Hum, update but not sure what it all means yet. After buying a 2.5" external enclosure to run my notebook HDD as an external drive on another computer I was able to recover data that wasn't backed up and was in my Shared Folder, pictures and the like, but I was not able to access anything protected by administrative login requirement. But, emboldened by the recovery of some important information I reinstalled the HDD in the notebook and tried to boot again, noting I had discovered that when one changes the BOIS to boot first from the CD ROM one must input a F1 keystroke to start the boot, and if one waits the process defaults to the HDD, which booted slowly but almost normally. Main surface problem the desktop came up troubled with the white background. This would not allow me to recover my original desktop, but no problem the system worked anyway. I was able to capture my Thunderbird Folder and when I substituted that into my new notebook's TB (subject of another thread on having problems with moving mail from one TB to a TB on another computer) I got a complete recovery of my TB history/file/directory. Message here to me is to backup TB an the TB Folder level, not at the Mail folder level. I did then uninstall Acrobat Professional 7.0.8 which had just been updated before the slow crash, and I noted that both the installation of the Acrobat update and the uninstall requires that my external back-up HDD be connected...this was not intended and may have had something to do with the crash problem. I'm still working on the desktop problem and note that scan disk on the troubled notebook does report the HDD check good, but it does not show the details: number of sectors, uses, unused..

Microsoft Security Essentials has a setting in the rear that helps somewhat for faster scans.. I set mine to limit use to 100% of cpu ... default, if I recall right, was 30%. MSE no matter what the cpu % is set .. seems to always give other programs 1st priority, and sits & waits for the cpu to be unbusy for its little fun fast time slices. Thats probably why it seems to take so long to finish an update or scan. The newer version seems to update fractionally much smaller definition downloads. Which is nice when you push a manual scan!

I'm slow but steady. ;-) Here's the "Hijack This" log: Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2 Scan saved at 11:27:44 AM, on 3/28/2010 Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600) MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180) Boot mode: Normal Running processes: C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\ACS.exe C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\Power Management\CePMTray.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\dla\tfswctrl.exe C:\Program Files\ltmoh\Ltmoh.exe C:\WINDOWS\AGRSMMSG.exe C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\Apoint.exe C:\Program Files\EzButton\EzButton.EXE C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\ConfigFree\NDSTray.exe C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\E-KEY\CeEKey.exe C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\Touch and Launch\PadExe.exe C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TOSHIBA Zooming Utility\SmoothView.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32\ZoomingHook.exe C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TouchPad\TPTray.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\Apntex.exe C:\toshiba\ivp\ism\pinger.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\hphmon04.exe C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Share-to-Web\hpgs2wnd.exe C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast5\avastUI.exe C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TOSCDSPD\toscdspd.exe C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Share-to-Web\hpgs2wnf.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\RAMASST.exe C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\soffice.exe C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\soffice.bin C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\AOL\ACS\acsd.exe C:\Program Files\Toshiba\Power Management\CeEPwrSvc.exe C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\ConfigFree\CFSvcs.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\DVDRAMSV.exe c:\TOSHIBA\Ivp\Swupdate\swupdtmr.exe C:\WINDOWS\wanmpsvc.exe C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Center\SymWSC.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://www.toshiba.com/search R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = about:blank R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.toshiba.com O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - (18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3) - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll O2 - BHO: DriveLetterAccess - (5CA3D70E-1895-11CF-8E15-001234567890) - C:\WINDOWS\system32\dla\tfswshx.dll O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CeEPOWER] C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\Power Management\CePMTray.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [dla] C:\WINDOWS\system32\dla\tfswctrl.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LtMoh] C:\Program Files\ltmoh\Ltmoh.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AGRSMMSG] AGRSMMSG.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Apoint] C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\Apoint.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EzButton] C:\Program Files\EzButton\EzButton.EXE O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NDSTray.exe] NDSTray.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CeEKEY] C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\E-KEY\CeEKey.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PadTouch] C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\Touch and Launch\PadExe.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SmoothView] C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TOSHIBA Zooming Utility\SmoothView.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ZoomingHook] c:\WINDOWS\System32\ZoomingHook.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TPNF] C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TouchPad\TPTray.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SSC_UserPrompt] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Center\UsrPrmpt.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ATIPTA] C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Pinger] c:\toshiba\ivp\ism\pinger.exe /run O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe" O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPDJ Taskbar Utility] C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb05.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPHmon04] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hphmon04.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPHUPD04] "C:\Program Files\HP Photosmart 11\hphinstall\UniPatch\hphupd04.exe" O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Share-to-Web Namespace Daemon] C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Share-to-Web\hpgs2wnd.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KernelFaultCheck] %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast5] C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast5\avastUI.exe /nogui O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [TOSCDSPD] C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TOSCDSPD\toscdspd.exe O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe O4 - Startup: OpenOffice.org 3.0.lnk = C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\quickstart.exe O4 - Global Startup: RAMASST.lnk = C:\WINDOWS\system32\RAMASST.exe O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000 O9 - Extra button: (no name) - (08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501) - C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_05\bin\npjpi142_05.dll O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - (08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501) - C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_05\bin\npjpi142_05.dll O9 - Extra button: Research - (92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263) - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL O9 - Extra button: Real.com - (CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE) - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Shdocvw.dll O9 - Extra button: Messenger - (FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683) - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - (FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683) - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=http://www.toshiba.com O23 - Service: Atheros Configuration Service (ACS) - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ACS.exe O23 - Service: AOL Connectivity Service (AOL ACS) - America Online, Inc. - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\AOL\ACS\acsd.exe O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe O23 - Service: avast! Mail Scanner - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe O23 - Service: avast! Web Scanner - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe O23 - Service: CeEPwrSvc - COMPAL ELECTRONIC INC. - C:\Program Files\Toshiba\Power Management\CeEPwrSvc.exe O23 - Service: ConfigFree Service (CFSvcs) - TOSHIBA CORPORATION - C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\ConfigFree\CFSvcs.exe O23 - Service: DVD-RAM_Service - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\DVDRAMSV.exe O23 - Service: Pml Driver HPH11 - HP - C:\WINDOWS\system32\HPHipm11.exe O23 - Service: Swupdtmr - Unknown owner - c:\TOSHIBA\Ivp\Swupdate\swupdtmr.exe O23 - Service: SymWMI Service (SymWSC) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Center\SymWSC.exe O23 - Service: WAN Miniport (ATW) Service (WANMiniportService) - America Online, Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\wanmpsvc.exe -- End of file - 7111 bytes I'll check back in a few days. This is supposed to be our day of rest. Enjoy it.

Hmm, I had not read the whole MS page but basically you only need to follow the first 2 instructions. I have never had to use those other instructions myself. Remember that if you get flustered just click the Cancel button to get out of where you are. There is nothing to be afraid of when using System File Checker. You It simply goes through your computer checking all the operating system files and replaces those which are corrupt or missing. The need for the CD is so it can get the needed files to install for you. The slight downside is that it takes the computer back to when your particular CD was created which means you will be behind on security updates and possibly a service pack. No big deal there either, you simply go to the windows update site and the computer grabs whatever it needs. You are doing nothing wrong. Who knows why those files went missing. Perhaps/probably it was due to the power outage. You can of course extract and install each of those files if you wish to avoid using SFC. Follow the instructions here to do that for each file. You do not have to do them all at one time. Try one, see how it goes then do others as you feel up to the task.