Here's the last 3 errors and 1 warning (I have tons of warnings). There is just too many errors & warnings to paste here. Not sure what you can make out of this info or even if it's the info you request, but, hopefully, it tells you something. Note: The first entry (error) is exactly when I turned on my laptop this morning, and the 2nd one is when I *think* my computer did a crash yesterday, but can't be sure. Not sure why the text I'm writing is all the way across the page when viewing - sorry for that. Thanks. Log Name: System Source: Service Control Manager Date: 5/14/2011 9:52:46 AM Event ID: 7000 Task Category: None Level: Error Keywords: Classic User: N/A Computer: Deb-PC Description: The Parallel port driver service failed to start due to the following error: The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it. Event Xml: " EventSourceName="Service Control Manager" /> 7000 0 2 0 0 0x80000000000000 623513 System Deb-PC Parallel port driver %%1058 Log Name: System Source: iaStor Date: 5/13/2011 5:07:16 PM Event ID: 9 Task Category: None Level: Error Keywords: Classic User: N/A Computer: Deb-PC Description: The device, \Device\Ide\iaStor0, did not respond within the timeout period. Event Xml: 9 2 0 0x80000000000000 623443 System Deb-PC \Device\Ide\iaStor0 0F0005000100000000000000090004C00100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Log Name: System Source: volsnap Date: 5/13/2011 5:04:16 PM Event ID: 14 Task Category: None Level: Error Keywords: Classic User: N/A Computer: Deb-PC Description: The shadow copies of volume C: were aborted because of an IO failure on volume C:. Event Xml: 14 2 0 0x80000000000000 623293 System Deb-PC \Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy4 C: C: 0000000003003000000000000E0006C00B000000560000C000000000000000000000000000000000 Log Name: System Source: disk Date: 5/13/2011 5:07:15 PM Event ID: 51 Task Category: None Level: Warning Keywords: Classic User: N/A Computer: Deb-PC Description: An error was detected on device \Device\Harddisk0\DR0 during a paging operation. Event Xml: 51 3 0 0x80000000000000 623442 System Deb-PC \Device\Harddisk0\DR0 030068000100000000000000330004802D010000560000C000000000000000000000000000000000AFD3050000000000FFFFFFFF01000000400000300000000000200A124C022040008000003C0000000070D0B5E867A38600000000A806A186E8D14286560000C0280013F3756F00004000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Many here feel that Superantispyware is superior to both Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy; perhaps it is. It is never harmful to have several programs for the spyware/malware stuff. I have these as well as Windows Defender. You are right about having only one anti-virus program, but in the spyware department, more is better. By the way, Avast is a great free anti-virus program, but don't run it along with McAfee.

Hi, everyone (ravencajun and Zep too. :) ) I meant to reply last evening but ran out of time. The other situation ravencajun is referring to was an extremely nasty rootkit. That does not appear to be the situation here. msjean, I suggest you reinstall System Restore. I checked the instructions presented at a number of sites but found the best information is at the site referenced below. Bert Kinney is a Microsoft MVP and a respected expert. His instructions are clear and the most complete. (Note, in particular that there are multiple locations provided for the needed i386 folder.) It appears that the easiest method is to type or paste the command shown in the instructions at Bert's site (rundll32.exe advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection C:\Windows\Inf\sr.inf) into the Start/Run box and pressing enter. Since you have Service Pack 3 installed, you should have either the i386 folder or the C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386 folder mentioned in the list Bert provided. See "How to Reinstall System Restore in Windows XP" by Bert Kinney at http://bertk.mvps.org/html/reinstall.html and let us know the results. Notes: A. You should log on to the Administrator account to perform this. B. You may need to show hidden folders: 1. Click Start > My Computer. 2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options. 3. Click the View tab. 4. Locate and uncheck Hide file extensions for known file types. 5. Locate and uncheck Hide protected operating system files. 6. Under the Hidden files folder, locate and check Show hidden files and folders. 7. If you see a warning message, click Yes. 8. Click Apply > OK. Please let us know if you have any questions. Here is a link that might be useful: How to Reinstall System Restore in Windows XP

Thanks everyone. I did try to disable the programs Owbist recommended from the startup. It suggested I reboot - which I did, but it also said that access was denied and I might have to log in as the system administrator to make some of those changes. I have no idea how to log in as system administrator. This is my computer and I'm the only one who uses it, but a computer tech guy did set it up for me a year ago - and I don't know if he set me up as administrator or not. How can I check this out. [This is a separate question, but may be related. I think I need to log on as system administrator and secure my network - and find out my network's name and password. Again, I don't remember setting this up - but perhaps the tech guy did and asked me to pick a password and name - I think I would know which password I would have picked if he asked me. He might have had me type it in. I'm having trouble keeping my new laptop connected - and it is asking me the name of the network and other information. Sorry - I probably shouldn't ask this here, but I think it's related to logging on as system administrator]. Anyway, now when I start the computer, I have to go through a series of prompts to acknowledge that this is not the default start up. So this isn't saving time to get up and running. I'm sure there's another way to do this. I don't think I use real player - but how would I know what I use if I'm on a site like Amazon or Youtube and listen to a clip/video. If I'm not using realplayer, is there a default windows media player (I vaguely recall this) that gets used. Which is the best default music player to have? Is there any reason I would want to keep realplayer? Can I always get it later for free if I realize later I want it? Ravencajun - I do have revouninstaller and got a list of programs on the pc. But I don't know how to view what starts at boot up? When i tried to press "Hunter" mode, it just exists revo uninstaller. I was able to click on the programs and see that there are other probably useless ones - like netzero, earthlink set up files, - but when I click the link to google them, many sites state it's crapware and should be removed, but yahoo answers said best to leave it and be sure. So I don't know and haven't yet figured out how to get revo uninstaller to make suggestions. If I have revo uninstaller, would the WinPatrol still be good to run in addition? Can you tell me what you mean by disbling some of the startup programs in services rather than in msconfig? Not sure how to do that. Thanks. Lynn.