Windows 7 Exception 0x80000003 error occurs on shutdown of Win 7 Pro also OXEA47337

Hi kemical,

I uninstalled Trend Micro. I had my son download Windows Defender Offline file mssstool64 as cautioned on the instructions not to download on a potentially infected computer and I burned the file to a CD using ImgBurn using the Write files/folders to disk option. But, although my PC is set to boot up from the CD first, the computer just boot back into Windows 7 as usual. Did I burn the disk wrong. I have attached a Pic of the ImgBurn dashboard. Please advise if I should have used a different option and if so which one.

Tks,
Frank

Hi Kemical,

I forgot to mention, I first tried to burn the file using Windows Explorer but instead of burning the file it presented me with "Files Ready to Be Written to Disk (1) and I didn't know how to get it to burn that to Disk so I Downloaded ImgBurn and used it to burn the file. But, I see ImgBurn not only wrote the mssstool64 to disk but also the "Files Ready..." see attached pics.

Frank

Hi Frank,
Jumping in to help; kemical may be sleeping or eating dinner as it's the end of his Sunday there. It's good you uninstalled your Trend Micro as kemical suggests. However, uninstalling Windows Defender and reinstalling can be tricky, as it's part of the W7 OS and can be tricky to get out. You may have 2 problems if you can't boot the burned ISO file of the new WD (Windows Defender). Typically, Windows Defender is NOT a bootable disc or usb stick. That's probably why it's not booting up as you are expecting when the computer starts up! Since there's no boot setup on the ISO disc, it jumps to the next device in your BIOS boot preference order which is probably your Hard Drive with W7.

If you don't see a Black & White screen on startup that says: "...hit any key to boot from DVD disc" or similar, you probably have a stand-alone executeable file (a bin file) on that ISO disc you burned with IMGBURN. The best thing to do if that is the case, is to COPY that file from your DVD disc once you have booted into your W7 desktop. You can then use Windows Explorer to launch the copied executable file that's now residing on a folder on your hard drive such as Downloads or on your W7 desktop as an icon. Either way, use Windows Explorer and double-click the executable file mssstool64. With any luck, the installer program will launch and reinstall your WD and you're all set to go!

If it still doesn't work, you'll have to use a special tool such as REVO uninstaller to go into your Registry and attempt to remove all traces of WD from before your reinstall attempt with the new ISO file you downloaded. kemical might have some other ideas, but short of tweaking your Registry manually you may never be able to accomplish that. Plus, it's super-risky if you don't have expert skills using the Registry (only with Regedit.exe, not 3rd party tools).

If this occurs, your best bet is to do a complete W7 reset or reinstallation from Factory RECOVERY MEDIA (DVD or USB) if you have it. This is the only way to 100% guarantee you'll ever get WD working again on that computer IMO.

At least you have some things to try until kemical gets back with you.

One other thing, on your IMGBURN dashboard, if you are burning ISO files you downloaded to DVD disc, the option you want to select is: "WRITE IMAGE FILES TO DISC", Ok?

@kemical: Ross, hope you don't mind me jumping in here.

Best,
<<<BBJ>>>

Hi BIGBEARJEDI,

Thank you so much for responding but, "Wow!" that's a lot for my foggy brain to try and comprehend. I'll try to take it a step at a time.
I'm just a computer user and don't really have any computer technical skills to speak of, so I'll have to ask some questions and give you more information to try and sort this out.

I have 2 internal HDs both WD, one 1.5 terabytes (TB) and one 2 TB and 4 external USBs: 2 WD 2TB MyBook drives, 1Segate 2TB drive and 1 Iomega 1 TB drive that I bought, I believe, prior to any standard being adopted for USB drives. Device Manager indicated my 2 internal drives are SATA and my 4 external drives are USB.

So, If I understand you correctly, all of my HDs should be tested one at at a time using the DOS version of Sea Tools for Windows. Can the USB Drives be tested with this tool? I don't recall now for sure now, at least I can't find a DOS disk, but I think Lifeguard or Windows only came as an .exe file that you ran within the Windows environment. Is that correct?

Should I disconnect the power on my D: drive and all USB drives and test the C: drive alone. and then can I do that for each other drive including the USB one at a time using Seatools for DOS and then test the WD drives one at a time first the C: drive alone and then the WD drives with C: and the other WD Drive running. Or, is there a DOS version of LifeGuard to test the WD drives? Also reiterating, the D: internal drive does not pass the Quick Test, SMART test.

This is costing me a lot of valuable time. Should I just buy a new Internal 1.5 TB or 2 TB HD and reinstall Window 7. I have a 64-bit installation disk a previous Microsoft Technician had me download and burn. But, I don't know if I'm up to that task. Or, could I just restore my existing backup Using Acronis? Assuming the HD is the problem and not maleware I guess this would be okay but if the error persisted, I guess I'd then have to reformat the drive and do a fresh install of Windows and all programs? I would still have to transfer my data files even If I did an clean install so wouldn't these potentially contain maleware?

I've uninstalled FreeFileSync using Revo Uninstaller. FreeFileSync I just recently installed Mar. 24/17 trying to get more timely backup. This may be a function I can do with Acronis, I'll have to check into that.

With regard to Malewarebytes, when I went to the technician at Malewarebytes for technical support, he informed me that malewarbytes only had a limited anti-exploit capability, and I bought a one time installed version of Malewarebytes Antiexploit and he said with this program I didn't need Malwarebytes and removed it from my PC even though it has about a half a year to run. He said the Malewarebytes Antiexploit could be transferred to future computers indefinitely. I don't know where to find or how to clean out quarantine folders.

I'm not sure how to scan and clean the other HDs. I'd have to try and figure that one out. And if I formatted them restoring the backed up data would seem likely to restore any maleware gotten ride of. It seems like an exercise in futility if I can't depend on the scans.

I don't understand what a "Clean Windows OS boot is. I understand what a Window reinstall is from a Microsoft CD/DVD. Wtihr regard to running the "Trend Micro ROOTKIT BUSTER." This program is supplied by my Internet Service Provider, Thunder Bay Telephone. With regard to Trend Micro Support I believe they will supply me with a customer support number but I have currently uninstalled Trend Micro to try and use Window Defender Offline which I haven't been able to get to work yet. I could reinstall Trend Micro to see if it has the provision you mentioned. With regard to malewarebytes v3x, I don't have malewarebytes anymore I have Malewarebytes Antiexploit now as explained previously. So, I don't know if it has "check for Rootkits."

With regard to upgrading windows, I'd expect the company IT must be looking at that and will give some guidance when the that time comes. What do you advise given the above?

Tks,
Frank

Hi BIGBEARHJEDI,

The file that downloaded was a .exe file not an .iso. Second, are you sure that Windows 7 has Windows Defender in it. Below is the URL to the download page for Windows Defender and it indicated Windows 7 has "Microsoft Security Essentials" unless Win 7 Pro is different and contains Defender. How can I tell if I have Defender already to turn on or is installed?

Frank

Hi BIGBEARJEDI,

Okay, I did a search and found out I do have Windows Defender on my computer and It is running. And, I suppose has been running all the time along with Trend Micro unless it just turned itself on when I Uninstalled Trend Micro. I'll try running Windows Defender Offline as you suggested from the .exe file I have in downloads.

Frank

Hi Guys,

Something seems to be very wrong. In STEP ONE of the following instructions:

Windows Defender Offline - Windows 7 Help Forums

In 1.1 is says "save the exe file to your desktop" I copied it from the Downloads file to the desktop but can't find it on the desktop. So, I try to do it again and It asks me if I want to copy and replace it so I say OK. Still can't find the file so I go to the Desktop folder in Explorer and with is set to details I still can't find it. I check again in the detail and find it and click on it. Window asks me if I want to run it and I click yes. The window just closes and nothing happens. Does that mean I have to shut down and then It will run? The above URL shows that a Welcome to Windows Defender Offline Tool should open. It doesn't.

Preceeding that it reads, "If you have UEFI, then Windows Defender Offline is now able to boot with Secure Boot ENABLED."

and before that it reads, "In addition, BitLocker must be disabled to use Windows Defender Offline Beta." When I click on Bitlocker, it reads, "BitLocker is only available in the Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise editions." I have Windows 7 Professional?

I search searched to see how to check if I have UEFI on my PC. First method was to Press Win + R and type diskmgmt.msc and press enter. What happens is Disk Management window opens and at the bottom of the window indicates, "Loading disk configuration information" but it never does. Next option is Win + R and type msinfo32 and press Enter. Here is says in the right pane of system summary in system Information it says see if BIOS Mode value says Legacy or UEFI. It does not say System Information and even when I click the + signs on all of the catagories I can find nothing says BIOS Mode. Instead there is:

BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. 6.04, 9/7/2010

and

SMBIOS Version 2.6

Third, it tells me to go to C:\Windows\Panther to open setupact.log. There is no setupact.log there is a setup.eti and setupinfo. When I click on setup.eti Windows indicates it can't open the file. When I click on setupinfo the Open with window opens asking me to choose a program to open the file with.

I'm going to try to run it off of the USB stick. If that doesn't work I try rebooting the computer to see if that makes starts or enables it run on reboot. And if none of that works I'm going to try running check disk again on C: drive.

Perplexed,
Frank

Hi Guys,

Tried to run mssstool64.exe again and this time it ran and I successfully burned a CD and I am now going to run full scan.

Regards,
Frank

Hi,

After writing the above report when I tried to shut down the computer, it wouldn't shut down. I waited about a 35 minutes when it didn't shut down I went and had dinner. When I came back is was 8:39 PM EST and the PC still had not shut down. So, removed the CD from the tray and powered off the computer. I then rebooted into safe mode and scheduled a chkdsk and rebooted which brings us to now. I suspect the long delay in shut down may have had something to do with uninstalling Trend Micro or The turning on Windows Defender If I actually did that and it wasn't previously running parallel to Trend Micro. So, I'm going to run a registry repair and try again to shut down and run Windows Defender Offline.

Cheers,
Frank

Hi,

Well registry repair found 1 obsolete software, 22 custom control errors, 2 file extension errors, 7 file association errors and repaired all of them. I shut down and rebooted into Windows Defender Offline which displayed the message: "This app requires up-to-date virus and spyware definitions. You'll need to install the latest definition updates before scanning your P.C." So I clicked the update. Next message reads, "Virus and spyware definitions didn't update ... because of an internet or network connectivity problem. Duh. no kidding. How would a program running from the CD expect to have internet connectivity unless that was provided for in the program?

So, I rebooted into Windows googled how to update the Windows Defender definitions. I downloaded mpas-fe-exe and ran it. I then shut down window again and rebooted back into Windows Defender offline where I got the same messages as before. So, again I booted back into Windows where a Windows system tray icon bubble indicated "1 important message." Opening it up indicated, "Find an active antivirus program online (important).

So, I checked to make sure Windows defender was running and turned it off and on again. And checked and the message was still reading to find an active antivirus program online. So, I don't know whether to turn off Windows Defender as it doesn't seem to be working any better than the Offline Windows Defender or the Windows CD/DVD burner. So, at this point I going contact Tbaytel and get their help to put Trend Micro back on my computer so that I have virus protection and call it a day.

Thanks for the help guys, bye for now,
Frank

Hi,

I've reinstalled Trend Micro and the system tray Action Center message now reads, "No current issues detected."

Good Night,
Frank

Hmm....

Hi Frank,
sorry i was absent.

To install Defender for windows 7 you need to use Security Essentials although as you have re-installed Trend Micro I guess the point is moot.

So let's leave things as they are and see how you go. If the error messages return post in this thread and we'll take a look.

All the best Frank
Ross

Hi Ross,

No apology is necessary, we all have to live. Trend Micro is not a problem I can install it or uninstall it as necessary as it is free from my internet service provider and as Windows Defender didn't seem to be being recognized as a virus scan, I didn't want to go unprotected.

With regard to Windows Defender, even though online it seems to indicate that Security Essentials is what is used in Win 7, I'm a bit confused here because Windows Defender is in my control panel. See attached pic. I am using Win 7 Professional, so perhaps that is different than Win 7?

I've been thinking, I may just buy a new C: HD, to try and remove the danger that the drive is failing. The HD failing seems more likely to be a possibility of hardware failure because of its moving parts. I'd think, that static RAM and the mother board are less likely probably more stable. No certifies here of course. If that proves wrong and I do need to get a new computer tower, I can move the new drive to the new machine. That's just what I'm thinking. Do you have any thoughts with regards to that?

Tks,
Frank

Hi Ross and BIGBEARJEDI,

If I were to buy a new Internal 2 terabyte HD, is there any preference between Seagate or Western Digital?

Tks,
Frank

Frank McLean said:

f I were to buy a new Internal 2 terabyte HD, is there any preference between Seagate or Western Digital?

Click to expand...

Western Digital are usually considered the better drive.

Frank McLean said:

I do need to get a new computer tower, I can move the new drive to the new machine. That's just what I'm thinking. Do you have any thoughts with regards to that?

Click to expand...

Shouldn't be an issue..

Hi guys,
I ended up buying a 2T Seagate drive from Staples because they didn't have a Western Digital, My WD was a 1.5 TB drive so restoring it left a sizable section of the drive unused. Creating another drive in that space isn't an attractive idea given I have so many now. What I wanted to do was add that extra space to my C: drive. I have Partition Comander 10 that I bought back in 2008 for $79, bill is still in the box. When I went to use it, windows crashed and I had to run repair to fix it. I only used the program once but thought it was a good program to have around. Windows inticated that it now required programs to have certificates to run but I couldn't resist trying it anyway. Partition Camander could easily change the size of a partition. Obviously I don't want to throw money away again like that and was wondering if you guys would know of a good free program to use to extend my C: drive.

TIA,
Frank

Hi Frank,
this may help:
Free partition manager software to resize partitions - EaseUS Partition Master Free

A 3 errors is path not found, so you probably have either a service or auto run entry trying to launch something that doesn't exist. You can use autoruns to locate and remove the entry Autoruns for Windows

Neemobeer said:

A 3 errors is path not found, so you probably have either a service or auto run entry trying to launch something that doesn't exist. You can use autoruns to locate and remove the entry Autoruns for Windows

Click to expand...

I think that actual issue is fixed Neem's although I could well be wrong.. (wouldn't be the first time)

Hi Ross,

Thank you for the Link to EaseUS. I was able to use that successfully to expand my C: drive to encompass the Unallocated space on my new 2T HD. Part of the purpose of replacing my HD was to deminish the possibility that the Primary HD might fail, that would not be welcome, and to eliminate it as the source of the exception 0x80000003 windows error. Unfortunately, the error persists. So, I'll now try Neemobeer's suggestion and hope that it works as well as your EaseUS tip. Thanks again Ross for all of your assistance with these problems.

Best regards,
Frank