Tech Support Question Part II - Kernel32.dll???

[Aaron]

Ok some of you may remember my problem (see "I Have a Tech Support Quesiton about my Comp..." post).

Anyway, in a nutshell, here it is.

Every 2-3 minutes, the comp hangs up for 10 seconds.

I know the problem is not anything in msconfig, its not a virus, its not the registry, its not a stupid background program running, blah blah blah.

I have found a solution (and possibly the problem?).  I downloaded a program called "ATM" which gives you a list of all Processes and Threads running, and how much CPU power they're using.

There's a process running called "kernel32.dll."  If you kill it, the computer crashes.  Anyway, one thread (the last one) is using 80% of my CPU power constantly.  I can suspend it, and it fixes the problem, but then I can't run any programs or quit any programs until I un-suspend it.

I checked when kernel32.dll was modified... 5/11/98 I think, same as my other Windows system files.

QUESTION:  Does anyone know if I can fix this problem WITHOUT a reformat?  Maybe I can write some program to automatically suspend the thread except when a program is trying to be launched or shut off... too bad I'm not quite that good yet :-p

[Caddberry]

Sorry man .. the easiest and i say easiest way would be to back up and reformat.. if you do it and have prepped it should depending on what u use only take u a day.. it only took me a day.. and it was actually only like 5 hours total.. (that not counting that i had 7 cdroms of data and mp3s to reload.. but i finished that.. iz all back to normal here..  

[Threesixty]

kernel32 is part of windows....windows needs that driver to run. If your getting kernal32 errors it's because that another program is screwed up.

If you want to...you can recopy that file from your windows disk. Winzip can open cab files, and uncompress them. I can't remember where exactly the kernel file is....I think it near the end to middle of the cab files. Windows has lots of cab files.  They are numbered. I can't remember how far they go...think it's like 70 or something. Your just going to have to open them one by one, until you find the one that has the kernel32 driver in it....then unzip the thing and overwrite the one on your harddrive.

Try 31.cab
That's where it's at on Win98SE (Win98_31.cab)

[Joey]

kernel32.dll is the heart and mind of windows. Your computer hangs because it is too hot. That kernel32.dll thing has been apparently sending too much info to the poor, overheated processor. Try adding cooling fans or clean the current one.

[Sir Canealot]

Theres a slim chance of Joey being right.

I would check the heat. Although heat usely make the computer just hang. Always an idea any way.

[J*** H*******]

Message.

[M0T]

Heat made my proccessor overheat and melt
Joey may have been takeing a shot in the dark but it would be a good idea to check that the fans work and get rid of any dust on the fan and the heat sink which would slow heat dissapation away. However I would have though it was a program screwing with Kernel32 so replacing and leaving the program on would cause it to happen as well. In these situations you could always try to reinstall windows before you try a format.

[Aaron]

Oh well, I found the problem.  It was not the heat.  I think I mentioned in the last post that I'm using a laptop, and if I didn't, well now you know.  The problem was the battery.

About six months ago my battery stopped working, and I've been havingg this hang problem for about three weeks.  I think the battery finally got so bad that the power program on my laptop that keeps track of it would think it was there and then think it wasn't or something and cause the computer to hang.  I removed the battery, and all is fixed now.

Thanks for your help, though.

[Caddberry]

LoL!!! thats the crazy thing with computers you just really never know..   he he he.. geez.. oh and shut up joey