Crashes with obscure messages

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tecknomage
Posts: 1
Joined: 23 Aug 2009, 23:00

Re: Crashes with obscure messages

Post by tecknomage »

On Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:52:00 +0000, Terry Pinnell
<terrypingm@DELETEgmail.com> wrote:

> Recently my PC (Quad Core Q9450 2.66 GHz, 4 GB, XP Pro SP2) has been
> suddenly locking up. I often get a message
> "The application or DLL
> C:\WINDOWS\AppPatch\acgenral.dll is not a valid Windows image. Please
> check against your installation diskette."
>
> BTW, the last sentence seems to date the message as written decades ago!
>
> Can anyone shed any light on this please? And what I should do about it?
>
> FWIW, I found another copy of acgenral.dll and it was identical.
>
> Also, I usually get another message when trying to display the Task
> Manager, so that I can re-boot:
> "Taskmgr.exe - Application Error
> The application failed to initiate properly (0xc000012d)"
>
> Not sure if this is a related or consequential issue, but it forces me to
> power down or use the reset button.

CAUTION: A reply suggest you update to SP3
If you do this, your WinXP Pro SP2 Setup CD cannot be used to run the
Repair Console. You will be asked to mount the WinXP Pro SP3 CD which
you do not have.

If you do want to update to SP3, and you have a CD Recorder, download
the ISO installer. You write the ISO to a CD, mount this CD from your
desktop and it runs the SP3 Installer just like any other app install
CD.

SP3 ISO here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/d ... laylang=en

NOTE - I use a text eMail client and the above link may word-wrap, is
should be a single line.



***** AS TO YOUR ERROR, troubleshooting *****

HIGHLY suggest you download Microsoft's Process Explorer (PE)
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysi ... 96653.aspx

NOTE - What you download is a ZIP file that contains the entire
utility, NOT an installer. UnZIP and place in a folder of your choice
(like C:\Program Files\Process Explorer) then create a shortcut to run
it.

Just look at the screenshot and description on the MS page and you can
see it's a much better Task Manager.

It does NOT replace the Windows Task Manager, just provides enhanced
features like showing exactly which task is loading your system.

The biggest gain is Process Explorer's search. You know, those error
dialogs that popup saying "such-&-such DLL has caused an error and
....." Well using search in PE, with the error dialog open, it will
show you what task called that DLL so you have useful information.

Now using PE you have a better method of seeing exactly what is
hogging your system. Especially if you enable the following:

Options
Hide When Minimized
Allow Only One Instance
Confirm Kill (default)
CPU History Tray Icon

View menu, check Show Lower Pane

View, Select columns, Process Performance tab, select only...
CPU History (graph)
Threads
Handle Count

Also use Save Column Set, which saves your choices AND dialog
position/size.


Suggest you place a PE shortcut in your Startup folder (run minimized
option) so it starts at boot.

**** NOW - When you get the error dialog again, LEAVE THE ERROR DIALOG
OPEN, then click PE icon your Taskbar Tray to open and use the PE
search for [acgenral.dll] and find out exactly which task called it
and caused the error.




"acgenral.dll file information

The process Windows Compatibility DLL belongs to the software
Microsoft Windows Operating System by Microsoft Corporation.

Description: File acgenral.dll is located in a subfolder of
C:\Windows. Known file sizes on Windows XP are 1,852,928 bytes (42% of
all occurrence), 1,852,416 bytes, 2,154,496 bytes, 2,144,256
bytes.http://www.file.net/process/acgenral.dll.html
A .dll file (Dynamic Link Library) is a special type of Windows
program containing functions that other programs can call. This .dll
file can be injected to all running processes and can change or
manipulate their behavior. The program has no visible window. The
service has no detailed description. It can change the behavior of
other programs or manipulate other programs. The file is not a Windows
system file. acgenral.dll is a trustworthy file from Microsoft."

See...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886716/en-us
....in case this is your problem.



--
======== Tecknomage ========
Computer Systems Specialist
IT Technician
San Diego, CA

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don phillipson
Posts: 18
Joined: 01 Mar 2009, 00:00

Re: Crashes with obscure messages

Post by don phillipson »

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypingm@DELETEgmail.com> wrote in message
news:0pbae6tpmoui38693ge7bhctoon11ei269@4ax.com...

> Recently my PC (Quad Core Q9450 2.66 GHz, 4 GB, XP Pro SP2) has been
> suddenly locking up. I often get a message
> "The application or DLL
> C:\WINDOWS\AppPatch\acgenral.dll is not a valid Windows image. Please
> check against your installation diskette."
> BTW, the last sentence seems to date the message as written decades ago!
>
> Can anyone shed any light on this please? And what I should do about it?
>
> FWIW, I found another copy of acgenral.dll and it was identical.
>
> Also, I usually get another message when trying to display the Task
> Manager, so that I can re-boot:
> "Taskmgr.exe - Application Error
> The application failed to initiate properly (0xc000012d)"
>
> Not sure if this is a related or consequential issue, but it forces me to
> power down or use the reset button.

Problem #2 might be cured by installing SP3. My TASKMGR.EXE
is 135,680 bytes, dated 4/14/2008.

Problem #1 may be that ACGENRAL antedates WinXP by "decades."
This is what WinXP "Compatibility" arrangements are for. Start / Help
presents the basic information. These old apps can be configured
to run as if under Win95 or Win98 (and perhaps Win3.1). One of
these configurations may make the app run as you want.

But it would be prudent first to instal SP3.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

elmo
Posts: 47
Joined: 07 Mar 2009, 00:00

Re: Crashes with obscure messages

Post by elmo »

On 11/18/2010 8:52 AM, Terry Pinnell wrote:
> Recently my PC (Quad Core Q9450 2.66 GHz, 4 GB, XP Pro SP2) has been
> suddenly locking up. I often get a message
> "The application or DLL
> C:\WINDOWS\AppPatch\acgenral.dll is not a valid Windows image. Please
> check against your installation diskette."
>
> BTW, the last sentence seems to date the message as written decades ago!
>
> Can anyone shed any light on this please? And what I should do about it?
>
> FWIW, I found another copy of acgenral.dll and it was identical.
>
> Also, I usually get another message when trying to display the Task
> Manager, so that I can re-boot:
> "Taskmgr.exe - Application Error
> The application failed to initiate properly (0xc000012d)"
>
> Not sure if this is a related or consequential issue, but it forces me to
> power down or use the reset button.

An obscure message AND Task Manager won't run? I suggest you run
Malwarebytes:

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam/program/mbam-setup.exe

--

Joe =o)

glee
Posts: 50
Joined: 02 May 2009, 23:00

Re: Crashes with obscure messages

Post by glee »

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypingm@DELETEgmail.com> wrote in message
news:0pbae6tpmoui38693ge7bhctoon11ei269@4ax.com...
> Recently my PC (Quad Core Q9450 2.66 GHz, 4 GB, XP Pro SP2) has been
> suddenly locking up. I often get a message
> "The application or DLL
> C:\WINDOWS\AppPatch\acgenral.dll is not a valid Windows image. Please
> check against your installation diskette."
>
> BTW, the last sentence seems to date the message as written decades
> ago!
>
> Can anyone shed any light on this please? And what I should do about
> it?
>
> FWIW, I found another copy of acgenral.dll and it was identical.
>
> Also, I usually get another message when trying to display the Task
> Manager, so that I can re-boot:
> "Taskmgr.exe - Application Error
> The application failed to initiate properly (0xc000012d)"
>
> Not sure if this is a related or consequential issue, but it forces me
> to
> power down or use the reset button.

Click Start> Run, type sfc.exe /scannow
Click OK
Insert your XP CD when prompted.

How To Use Sfc.exe To Repair System Files
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic43051.html

--
Glen Ventura
MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
CompTIA A+
http://dts-l.net/

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