixed!

The forum fix was here.

Windows Printer Reset – Fix 99.9% of Windows XP Printer Issues

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Far be it from me to steal someone else’s fix, but this is just too good to pass up. It’s known as the Windows Printer Reset trick, from this guy. He is so smart!

If you are having weird odd funky problems with printing, this may fix your problem. Read his article first, otherwise, here’s the run down…

1. Startup your computer in safe mode. This is done by repeatedly tapping the F8-key when you first turn on the computer until you see the Windows menu. Select “Safe Mode” and wait until the computer is finished booting up.

2. Delete all files and folders out of these two locations.

  • C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printers
  • C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers\w32×86

3. Open the registry editor. To do this, click Start, click Run, type “regedit” in the Open box, and then press OK.

4. Locate and expand the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows NT x86

There should only be the following two subkeys (delete the rest):

  • Drivers
  • Print Processors

5. Expand the Version-x subkeys, and then delete all the printer driver entries.

6. Locate and then expand the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors

There may be a bunch of different subkeys in this place. These are the only ones that should be there, delete the rest:

  • BJ Language Monitor
  • Local Port
  • PJL Language Monitor
  • Standard TCP/IP Port
  • USB Monitor

You can also delete any extra ports that were created but are no longer needed at this location in the registry if you wish.

7. Check to see if the Print Spooler service is running. To do this, follow these steps:

  • Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
  • Expand Services and Applications, and then click Services.
  • In the details pane, right-click the Print Spooler service, and then click Start (if it is stopped).
  • Exit Computer Management.

If this service doesn’t start, you may have other issues. Head to the link at the end of this article. That that KB page, there is a link to work out printer spooler problems.

8. After all these steps are done, go ahead and restart the computer and try and add a printer. It worked great for me. Hopefully this will help out anyone with that annoying, “Operation can not complete” error.

These steps are a tech’s abridgment of this Microsoft KB article (324757)