Re: unable to access ctrl/alt/del or device manager

Tech-Archive recommends: Speed Up your PC by fixing your registry

From: Wesley Vogel (123WVogel955_at_comcast.net)
Date: 02/24/05


Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 08:10:24 -0700


[[When you open System Configuration Utility [MSCONFIG], Registry Editor or
Task Manager, they flash for a second and quit. This symptom is caused by
Viruses.]]

Task Manager, MSCONFIG, or REGEDIT disappear while opening
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/ToolsQuit.htm

HELPCTR.EXE is the Microsoft Help and Support Center. As in Start | Help
and Support

The PF file is a prefetch file.

[[Prefetch files are essentially a resource list. Any time a program is
executed, Windows XP will attempt to find a pre-existing prefetch file, and
if it's available, it will use it to make the application load up faster.
The file will also be updated after it is accessed, so that the more an
application is used, the bigger the drop in loading time (to a point). If
the application doesn't already have an associated prefetch file, Windows XP
will create one. Those files are stored in the \%windir%\prefetch directory.
One important note is that the process depends on the Task Scheduler
service. If the Task Scheduler service isn't running, the prefetch mechanism
isn't used and the files won't be read or updated.]]
http://www.filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=pf

-- 
Hope this helps.  Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In news:AM-dnQvKdJf1Q4DfRVnysQ@pipex.net,
big <nottelling@all.com> hunted and pecked:
> Hi,
> I have had this problem for a while now, but now I need to uninstall
> some CD/DVD drives and graphics card. I clicked to go in to device
> manager and it came on screen, but then dissappeared before I could
> do anything. I tried several times but each time the same happened. I
> also cannot get in to the resource manager by pressing ctrl/alt/del,
> it does the same thing. Now I suspect a virus has corrupted my
> machine somehow, although my norton is all up to date etc. i went in
> to troubleshoot for one of the drives I need uninstalling, and when
> it took me to a page with a link to the device manager, I clicked on
> it and norton immediately came up with a threat message about a
> 'HELPCTR.EXE' file. So i searcehed for this file and found
> 3. One in F:\WINDOWS\Prefetch, one in
> F:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386 & the other in
> F:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\Binaries. The first one is a PF file. Any
> help & advice would be appreciated.
> Many thanks,
> Stuart


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