Please note that I am NOT "accusing" anything, but rather just asking a question.
I have a Windows Pro SP2 fully updated system that I was using as per usual when suddenly a SnagIt capture started presenting the capture review window (title bar appeared and part of the window displayed, but then it froze). Eventually I tried to stop it (and its sister task) using task manager, but no change. I also found that nothing else would start. I decided to re-boot, but each time I clicked "Start / Shutdown" the screen would start to grey (as normal) but clicking 'turn off' or 'restart' had no effect. I could click shutdown and one of those buttons as often as I wanted, always with no effect. Eventually I clicked the RESET button (hardware) and then trouble REALLY started!!!
The re-boot offered a dialog telling me that there was trouble on last shutdown and asking how I wished to re-boot. I chose "normally" and it proceeded to show the XP startup logo, then it self-rebooted!
Even selecting "Safe mode" did the same thing. Even choosing "Last known good settings" did the same.
I resolved to being it in to the shop next day (today).
In the meantime I used my Win2K notebook (the one in use here) to get some e-mails in/out. I typically use Hibernate, and there was no problem.
HOWEVER, and the reason for this question, this morning I resumed processing as usual. Shortly after, before doing anything else, I heard "Virus database has been updated" (still sounds eerily like me) and saw the blue box appear/disappear. Then I started Outlook 2000. While it showed on the Start Bar, it never actually did start up. Then I tried to start IE (6) and again it showed on the Start Bar but never started. I could not end them either (sounds like above).
So I hit ctrl+alt+delete to start Task Manager and the Start Bar went blue (no words/icons). Rty-clicking on the desktop raised the popup BUT clicking "Properties" did nothing!
I had no way to shutdown, so I hit ctrl+alt+delete several times, waited a couple of minutes, then powered OFF. After 2 minutes I powered on again and fortunately things started up OK. (oddly, the first thing to run after boot was another "Virus database has been updated" message).
This Win2K system now seems to be OK. But I wonder, the symptoms being so similar, if the XP Pro system may have been affected by a virus update and is now not bootable. NOTE... I was busy with some intricate stuff and cannot even confirm if there had been a virus update while I was working away on the (XP) system.
Thanks for reading, and comments appreciated.
FYI, the bad system has a RAID1 C: and bootup reports that the raid is operational.
Trying "Safe mode" or "Safe mode with networking" always produces a list on the screen that ends at the same place every time, then the system self-reboots.
I *did* try removing RAM in bits, even though POST said itwas all OK, and no change.
