hello.

i'll make this as detailed as i can.

my computer specs:

athlonxp 1800+
geforce 6600gt
60gig hd
80gig hd
win2k, latest sp
sb live! soundcard
onboard lan

my computer has been running fine for many months. today i restarted, and found that after reboot, when logging into windows, when the taskbar appeared at the bottom of the screen, the icons did not load, and i could not use the start button or any of the icons (both quicklaunch shortcuts and the backround apps). when i tried to run in safemode, i get a BSOD with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.

so i booted win2k disk, ran chkdsk, ran fixboot. now i can boot into win2k, but my norton does not run, and after a minute or so, i get an error about a .dll not being found or being corrupt in the symantec directory. in addition, if i try to use add/remove programs to delete norton, add/remove program window freezes.

also, a message box appears title "windows installer" with the text "preparing to install" which disappears after a few seconds, then reapears after a few seconds, disappear, reappear, disappear, etc.

still, when i try to run in safemode, i get the same blue screen with the irql message.

when i try and shutdown, i get the "saving your settings" message box, then it freezes there and i have to manually power off.

i feel like it might be time to reinstall win2k (something i really don't want to do), and i wonder: if i export my registry, can i use it after my reinstall so i don't have to reinstall all my programs? my OS is on a seperate partition, so my program files will be intact after i format the OS partition.

thanks in advance, i'm gettin desperate over here.

Hi there Onewolf , welcome to PCHF.

Do you maybe get an file name or an error code on that BSOD with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL screen?

And what product , version and year of Norton product have you installed?

thank you very much for your response and for your welcome.

as to your questions, here is the address and .exe involved.

address 8040063d base at 80400000, datestamp 384d9b17 - ntoskrnl.exe

i had an irql BSOD once before, and a fixboot solved it. remeber that i only BSOD on attempt at booting in safemode, a regular boot instigates a crashing of explorer (windows explorer, not IE) and the abovementioned symptons.

since win explorer does not function, it is hard for me to check the version of Norton i am running, but i kno that it is norton antivirus 2004 (and just antivirus, no systemworks or internet security or anything).

does an in-place reinstall of win2k seem out of line here?

thanks again for responding, i feel slightly less depressed. i have a bunch of brand new upgrades coming tomorrow, and this is kind of a wrench in the gears.

Cant you boot in windows at all anymore? Or can you still boot in safemode?

If you can still boot somehow then try one of these tools to remove Norton:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/U...val-Tool.shtml

http://www.majorgeeks.com/AV_Uninstaller_d4601.html

thank you very much for your help.

here's an update:

managed to remove NAV, turned out it was the cause the reappearing installation window, and apparently the freezing. after NAV removed, i decided to run windows update.

after downloading the updates, win updater quits saying "unable to install all updates, you must restart".

so i restart, and before the password screen comes up, i get a window titled "services.exe entry point not found" and the text "the procedure entry point iswellknownsid could not be located in the dynamic link library advapi32.dll".

any thoughts?

update:

performed overthetop reinstallation of win2k. success.

i then returned to MS updates, and upon rebooting.....i could no longer communicate with router or web.

rolled back the hotfix, no longer able to logon to win2k.

another reinstallation, now everything seems to be working again....

i'm starting to wonder if i have some sort of virus, this stuff is just too wierd.

i will also add that all this has happened, and right next to me on the table is a new msi k8n neo4 plat nforce 4 mobo, a geforce 7800gtx, and 2 gigs corsair pro dual channel ddr, none of which i have installed while troubleshooting this OS. madness looms near.

There is indeed a change that a virus has been messing with youre Norton and maybe more , have a go at the "Prework" instructions below and attach the two resulting logfiles to a post please.