Several users have encountered an issue wherein they receive the error message “0xc0000034″ followed by some other information (usually specifying a corrupt file) after attempting to install the Windows Vista SP2 update. Generally, this error message is accompanied by an inability to boot the system and a black screen with the aforementioned error message.
WindowsFixUp reader Corus, for instance, writes:
“My anti-virus Bitdefender found 3 trojans named Trojan.Heur and quarantined it. After SP2 finished installing, when attempting to reboot, a black screen came up and Vista would not start up (nothing I’ve tried so far has worked).”
Fix
To fix this issue, you will need to boot from the Windows Vista DVD. Follow these steps:
- Boot from the Windows Vista DVD or the Windows Vista recovery disc that was supplied with your computer by inserting it into the drive then restarting (if you don’t have this disc or can’t find it, you can download a replacement here). (Note: if your system does not automatically boot from the Vista disc when it is inserted, you need to change the boot device in BIOS. To do this, boot from the installation disc, insert the disc, then restart, and while the computer is restarting, continually press the appropriate key [F12 on most systems, F1, F2, F10, the Delete (del) key or the Escape (ESC) key on others -- consult your user's manual or perform a Google search for your specific model] then select CD/DVD/CD-RW as the boot drive.)
- Choose your language settings and hit “Next”
- Click “Repair Your Computer” at the bottom of the screen. This will launch Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
- Choose the installed OS to repair, and you will see a list of recovery tools.
- Open the command prompt
- Enter the following commands, pressing enter after each, to create a Manual System Restore (as discovered by Arun Kumar on the TechNet discussion boards):
- cd windows\system32\config
- ren default default.old
- ren sam sam.old
- ren security security.old
- ren software software.old
- ren system system.old
- cd regback
- copy default c:\windows\system32\config
- copy sam c:\windows\system32\config
- copy security c:\windows\system32\config
- copy software c:\windows\system32\config
- copy system c:\windows\system32\config
- Restart your computer, this time booting from the hard disk.
If the problem recurs, repeat the process.
Filed under Windows Vista by on Jun 1st, 2009. 52 Comments. 
Several users have reported that the Remote Desktop Client (RDC, mstc.exe) will not launch after the update to Windows Vista SP2. In some cases, mstc.exe will appear in the task manager, but the application will not appear in the task bar or be otherwise accessible.
Potential fix
This issue can sometimes be resolved by running mstc.exe from the command line, as follows:
- Click Start then type cmd in the search box. Right-click on the cmd and click “Run as Administrator”
- Type mstsc -v:(IP address of host) -console e.g.: mstsc -v:192.168.1.2 -console
Filed under Windows Vista by on May 29th, 2009. 1 Comment.
The latest pre-release edition of Windows 7, build 7137, has been distributed to testers and subsequently leaked to various file-sharing services. Users of the new build report yet another speed speed boost relative to prior build,s particularly with regard to graphic performance.
Users also report the installation of new ATI graphics card drivers after the update.
If you are having problems installing Windows 7, see our previous coverage for a fix.
We’ve also published fixes for the following Windows 7 issues:
Filed under News, Windows 7 by on May 28th, 2009. Comment.
(See all of our Windows Vista SP2 coverage)
Several users have reported that they can’t install Windows Vista SP2. This problem is more likely to occur if a pre-release edition of Windows Vista service pack 2 was installed prior to the final edition, but it is also happening to systems that only had SP1 (make sure you have SP1 installed before you attempt SP2 installation).
Fixes
There are three potential fixes for this issue:
Run CheckSUR First, download and run the System Update Readiness Tool (aka CheckSUR) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Running this tool, which takes 15 minutes or more on most systems, can resolve issues that prevent SP2 from installing. After running the tool, re-attempt installation of Windows Vista SP2.
CheckSUR is available through Windows Update (Click Start, then click Control Panel, and then click Security. Under Windows Update, click Check for updates) or this standalone download page.
Delete vLite key If you receive the message “Service Pack Installation Cannot Continue: One or more of components that the service pack requires are missing,” try deleting the file vLite key from the registry. To do this:
- Click Start
- In the search box (or in “Run”), type regedit then press enter.
- Navigate to HKLM\Software\
- Select vLite
- Choose Edit and then Delete from the Registry Editor menu.
- Restart your computer and try the Windows Vista SP2 update again
Try selective startup As a last resort, try running the Windows Vista SP2 update while booted in a selective startup mode. To do this:
- Click Start then go to the Control Panel and select “System and Maintenance”
- Go to Administrative Tools and select System Configuration
- Click Continue (enter admin password if required)
- Select the General tab then choose Selective startup
- Uncheck “Load startup items”
- Click the Services tab then check “Hide all Microsoft services” and select “Disable all”
- Click Apply, then OK
- Restart
- Retry the Windows Vista SP2 update
Disable antivirus/spyware software during installation Directly prior to installation of Windows Vista SP2, disable all antivirus/anti-spyware software, then re-enable it after the update is complete. These programs can interfere with proper installation of the update and cause other problems.
In particular, some versions of ESET Smart Security and the ESET NOD32 Antivirus software have caused issues with the update. Disable or uninstall this program before installing Windows Vista SP2.
Can’t see license agreement; fix Some users are unable to properly view the Windows Vista SP2 license agreement, and therefore cannot proceed with installation. In most cases, this problem can be resolved with Chris Pirillo’s Vista Font Fix.
Filed under News, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista by on May 26th, 2009. 64 Comments.
Several users have reported a problem in which various media, including video, music and podcasts cannot be added to the iTunes library under various versions of Windows.
Fix
In some cases this issue can be resolved by recreating your iTunes media library. This can be accomplished via the following process:
- Quit iTunes if it is open
- Navigate to the following directory: \Documents and
Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\ - Open the iTunes folder
- Remove the following files: iTunes Music Library.xml and iTunes Library.itl. Put them in another location on your hard drive for safe-keeping.
- Launch iTunes and navigate to the "File" menu then select "Import." Find the file iTunes Music Library.xml from the previous step and click "Choose."
- Failing the above, quit iTunes and navigate to \Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\ and delete all files in the "iTunes" folder. Next, launch iTunes again and re-select "Import" from the "File" menu. Locate and re-import all of your music and other media.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, iTunes by on May 20th, 2009. Comment.
The latest build of Windows 7, build 7122, resolves some significant issues affecting a number of games under previous iterations of Windows 7.
We previously reported an issue in which certain games will not run with OpenGL capabilities under Windows 7 RC1. This issue is most likely to occur when User Account Control (UAC) is enabled.
Other users have reported problems wherein games do not recognize their 3D graphics cards and therefore refuse to run.
It appears that these issues, among others, have been fixed in the new release. This allows the usage of previously unplayable games, including Neverwinter Nights 2.
Most of the fixes appear to be due to enhancements made to DirectX in the new release.
Windows 7 build 7122 is currently available only to specific beta testers, but the release has leaked to various filesharing networks.
Fix for previous Windows 7 builds If you are running an older build of Windows 7 (including 7100, the RC1 release), you can use this fix, discovered by a poster to the Neverwinter Nights forums.
- Download this file and keep it somewhere safe.
- Navigate c:\windows\system32 or c:\windows\syswow64 depending on whether you are running Windows 32-bit or 64-bit.
- Take ownership of the existing dxdiagn.dll file in that directory (for instructions on taking ownership of a file, see this article)
- Rename the existing dxdiagn.dll file to dixdiagn.dll_backup
- Put the dxdiagn.dll file you downloaded in step 1 into the same folder that the old file was in.
Filed under News, Windows 7, games by on May 18th, 2009. 2 Comments.
Several users have reported an issue in which they cannot run chkdsk on their systems, as the tool reports that it cannot continue because of corrupt files.
Fix
Try inserting the Windows Vista installation or recovery disc that came with your computer and rebooting from the disc. A few screens into the installation process (or accessible as an option in another menu) you should be given the ability to run a command prompt. At the command prompt, enter the command:
- chkdsk c: /f
then press enter. Run the tool repeatedly until no errors are reported.
(Note: if your system does not automatically boot from the Vista disc, you need to change the boot device in BIOS. To do this, boot from the installation disc, insert the disc, then restart, and while the computer is restarting, continually press the appropriate key [F12 on most systems, F1, F2, F10, the Delete (del) key or the Escape (ESC) key on others -- consult your user's manual or perform a Google search for your specific model] then select CD/DVD/CD-RW as the boot drive.)
Filed under Windows Vista by on May 15th, 2009. Comment.
Some users have received a black screen when attempting to connect to various systems (primarily those running Windows Vista) via the Remote Desktop protocol (RDP). In some cases, the host machine may crash when this problem occurs.
Other users have reported receiving the error “atbroker.exe crashed” or “Transitions Accessible technologies between desktops has stopped working”
Fixes
Make sure updates are installed, not waiting It appears that, in some cases, this problem may occur when updates are downloaded, but not installed in Windows Update on the host machine (the one receiving the connection). Try installing any pending updates then restarting the system.
Uninstall drivers Try uninstalling any recently installed third-party drivers, or drivers that you installed right before the problem started to occur, then restart. To do this, click the Start button then navigate to Control Panel > System and Security > Device Manager. Right-click any recently installed third-party items and select “Uninstall” then restart. Some users have reported that the Logitech QuickCam driver may be to blame.
Update to Windows Vista SP2 Some Windows Vista SP2 beta testers have reported that updating to the new release resolves this issue. Unfortunately, SP2 is not yet publicly available, but is available in final form to TechNet subscribers.
Filed under Windows Vista by on May 15th, 2009. Comment.
We previously published a series of methods for preventing and eliminating Internet Explorer crashes. These include disabling add-ons and resetting the browser. We’ve now identified two additional procedures that can, in many cases, prevent crashes from reoccurring.
Kill IEUSER.EXE task Launch the task manager by pressing control-alt-delete, then launch Internet Explorer. Immediately after the browser launches, end the process “IEUSER.EXE” in Task Manager.
Turn off protected mode While this shouldn’t be your first course of action, as it could create serious vulnerabilties and open your system up to attack, several users have reported that turning off Internet Explorer’s protect mode resolves persistent crashes. To do so, click the Security tab, select a Web content zone, and then change the “Enable Protected Mode” check box to disabled for the desired items.
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on May 8th, 2009. Comment.
Windows 7 RC1 breaks compatibility with some antivirus/anti-malware programs that were compatible with previous pre-release builds of the operating system. Users are reporting problems with:
- avast! Home Edition
- AVG Anti-Virus Free
- Symantec AV Corporate Edition
Some developers are already working on Windows 7 RC1-compatible updates to their antivirus programs. A post in the AVG forums, for instance, states “This is a known issue, and it is planning to be fixed in one of the future updates of AVG 8.”
Note, however, that some antivirus program error messages do not necessarily indicate that your system is unprotected. If, for example, you receive an error message indicating that that antivirus program is still on but is not properly reporting its status to Windows (as displayed below), you may still be protected.
In the meantime, we have compiled a list of antivirus applications that appear to be compatible with Windows 7 RC1.
Feedback? info@windowsfixup.com.
Filed under Viruses/Malware, Windows 7 by on May 5th, 2009. 3 Comments.