When I log on to my settings I get a message entittled msmsgs.exe - bad image which states "The application or DLL C:\Windows\System 32\es.dll is not a valid windows image. Please check this against your instalation diskette" When I "OK" this message it appears a second time and then it doesn't appear again until a turn my computer on again. I've had this for a while and haven't been able to get rid of it. My computer is otherwise working well except that some things take a long time to load when I've just started the computer. Any ideas to what it may be? Renny

Leave no stone unturned & check for virii & spyfiles . Then do a cleanup . ======================================== 1st step , run a virus check from all of these . Online Virus check ( free ) http://housecall.antivirus.com/ http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/misc/av.php http://www.pandasoftware.es/activescan/activescan-com.asp http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/ http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/licence.php http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/home.asp?j=1&langid=ie&venid=sym&close_parent=true&plfid=23&pkj=HXJDYNBRFNJSVSTIVVB System Restore option in Windows Me/XP http://www.augustana.ab.ca/other/cns/virus/ http://www.adamtj.org/repository/howto/W32.Blaster.Worm/ Users of Windows Me and Windows XP should temporarily turn off System Restore. Windows Me/XP uses this feature, which is enabled by default, to restore the files on your computer in case they become damaged. If a virus, worm, or Trojan infects a computer, System Restore may back up the virus, worm, or Trojan on the computer. Windows prevents outside programs, including antivirus programs, from modifying System Restore. Therefore, antivirus programs or tools cannot remove threats in the System Restore folder. As a result, System Restore has the potential of restoring an infected file onto your computer, even after you have cleaned the infected files from all the other locations. Also, a virus scan may detect a threat in the System Restore folder even though you have removed the threat. For instructions on how to turn off System Restore, read your Windows documentation, or one of the following articles: How to turn off or turn on Windows XP System Restore http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001111912274039?OpenDocument&src=sec_doc_nam ===================================== Free online Spyware detector Click on > Scan without registering http://www.pestscan.com/ Screen for Adware, Spyware, Scumware, Diallers, ’Jackers and other unsolicited commercial software . Remove Spyfiles by using these 5 programs . Make sure you use the SpyBot/SpywareBlaster/Ad-aware/Bazooka/Swat It > Online > Update button regularly . SpyBot http://beam.to/spybotsd Once you have the program installed , open SpyBot and select the "Immunize" icon on the left & Click on Immunize , in the new page . Permanently running bad download blocker for Internet Explorer . Select > Block all bad pages silently & click Install . Then check the box "lock hosts file read-only as protection against hijackers". SpyBot lock host files greyed out If it doesn't have a hosts file you cant lock it, so that tweak will be grayed out. Have SpyBot install its hosts file. http://www.zerosrealm.com/immunizing.php Note: For those running in "Basic" mode you will NOT see this. You must be running in Advanced mode! To get in advanced mode, a really easy way is to go to Start >> All Programs >> Spybot Search and Destroy >> Spybot Search and Destroy (advanced). Click it. You are now in advanced mode. Select your download site . Open Spybot Search and Destroy. After clicking the button that says "Search for Updates" you will see 5 items near the top of the window, "Search for Updates", "Download Updates", UniDo(Europe), "Show Log" and "Help". Next to UniDo(Europe) you will see a "down" arrow. Click the "down" arrow and you will see download site choices (3 in Europe, 1 in USA and 1 in Australia). SpywareBlaster http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it from ever being installed. Freeware Ad-aware http://www.lavasoft.de/ http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ All software offered on this page is free* to download and use and compatible with Windows 98/ME/NT40, Windows 2000 and Windows XP Home and Professional. Download sites . http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=506 Bazooka http://www.webgrid.co.uk/security_2.html http://www.winsite.com/bin/Info?17000000037943 http://www.kephyr.com/ Bazooka is freeware and Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP compatible Click on the files found & you will be taken to a site that will show you how to remove , either with a program or manually . It reports on all drives & partitions , so remember to check all these , when doing manual remove . After the Download - It is important to remember that once the installation of Bazooka is completed , that you should update the File Signatures by clicking on the Update tab and check for an update . Make sure you Update regularly . Swat It http://swatit.org/ Swat It is a Completely FREE program that scans your files for Trojans, Worms, Bots and other Hacker programs. Swat It can detect and remove over 4000 different Trojan programs plus variants. Swat It was recently independently tested against popular commercial scanning software and we were absolutely delighted by the results. After the Download - It is important to remember that once the installation of Swat It is completed, that you should update the File Signatures by clicking on the Update tab and check for an update. All Product and File Signature Updates are Totally FREE, this means that you will never have to pay a single penny to get the very latest version of Swat It or to update the File Signatures. Beware of SpyHunter http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03289/231446.stm ================================ I use all these cleaners for XP , each one specialises in a different area . Do not be supprised if hundreds of files are found . Files are either removed to the programs backup or the Recycle Bin ( make sure the Recycle Bin is empty , before using the cleaners , that way you know the files you have removed ) All , allow you to restore them back into the system , either by right clicking on the reg file in the programs folder ( example Regclean & OleClean > Windows Explorer > Unzipped , click on either RegClean or OleClean ) & clicking on Merge . EasyCleaner removes to the Recycle Bin & by opening the Recycle Bin , right clicking on the files & clicking Restore . jv16 PowerTools & RegSeeker both store in Backup on their main page . Opening Backup allows you to either Restore or Delete . CCleaner , the advantage of this cleaner is , when Issues is clicked & the boxes ticked , it will tell you before you fix ( doing one file at a time ) why the file is there . RegScrub Click on Restore , click the backup to be restored , click on Restore Selected backups . Once you are sure they are not needed again ( about one week ) they can be deleted . ============================= RegClean http://vbnet.mvps.org/index.html?http://vbnet.mvps.org/dev/updates/tools.htm Microsoft's RegClean ( freeware ) very conservative . By default it puts the 3 files into Windows Temp . I prefer them in Unzipped . Right click in an empty space in Unzipped , select Folder & name it RegClean . Now when you click unzip ( during install ) select the new folder . To use , you can either open up the folder & doubleclick on RegClean or right click & make a shortcut to your desktop & then put it anywhere you like . =========================== EasyCleaner http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm Click on Unnecessary . I tick Normal types & Temp directories . Don't use Duplicate files unless you really know what your doing . If you try & remove a file that is being used , it will after about a 15 second delay , inform you so & will not delete . ================================== RegSeeker http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm RegSeeker is a perfect companion for your Windows regsitry ! RegSeeker includes a powerful registry cleaner and can display various informations like your startup entries, several histories (even index.dat files), installed applications and much more ! With RegSeeker you can search for any item inside your registry, export/delete the results, open them in the registry. RegSeeker also includes a tweaks panel to optimize your OS ! RegSeeker is FREE for personal use only ! Click on Clean the Registry & tick > Scan Drives for old exe entries in the registry . Click OK . My personal use , is to , delete only the Green entries . Left click the 1st green entry to highlight , hold the Shift key down & move down the list to the last green entry & click ( no red inbetween ) to highlght bulk Green entries . Right click to delete . ========================================= jv16 PowerTools 1.3.0.195 , which doesn't expire , is available here: http://spazioinwind.libero.it/puntocr/dwl/jv16pt_setup.exe http://down.hengshui.com/download.asp?downid=1&id=726 http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/page7.html Click on Registry Tool > Tools > Registry Cleaner > Continue > Start . When finished , Click on Select > Special select > Items that should be safe to remove > Remove. ================================== OleClean ( Freeware . I tick all the boxes in Options ) from , http://www.majorgeeks.com/showfiles.php?cat=15 http://www.geocities.com/maurizioferreira/oleclean.html http://www.webgrid.co.uk/system_13.html http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=oleclean =============================== CCleaner http://www.spazmatic.net/partners/ccleaner/ CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) is a freeware system optimisation tool. That removes unused and temporary files from your system - allowing it to run faster, more efficiently and giving you more hard disk space. The best part is that it's fast! (normally taking less that a second to run) and Free. :) ================================= RegScrubXP http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=2048 http://www.sofotex.com/RegScrubXP-download_L7528.html Registry Cleaner for Windows XP/2000 Systems (under development is a version that will run in Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP) I have made it very easy for you to backup the registry prior to using RegScrubXP. This backup process uses Microsoft's reg.exe program. Follow these directions: Go into the folder where RegScrubXP was installed. Double-click on these two programs: HKLM.cmd and HKCU.cmd You should see two files created: HKLM.reg and HKCU.reg Copy these two files to a safe place. If you ever need to fully restore your registry back to normal, double-click on HKLM.reg and HKCU.reg to fully restore your registry as it was before you used RegScrubXP. ================================== Binman http://anothermirror.tripod.com/free.htm http://www.webgrid.co.uk/system_7.html http://freewarearena.org/PHPNuke/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=23 Seeks out the rubbish left behind by other programs. Use regularly it will save space. It can auto run at times set by you.

Also , Prefetch http://www.tweakxp.com/TweakXP/display.asp?id=525 This is an unique technique for WinXP. We know that it is necessary to wash registry and TEMP files for Win9X/ME/2000/XP periodly. Prefetch is a new and very useful technique in Windows XP. However, after using XP some time, the prefetch folder can get full of rarely used or obsolete links which can slow down your computer noticeably. My suggestion is: open C(system drive):/windows/prefetch, delete all files (or at least those more than 3 weeks old), reboot. I recommended that you do this every month. Editor Note: Deleting prefetch files too often (Every reboot) can decrease system performance!

Wooohhh! I was not expecting so much! I'll see what I can do with all this information and I'll let you know. Thanks for your help! Renny

Also, I've just got rid of a virus (W32.Randex.gen) using Norton. That didn't chage anything as far as the bad image statement is concern. Do you still recommend running a virus check from all the links you gave me? With regards to the prefetch, could you explain what deleting the files in prefetch will do? I looked for some info on it and am still not clear. Another thing, I don't know if it means anything, but when I try to access "help and support" on my computer it takes forever to load, to the point that I end up giving up... does this sound familiar?

Prefetch keeps a record of everything you go to & loads them up faster . Deleting them puts you back to the same as when you 1st installed XP , but if there were any corrupted files , you now get rid of . Yes , if you want to be really sure , use all those virus checks . Finding virii is a game of catch up , no one is always 1st to find them . Help & Support is best used when offline .