16 Bit Subsystem windows keeps popping up every 4 mins and 40 secs

Peeps,

About every 4 mins and 40 secs 2 windows pop up on my screen:

One is the black window that comes up when you type in "command" in the run box from the start tab.

The header on this window is:

C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe

Right below this window a second, smaller gray window appers with the header:

16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem

Inside the window it says:

C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Windows\System32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose 'close' to terminate the application.

there are 2 small boxes in thsi smaller window i can click that say: "ignore" and "close" and when i click on them the windows dissappear for about 4 mins and 40 secs.

I DID READ THE SIMILAR POST by someone else that had this same problem while trying to INSTALL something but Im not trying to install anything.

This problem doesnt happen in Safe mode.

I have read the basic spyware,virus, thread posted by the admins and have followed all those steps:

Booted in safe mode;
Ran Norton, Ad Awarwe, Spysweeper, and all of the downloads that are linked in that thread;
Looked for "Network Security Service";
Disabled System Restore

but the problem persists

I've run Hijackthis but Im a newb and its all just a bunch of numbers to me....

I cant even access the black screen when I type in "command" from the run box in the startup as the 16 Bit Subsystem window pops up and keeps me from typeing anything in the black screen.

Any ideas?

Thanks for any future replies

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324767&Product=winxp

 

Thankyou for the prompt reply.

Ive seen this solution in another thread but this is what I was talking about when I stated in my post that Im not trying to install anything and I dont have any cds.

It appears that the solution entails writing/ typing in direct cd commands. Can I still type in these commands even though I dont have a cd and not mess my comp up?

Thanks again for the replies

 

if the i386 directory resides someplace on your hard drive then you can just substitute the location of it for the cd-rom location.

 

ok.

not sure what that means (im a dumb when it comes to this stuff).

I cant even access the command prompt screen.

After I hit start->run->"command" the 2 windows pop up and I cant even type anything in the black window/ screen because somehow the 16 Bit smaller gray window is keeping me from doing so.

 

the i386 directory is just the directory with the windows installation files.

try start--run--CMD instead of command

 

original cd rom directions to type:

"Expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\config.nt_c:\Windows\System32\Config.nt"

Substitute i386 exactly where?

like this?

"Expand i386:\config.nt_c:\Windows\System32\Config.nt"

?

thanks for replies

 

Expand C:\i386\config.nt_c:\Windows\System32\Config.nt

or something like. The above assumes the i386 directory is in the root of C.

 

ok I tried the substitute but each time i hit "enter" after typing the reply was:

"No destination specified..."

Does that mean the i386 isnt in C?

Any foolproof way for me to locate where the i386 is?

thanks for the replies

 

Crosses fingers.

I went ahead and typed in what you advised and kept getting the reply about "No destination specified.."as I mentioned in my previous post and went ahead and rebooted and for the past 20 mins I havent had those windows pop up. Is it possible that it may have been successful anyway even though I received those messages about no destination?

I also deleted a Canon photo printer file that me wife installed a few days ago that coincidentaly was around the same time this issue came up. I read on another message board that a poster had seen a crappy printer driver corrupt his system and produce similar issues as the ones ive described. First I deleted the file to the recycle bin and the problem kept happening...then I deleted it from the recycle bin and the issue hasnt come up yet.

I dont want to get too excited yet but If I dont post on this issue again....Thanks a million!! Good Karma coming your way.

Larium
65 shaman
Stromm

 

I was wrong

problem still persists after I rebooted

 

OK, when you were in the "CMD" window, did you make sure to type the second half of the command EXACTLY the same way Kodo typed it,,, WAIT!!! I just noticed, Kodo might have been typing so fast he forgot to put a Space between the two arguements. That is, Kodo typed it
"C:\i386\config.nt_c:\Windows\System32\Config.nt"
when it should have been
"C:\i386\config.nt_ c:\Windows\System32\Config.nt"
Hard to spot those microscopic errors but the devil is in the details.

In response to your previous question
"Any foolproof way for me to locate where the i386 is?"
yeah, use the "Find - Files or Folders".
OR YOU CAN (though this method may be hard to understand for a noob)
from the "CMD" window.
1) type "CD\" and hit "Enter"
2) type "DIR /s i386" and hit "Enter"

If you see the words "File not found" anywhere, then chances are it's not anywhere on your C drive, and you'll either HAVE TO HAVE THE CD, or possibly search your second hard drive/partition. (If you've got one)

 

Well....

I went ahead and typed in the lines with the space in between as you indicated but after hitting "enter" after each line I get the response:

"cant open input file"

and I did locate my i386 on my C drive.

thanks for the replies...any new ideas?

 

bump.

Am I going to have to reformat and re-install?

thanks for any replies

 

I got it.

Duh. So simple and basic of a solution.

A poster on another site told me to disable any start up/ scheduled tasks that I didnt need (and were scheduling every 5 mins). Turns out it was a McAffee update that kept trying to update. I actually tried to uninstall McAffee when it came with this comp for reasons I can remember and it was extremely difficult to uninstall and when I tried to call McAffee, the cs rep i talked to wasnt too professional (had no patience and told me he was going to mail directions on how to uninstall which I never received- maybe he sent them but I never received them).

Thanks to everyone in this thread that offered time and advice.

Cheers,
larium