PC crashes while Spybot is running

[Alleycatinet]

win2000 pc crashes when running spybot 1.4. This has happened both manually started and scheduled. I believe it did run to successful conclusion once manually. It has happened at different points - sometimes 1/3 complete - sometimes longer. Most frequent seems to be around 21004 adhoc. I suspect a corrupted file in Incredimail is the cause. But why would Spybot crash?

This happened under the previous version too. The night before last I uninstalled the old and reinstalled the new version. The same night I uninstalled and reinstalled NAV2003 which was aborting but not crashing the system. NAV is not ok. Until I reinstalled I was unable to run spybot scheduled. Now it runs but crashes.

I have two other PCs running spybot - same config. The oldest and slowest - no problems - doesn't crash and runs scheduled to successful completion.
The newer and faster - runs to successful completion but I can't get it to run scheduled.

[md usa spybot fan]

Can you clarify what you mean by "win2000 pc crashes when running spybot 1.4."?

Is Windows hanging? Is Windows restarting? Is the PC powering down?

Do you get any messages?

[Alleycatinet]

This is my second reply - I don't know what happened to the first.
Sometimes SB reboots - sometimes the PC powers off. This morning I was watching remotely with Radmin. SB hung at 21004 adhoc for a long time - then the connection was lost. If it was going to reboot, it would have reconnected in a minute. It didn't. I had to wait till someone came into the office to power it back up.

I'm relatively sure it is related to a corrupt file in Incredimail. I don't know the file but we have had other problems because of Incredimail. Some of the outgoing messages have been corrupted. We have stopped using it but can't uninstall because we need access to the mail. SB is the only remaining problem.

It would be great if SB had a debug or trace mode; then I might learn the last file it looked at.

[md usa spybot fan]

Since the problem that you are describing, at least at times, involves the powering down of the processor, the problem may be physical and not "…related to a corrupt file …".

Spybot is quite CPU intensive. It is possible that the CPU overheating and the system is shutting down to protect the processor. I know at this point you're skeptical and think that I'm full of hot air for suggesting that the shutdown may be a physical heat related problem rather than a software problem or a "… a corrupt file …", but check out this thread:

• Spybot causes shut down
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=2163

I can't be sure that the cause of your failures are heat related, but I think that it is worth checking into. Consider the following:

• Make sure that the fans are running in the processor, particularly the CPU fan.
• Make sure dust is cleared from any ventilation ports in the case.
• Even consider blowing dust off of the CPU heat sink as dgwilson did.

[Alleycatinet]

I'll try it. Since the PC in question is in a remote office, I seldom see the machine itself. I'll drive over there tomorrow.

[md usa spybot fan]

I hope that I haven't steered you wrong and that the trip is fruitful.

[Alleycatinet]

I won't keep you in suspense! It worked. I was going to wait to respond until tomorrow. There may be even more news by then. Here's the results so far.

There was a cloud of dust when I pressed the trigger on the can. I rebooted; with the skins off, I ran Spybot live update and scan; both ran to successful conclusions; then I ran NAV2003 which had also been aborting; both the live update and the scan ran to successful conclusions.

Then I put the skins back on; set the schedule so that both Spybot and NAV would start simultaneously at 1pm; Both started; Spybot finished first of course. At that point I went home to watch the NAV conclusion remotely. It again completed successfully. Two winners not just one. And there may be a 3rd tomorrow. Also I'm scheduling a visit to another office where I've been having similar problems. They're farther away.

I also have to give you credit for another incidental fix. Had I not been forced to visit the office and blow out the dust, I would never have realized that the sound wasn't working on that PC. Fixed that while I was there; also cleaned the keyboard and the monitor. So a little gas accomplished a lot.

A big thank you - I'm a believer. I hope there's more to tell tomorrow.
Bob