Molecule Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) I tried installing KernelEx to run Opera and VLCI have an overloaded and abused W98se system with unofficial ServicePack 2.a(It's the greatest and all my software works!)=== another detail -- the system had a problem to start with ===Total Commander 7.50 showed gobbledy gook on c-drive --but only on c-drive -- file and directory lists on the other drives were just finethe file list for c-drive was full of indecipherable characters -- a virus with a unicode problem (presumption?I thought it was some kind of mean a** root kit, and just gave up on trying to kill itall the normal files "windows" etc, appeared normalbut the files and directories with names in wierd chars all had dates out of this world and files sizes in the hundreds of gigsand they could not be deleted from within windowsand they couldn't be deleted from within dos, because dos couldn't seem(I gave up on trying to fight viruses long ago ...)thus, a unicode failure of somekind may be involved in the problem I am about to describeI expanded Unicows.exe and copied the files dll and pdb files to c:\windows\system\(hope that's all that's involved to install unicows?)something (hacking or what?) fixed the file display of c-drive in Total Commanderit may have been the unicows, or restoration of a corrupted kernel32.dll(but, again the other partitions and drives did not have that problem)I may have tried to install KernelEx before unicows -- I can't rememberor it may be that a Magog virus doesn't like KernelEx?however it happened, KernelEx installer is stuck in somekind of no man's loopand I need some help to get it out=== so that's the system, now back to KernelEx ===here's what's happening nowbasically, to boot my system,I have to start from drive A:copy kernel32.sav (an original copy from another install) to kernel32.dlleach time the system runs, something is altering my kernel32 in such a way as to cause explorer to crash on the next bootwhatever it is, it is changing kernel32.dll without chaning its file size (very suspicious)the date changesbut the corrupted kernel32.dll won't run explorer on next bootupdetailed description of the lock-out loopon bootupdesktop gui screen appears and user logon message box appearsuser presses [esc] to bypass logon and load a default systemwindows plays its chimes and tries to load explorer for default systembut then progress stops at what I now call "Point-1"before any icons or before the startbar appears a message box pops up:"Explorer has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down."[Details]: "EXPLORER has caused a stack fault in module KERNEL32.DLL at 0laf:bff7429f"explorer shuts down leaving a blank single blank desktop screenwith no icons ... for example no My Computer in upper left corner[start] key on keyboard doesn't workno mouse pointercontrol-alt-delete worksit shows two services running -Csinject-Ghoststartservice (arghhh ... how to stop Norton?)tab over to [shutdown] and hit [enter] key shuts down the systemreboot recycles right back to "Point-1" -- desktop with no icons, no mouse, dead start key on keyboard== I'm in a loop == each reboot recycles back to Point 1reboot from floppyreplace corrupted Kernel32 with original kernel32 from a fresh installcd c:\windows\system\copy kernel32.sav kerlet32.dllreboot from hddduring reboot at the ?"T-13" stage? (memory fails ..) dos phase of boot processwindows message is : ... updating oonfiguration files ... starting Windows 98I assume the update means KernelEx installer is still runningGUI screen appearsmessage box pops up: "KernelEx has to restart this computer in order to complete setup. Do you wish to do this now?selecting [OK] to reboot and finish installation then recycles me right back to "Point-1" again.boot from drive A then C and select [Cancel] instead of OK to reboot, and it loads a system(hooray! for the floppies!!)as icons appear, KernelEx intaller produces a red-(X) message box: "KernelEx has not been properly installed. "selecting [OK] kills the message box and gives me a system, but it does not kill the problem.Kernel32.dll gets corrupted, and the next time I bootup, I am at back to "Point-1" again, unless I boot through floppy and restore original Kernel32.dll== control panel can't uninstall ==once in the system, I tried removing the program through control panelKernelEx appears in the Add/Remove programs windowthe KernelEx uninstall wizard stops with the message:"Detected unfinished previous installation -- You have to restart the sytsem in order to complete before you can proceed."Then a red-(X) message KernelEx Uninstall appears "You have to restart the system first."pressing [OK] cancesl the uninstall and returns the system.But that corrupts Kernel32.dll and puts me right back in the loop againI tried a fresh download and tried reinstalling, but I can't reinstall either.The installer says:"Detected unfinished previous installation. You have to restart the system to complete it before you can proceed."So I can't uninstall, and I can't reinstall, and I can't get the installer to quit between bootseach time I produce a system, something (arghh) changes my kernel32.dll, which causes explorer to fail on bootupthe only way into my system now is through drive A, as above===the installer is also somehow caught in a no-man's land as well -- is there a registry trick I can use to stop it?any suggestions will be greatly appreciated ...here are some of the registry entries with a registry search on "KernelEx"shall I just erase them? and use dos to delete the KernelEx subdir?thanks===HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\InProcServer32C:\WINDOWS\KERNELEX\KEXCOM.DLLHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{2338519D-676A-4ff8-99B9-924252B43710}\InProcServer32KernelEx Shell ExtensionHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\KernelExDefault {2338519D-676A-4ff8-99B9-924252B43710}HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{2338519D-676A-4ff8-99B9-924252B43710}\InProcServer32C:\WINDOWS\KERNELEX\SHEET.DLLHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\KernelEx\AppSettings\Flags*\KERNEL32.DLL 0x00000001HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\KernelExUninstallString "C:\WINDOWS\KernelEx\uninstall.exe"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Custom\{2EAF7E61-068E-11DF-953C-005056806466}KernelEx.sdb "Google Earth 5.2" Edited June 13, 2011 by Molecule Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loblo Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 What you experience is typical of FAT corruption and it's got nothing to do with installing KernelEx IMO since it happens only on one partition. Scandisk and/or Norton Disk Doctor are the tools you need to run to fix this but I suggest you copy all that is valid onto another drive/partition before you do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jds Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 KernelEx works by modifying 'kernel32.dll' so as to expand its symbol resolve engine via the KernelEx core. So having this file change from the "known good" version is not necessarily indicating a problem. Copy your "known good" version of 'kernel32.dll' to your 'c:\windows\sysbckup' directory, so that KernelEx can uninstall correctly if required.Do try removing CleanSweep, this might have compatibility issues. Also remember that "Safe Mode" can help when you have these sorts of start-up issues.Finally, do download the trial edition of Avast 4.8 Professional (the home edition is no longer available), also the updated virus definition files, and check your system out! There is a menu option to do a boot-time scan, which you should do, to get those nasties that load early.BTW, I've found that running the Unicows installation package and pointing it to 'c:\windows\system' works properly, whereas copying its contents there manually, doesn't (YMMV?).Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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