[eleanorsheba2]

I have a Toshiba laptop with Windows XP Home Edition, Version 2002, SP1. On booting up I get the error "System Settings Protector has encountered a problem and needs to close". I sent the error report to Microsoft over a month ago and received no reply, presumably because SP1 is no longer supported. The error first occurred when I did a reset after a PC hang with numerous programs open (I know what caused the hang if it would help). I am being forced by a number of circumstances into installing SP2 fairly asap but am not really happy about doing it with this error lurking.
Many thanks for any help.
PS Haven't found out what tags are yet so haven't added any.

[ozrom1e]

Welcome to TSG....

I did a search for this and found a lot about spybot's teatimer and also some anti-virus programs not working well with spybot. I suppose that the not working well is true but not too true.

From what I read I think your computer is infected, please run the following and help will be on the way>

To download HJTsetup.exe from TrendSecure To Download HijackThis go to the following at the File Repository
Click on the link below to Download HijackThis Self Installer:

http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en...HJTInstall.exe

Save the file to your desktop.
Double click on the HJTsetup.exe icon on your desktop.
By default it will install to C:\Program Files\HijackThis.
Continue to click Next in the setup dialog boxes until you get to the Select Additional Tasks dialog.
Put a check by Create a desktop icon then click Next again.
Continue to follow the rest of the prompts from there.
At the final dialog box click Finish and it will launch Hijack This.
Click on the Do a system scan and save a log file button. It will scan and then ask you to save the log.
Click Save to save the log file and then the log will open in notepad.
At the top of the Notepad HJT log screen, hit Edit then Select All then click Edit and then click Copy doing that copies the text to the clipboard, you won't see it yet....
Come back here to this thread and Paste the log in your next reply.
DO NOT have Hijack This fix anything yet. Most of what it finds will be harmless or even required.
A security expert with a gold shield to the right of their name should take a look at your log - please be patient.

[eleanorsheba2]

Thanks very much, that makes sense. I used to run Spybot in the days before Norton dealt with adware and stuff (I now have Norton IS 2006), I must have been running the old version (Spybot 1.3) in the background ever since, I largely forgot about it although I liked the way it told me when something was updating the registry. Interestingly, since this system settings protector error first occurred, it is no longer telling me like it used to about the registry being updated when I click on the "Don't send" on the error box....

Below is the hijackthis log and I await a Knight in Shining Armour with a Gold Shield. Thanks very much Ozrom1e.

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 08:41:59, on 09/05/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccProxy.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\PIFSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\atiptaxx.exe
C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\Apoint.exe
C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TouchPadNF\TPTray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\CePMTray.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\EzButton\CPATR10.EXE
C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\E-KEY\CeEKey.exe
C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 6\DragToDisc\DrgToDsc.exe
C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 6\AudioCentral\RxMon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb09.exe
C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\hpcoretech\hpcmpmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Digital Imaging\bin\hpotdd01.exe
C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Share-to-Web\hpgs2wnd.exe
C:\Program Files\EPSON\Creativity Suite\Event Manager\EEventManager.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\WINDOWS\twain_32\SiPix\SCDeluxe\DELUXECC.exe
C:\Program Files\btbb_wcm\McciTrayApp.exe
C:\Program Files\BT Broadband Desktop Help\bin\BTHelpNotifier.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\YAHOO!\browser\ybrwicon.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Boots F2CD\Picture Suite\InsDetect.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\HEWLET~1\HPSHAR~1\hpgs2wnf.exe
C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\Apntex.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\YAHOO!\browser\ycommon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUSchedulerSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\FinePixViewer\QuickDCF.exe
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\ymsgr_tray.exe
C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 6\AudioCentral\Playlist.exe
C:\Program Files\BT Broadband Desktop Help\bin\mpbtn.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\hpcoretech\comp\hptskmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\MsPMSPSv.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\SECURI~1\NSCSRVCE.EXE
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://uk.red.clientapps.yahoo.com/c...o/bt_side.html
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://uk.red.clientapps.yahoo.com/c...rch.yahoo.com/
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mhh1
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://uk.red.clientapps.yahoo.com/c...rch.yahoo.com/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://uk.red.clientapps.yahoo.com/c...o/bt_side.html
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://uk.red.clientapps.yahoo.com/c...rch.yahoo.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://uk.red.clientapps.yahoo.com/c...rch.yahoo.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = 127.0.0.1
R3 - URLSearchHook: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\yt.dll
O2 - BHO: Yahoo! Toolbar Helper - {02478D38-C3F9-4EFB-9B51-7695ECA05670} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\yt.dll
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Yahoo! IE Services Button - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\PROGRA~1\YAHOO!\COMMON\yiesrvc.dll
O2 - BHO: Norton Internet Security 2006 - {9ECB9560-04F9-4bbc-943D-298DDF1699E1} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\AdBlocking\NISShExt.dll
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {A8F38D8D-E480-4D52-B7A2-731BB6995FDD} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O2 - BHO: SidebarAutoLaunch Class - {F2AA9440-6328-4933-B7C9-A6CCDF9CBF6D} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\browser\YSidebarIEBHO.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\msdxm.ocx
O3 - Toolbar: Norton Internet Security 2006 - {0B53EAC3-8D69-4b9e-9B19-A37C9A5676A7} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\AdBlocking\NISShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {C4069E3A-68F1-403E-B40E-20066696354B} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\yt.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ATIModeChange] Ati2mdxx.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AtiPTA] atiptaxx.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundFusion] RunDll32 cwaprops.cpl,CrystalControlWnd
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Apoint] C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\Apoint.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TPNF] C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TouchPadNF\TPTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CeEPOWER] C:\WINDOWS\System32\CePMTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CPATR10] C:\PROGRA~1\EzButton\CPATR10.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CeEKey.exe] C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\E-KEY\CeEKey.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RoxioEngineUtility] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Roxio Shared\System\EngUtil.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RoxioDragToDisc] "C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 6\DragToDisc\DrgToDsc.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RoxioAudioCentral] "C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 6\AudioCentral\RxMon.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPDJ Taskbar Utility] C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb09.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Software Update] "C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Component Manager] "C:\Program Files\HP\hpcoretech\hpcmpmgr.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DeviceDiscovery] C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Digital Imaging\bin\hpotdd01.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Share-to-Web Namespace Daemon] C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Share-to-Web\hpgs2wnd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EEventManager] C:\Program Files\EPSON\Creativity Suite\Event Manager\EEventManager.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SSC_UserPrompt] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Center\UsrPrmpt.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [REGSHAVE] C:\Program Files\REGSHAVE\REGSHAVE.EXE /AUTORUN
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DELUXECC] C:\WINDOWS\twain_32\SiPix\SCDeluxe\DELUXECC.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Symantec PIF AlertEng] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\PIFSvc.exe" /a /m "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\AlertEng.dll"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [btbb_wcm_McciTrayApp] C:\Program Files\btbb_wcm\McciTrayApp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [btbb_McciTrayApp] C:\Program Files\BT Broadband Desktop Help\bin\BTHelpNotifier.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [YBrowser] C:\PROGRA~1\YAHOO!\browser\ybrwicon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Boots Insert Detect] C:\Program Files\Boots F2CD\Picture Suite\InsDetect.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Yahoo! Pager] "C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe" -quiet
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [Symantec NetDriver Warning] C:\PROGRA~1\Symantec\LIVEUP~1\SNDWarn.EXE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [ALUAlert] C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUNotify.exe (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [Symantec NetDriver Warning] C:\PROGRA~1\Symantec\LIVEUP~1\SNDWarn.EXE (User 'Default user')
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Exif Launcher.lnk = ?
O4 - Global Startup: BT Broadband Desktop Help.lnk = C:\Program Files\BT Broadband Desktop Help\bin\matcli.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: BT Yahoo! Services - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\PROGRA~1\YAHOO!\COMMON\yiesrvc.dll
O9 - Extra button: Related - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINDOWS\web\related.htm
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Show &Related Links - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINDOWS\web\related.htm
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: {1F2F4C9E-6F09-47BC-970D-3C54734667FE} (LSSupCtl Class) - https://www-secure.symantec.com/tech...a/LSSupCtl.cab
O16 - DPF: {30528230-99f7-4bb4-88d8-fa1d4f56a2ab} (Installation Support) - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\Yinsthelper.dll
O16 - DPF: {6A344D34-5231-452A-8A57-D064AC9B7862} (Symantec Download Manager) - https://webdl.symantec.com/activex/symdlmgr.cab
O16 - DPF: {B020B534-4AA2-4B99-BD6D-5F6EE286DF5C} (Symantec Download Bridge) - https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462...l/SymDlBrg.cab
O16 - DPF: {CE28D5D2-60CF-4C7D-9FE8-0F47A3308078} - https://www-secure.symantec.com/tech...a/SymAData.cab
O16 - DPF: {E77C0D62-882A-456F-AD8F-7C6C9569B8C7} - https://www-secure.symantec.com/tech...ActiveData.cab
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUSchedulerSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Internet Security Password Validation (ccISPwdSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\ccPwdSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Network Proxy (ccProxy) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccProxy.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Settings Manager (ccSetMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
O23 - Service: COM Host (comHost) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\comHost.exe
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate - Symantec Corporation - C:\PROGRA~1\Symantec\LIVEUP~1\LUCOMS~1.EXE
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate Notice Service - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\PIFSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect Service (navapsvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Norton Protection Center Service (NSCService) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Console\NSCSRVCE.EXE
O23 - Service: Symantec AVScan (SAVScan) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\SAVScan.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Network Drivers Service (SNDSrvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec SPBBCSvc (SPBBCSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Core LC - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
O23 - Service: YPCService - Yahoo! Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\YPCSER~1.EXE

--
End of file - 12519 bytes

[eleanorsheba2]

This error, which has been occurring on every boot for the last two months or so, has suddenly gone away. I have now booted about six times without it happening.

All I did this morning which was different to usual was that I downloaded and ran HijackThis, also I clicked on the main Spybot program to check its version number on the first screen so I could include it in my reply, then I exited straight away. I've just done another run of HijackThis and interestingly the Spybot Teatimer is now running, whereas it wasn't this morning. Was it Teatimer causing the error message? Did just going into the Spybot screen reset something? Given that I must have booted two or three times most days for nearly two months (ie about 150 boots) and had the error every time, it's a bit of a coincidence.

Thanks to Ozrom1e for pointing me at Spybot, which I hadn't found in my searches. I think I'd better get rid of it completely now...