Was having continual problems with BSoD. Previously was getting a STOP: 10000007e (4 parameters) message. I looked through various forums and tech support for help/suggestions. I ran chkdsk, cleaned up the registry and other obvious things, although it seemed to be a driver problem. I then ran the Driver Verifier to try to id the actual driver that was causing the problem. This gave another BSoD with the following: A device driver attempting to corrupt the system has been caught. The faulty driver currently on the kernel stack must be replaced with a working version. *** STOP 0x000000C4 (0x00000040, 0x00000000, 0x86D22A08, 0x00000000) Beginning dump of physical memory Physical memory dump complete. I also ran PSTAT from the CMD prompt but could not work out which driver it was. Any help would be appreciated.

You might wanna take a look at the following link1& link2though it might or might not be related

To troubleshoot BSOD crash issues, we need to debug the crashed system dump. Unfortunately, debugging is beyond what we can do in the forum. A suggestion would be to contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support (CSS) via telephone so that a dedicated Support Professional can assist with your request. Please be advised that contacting phone support will be a charged call. To obtain the phone numbers for specific technology request please take a look at the web site listed below: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;OfferProPhone#faq607 Sean Zhu - MSFT

Running driver verifier is an excellent troubleshooting step to help you isolate a driver causing a problem. Reboot the machine in safe mode, run verifier, and disable all of the settings. This will allow you to boot normally again.Go to the Reliability Monitor. You should be able to see more details about the crash there. At a minimum, you should see the name of the crashing driver. If you find it, look for an updated version of the driver (via Windows Update or directly from the hardware vendor that provided the file).If you really want to investigate this yourself, there are a few other options.Another way to look at dump files is to use the debugging tools.http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/devtools/debugging/debugstart.mspx#a- That has details on where to get the toolshttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/315263 - Scroll down to the "open a dump file" section. Sample 2 has the command line you'd want to use (changing path names where appropriate of course).Hope this helps,MarkWant to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List

I am not running Norton and I don't think the second link applies. Thanks any way. with appreciation, Moofus12

Mark, Thanks for your tips. The Reliability Monitor is a great suggestion (I looked at the MS help video), but is it only on Windows Vista? I have XP Home Edition on my computer. How can I access it, please? I did run the Driver Verifier, as I mentioned above, but could not ID the problem driver (not an advanced user). I also ran PSTAT on a recommendation from the forum. It did give me a print out but I could not figure out which was the problem driver from the print out. The computer does boot ok sometimes and works for a while, so I assuming that the faulty driver is only being accessed sometimes and then causes the crash. I will try your second suggestion - to look at the dump file. Thanks again. regards, Moofus12

Mark,Thanks for your tips.The Reliability Monitor is a great suggestion (I looked at the MS help video), but is it only on Windows Vista? I have XP Home Edition on my computer. How can I access it, please?I did run the Driver Verifier, as I mentioned above, but could not ID the problem driver (not an advanced user).I also ran PSTAT on a recommendation from the forum. It did give me a print out but I could not figure out which was the problem driver from the print out.The computer does boot ok sometimes and works for a while, so I assuming that the faulty driver is only being accessed sometimes and then causes the crash.I will try your second suggestion - to look at the dump file.Thanks again.regards,Moofus12 Hi moofus12Btw did you try running memtest to ensure that the problem is notdue to the ram?

The Reliability Monitor is a great suggestion (I looked at the MS help video), but is it only on Windows Vista? I have XP Home Edition on my computer. How can I access it, please? Yes, it's Vista or Win7. I assumed that you were using Windows 7, since you posted in a Windows 7 forum :)I don't think PSTAT would be useful in investigating this kind of problem.A stop 0xC4 error indicates a driver problem - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms796113.aspx(the parameters of the crash code tell the driver developer what the specific problem is).If you follow the steps above for opening the dump file, then run "!analyze" in the debugger tool, it should point you at the problem driver.Thanks,MarkWant to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List**

Daniel, No I did not. Everything I read suggested a driver problem. Is memtest located in XP? I did not get an XP CD when Dell shipped me the computer. Do I just type memtest at the command prompt? Thanks for your help and suggestions. regards, Moofus12

Memory diagnostic - http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.aspMemtest (another diagnostic, probably more comprehensive - not a Microsoft-provided tool though) - http://www.memtest.org/Want to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List**

Mark, Thanks again. I looked over the information on the debugger tool and it seemed a little involved. Nevertheless, I will give it shot tomorrow. Should I use Dumpchk.exe or !analyze to check the memory file? It says that Dumpchk is on my XP CD-ROM, which I did not get from Dell, so if !analyze is part of the debugging tools available as a download (www.microsoft.com/whdc/DevTools/Debugging/default.mspx) then I would prefer (have) to use it :) . Dumpchk did not seem so useful for getting to the problem more for verifying that the dump file is good. I'll follow your suggestion. Sorry about the Windows 7 post - my mistake! It unfortunately is XP Home Edition. very gratefully, Moofus12.

Don't bother with dumpchk for now.When you run the debugging tools, you'll need to enter a command after windbg (that's the debugging application) loads the dump file. The command you want to enter is "!analyze" (without the quotes, as mentioned in the article I linked above).I know it looks kinda painful, and I wish I had a better suggestion for you.Want to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List**

Mark, I downloaded and ran the Windows Debugger. I was not able to get the graphics. I got this message all over the output: <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:blue;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> ***** Kernel symbols are WRONG. Please fix symbols to do analysis. ***************************** Your debugger is not using the correct symbols In order for this command to work properly, your symbol path must point to .pdb files that have full type information. Certain .pdb files (such as the public OS symbols) do contain the required information. Contact the group that provided you with these symbols if you need this command to work. Type referenced: nt!_KPRCB I checked my input line at the command prompt many times and even typed it in and ran it 3 separate times. I also looked on the MSDN sites and tried to remove the "*c:\symbols" portion and also to substitute it with "*c:\websymbols" as per some posts. I am not sure what the problem is. (\386i path??) Anyway, I ran the !anaylze program and also expanded on the two raised issues (see bottom). From my interpretation, it seems that the mouse driver (mouclass.sys) Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:blue;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->is the problem. I believe this is for an MS IntelliType mouse. We used this mouse as a USB on the Dell laptop, but it ceased working and now we are using a Logitec or the mouse pad on the computer. Can the Logitec we laoded be causing a problem with the old MS mouse driver? I am planning on removing the MS driver, but wanted to get your read on this. Here is the print out (I apologize for the length, but figure too much is better than too little. As always, thank you very much for your assistance. Moofus12 <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:blue;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Loading Dump File [c:\windows\minidump\mini082309-02.dmp] Mini Kernel Dump File: Only registers and stack trace are available WARNING: Inaccessible path: 'c:\windows\i386' Symbol search path is: srv*c:\symbols*http//msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols Executable search path is: c:\windows\i386 Unable to load image ntoskrnl.exe, Win32 error 0n2 *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntoskrnl.exe *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntoskrnl.exe Windows XP Kernel Version 2600 (Service Pack 3) UP Free x86 compatible Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS Machine Name: Kernel base = 0x804d7000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0x80554040 Debug session time: Sun Aug 23 11:59:36.765 2009 (GMT-4) System Uptime: 0 days 1:17:02.351 Unable to load image ntoskrnl.exe, Win32 error 0n2 *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntoskrnl.exe *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntoskrnl.exe Loading Kernel Symbols ............................................................................................................................... Loading User Symbols Loading unloaded module list ............... *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for mouclass.sys *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for mouclass.sys *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for Apfiltr.sys *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for Apfiltr.sys Probably caused by : mouclass.sys ( mouclass+f75 ) Followup: MachineOwner kd> !analyze -v ************************************************************************ * Bugcheck Analysis * DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION (c4) A device driver attempting to corrupt the system has been caught. This is because the driver was specified in the registry as being suspect (by the administrator) and the kernel has enabled substantial checking of this driver. If the driver attempts to corrupt the system, bugchecks 0xC4, 0xC1 and 0xA will be among the most commonly seen crashes. Arguments: Arg1: 00000040, acquiring a spinlock when not at DISPATCH_LEVEL. Arg2: 00000000, current IRQL, Arg3: 86c87690, spinlock address Arg4: 00000000 Debugging Details: FAULTING_MODULE: 804d7000 nt DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 48025373 BUGCHECK_STR: 0xc4_40 CURRENT_IRQL: 0 CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 2 DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: DRIVER_FAULT LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from 8064e759 to 804f8cc5 STACK_TEXT: WARNING: Stack unwind information not available. Following frames may be wrong. f0aa6b74 8064e759 000000c4 00000040 00000000 nt+0x21cc5 f0aa6b94 f783ff75 86d050d0 86d05180 86d08858 nt+0x177759 f0aa6bb0 f5ddab03 00000018 8c496700 8c496718 mouclass+0xf75 f0aa6bd4 f5dddca5 00000004 ffffff88 8e592f00 Apfiltr+0x14b03 f0aa6c10 804ee129 86d05018 8e592f68 806d22e8 Apfiltr+0x17ca5 f0aa6c44 80574dde 8e592fd8 85e48728 8e592f68 nt+0x17129 f0aa6c58 80575c7f 86b1b788 8e592f68 85e48728 nt+0x9ddde f0aa6d00 8056e4ec 00000128 00000000 00000000 nt+0x9ec7f f0aa6d34 8053d648 00000128 00000000 00000000 nt+0x974ec f0aa6d64 7c90e514 badb0d00 0012e850 bdbdbdbd nt+0x66648 f0aa6d68 badb0d00 0012e850 bdbdbdbd bdbdbdbd 0x7c90e514 f0aa6d6c 0012e850 bdbdbdbd bdbdbdbd 00000000 0xbadb0d00 f0aa6d70 bdbdbdbd bdbdbdbd 00000000 00000000 0x12e850 f0aa6d74 bdbdbdbd 00000000 00000000 00000000 0xbdbdbdbd f0aa6d78 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 0xbdbdbdbd STACK_COMMAND: kb FOLLOWUP_IP: mouclass+f75 f783ff75 ?? ??? SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX: 2 SYMBOL_NAME: mouclass+f75 FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner MODULE_NAME: mouclass IMAGE_NAME: mouclass.sys BUCKET_ID: WRONG_SYMBOLS Followup: MachineOwner kd> lmvm nt start end module name 804d7000 806cf680 nt T (no symbols) Loaded symbol image file: ntoskrnl.exe Image path: ntoskrnl.exe Image name: ntoskrnl.exe Timestamp: Fri Feb 06 05:32:51 2009 (498C11D3) CheckSum: 00206AC2 ImageSize: 001F8680 Translations: 0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

Mark, FYI. I uninstalled IntelliPoint (I found out there were a lot of issues with the 5.0 version we were running - lots of posts). I then used a registry clean up program (Eusing) to try and get any old references removed. However, that has not solved the problem. I just got a BSoD with STOP: 0x000000C4 (0x00000040, 0x00000000, 0x86D354E8, 0x00000000) - pretty much the same as before. The XP Media Edition also seems to be crashing more frequently. The computer is also running quite slowly. I am still thinking it is driver problem, but maybe it is related to memory? regards, Moofus12

You're missing a : after http in this command:"Symbol search path is: srv*c:\symbols*http//msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols"That should resolve your symbols problem. After opening the dump, try the command "!reload" before "!analyze -v".The issue you're mentioning here doesn't look like a hardware problem to me, and appears to be related to the inbox mouse driver (though I also see a reference to the touchpad driver here).Want to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List**

Mark, Thanks for the quick response. I believe I did include the colon, but will definitely try again. Should I be using Safe Mode when running the debugger? Our computer is a Dell Inspiron 9300 laptop running MS Windows XP Media Center Edition Version 2002 with Service Pack 3. (The C:drive has 32.4 GB free space out of 69.8 GB total memory; 1 GB RAM.) Our touch pad is not working so well; the pad is ok, but the buttons do not work consistently. In the MS documentation, it mentions that the "contents of i386 folder on the Windows CD-ROM should be copied to the c:\Windows\i386 folder". I do not have that folder and as I mentioned, Dell did not ship us a Windows CD. Thanks. Moofus12

Mark, I did as you suggested - I must have been missing the colon after http as you pointed out, not that I doubted you :)) - since the output was much better. It still points to the mouse driver. I did click on the "MODULE_NAME: <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> mouclass " link to give the extra info at the bottom. Here is the output: <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Microsoft (R) Windows Debugger Version 6.11.0001.404 X86 Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Loading Dump File [c:\windows\minidump\mini082309-02.dmp] Mini Kernel Dump File: Only registers and stack trace are available WARNING: Inaccessible path: 'c:\windows\i386' Symbol search path is: srv*c:\symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols Executable search path is: c:\windows\i386 Windows XP Kernel Version 2600 (Service Pack 3) UP Free x86 compatible Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS Built by: 2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.090206-1234 Machine Name: Kernel base = 0x804d7000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0x80554040 Debug session time: Sun Aug 23 11:59:36.765 2009 (GMT-4) System Uptime: 0 days 1:17:02.351 Loading Kernel Symbols ...................................................................................................................................... Loading User Symbols Loading unloaded module list ............... ************************************************************************ * Bugcheck Analysis * ************************************************************************ Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information. BugCheck C4, {40, 0, 86c87690, 0} Unable to load image Apfiltr.sys, Win32 error 0n2 *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for Apfiltr.sys *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for Apfiltr.sys Probably caused by : mouclass.sys ( mouclass!MouseClassServiceCallback+41 ) Followup: MachineOwner kd> !reload Loading Kernel Symbols ............................................................................................................................... Loading User Symbols Loading unloaded module list ............... kd> !analyze -v ************************************************************************ * Bugcheck Analysis * ************************************************************************ DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION (c4) A device driver attempting to corrupt the system has been caught. This is because the driver was specified in the registry as being suspect (by the administrator) and the kernel has enabled substantial checking of this driver. If the driver attempts to corrupt the system, bugchecks 0xC4, 0xC1 and 0xA will be among the most commonly seen crashes. Arguments: Arg1: 00000040, acquiring a spinlock when not at DISPATCH_LEVEL. Arg2: 00000000, current IRQL, Arg3: 86c87690, spinlock address Arg4: 00000000 Debugging Details: ------------------ Unable to load image Apfiltr.sys, Win32 error 0n2 *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for Apfiltr.sys *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for Apfiltr.sys BUGCHECK_STR: 0xc4_40 CURRENT_IRQL: 0 CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 2 DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: DRIVER_FAULT PROCESS_NAME: Apoint.exe LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from 8064e759 to 804f8cc5 STACK_TEXT: f0aa6b74 8064e759 000000c4 00000040 00000000 nt!KeBugCheckEx+0x1b f0aa6b94 f783ff75 86d050d0 86d05180 86d08858 nt!VerifierKeAcquireSpinLockAtDpcLevel+0x25 f0aa6bb0 f5ddab03 00000018 8c496700 8c496718 mouclass!MouseClassServiceCallback+0x41 WARNING: Stack unwind information not available. Following frames may be wrong. f0aa6bd4 f5dddca5 00000004 ffffff88 8e592f00 Apfiltr+0x14b03 f0aa6c10 804ee129 86d05018 8e592f68 806d22e8 Apfiltr+0x17ca5 f0aa6c20 8064d6a8 85e48728 806d22d0 8e592f68 nt!IopfCallDriver+0x31 f0aa6c44 80574dde 8e592fd8 85e48728 8e592f68 nt!IovCallDriver+0xa0 f0aa6c58 80575c7f 86b1b788 8e592f68 85e48728 nt!IopSynchronousServiceTail+0x70 f0aa6d00 8056e4ec 00000128 00000000 00000000 nt!IopXxxControlFile+0x5e7 f0aa6d34 8053d648 00000128 00000000 00000000 nt!NtDeviceIoControlFile+0x2a f0aa6d34 7c90e514 00000128 00000000 00000000 nt!KiFastCallEntry+0xf8 0012e8a8 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 0x7c90e514 STACK_COMMAND: kb FOLLOWUP_IP: mouclass!MouseClassServiceCallback+41 f783ff75 8d45f8 lea eax,[ebp-8] SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX: 2 SYMBOL_NAME: mouclass!MouseClassServiceCallback+41 FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner MODULE_NAME: mouclass IMAGE_NAME: mouclass.sys DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 48025373 FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: 0xc4_40_mouclass!MouseClassServiceCallback+41 BUCKET_ID: 0xc4_40_mouclass!MouseClassServiceCallback+41 Followup: MachineOwner --------- kd> lmvm mouclass start end module name f783f000 f7844a00 mouclass # (pdb symbols) c:\symbols\mouclass.pdb\1BBF200238534BE489B4DC62262BE30C1\mouclass.pdb Loaded symbol image file: mouclass.sys Mapped memory image file: c:\symbols\mouclass.sys\480253735a00\mouclass.sys Image path: mouclass.sys Image name: mouclass.sys Timestamp: Sun Apr 13 14:39:47 2008 (48025373) CheckSum: 00014EAB ImageSize: 00005A00 File version: 5.1.2600.5512 Product version: 5.1.2600.5512 File flags: 0 (Mask 3F) File OS: 40004 NT Win32 File type: 3.7 Driver File date: 00000000.00000000 Translations: 0405.04b0 CompanyName: Microsoft Corporation ProductName: Operan systm Microsoft Windows InternalName: mouclass.sys OriginalFilename: mouclass.sys ProductVersion: 5.1.2600.5512 FileVersion: 5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2108) FileDescription: Mouse Class Driver LegalCopyright: Microsoft Corporation. Vechna prva vyhrazena.

Thanks for pasting that debug output!Not sure if it will make a difference or not, but please make sure you're using the latest version of the driver for the touchpad.http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R113813&SystemID=INSPIRON%209300&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=2514&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=2&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=17&fileid=149404Want to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List**

Mark, Looking over the latest debugging output, it seems the problem is with apfiltr.sys and apoint.exe both of which are drivers for the mouse pad on the computer. I saw this on MS site: <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.plink {mso-style-name:plink;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> When you go to Device Manager to look for "Alps Pointing-device" as a driver name, the driver name appears as "Alps Touchpad." To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: However, I believe I have the latest service packs installed. Just some thoughts. Moofus12.

I saw this on MS site:<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.plink {mso-style-name:plink;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Moofus - If there's supposed to be a link or something there, I'm not seeing it. Not sure why there's some weird formatting happening in your posts. I'll see if I can find the right forum to report that issue.Want to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List**

Mark, I apologize for the formatting. I was trying to make it easier to read for you and when I typed it, it looked good, However, when I hit the submit button, the formatting codes appeared. Others came over from cut-and-paste. There was no link from me. In the debugging program, the !analyze suggestion is a link and also the mousclass (MODULE NAME:). This is what I clicked on to yield the information at the bottom. Thank you for continuing to work on this. When I go to Device Manager, the only mouse/pointing device is "Alps Touch Pad" (not Alps pointing-device) as per the MS site note. I will check the touch pad driver. I tried to look into this and it was supposed to be located in c:\windows\system32\drivers, but I could not find it there or in c:\dell\drivers. I'll run a file search regards, Moofus12.

Mark, I did a search on my computer for Apfiltr files and got one txt file with the following: "The current installed driver for the Alps Pointing Device is not compatible with this current version of Microsoft Windows and will be disabled during the upgrade. For more information about this driver, visit the manufactrure's web site at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=958. Web addresses can change, so you might be unable to conncet to this web site. For a list of devices supported by this version of windows, see the list of campatible hardware on the Microsoft web site at http://www.microsoft.com." I looked for Alps Touch Pad drivers and found one for XP at the HP website dated 11-2003. Should I install this? If this is the issue, I am not sure why we are having a problem now? regards, Moofus12.

That sounds like a message from an upgrade report. Have you ever done an upgrade on this machine?I included a link above for the touchpad driver for your laptop. Did you try that one?Want to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List**

Mark, No we have never upgraded the computer. The Touch Pad and XP OS are original from Dell (November 2005). They have both been working fine until about March and now things are getting worse, very fast. I was wondering if the last MS Service Pack did the test message/disabling? It is not disabled since the touch pad works fine, but the buttons only work occasionally. Control Panel/Mouse/Alps Touch Pad > Properties says the "device is working properly". The driver is dated 11/16/2004 and is located in the C;\Program Files\Apoint directory. I will install the driver you located - it is from 2006. regards, Moofus12.

Mark, FYI. Since I installed the new Touch Pad driver the computer has not crashed (yet)!! So this might be the fix. I'll let you know for sure tomorrow. However . . . the computer performance has slowed to a crawl (or slower). I am running virus and malware programs and making sure I have the most up-to-date Windows XP updates. I will run a Spyware program tomorrow. However, it is very, very slow. If you have any suggestions, they would be MUCH appreciated - you have a lot of credibility with me right now, with your terrific assistance in (hopefully) solving the crashing problem. best regards, Moofus12

Mark, No crashes today, which is great. However, as I mentioned, the computer is unusable since it runs so slowly. Could the updated Touch Pad driver be causing this problem? The computer performance (apart from the BSoD crashes) was fine prior to the driver update. I am running a virus scan that has taken almost six hours and is still scanning - no threats so far. I also ran a Malware program and a Registry Clean Up program and for about 10 minutes it seemed to make a difference. I will do these two again. I have looked at the Processes Tab in the Task Manager to see what is running and the explorer is taking up most of the CPU. The CPU is maxed out most of the time. The screen takes a long time to refresh for sure. I checked the location of the explorer.exe file (as I read there was an issue with a trojan for this file) and it is in the Windows\ directory, and is about 1mB (that's was what was to be checked). Should I get a new version of explorer.exe and replace the one I have? Should I try and download a more up to date or older version of the touch pad drivers? Perhaps they are too "new" for my old touch pad? Again, any suggestions would be appreciated. regards, Moofus12

This doesn't sound like adriver problem.An anti-malware program shouldn't just make a difference for a few minutes. If it finds a problem, it should remove any spyware it finds.As for reg cleaners, I don't personally think they're a good idea, so I tend to stay away from them.Did you turn off driver verifier yet & reboot to see if that makes a difference?If not, try this:1) Download Process Monitor2) Go to tools...process tree3) In the process tree, look for explorer and all of the items that are nested below that one (the ones that appear/disappear when you click on the + next to explorer.exe).4) List them here, and do a search for the unfamilliar ones online.I don't have any other suggestions right now. Perhaps someone else here can suggest a good Vista-related forum where you can post your question.Want to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List**

Hi Mark, I hope i am not overstaying my welcome, but the saga continues . . . I downloaded Process Monitor as you suggested and looked at all of the programs nested under explorer.exe. They all seemed ok, except that wcescomm seemed to be in the wrong directory. But when I checked with "My Computer" it was in the correct directory and the other directory ("Program Files\M13AA1) was not there. So I disabled this program in the Start Up, using MSCONFIG and also unchecked a few other files, based on my investigations from the PM\Process Tree list. I then changed back the settings in Driver Verifier and rebooted the computer. Bingo!! Computer worked fine. It continued to work at regular speeds and no blue screens for the rest of the evening (about 3-4 hours). The next morning booted up the computer and immediate BSOB, arrrrggghh!! This time the Stop Code was 07E (System Thread Exception not handled). I checked the MSDN blurb on this and it probably points to a driver issue again? (Can my BIOS version be an issue?) So I ran Debugger and !analyze and it pinpointed hsfhwich.sys as the problem. This is the driver for the modem. We do not use a modem (FIOS internet connection) and I did not see it starting up anywhere. So I suspected a virus moving the problem from one driver to another (a malicious plot), but when I ran AVG, nothing detected. A also ran Malwarebytes yesterday and again, nothing detected. After some more searching on various sites, I disabled a couple of more programs and rebooted. I was not sure whether to delete or rename the hshfwich program, so did not do so and to try it. So far so good; everything normal. However, When will it crash again? (BTW, the System Configuration pops up and says it is in Selective Start Up. If I go back to Normal SU, it re-checks all of the programs I don't want to start up. Is this a problem and I can I remove the programs from the SU list permanently? and return to Normal SU? I believe I can just select the box on the pop-up box to no get this message.) As always very appreciative of your assistance. regards, Moofus 12

If you don't want the modem driver to load, see if there's a way to disable the device in the BIOS. Otherwise try disabling it in device manager.Something being in a directory named M13AA1 sure seems odd to me (most applications install their files to a clearly named directory). So that still looks a little suspicious. But if multiple antimalware tools aren't flagging it, then I guess I'm just too paranoid :)Want to know if your hardware will work on Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Microsoft Logo'd Hardware List**

Thanks for the quick reply, Mark. If the problem comes up again, I will disable the modem driver. I am not familiar with using BIOS, so I will use the Device Manager. I too was quite suspicious with the funny directory, so that it why I dropped the wireless device synch from Start Up - we don't have any wireless devices anyway. I did run a file search from the Start Button to see if there was another file somewhere, but it picked up no files with that name, including the one in the PF\MS Active Sync directory. May be it's hidden in this directory? Thanks again. Moofus12