Problem in Windows?

[Kirei Blossom]

Hello,

I have Win XP Sp 1 on my computer. Lately, I've been getting this popup when I close an IE window. And the three times it happened, was after I closed the window while on the youtube website:

"Application popup: IEXPLORE.EXE - Application Error : The instruction at "0x300e0290" referenced memory at "0x300e0290". The memory could not be "read".

Click on OK to terminate the program
Click on CANCEL to debug the program"

Also, I got an error where Internet Explorer crashed ("We're sorry, but IE has encountered a problem and needs to shut down. Send Report/Don't Send") I chose to send the report, and it came back with the message that "The problem was caused because of Windows."

Any ideas? What's wrong?

 

[kimsland]

Win XP Sp 1

Wow, that was a long time ago.

You really should update, Xp is now up to Service Pack 3

 

[silverakis]

try to update windows with SP3 and then check if the error still exist.....
additionally try to install a fresh copy of IE or try to use a more stable browser(Mozzila,Opera)

 

[gbhall]

Your PC must be fairly old. I would not recommend SP3 especially if it happens to be an AMD processor. SP2 is fine, but a lot of people have had problems with SP3.

Provided you install SP2 and immediately also update all the security patches since then, but not SP3 you will be just as secure and up-to-date as you need to be. You could update to SP3 in about 3-4 months if you want to, when MS finally iron all the wrinkles out.

I am hearing bad things about SP3 from another point of view - that MS are introducing (inside it) an attempt to block use of pirated software. All very well - it is already in Vista - but not the way they are going about it, which is to include a 'bomb', which when triggerred can deny you further use of your PC. Now that is dangerous, because it is only a peice of software, and a terrifically attractive target to hackers, who will be handed on a plate a strong blackmail capability. Be warned.

 

[nickc]

gbhall, u know I have been using SP3 on the 3 computers since it first came out, even when it was in bata, and I have never had any problems with it. I have reinstalled windows since the final came out to see if there was a difference and to my thinking SP3 is good saves a day worth of down loading updates and gives no problems with other software that one would not have with the computer any way.

 

[Kirei Blossom]

yes, my PC is around 7 years old. It has an AMD Athlon XP 1700 processor, 1.46Ghz, with 512MB ram (the RAM card was just replaced 6 months ago, because the old one kept giving me blue screens and random restarts). Let alone SP3, I was wondering if it'll be able to run SP2 okay..

 

[gbhall]

Kirei, have no fears about SP2 - it is now over 2 years old and thoroughly debugged. SP3 is a different matter - amongst other things it had to be delayed because on some hardware combinations it could crash (some say corrupt) MS own SQL server, which of course is the database underlying countless business systems and internet servers.

Nickc, I notice your PC's all have Intel CPUs, so you were not really at risk, but I hope you do not fall foul of the corruptible 'bomb' reputedly being added by SP3. I will not be surprised if MS do not make it compulsory to update to SP3 in order to continue to receive critical updates, in which case I also expect there will break out a host of problems for millions of users world-wide. Of course, many (especially in Russia, China etc) will indeed be running pirated copies of Windows, but by irrefutible evidence, just badly-written installs of other software can trigger it (in the publiced case, a game). In the nature of dear old MS general incompetance, it will also catch many, many people with perfectly genuine software. On top of that, the hacker community will have a wild time.

Do you really want to wake your PC one day and find it running in so-called 'reduced mode', accompanied by a message from hackware demanding payment to 'remove malware' from your PC? I dont and I wont be installing SP3 until I see confirmation that it does not include a bomb.

 

[Garfield]

SP2 or SP3 will fix the problems

 

[Kirei Blossom]

thanks everyone. I'll update to sp2.

 

[kimsland]

Windows SP3 is mainly beneficial if you haven't done all your Security updates since SP2
(it's basically all the security updates since SP2 was released and includes a small number of new functionalities)

Click H E R E to find out how to get it.

Regarding gbhall's posts
If your computer has a legitamit version of Windows installed (and it must, just to get SP2 installed) Then you will not see any bomb issue

Also, if you decide not to install SP3 and just download and install all the individual updates since SP2 was installed (not that I think you can anyway) it will take a very long time, with many restarts along the way.

You are advised to install SP3 strongly, to have your computer up to date (actually there are already individual updates on top of SP3 to do)

Please be advised: Yes do the SP3 update

 

[gbhall]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/28/vista_drm_analysis/ tells a good deal about the (or maybe one of) the bombs in Vista. As for SP3 for XP introducing this sort of thing I doubt if it could be done in one SP, more likely to be a continuous change procedure, but as for 'will it ever happen?' I must take the definitive word of Steve Balmer for it.

 

[nickc]

gbhall, I was running 1 Athlon XP 3400 processor 754 MB when I first installed SP3 and I never had a problem out of it. I actually bought a cheap dell to replace it with, with VISTA SP1 and I personally think that is all a bunch of bunk. The reason I purchased the Dell was so I could get the feeling for VISTA and that I personally do not like.

 

[Bobbye]

Be advised the SP3 may cause a problem with the AMD processor.