[SOLVED] winmsd not responding in XP Pro

The little utility that lets you look at all your system information "winmsd" stoped working for me a few months back. I can't be more specific as to when it quit functioning, its one of those things you don't use that often. But it also quit functioning on both of my XP Pro systems at work as well. Funny thing, when I tried to copy the file from a 2000 machine, (it did have an older date), XP would not allow me to replace the one on the XP system.
Has to be something in one of the XP patches/updates, but I can not find any info on it..
If I go to RUN and type in winmsd, the cursor/mouse flickers for just a second, then nothing.. No signs of life from my beloved winmsd..
Can anyone shed some light on this?

Newton

 

what happens when you go in through system tools?

Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information

 

Same thing.. A little flicker and no signs of life..

 

What happens when you go to start | run and type in msinfo.exe

 

Get an eror "Windows can not find msinfo.exe"

 

ok try this to start with

Go to Start | Run and type in services.msc.

Scroll down to Windows Management Instrumentation and make sure the Service is set to Automatic

 

Yup, it was started and set to automatic.

 

good ok

Now try this

Save the attached file as a .bat file and run it

 

text screen flashed up for a second.. way to fast to read.
tried winmsd. Still nothing..

 

OK, could you try this, in an internet explorer window
copy the following into the address bar and click Go

hcp://system/sysinfo/sysInfoLaunch.htm

try the top line on that page

 

nothing...... hcp://?

 

I did find the file "sysinfolaunch.htm", clicked the MSinfo32 link, it gave me an error about ActiveX controls that might be unsafe. I ran it anyway.. I got The hourglass, but no results..

 

Have you tried an SFC /scannow?

 

Don't know what that is or even how to run it..

 

Get out your windows XP disk in the cd rom drive

Go to Start | Run

Type in SFC /scannow