Another week, another error
 

Getting to be an unfortunate habit.

Had bad weather while I was not home, and the power went off enough to
shut down the computer. When I attempted to re-boot, it took several tries - and during one of the tries, at the Windows welcome screen I got the following error;

Isass.exe - System Error
AnI/O operation initiated by the Registry failed unrecoverably. The Registry could not read in, or write out, or flush, one of the files that contain the system's image of the Registry.

I have no clue what that means - but I"m thinking I have some kind of fundamental problem with this computer - every week it seems there is a new and different error to deal with.The machine finally did reboot and come back online normally - except that it had the date at January of 2002. Odd. I changed the date to the current date - is that part of the problem?
Any thoughts, enlightenment, or suggestions as to what to do would be most appreciated.

Thanks again for any help - Martin - are you out there?

Trish

Isass.exe
 

Hello Tryshz! I've just found your post and wondering wether you managed to fix the problem?

Regards

Martin

Still not fixed
 

No...I sure have not.

I have to do something - now the computer is running glacially slow -
I cannot get any work done for the waiting for each thing I do to
complete.

I sure hope you can help me out....I simply don't know what to do.
Appreciate any help you can give me...

Trish

Fixed? I hope so...but just in case...
 

I have found googling any error message to be an invaluable place to start. The key, apparently is to determine if "we" are talking about Isass.exe or Lsass.exe, a capital "i" or a capital "l" ...the fomer is a trojan, and the latter is an MS file...at least that was I have read... check out these urls...

1. Computing.Net - Isass.exe - System Error

"Lsass.exe is good - Microsoft component that runs under sertain conditions

Isass.exe is the name of a program installed by a trojan which opens up a backdoor port. One way to see the difference between lsass.exe and Isass.exe is to click on the "image name" in task manager and see if it it lists with the "L" processes or actually is an "I." Changing the default system font also allows you to see the difference between a lower case "L" and an upper case "I" easier. I was having problems with a different trojan and almost became convinced I had the bad one - I'm glad I checked some more before I deleted the good file."

Backdoor.IRC.Ratsou.B - Symantec.com

2. lsass.exe-system error and an apparent solution...

"Russ Wanchisen...Jul 14, 2004, 08:41am EDT
Re: lsass.exe-system error
Good News everybody! After suffering from a (seemingly catastrophic) fatal: "lsass.exe - System Error, Object Name not found" boot msg, I was able to successfully recover the OS and get my PC back up & running again! (even without an XP install CD)!

Here's how I did it:

On a separate machine, I navigated over to Microsoft's website and looked into the details of creating a set of Windows XP Setup boot disks. I found all the necessary information here: ( How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks ). Since my home PC (the one with the lsass.exe error) was running XP Home Edition with SP1, the "winxpsp1_en_hom_bf.exe" file was appropriate for me. That program generated six (6) floppy disks which I subsequently used to boot up my XP Home machine and get into the "Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" mode as described here: How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP "Recovery Console" mode is a DOS-like mode with limited access to the Windows directory system files (it supports FAT & NTFS file formats, but file access is limited to only the "root" OS sub-folders. User data files are not accessible in "Recovery Console" mode).

OK, now that I was able to boot from the floppies (and access the OS system files), I pretty much followed all the details presented by Charlie White as described in his article "Windows XP crashed? Here's help" (quick-link here: http://www.tunexp.com/faqs/windows_x...ed_heres_help/ ).

In summary, the instructions he provides allow you to effectively perform a manual system restore on your machine. So, now in the future, if your machine fails on boot-up, don't fret! First try to force a "manual system restore"... If all goes well, you should have your machine back up/running in no time!

Good luck!

Russ...N.B. All the details in Charlie White's article are correct except a small detail in Part 1 where you grab the original system repair files out of the "c:\windows\repair" subdirectory: Specifically, on my machine, the "c:\windows\repair\system" file was actually called "c:\windows\repair\system.bak" (note the ".bak" suffix). As such, the line where he says to
"copy C:\windows\repair\system C:\windows\system32\config\system",
should actually read:
"copy C:\windows\repair\system.bak C:\windows\system32\config\system

There are many other sites that offer up solutions...

Thanks much for your reply - and I am not sure if the problem is fixed
or not - I am very hesitant to re-boot my machine.

I went the links you provided, and did a bunch of reading - the file
in question was in the "good" place rather than the "bad" or dangerous
place. The trojan file seems to have something to do with passwords, and
the error I got said nothing about that.

If it is a trojan, how did it get past my Kaspersky anti-virus? This program
has stopped a few others that tried to get into my system, so why would
it fail now? I also have XP with service pack 2 (not 1, which the places I
followed links to indicated that would be a possible cause) - ditto not having
a firewall - which I do.

I am going to have to set it to do a check disc and bite the bullet and see if that cures it, or I come up with the same problem.

At any rate - I thank you all for the links and suggestions - hopefully I will be back soon with a good report. Sure am getting tired of these weekly massive errors.

Thanks again!
Trish

In case it is a trojan...use Trend's Sysclean...
 

IF IT IS AN INFECTION READ THIS...

How did I get infected in the first place? - Geeks to Go!

But I have anti-malware...

1. any anti-malware is not infallible
2. you need two or three on board, so that if something slips through one, it wiill most likely get caught by the next line of defense
3. computers are no infallible either...they are as dumb as a brick and their only saving grace is speed or operation and then the is also dependent upon certain factors...they are as smart and secure as you make them.
4. after you download and install, and use sysclean, then be sure you have the following installed and operational and then updated...
5. the best anti-virus you can afford...AVG is free... I use PC-cillin Internet Security, along with Trend's Anti-Spyware, a separate program
6. the best anti-malware you can afford...Spybot: Search and Destroy to start, then maybe one or two others.
7. Trend's HiJackThis
8. which ever firewall comes with your OS...don't run more than one at a time, and be sure you are using the best
9. check syschat's suggestions for freeware and check "http://www.geekstogo.com/" as well for freeware and advice...

O.k., let's run sysclean...download and read the readme file...

SYSCLEAN from Trend Micro: Trend Micro

Be sure to read the readme.txt before using...from there on it's easy!

"If you are not a Trend Micro customer please download the following file.

Sysclean Package 3.1MB MD5 checksum: ed3e896a8e3652eb516893f6010104a1 *SysClean.com

NOTE: For instructions on how to use this package, consult the "How to Use" section of the readme file, readme_sysclean.txt. This file also contains the description and the different features of this package.

Note that for the Trend Micro Sysclean Package to be effective, you must download and place the latest pattern file in the same folder as the Trend Micro Sysclean Package."

Trend Micro: Trend Micro

"Virus Pattern Files / Cleanup Templates
The Virus pattern file protects customers against viruses.
The Virus cleanup template automatically removes the virus from the customer's system.

* Virus Pattern File (Official Pattern Release) - 4.633.00 << for normal use
[the next one has intermediary files not part of the older update above, and which will be part of the normal update in future...]
>> * Virus Pattern File (Controlled Pattern Release) - 4.634.17

You may run this in both regular mode or safe mode. I would suggest safe mode so that no running progs get in the way, or slow things down. The process, depending upon the size of your system could take up to 45 minutes. It is very thorough and examines every file. It kills on the go. When it first starts up you'll think that it will blow up...it unloads hundreds of wee killers...go make a sandwich ;)

Don't worry about the reboot. Have your XP startup floppies at the ready...you will need 6 floppies and they go in one at a time, just follow the prompts to a reboot and startup...

How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks

Once you are back in business, get that registry cleaned up...

Isass.exe
 

Hello Tryshz, if you can remember in one of our previous discussions, I mentioned making sure that your hard drive was running correctly to avoid any problems in the future.

Well, I'm going to say it again, especially after what's just happened after your power failure!

If you have made a recovery disk then use that first and it should fix the problem, if you haven't made one then carry on with your disk check to see if anything gets fixed.

If you have your CD around, you can use that to access the recovery console and then run a disk check from there as well and if there is anything that needs replacing it should get taken off the CD.

This may fix your Isass.exe problem, I'm would say that it is not an infection purely because the computer was shutdown without any notice, and they never like that!

I've lost a complete hard drive before by turning the PC on and off too quickly!

Once you've carried out all the necessary repairs, go to My Computer and insert a floppy into the drive and create a recovery disk. If you ever have this problem again the recovery disk should be your first option. Recreate the recovery disk at regular intervals to keep up to date.

Regards

Martin

Thank you all for your replies - and hopefully the problem can be fixed.

Martin, I didn't make a recovery disk - if you told me how to do that, somehow
I totally missed it, to my regret now. Is this a different thing than the "XP setup boot discs' that b1caez01 was talking about? Is it six discs or one? I truly don't mean to be thick-headed here, but the different terminology is throwing me off. I don't even think I have 6 floppie discs - will have to go and buy some.
How does one go about creating a 'recovery disc'? I certainly will create one, and keep re-doing that as it will help with this mess I am currently going through.

So....til I find out about that, I'm holding off doing the disc check - though I did run it on my smaller hard drive - oddly enough it ran right away without having to reboot the machine to have it do its thing. No idea on why that was so.
As soon as I get that info on the recovery/boot discs, I"ll run the disc check on
my main hard drive.

I really appreciate all the help and the patience with my shortcomings in knowing my machine and how it works - y'all have been life-savers, and
I am grateful for the help!

First thing tomorrow I'll get some floppies and then be back here to go to step two.

Trish

Windows Vista Recovery Disc
 

Hello Tryshz, follow this link for a step-by-step guide on how to make a recovery disc for vista: windows vista recovery disk step by step guide

This one is for XP ( except home edition ): Windows XP: Set up and Use Automated System Recovery in Windows XP - HelpWithWindows.com

The six disks Al is referring to contains all the necessary files to start your PC all the way up to the actual installation of XP and you can use them to access the recovery console, allowing you to troubleshoot your PC.

The Automated System Recovery disk I mentioned allows you to replace files from your installation before you have an operating system failure, and after having to re-install a clean copy of XP.

Regards

Martin

TWO METHODS: one for XP Home, and one for XP Pro
 

This is not a criticism, but a reminder to the reader, that the more info one can provide about what your are "running" in the way of a computer system and operating system... XP Home, or XP Pro, or Vista, etc., the better it is for those giving assistance. I use XP Home, and respond from that perspective only. My error was not stating that in my response...so, I made the same glaring error in my closing words...I assumed ;(

"Don't worry about the reboot. Have your XP startup floppies at the ready...you will need 6 floppies and they go in one at a time, just follow the prompts to a reboot and startup... How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks Once you are back in business, get that registry cleaned up."

mhookem: "The six disks Al is referring to contains all the necessary files to start your PC all the way up to the actual installation of XP and you can use them to access the recovery console, allowing you to troubleshoot your PC."

"Users of Windows XP Home are out of luck: ASR is not available on their system." Windows XP: Set up and Use Automated System Recovery in Windows XP - HelpWithWindows.com

Thus the need for the XP Home Edition route: and the 6 floppy diskettes... How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks

To: mhookem, et al; ... I wonder if there is any way to get some sort of an update to the XP-Home Edition that would compensate for the lack of the ASR...? There are literally, a pile of recovery progs out there, and I've got most of them, but I have yet to get one to work as well as the floppies from Microsoft. As well, all those ISO progs never work for me...and yes, I've been to quite a few sites to try to learn how to do it...but to no avail. Why can't these sites just make the copy to copy prog available rather than the user having to make one's own recovery disk? Every XP has the same setup configuration...and all you need are the files to get you going again, but what a rigamarole to make a burned recovery disk. Even supplying the recovery files and copying them to one's recovery disk would be a help...an ini file could tell the builder what and where... couldn't it...or am I not understanding what an ini file does?

Finally back with an update...
 

First of all, I am so grateful for all your help, and hope that you know that!

I did go look for floppies - and the one store I had time to visit only had ones
formatted for a Mac - so came home and found some empty ones here - exactly
six. I then put one in the floppy drive and discovered the option that said "create a recovery disc" - so I did that. I have no idea what that did. I know absolutely nothing about MS-DOS - so I"m not sure what to do with that disc if I did put it in my machine if it refuses to boot up.

I am running Windows XP Home Edition with service pack 2 - sorry if I omitted that with my original question. So it looks like - from reading the last two posts, that the automated recovery option is not available to me - so I will have to go the other route that b1caez01 was talking about. However, I'll still have to go get more floppies - as now I only have 5.

Meanwhile - I did set up the machine to do a 'disc check' and then shut down the machine and it did come back up and do the check - again taking it a full five hours to do so - is that normal? But at the end of that, the machine booted up normally and has been ok since - even when I shut it down last night because of excessive thunderstorms in our area. It does take forever to boot up - and the first time, it came up with that "check sum" error - and I have to click F1 to continue, and the date is always off - saying either January of 2001 or 2002. The second time I had to re-boot in order to get it connected to the cable modem, I did not get the "check-sum" error - and things seem ok. I say 'seems' because I don't trust that it is.

Now I will go and do the clean-up thing that b1caez01 mentioned, and see what that turns up. Hoping so much to put all these errors behind me... and being ever so much more diligent with backups...

Gratefully,
Trish

Hi,

are you sure that the very beginning of your problems wasn't due to bad weather ie. thunder and lightning? You say that the power went out. IF the computer keeps "forgetting" the date, it will possibly also be forgetting other important stuff like harddisk type, ram type etc. This is just off the cuff but I would check two things before doing anything more radical:

1) get a new CMOS battery and change it.
2) get a flash-image of the newest BIOS and re-install it.

What may have happened is that the "weather" caused a power-surge that corrupted the BIOS and/or damaged the battery. "Forgetting" the date an the checksum errors seem to indicate problems with these components.

But as I said this is off the cuff...

HTH
/Petri

Thanks for your reply - and I am sure the recent storms are not the cause of the 'check sum' error - as this has been an occasional problem for a while - so very occasional that I never thought of it, but it is becoming more the norm.

Where does one get a new CMOS battery? At Comp USA or the like? Do they come in different make/models - or do I just need to get 'any kind'. Related to that - how do I go about changing it? Will it be obvious to the eye where this component is, and is it just a matter of popping it out and replacing it? I do not want to appear dense, but this is uncharted territory for me.

Same question for the 'flash-image' (what is that?) of the newest BIOS - where do I obtain that? And is there a particular type for different computers, or is it specific to a certain computer?

Sorry to need the 'step-by-step' directions, but all this stuff is very intimidating to me....

As always, thanks for your patience and help - I truly appreciate it!

Trish

I don't know diddly about mother boards and such, so I shan't comment on whether the battery is or is not at the crux of it all... Usually, most everything else on a computer goes belly up before a battery does...I am assuming that you don't know diddly either...so go to someone who knows about this sort of stuff... It does not sound like a software issue...IMHO...

re: floppies: to reclaim that floppie, sometimes, just reinsert and reformat...all is not lost...in fact, since it already reformatted, it is already done... the only problem I've found is that once XP reformates a disc it is useless for most everything else, so, if you can get "fresh" [pre-formatted] floppies, it is less confusing and time consuming...if your computer cannot prepare the floppies properly, and you have only one computer [many have a main frame and a laptop] then you may need to have someone else prepare the discs for you. Since, you do not need your own setup to prepare them, one computer is as good as another, as you are only downloading what is going to go on the floppies rather than scanning your own system and using it to prepare them, like an ISO boot disc...

re: batteries, et al; I'd take the whole shebang to a small computer store, not a big boxer, and have them check it out...just ask them to check to see if it needs one, and while you are there, ask them to check the mother board for any blips...to see if anything is amiss...the smaller stores, especially the ones that build units for customers, will often tinker around with it for a lot less then the big boxers in the hope that you will return with more business...the big boxers don't need you or your business on that scale...help the little guys ;)

re: motherboard: Motherboard Troubleshooting Procedures You might get some insight into your problems there. There are many software available, but I'd leave it to a qualified techie to do, as noted above...they've got the proper equipment and know what they are doing.

A google search for your specific problems may turn up good advice e.g. "clock does not work" This was an interesting site that I turned up...

Howstuffworks "Why does my computer need a battery?"

" Why does my computer need a battery?

Most computers have a small battery. In many cases, the battery is soldered directly onto the motherboard, but the battery is usually in some sort of holder so it is easy to replace. Computers are not the only things that have a small battery like this -- camcorders and digital cameras often have them, too. Just about any gadget that keeps track of the time will have a battery.

In your computer (as well as other gadgets), the battery powers a chip called the Real Time Clock (RTC) chip. The RTC is essentially a quartz watch that runs all the time, whether or not the computer has power. The battery powers this clock. When the computer boots up, part of the process is to query the RTC to get the correct time and date. A little quartz clock like this might run for five to seven years off of a small battery. Then it is time to replace the battery.

This does not explain why your computer would not boot, however. You would expect the computer to boot fine but have an incorrect time and date. The reason your computer would not boot is because the RTC chip also contains 64 (or more) bytes of random access memory (RAM). The clock uses 10 bytes of this space, leaving 54 bytes for other purposes. The BIOS stores all sorts of information in the CMOS RAM area, like the number of floppy and hard disk drives, the hard disk drive type, etc. If the CMOS RAM loses power, the computer may not know anything about the hard disk configuration of your machine, and therefore it cannot boot.

Many more modern computers are not quite so dependent on the CMOS RAM. They store the settings in non-volatile RAM that works without any power at all. If the battery goes dead, the clock fails but the computer can still boot using the information in the non-volatile RAM area. "

Creating a Boot Log
 

Tryshz, the next time you start your PC press F2 to enter the BIOS settings, check the time and date, save and exit and restart your PC. Then press F8 when it restarts and choose the boot logging option.When your PC has finished loading, find and post the bootlog.txt file.

Regards

Martin:boxing:

I have a friend that left his computer on during a storm and the power went out, and when he tried to reboot, his computer went haywire, nothin but errors than it eventually wouldnt turn on again. It seems kind of odd for you to be gone and not on the computer than come back after it was shut down by a storm and then have all these errors for it to be a trojan. I think during the surge some bad things happened in that quick instant of shutdown. Electricity works in very weird ways.

after a prolonged absence...
 

The saga continues.
First, as always, I thank everyone for their input - I am very grateful for all the
help I am receiving.

I did create the boot disc. I finally was able to find some new floppy discs, and have created the 6-disc set. I back up the registry along with all my other backups.

I did get that registry cleaner - and ran it - there was a ton of stuff wrong - and so I just let the program fix it.

I (of course) am now getting a new error - BSOD every single night - and now more often than that - at times no blue screen, but the computer is simply locked up, and I have to reboot. So far, it IS re-booting.

The new error:
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Stop: 0x000000D1(0x00000034, 0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0xF74C58F0)
IdechnDr.sys - Address F74C58F0 base at F74C0000, Datestamp 3d99eac3.

I tried to run a disc check - and the computer froze at:
"Check is verifying indexes Stage 2 of 5 0% completed.

Was out of town visiting my son, who built this computer - and his advice was that he thought the hard drive was failing, and to get another one and transfer all the files and operating system to it. So I'm looking into that (as the computer has failed twice already today) - but how does one move all the stuff from one drive to a new one? He gave me an IBM program to do this - but it will not install on my machine. Trying desperately to move all the stuff I can to my laptop before this machine goes completely - any further enlightenment would be most helpful to me....all this trouble is overwhelming me...

Thanks for your help and patience....
Trish

Problems finally solved!