Expert: Brian Benosky - 7/12/2008

Question
I am using Windows Vista Home Basic, with SP1. I'm having a problem opening the control panel - when I click on it from the start menu, the window comes up but it just stays blank. I've tried switching to classic view, but that doesn't change anything.

Also, I can't open any folder within the control panel; when I right-click on the desktop and click "personalization", nothing happens. And I have a shortcut to "Appearence and Personalization" on my desktop, but when I click on that, it looks like it is going to open, but then it suddenly closes.

This is very odd, because everything was working fine just a few hours ago. But since I installed a certain screensaver, this problem started. So I quickly deleted the screensaver, and I am currently running a full system scan with AVG but I haven't found any problem yet...

Here is the logfile from HijackThis:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 1:39:12 PM, on 12/07/2008
Platform: Windows Vista SP1 (WinNT 6.00.1905)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6001.18000)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\Windows\system32\taskeng.exe
C:\Windows\system32\Dwm.exe
C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG7\avgcc.exe
C:\Program Files\COMODO\Firewall\cfp.exe
C:\Windows\RtHDVCpl.exe
C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmpnscfg.exe
C:\Program Files\Stardock\ObjectDock\ObjectDock.exe
C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG7\avgwb.dat
C:\Windows\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.ask.com?o=1607
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.gateway.com/g/startpage.html?Ch=Retail&Br=EM&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=DTP&M=T50...
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.gateway.com/g/startpage.html?Ch=Retail&Br=EM&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=DTP&M=T50...
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://www.gateway.com/g/sidepanel.html?Ch=Retail&Br=EM&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=DTP&M=T50...
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName =
O1 - Hosts: ::1 localhost
O2 - BHO: WormRadar.com IESiteBlocker.NavFilter - {3CA2F312-6F6E-4B53-A66E-4E65E497C8C0} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: MegaIEMn - {bf00e119-21a3-4fd1-b178-3b8537e75c92} - C:\Program Files\Megaupload\Mega Manager\MegaIEMn.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Veoh Browser Plug-in - {D0943516-5076-4020-A3B5-AEFAF26AB263} - C:\Program Files\Veoh Networks\Veoh\Plugins\reg\VeohToolbar.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgcc.exe /STARTUP
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [COMODO Firewall Pro] "C:\Program Files\COMODO\Firewall\cfp.exe" -h
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RtHDVCpl] RtHDVCpl.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvSvc] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\Windows\system32\nvsvc.dll,nvsvcStart
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\Windows\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\Windows\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [WMPNSCFG] C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\WMPNSCFG.exe
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [Sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /detectMem (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [WindowsWelcomeCenter] rundll32.exe oobefldr.dll,ShowWelcomeCenter (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [AVG7_Run] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgw.exe /RUNONCE (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [Sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /detectMem (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [AVG7_Run] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgw.exe /RUNONCE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [AVG7_Run] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgw.exe /RUNONCE (User 'Default user')
O4 - Startup: Stardock ObjectDock.lnk = C:\Program Files\Stardock\ObjectDock\ObjectDock.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Clean Traces - C:\Program Files\DAP\Privacy Package\dapcleanerie.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Download with &DAP - C:\Program Files\DAP\dapextie.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download &all with DAP - C:\Program Files\DAP\dapextie2.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MI699F~1\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~4\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O13 - Gopher Prefix:
O16 - DPF: {30528230-99f7-4bb4-88d8-fa1d4f56a2ab} (YInstStarter Class) - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\common\yinsthelper.dll
O18 - Protocol: linkscanner - {F274614C-63F8-47D5-A4D1-FBDDE494F8D1} - (no file)
O20 - AppInit_DLLs:  C:\Windows\system32\guard32.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: avgwlntf - C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\avgwlntf.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Windows DreamScene - {E31004D1-A431-41B8-826F-E902F9D95C81} - C:\Windows\System32\DreamScene.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Deskscapes - {EC654325-1273-C2A9-2B7C-45D29BCE68FB} - C:\PROGRA~1\Stardock\OBJECT~2\DESKSC~1\deskscapes.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Stardock Vista ControlPanel Extension - {EC654325-1273-C2A9-2B7C-45D29BCE68FD} - C:\PROGRA~1\Stardock\OBJECT~2\DESKSC~1\DesktopControlPanel.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: StardockDreamController - {EC654325-1273-C2A9-2B7C-45D29BCE68FF} - C:\PROGRA~1\Stardock\OBJECT~2\DESKSC~1\DreamControl.dll
O23 - Service: Adobe Active File Monitor V6 (AdobeActiveFileMonitor6.0) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 6.0\PhotoshopElementsFileAgent.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgamsvr.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgupsvc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Resident Shield Service (AvgCoreSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgrssvc.exe
O23 - Service: Capture Device Service - InterVideo Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InterVideo\DeviceService\DevSvc.exe
O23 - Service: COMODO Firewall Pro Helper Service (cmdAgent) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\COMODO\Firewall\cmdagent.exe
O23 - Service: FLEXnet Licensing Service - Macrovision Europe Ltd. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher\FNPLicensingService.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\1050\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: InCD Helper (InCDsrv) - Nero AG - C:\Program Files\Nero\Nero 7\InCD\InCDsrv.exe
O23 - Service: NBService - Nero AG - C:\Program Files\Nero\Nero 7\Nero BackItUp\NBService.exe
O23 - Service: NMIndexingService - Nero AG - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\Lib\NMIndexingService.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (nvsvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\Windows\system32\nvvsvc.exe
O23 - Service: VideoAcceleratorService - Speedbit Ltd. - C:\PROGRA~1\SPEEDB~1\VideoAcceleratorService.exe
O23 - Service: Stardock WindowBlinds (WindowBlinds) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\WindowBlinds\vistasrv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: XAudioService - Conexant Systems, Inc. - C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\xaudio.exe

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End of file - 7059 bytes


Answer
Hi John

The log file is clean.  It might be a conflict bug.  Try this:
1) Launch services.msc from a run command.
2) Find the SL UInotify service & stop it.
3) Find the Software Licensing service & stop it.
4) Restart both services, starting with Software Licensing.
5) Try opening the Control Panel.

If it works, set both for automatic run when window starts. If not, let me know.

Brian