Strange task manager behavior..

[heady]

[Gecko]

Hello heady, welcome to our forum.

Let's try the easy fix first:
Launch Task manager, select "View" and select "Select Columns.."
Make sure that User Name has a check next to it.

If it is already checked then you might have something else going on.

In that case download HijackThis http://downloads.malwareremoval.com/hijackthis.zip and save it to your desktop.

To extract HijackThis:

1. Right-click your file HijackThis.zip and from the menu select "Extract All".
2. The Extraction Wizard Window will appear, Click "Next".
3. Click Browse and navigate to "C:\" or the "C:\Program Files" and click "Create A New Folder" and call it "HJT" or "HijackThis" or whatever that is easy to remember and then click OK.
4. Click the Extract button.
5. Close the HijackThis.zip dialogue box.

Now double-click on hijackthis.exe and when the window opens, Press the Scan now and save a logfile button and then when it is done, copy and paste the contents of the notepad it opens as a reply to this post.

[heady]

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 1:00:40 AM, on 4/17/2007
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

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:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\LogMeIn\RaMaint.exe
C:\Program Files\LogMeIn\LogMeIn.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MsPMSPSv.exe
C:\Program Files\LogMeIn\LogMeInSystray.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
E:\setup.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Spyware\Hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O23 - Service: Acronis Scheduler2 Service (AcrSch2Svc) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Acronis\Schedule2\schedul2.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: LogMeIn Maintenance Service (LMIMaint) - LogMeIn, Inc. - C:\Program Files\LogMeIn\RaMaint.exe
O23 - Service: LogMeIn - LogMeIn, Inc. - C:\Program Files\LogMeIn\LogMeIn.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe

[Gecko]

heady,

Your log is as clean as they come

Let's just make sure that something is not being run at startup.

Start HijackThis and click the Open the misc tools section now put a check next to "List also minor sections (full)
Now click the "Generate StartupList log" button notepad will open, copy the contents of notepad into your reply.

In the mean time I will do a little research on what could be causing the odd task manager problem.

[icecube]

This can really drive you nuts when it happens. Open up your messed up Task Manager. Notice that there is an outer line around the Task Manager window and a line in a little further with CPU Usage History. Move the mouse to the area between the two lines and double click. Your Task Bar will return to normal.

What you did was double click on a blank area next to the folders in the default Task Manager

[Riverman]

As an IT guy, I live for those rare occasions when I receive an absolute gem of information.

Today is one of those days

I had to join up just so I could say 'Thank you, icecube!'

Cheers..

[icecube]

Hi Riverman welcome aboard.

Thats a wierd little quirk with XP. I've only run across it twice.

Its a great little joke to play on a computer tech.

Glad you liked it.

[Riverman]

LOL

It really is a rare trick; must try it on some of my colleagues

The odd thing was that I was working on a troublesome customer's pc with that very same bug and immediately groaned and thought, "Gawd, what's he managed to screw up now?".

When I googled for a fix, I didn't expect to find a solution. So finding your tip made my day. I immediately told my wife who said, "That's nice, dear". LOL.

Gotta run this past you. This same machine has another little quirk - its flashing cursor (eg, in any text entry box) is about 10mm wide (that's around 3\8 of an inch for CA folks ) instead of the usual 1mm or so. I've only run across this once before - on a Sony Vaio laptop.

Never did find a fix for that one. So if you know of a solution, I'd be grateful if you'd share it.

Regards from NZ

[icecube]

Hi Again

Go to the Control Panel and select Accessibility Options. Click on the display tab and move the cursor slider to narrow.

That should fix it.

Take Care

[Riverman]

IceCube - you've done it again.

Is there any way I could vote for you to succeed Arnie?

I reckon a knowledgeable IT man would make a far better Gubernator than a muscly actor.

Then again, if you're a switched-on guy - you wouldn't want to be in charge, anyway.

Cheers, my thanks and my forelock-tugging

[icecube]

Glad to be of Help

I wouldn't mind retiring in New Zealand, it looks like a very beautiful place

Take care

Jim