AKICIF: Computer startup error

[carbonel]

When I reboot my desktop machine (running XP), I get an error in an installation dialog box that says:

"Runtime error '-2147024893 (8070003)'"
Method '~' of object '~' failed"

On my laptop, when I got a couple of installation errors like that, they turned out to be the remnants of a virus that hadn't been completely removed, and running Malwarebytes Anti-Malware program got rid of them after McAfee VirusScan and AVG Freeware failed.

But on this computer, I've run a scan with McAfee and Anti-Malware, and they haven't found anything. When I search on "-2147024893," I find links to legitimate installation issues.

Does anyone recognize this? Or know whether I should worry about it? Or how to get rid of it?

Any help appreciated.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Um, do you recall doing anything (before this started) with or to your XP installation's "c:\Documents and Settings\All Users" directory? That error might map to something haywire in there, in particular, *maybe*, with the "Windows Update" shortcut in "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu". That's an only slightly educated guess.

You might try going to the Windows Update site

http://update.microsoft.com/

(Or use your Start button)

And see if once you get there it wants to redownload & reinstall the WU software. Maybe it will see a problem and suggest installing the WU. Maybe letting it reinstall itself will fix your problem.

[daystreet.livejournal.com]

(oops, accidentally posted this as "anonymous"... retrying...)

Um, do you recall doing anything (before this started) with or to your XP installation's "c:\Documents and Settings\All Users" directory? That error might map to something haywire in there, in particular, *maybe*, with the "Windows Update" shortcut in "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu". That's an only slightly educated guess.

You might try going to the Windows Update site

http://update.microsoft.com/

(Or use your Start button)

And see if once you get there it wants to redownload & reinstall the WU software. Maybe it will see a problem and suggest installing the WU. Maybe letting it reinstall itself will fix your problem.

[carbonel]

I don't recall doing anything with that directory, and the Windows Update has been happening pretty much automatically.

I ran Windows Update just to check, and it all went smoothly.

Does that rule out WU as the source of the problem?

[daystreet.livejournal.com]

I just realized fooling around in "Start Menu" wouldn't do squat to fix the problem. That's just a list of stuff that will show up on your Start Menu. Duh.

I'm thinking the problem over, but I'm not convinced we've ruled out WU.

What is your knowledge/skill-level with XP? Is your machine backed-up?

If you want, you can email me at the addy in my User Profile and we can carry this on directly and in a more detail. Otherwise, I'll post here again when I've settled on the next thing to try.

[carbonel]

My machine isn't really backed up satisfactorily, though I do have the critical files copied. I went through having to reinstall everything not too long ago, and I really don't want to do that again.

As for my knowledge/skill-level, I'm a competent user, but I'm not an administrator type at all. I've done some support stuff for my boss, but anything involving the operating system usually has to go to the next level past me.

[daystreet.livejournal.com]

Need more information... Let's get a bootlog generated... See this page (http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6142_102-0.html?threadID=26794) (or any number of other pages google will cough up if you search on "xp bootlog") to start bootlogging. Once you get a bootlog, have a look at it and maybe you can see what program is causing the problem as it tries to load. If you want to send me the bootlog file, feel free. Or post it here if you feel comfortable with that.

Another thing you can try, if you have your XP CD, is open a command window (Start > Run > type "cmd" in the box) and then type this at the command line: sfc /SCANNOW

That will compare all the system files on your machine with the system files on your CD and (supposedly) fix them. This could be a long process and the results might depend on where you are in the Service Packs, etc., and the problem might not even be with the system files so I wouldn't try this until you've had a look at a bootlog file.