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Files locked across multiple profiles?

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by itguyy 1 view

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Ok I've got a computer that's got me stumped.

-Dell E510
-Realitively new install (Couple of months old)
-Windows XP Media Edition (Professional) SP, all critical updates, otherwise working fine.

Here's the senario:

Stand alone computer with two profiles on the machine in non-domain mode (Graphical login using the buttons to log in as the user).

Click on either profile, doesn't matter which, log in, open Internet explorer. Click File-Log out - Switch user. Log in as the other user leaving the previous profile logged into IE.

Open Internet Explorer in the second profile and get "Runtime error ...iexplorer.exe." The details show shdocvw.dll 0xc0000005. The error in event log shows

Faulting application iexplore.exe, version 6.0.2900.2180, faulting module ntdll.dll, version 5.1.2600.2180, fault address 0x00001010.

Open Explorer (My computer, or Windows Explorer) and get the same basic error in the event log Windows Explorer crashes and reloads the taskbar.

I've searched far and wide and nothing has helped, but here's a quick rundown of what I did do.

1) Ran Chkdsk to find and fix any errors
2) Full spyware/adware search, nothing found.
3) Removed Yahoo and Google toolbars
4) Reregistered all IE DLL's.
5) Attempted IE 6 reinstall but it wouldn't let me. Changed registry key to allow reinstall and it still wouldn't let me. Thank you Microsoft!
6) Reinstalled VB6Runtime
7) Created a new profile(User) and tested with same results across all three profiles regardless of which one you log into first.

The key thing to know is that IE, Explorer and the rest work FINE in the first profile that's logged in. If you switch to any other users with IE open in the first users profile, then the OS blows chunks. Close IE and the other profile works.

My gut feeling is that one or more explorer apps is locking files across all profiles causing the second profile to touch it to crash.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
-Rob

10 replies

by itguyy

Well yea, but I'm not corporate IT anymore. Reinstalling the OS costs the customer money and they would like to know why its happening, not just wipe and reinstall and are willing to deal with the annoyance to get an answer to the issue. Besides while this would probably work, it doesn't explain how it happened or whether or not it will just break again in another two months.

by jim_p

Yesm, this appears to be a glitch with the XP switching user, the workaround is what you mentioned, with making sure IE isn't open on the first user profile.
I have heard that sometimes a virus can cause this problem too, have you done a scan for any viruses, worms, or spyware?

Kind Regards,
Jim

by itguyy

A good post and backed up what my suspicions were, but I need a fix if at all possible. No viruses/spyware/adware that any of the scanners could find, everything up to date, otherwise the computer works fine.

by itguyy

Thanks for your input.

Full virus/adware/spyware scan run. User has recent McAfee (Comcast repackaged) with updates, et al.

Wipe and reinstall is what I am thinking as well, however since this is a new issue to me and apparently the rest of the Internet (And I'm billable hourly and the guy just bought this machine) I'd like to see if a solution can be found.

Keep the comments coming!

by jim_p

Umm, can I suggest something really silly here, have you tried deleting your temporary Internet Cache, and cookies. I know in XP the profiles are seperate, but can we get this out of the equation. Do this for both profiles, If you haven't already tried this.

Kind Regards,
Jim

by jim_p

Also, have you got any third party toolbars instaled for IE? Any plugins installed?

Kind Regards,
Jim

by diga

make sure that your internet connection is available for all uses and just not the main user

by itguyy

No actually what I recommended to the customer was that they log out before logging into another profile.

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