IE7 crashes w/ ModName unknown, and wupdmgr.exe opens wrong web browser

[ncdave]

History: this is an HP desktop computer (Athlon XP 2200+ CPU) running XP
Home which died with badcaps on the motherboard. Upon replacement of
the motherboard, it ran, but very slowly. I did "offline" malware scans (with the
HDD attached to a clean computer, using several tools) and removed a bit of
adware (sorry, I don't remember what). Then I reinstalled the HDD in the HP
PC, and scanned it with Norton, SpySweeper, & Spybot. I disabled a lot startup
programs, and defragged the hard disk drive, and squished the registry with
ntregopt. Now the machine runs well, except for a couple of quirks.


Symptom #1:

Internet Explorer keeps crashing. Open a few tabs, and *boom* IE7 crashes,
with ModName unknown. The offset varies, but several times I've seen it
crash with Offset 74373235.

IE7 works well enough to be able to do Windows Updates within IE7, if you
don't open other tabs.

This does not happen with other programs, including FireFox 3. I've installed
the Firefox add-on for doing Wndows Updates within Firefox, and it works fine,
and never crashes.

The crash still happens if IE7 with add-ons disabled is run.

The crash still happens in "Safe Mode With Networking," when logged in as
a different user ("Administrator").

I've let Dial-A-Fix fix everything, to no avail.

I copied the crash info from some of the crashes:

AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 7.0.6000.16705 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 2d6e6541

AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 7.0.6000.16705 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 323d6f7a

AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 7.0.6000.16705 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 34323d6f

AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 7.0.6000.16705 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 74373235

AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 7.0.6000.16705 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 74373235

AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 7.0.6000.16705 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 35322574

AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 7.0.6000.16705 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 74373235

These two crashes were in "Safe Mode With Networking" from the Administrator account:
AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 7.0.6000.16705 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 6e6f7742

AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 7.0.6000.16705 ModName: unknown
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 32353225

Googling finds no discussion of this problem.


Symptom #2:

On every other computer I've used, the Windows Update program, wupdmgr.exe,
runs iexplore.exe, regardless of what is used as the default web browser. Not
this one. On this computer, it opens a dysfunctional web browser window that
has the old IE6 icon in the upper-left corner (and on the Task Bar), and then it
immediately opens the current default browser (either IE7 or FireFox) to view
the windowsupdate web site.

The dysfunctional web browser window looks a lot like a real web browser window,
with "Microsoft Internet Explorer" as the title bar caption. A few of the menu
items work (e.g., lock & unlock toolbars), but most of the menu items do nothing.
Unfortunately, "About Internet Explorer" is one of the menu items that does
nothing, so I can't tell what version of IE it thinks it is. Trying to surf to a web
site causes another window to open, with the default browser (FireFox or IE7)
displaying the requested web site.

Since IE is unreliable on this machine, Firefox is usually the default web browser
(except when I'm experimenting). So I installed the Firefox add-on to do Windows
Updates, and that works fine.

The dysfunctional browser window is invisible to Process Explorer v11.21, and
does not show up in the process list of Task Manager. Iexplore.exe does not
appear in either process list. Exiting the dysfunctional browser window with
Process Explorer runnung produces no change in the process list, and no
red-highlighted dying process.

However, the dysfunctional browser window does appear in the Applications
list of Task Manager. Right-click on it & "Go To Process" highlights explorer.exe
(not iexplore!) in the process list.

Any ideas?

Dave Burton



Here's my HijackThis log:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 2:44:54 PM, on 9/8/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16705)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\brsvc01a.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\brss01a.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 5.0\PhotoshopElementsFileAgent.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\APC\POWERC~1\agent\pbeagent.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\AluSchedulerSvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Webroot\Spy Sweeper\SpySweeper.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe
C:\Program Files\Webroot\Spy Sweeper\SpySweeperUI.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Webroot\Spy Sweeper\SSU.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://us6.hpwis.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://srch-us6.hpwis.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://srch-us6.hpwis.com/
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://home.bellsouth.net/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://srch-us6.hpwis.com/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://keyword.netscape.com/keyword/%s
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = localhost
O2 - BHO: (no name) - AutorunsDisabled - (no file)
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {1E8A6170-7264-4D0F-BEAE-D42A53123C75} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\coShared\Browser\1.7\NppBho.dll
O2 - BHO: Spybot-S&D IE Protection - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] "C:\WINDOWS\System32\igfxtray.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] "C:\WINDOWS\System32\hkcmd.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Symantec PIF AlertEng] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\PIFSvc.exe" /a /m "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\AlertEng.dll"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Windows Defender] "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe" -hide
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SpySweeper] "C:\Program Files\Webroot\Spy Sweeper\SpySweeperUI.exe" /startintray
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] "C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\RunOnce: [] "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/ser...0006f.00000148
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [ALUAlert] C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUNotify.exe (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [Symantec NetDriver Warning] C:\PROGRA~1\SYMNET~1\SNDWarn.exe (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\RunOnce: [SRUUninstall] "C:\WINDOWS\System32\msiexec.exe" /x {6AF90EF6-F7F9-466C-99F4-1774826FBB40} /qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [ALUAlert] C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUNotify.exe (User 'Default user')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\RunOnce: [SRUUninstall] "C:\WINDOWS\System32\msiexec.exe" /x {6AF90EF6-F7F9-466C-99F4-1774826FBB40} /qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress (User 'Default user')
O4 - S-1-5-18 Startup: AutorunsDisabled (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - .DEFAULT Startup: AutorunsDisabled (User 'Default user')
O4 - .DEFAULT User Startup: AutoPlay.exe (User 'Default user')
O4 - .DEFAULT User Startup: AutoTBar.exe (User 'Default user')
O4 - Startup: AutorunsDisabled
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
O9 - Extra button: Create Mobile Favorite - {2EAF5BB1-070F-11D3-9307-00C04FAE2D4F} - C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\INETREPL.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {2EAF5BB2-070F-11D3-9307-00C04FAE2D4F} - C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\INETREPL.DLL
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Create Mobile Favorite... - {2EAF5BB2-070F-11D3-9307-00C04FAE2D4F} - C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\INETREPL.DLL
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {DFB852A3-47F8-48C4-A200-58CAB36FD2A2} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Spybot - Search & Destroy Configuration - {DFB852A3-47F8-48C4-A200-58CAB36FD2A2} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\windows\system32\nwprovau.dll
O16 - DPF: {17492023-C23A-453E-A040-C7C580BBF700} (Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool) - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=39204
O16 - DPF: {9BFC2253-B9D9-477E-9488-CA450232620D} (BinAg1 Class) - http://pbells.broadjump.com/wizlet/S...ActiveXCab.CAB
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - https://download.macromedia.com/pub/...sh/swflash.cab
O18 - Protocol: AutorunsDisabled - (no CLSID) - (no file)
O23 - Service: Adobe Active File Monitor V5 (AdobeActiveFileMonitor5.0) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 5.0\PhotoshopElementsFileAgent.exe
O23 - Service: APC PBE Agent (APCPBEAgent) - APC - C:\PROGRA~1\APC\POWERC~1\agent\pbeagent.exe
O23 - Service: APC PBE Server (APCPBEServer) - APC - C:\PROGRA~1\APC\POWERC~1\server\PBESER~1.EXE
O23 - Service: Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\AluSchedulerSvc.exe
O23 - Service: BrSplService (Brother XP spl Service) - brother Industries Ltd - C:\WINDOWS\system32\brsvc01a.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Settings Manager (ccSetMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Lic NetConnect service (CLTNetCnService) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: COM Host (comHost) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\VAScanner\comHost.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\1050\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_3_4.EXE
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate Notice Service Ex (LiveUpdate Notice Ex) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate Notice Service - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\PIFSvc.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Driver Helper Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: Pml Driver HPZ12 - HP - C:\WINDOWS\system32\hpzipm12.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Core LC - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Webroot Spy Sweeper Engine (WebrootSpySweeperService) - Webroot Software, Inc. (www.webroot.com) - C:\Program Files\Webroot\Spy Sweeper\SpySweeper.exe
O24 - Desktop Component AutorunsDisabled: (no name) - (no file)

--
End of file - 9161 bytes

[ncdave]

Nobody has any ideas? None at all?

Dave