Memory Instruction Problem

I'm running XP, but starting about a week ago, almost every time I reboot I get this message:
The instruction at 0x6280436a referenced memory at (this number changes every time). The memory could not be rewritten. Click OK to terminate.

About the time this started happening I also began having issues with my internet - where it stops working after just a couple minutes and I have to reboot. (I'm assuming they're related but could just be coincidental of course.) No fun at all.

I found on the McAfee forum that another user had a similar problem when the new upgrade downloaded and after he uninstalled and reinstalled the problem was fixed, but I did the same with no luck, so it must not be related to that as far as I can tell.

Is there anything else I can do to figure out where this problem is coming from and fix it?

 

Seems it's a program that's not running properly, and since it's happening at Startup, it may be something that starts on boot, or it might be malware.
Malware can be dealt with by following the instructions here:

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407

Otherwise, you can try stopping some programs in Startup and see if it still happens.


Click Start>Run>msconfig [enter]


This brings up the System Configuration Utility. Look on the Startup tab and uncheck a few programs that might be suspect (uncheck half of those you suspect).
Click Apply and OK out. Boot up and see if the problem occurs. When you boot you'll get a dialog saying you used the Utility. Just tick the box that says you don't want to see that box.
If you can't get the problem to recur, it's probably one of the programs you stopped. Start half of the ones you stopped, and try again... and so on.
If the problem did recur after stopping half the startups, stop the other half instead and try again.
If you manage to narrow it down to one program, uninstall/reinstall it.

Failing that, try stopping some Services.

Start>Run>services.msc [enter], but do not stop any services unless you really, really know what you're doing.

These steps are a rewrite from:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/xpfiles/thread/14b60046-922b-4a97-b03c-25cc72c45b53

There are more options at the bottom of this site.

 

I've done all the malware walkthrough, though I'll try it again just in case. I'll definitely go through everything else listed here as well, but the error doesn't pop up after the reboot, but right before, while the screen turns blue and says "Windows is shutting down".

Origin of the problem may be the same, of course, but I don't know if that particular timing makes a difference.

 

OK, just had a look at that McAfee thread - 39 pages of it!!
If your problem is the same as this one, they are saying that there is no solution yet. You can probably check to see if this is your problem by doing the following, which was posted in that thread by a McAfee mod:
Open the Microsoft Services (Start -Run- Type-Services.msc- Right click on McAfee network agent -Click on stop and click on properties and disable services before restarting the computer).

If that fixes the problem, then McAfee is probably the cause, and there doesn't seem to be a guaranteed fix yet.

Thread is here if anyone else wants a look:
http://community.mcafee.com/thread/21993?start=570&tstart=0

 

Have you tried an alternative to McAfee?
Something else may not cause this problem if caused by McAfee.

 

I also have the same problem after updates and the same No ox6280436a. I also have Mcafee and they updated me about a week ago. I got in touch but they said it was not them. Don't know where to go from here as I can't get rid of it.
Bobbieann

 

My internet has been spotty so I just finally saw how to stop McAfee services and once I disabled it the message at restart went away. Definitely is McAfee - so I guess we'll just have to wait for them to fix it on their end somehow. (or get something else when my subscription expires...)

 

A very good free alternative is Avira AntiVir.
Just have one nag screen after updating the program.
Click OK and move on.