Aiptek tablet problem & resolution - but why?

[nzo]

The original problem:

I could not find an obvious reason why Ontrack Powerdesk's file manager (replacement file manager to Windows ME's own Explorer) would open spontaneously when I re-booted ME.
It was not in any start-up group. Sometimes one Powerdesk window appeared, at other times two - one for each of my hard drives.

I uninstalled Powerdesk and went through the registry with a fine tooth comb for traces. After this, Windows own file manager did the same thing - usually two windows opened and the desktop screen would freeze. VERY frustrating.

The solution:

After a lot of hand-wringing, hair-tearing and troubleshooting, what appears to have fixed it is the uninstallation of all drivers and associated software for an AipTek USB graphics tablet I purchased about a month ago. This tablet came with a CD suite of software by an outfit called Pensoft.

When I first viewed the software I was suspicious of it and surprised how inept and klutsy it was during installation, including bad documentation. However eventually it installed and I promptly forgot about it.

Since uninstalling, my double Explorer/Powerdesk windows and screen freezes on boot up have magically disappeared. Whew!

I hope this helps someone struggling with the same problem.

So to my question: What is the most likely scenario for this fault? I would really like to use the tablet. Any halp appreciated!!

John

 

[dinosnake]

I have seen something similiar to this myself, on one of my family's computers.

In one of the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/RunServices,

there was a entry to run a program which wasn't there or was corrupt and accessed the drives by scanning them - for instance, building a helper database of files for quicker access. Most likely wasn't there. Windows opened an Explorer window as kind of a 'fallback' when it couldn't run that entry. Deleting the entry for me solved the problem (if I remember correctly it was a scanner-installed program) - in your case, uninstalling the program removed the entry for you.

Just another Windows fluke, courtesy of Microsoft... Your mileage may vary...

 

[nzo]

Well thanks - that was quick!

I checked that early on in the process - there was nothing relevant in those keys.

 

[dinosnake]

Did you try to bypass all startup items, including those keys, to check? I didn't think they were relevant in my problem, also, until...

The tablet worked under all programs (unlike old tablets where they had to be accessed by special drivers built into special programs which used it). So it loaded some VxD's, probably some dll's, and some shell extension executables to run.

It could have even been hidden - a call to one of those pieces could have had a .ini or alternate reg entry which, say, started a second version of the shell. And that can cause lock-up city. Or it could have called that all-time favorite, rundll32.exe, to execute a shell command and then exit - or, at least hope exit. It instead started a new shell and then failed to unload after the execute, freezing the system. Rundll32 just loves doing that little trick (failing to unload, at least). Your mileage may vary...

 

[nzo]

Ok dinosnake - I think I'm getting what you're saying. Sorry to be so slow.

I did notice throughout the ordeal that Rundll32 featured prominently, though not as a discrete error message. It was mainly visible as a "Rundll32 not responding" flag in the Close Programs 3-finger dialog when trying to escape a boot freeze.

Another probably unrelated issue is that 2 or 3 times out of 10 I'll get a similar error message and frozen screen, this time to do with "MSGSRV32 not responding".

Many thanks for your dedication.

 

[dinosnake]

Yeah, that's in the pattern. The MSGSRV32 is a executable in which VxD's and some components use to route messages to other parts of the OS. If MSGSRV32 was called by the tablet's VxD or by RUNDLL32 and was trying to access that frozen, missing or corrupt program (or the VxD or other tablet service) it would lock up, unable to complete it's task. Your mileage may vary...