Unique Problem - Win2K; quite amusing in it's retardedness...

seanos

Win2K, SP3, running on Dell GX260.
256MB RAM, p4 2.8GHz.
I believe this is all relevant information ...

No program will start ... everything must be accessed through shortcuts, and anything which uses explorer [including ie] cannot even be run through shortcuts.
Opening my comp/my docs etc, all must be done through excel/access......and to open excel/access shortcuts must be used.

following error:
---
Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Libary

Buffer overrun detected
Buffer overrun detected which has currupted the program's internal state.
Program has been shut down ...
---
[OK]
---


With that, explorer.exe closes, blank screen, ctrl-alt-del works, however task manager will not open [this is been done from admin btw, also been done from couple diff users].

Only option, is hard shut down [holding power button for 5mins]

Downtime is unacceptable, and although it is 'disabled' in it's current state; it's viewed as being better like that, than to try fix and break even more ...

Any suggestions appriciated

seanos

apologies ... continues googling / searching for answers after posted here, believe I have found problem [or a warped variant of the problem] :

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321653

Resolution :
Make sure that the string length of the TMP environment variable is less than 52 characters.


Will test this ... But I still don't understand how this would break /all/ of windows & how his pc only would have tmp var of > 55 chars

Stephen

You sure it doesn't have a virus?
Tried installing SP4?

seanos

I just threw SP4 on now ...

To no avail - i also changed tmp & temp in user vars to smaller string ...

Error seems to be less critical / takes longer to die now ..

It works for one or 2 apps, then stops responding or dies again.
Task manager sometimes opens, in which case you can close explorer [usually 2+ instances] & then restart explorer ...

this will bring it back to how use to be - can do basics, but first application you run ... breaks it again giving error message...

This is really confusing me now, and it's my new quest to fix it. - however help allowed

p.s. no virus - it has norton, and managed remotely w/ updates etc.

Bodan

Try installing the latest version of Visual Basic 6.0 with Service Pack 6 for Run-Time

http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/a/d/5ad868a0-8ecd-4bb0-a882-fe53eb7ef348/VB6.0-KB290887-X86.exe

if that dont work , throw in the Windows 2000 cd
Open the run window and type this in

SFC /scannow

It will scan all the vital windows system files and fix them if any of them are missing or corrupt

seanos

Mix of spywares was the cause
including navexel