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Folks, I wonder if anyone can help me out on this. This is my first posting on this forum.

I'm presently living in the Far East and connected to broadband via LAN in my apartment block. About two weeks ago, right in the middle of an internent session, I got a message saying that Generic Host Process for Win 32 services has encountered a problem and needs to shut down. What happened next was insanely weird.

Firstly, after I clicked the Do Not Send error report button, my connection froze and I could not browse the internet again. Secondly, even when I disconnected the broadband cable from my laptop, the broadband icon kept indicating I was still connected and there was nothing I could do to disconnect. When I clicked the Broadband connection it wouldn't open the window to show the status (enabled, Sent and Received, Time online etc). It would just flicker for a microsecond. Most annoyingly, I couldn't even reconnect to the Internet without re-booting.

I notice the whenever I connect to the Internet, my Windows Messenger automatically tries to sign me in even when I have the settings for Messenger set to Manual or even Disabled. If I quickly cancel the signing in, I can then browse the Internet (I use Netscape cos my IE has been hijacked by CoolSearch, but that's another tale of woe). If however Messenger does come on, unfailingly, after about 5 minutes, even as I'm browsing in Netscape, the dreaded Generic Host Process nightmare happens, and that's the end of that session.

I have researched several geek-like forums, done the usual Norton, Ad Aware scans, updated mercilessly, but this Generic Host shit refuses to go away. From what I've read in various geek forums, it seems to be an increasingly common problem and appears also to be linked to my CoolSearch semi-meltdown. Frankly, I don't really like IE, I prefer Netscape, but I would at least like to know I can use IE if I need to, but that can't happen right now. (Oh, yes, now with Netscape, I can't open attachments to my emails. I keep getting a Netscape message saying it cannot read the source file, no matter the kind of file - Word, Excel etc)

Clearly, the most meaningful option would be to throw my laptop out of the window (I'm on the 23rd floor of the block), but I would like to pursue other remedies first, hence this post. I know that what I've written suggests that my laptop is in a massive mess, but surely there must be someone out there who might be able to put me out of my misery. Incidentally, I use a Toshiba Satellite A20 purchased in North America about 2 years ago, running Windows XP Home Edition. Even though I am in Asia, all of my installed software are original genuine editions and not dirt-cheap back allley pirates that are so common in this part of hthe world.

I'm not that computer literate, so any suggestions in reasonably basic layman's English would be so so much appreciated.

Otherwise, out the window this baby goes.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks a lot ghostdog. I'll give it a try and keep the forum informed. I'm surprised it looks like I'm the only forumite with this problem. I got the impression on the Net that it was all over the place (try a Google on Generic Host Process and you'll see what I mean)

Shiola, thanks for your suggestions too. Hard to get a good English-speaking technician where I am and it would probably cost a bomb. Nothing like buyin a new laptop though!!

Most likely your OS but just on the off chance its a bastard like the coolwebsearch trojan which apparently has been made to overwrite windows system files apparently in system32...coincidence who knows?

If it is the problem then just running the stand alone version of CW shredder should fix it

cheers
B....OZ

Darkow,

You're not the only person with this issue.

I have found though that as long as I have Norton Internet Security running everything works OK.

Thanks Deuce. Trouble is, when I try to download the stand alone of CWShredder from the Intermute site (I'm still forced to browse with Netscape), it just opens a blank page. I'll try to see if I can download elsewhere but any other suggestions would be appreciated, much.

Thanks a lot also, FridaySe. Pardon my total ignorance, but what is Norton Internet Security. Is it part of Norton 2004 Pro which is what I am currently using here?

Just to say to all that I've gotten more lucid responses/suggestions through this Forum than from hours trawling through geek forums. Nice to see such selfless suggestions.

I think the difference between this forum and the geeks is that we aren't trying to demonstrate our techie superiority. I got badly flamed on one of those because I was having problems accessing a membership site and I wasn't prepared to publish my Username and Password.

Mart

Doesn't suprise me to be honest
Its quite common for these pages to be unavailable once your infected
especially any to do with CW Shredder

I've just emailed you the program CW Shredder program from intermutes page 454kbs in size(Spyware & virus free) and I've also emailed you another small program which is designed to kill the anti-spyware removal programs which might stop CW Shredder & other spyware from running properly

As for friendly computer/geeky forums I've found the spyware forums more helpful than most with flaming next to non-existant within reason.There main ask before you post is that you've run CW Shredder & when you post you include the log from Hijack This(Located here with umpteen other good software)

This section is entitled PC Problems which really means anything goes



This forum has links to at least a dozen others and everything in between
One of the best sites for info on security issues



For specific XP Forums I've found these 3 to always be full of info and again flaming next to non-existant





cheers
B....OZ