task manager not starting error "The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000006"

There is no "STOP if it is running" language/dialogue,  I HAD To Assume to click the only STOP button, located just below the dialogue. I just clicked that STOP button and it did something. As There is Nothing on the page about "Running"

I expected - when I clicked on start/run to get the little black box that one would write code into, but this was like a Tabbed menu as in right clicking on a file or something, with tabbed menus on top.

Shell Hardware:

You said IT NEEDS A FILE on the USB stick or CD?? How do I put the file on the USB stick or CD before I insert it?

Please KEEP In Mind that I am a very depressed old man with bad eyes and am close to giving up. Meaning - I need complete sentences with what question you are answering.

Meaning I feel like I am just stabbing at this thing - "Here and THere" and not accomplishing like a well defined check List that would be easy for me to follow. I grow worried if I see different dialogue on the menu than what is on the instruction. Makes me nervous and want to shut down

Winston,

I am lagging behind I have not been able to do many of your suggestions, it took me most of today to test if task manager would work in Safe Mode - it did Not. And It took 2.5 hours to do all of the scans, I described earlier.

From Capt

Alex,

I don't know if you read this or not so here it is again,

"You said "Now with your special usb device. You can monitor all connected drives with diskmgmt.msc

Run diskmgmt,msc"

I do not know what you mean here, what special usb device are you referring? A thumb drive USB stick? OR

Are you referring to my usb device connector I use to connect a regular hard (no housing) - my quote "(a special adapter to connect other ide or sata hard drives is NOT Being recognized, although it is listed in Device Manager (without any yellow exclamation point), it Does Not show up in "My Computer" file.  Therefore I cannot backup to a hard drive. This adapter has its own power adapter and cord and a special USB cord that plugs directly in to hard drive and then to a USB port.

I think I need step by step easy instructions, as I am an old man and having a very hard time at this.

I am still copying my files, music and photos using a little 8 gb thumb usb drive and copying them to another computer. Maybe I am transfering infected files also ? ? who knows...

So do I do your suggestion first or keep trying to locate infection,

I have seen situations where malicious software knows that you are trying to run Task Manager and will not let taskmgr.exe exist as a running process.  The malicious software knows you might use Task Manager to try to find and remove it so it will not let it run.

I have never seen your error - usually TM just will not start and there is no message, but to "fool" it here is what I usually do:

You can fool the malicious software (then fix it).

Assuming your Windows is installed on your C drive, using Windows Explorer, navigate to the c:\windows\system32 folder and locate taskmgr.exe.

Copy the taskmgr.exe file and rename the copy something that the malicious software will not recognize.  I like to call the copy:

c:\windows\system32*jose.exe*

Double click jose.exe and see if the Windows Task Manager window will open now.

The problem is the malicious software will not let the taskmgr.exe be a running process, but it does not know about jose.exe as a running process so you just outsmart it (I have a feeling that it will know about jose.exe someday though).

That will not "fix" your Task Manager but at least you will know if the Task Manger mechanism works or not (taskmgr.exe still will not launch as it should).  If you are trying to remove some malicious software and need to use Task Manager, you can just launch (double click) jose.exe instead, but your system will still be infected.

That was a typo I meant diskmgmt.msc

Yes you run it using the run command.

Your first step will be to make sure you can't infect your second computer.

1. In your second computer use the run command to run: services.msc
2. Scroll down to "Shell Hardware Detection"
3. Double click "Shell Hardware Detection" and set "startup type" to disabled and click "Stop" if it is running.

**Shell hardware detection starts a program when your insert a cd, usb stick, or other media, but in order to start the program it reads a file on the usb stick, cd, etc which can actually contain a virus, causing a virus to infect your computer when you insert the media.**

Your second computer is now safe.

4. Download autoruns by sysinternals.
5. Extract and open the program, then in the program click Options, Filter Options. Clear any filters.
6. After scanning completes, click File, Save.... Save the log some place convenient.
7. Email the log to my email address which can be found on my profile here.

**This program lists all of the programs that start up with your computer. Using the log I can identify any malware you have on your computer and write up a script that will remove any malware I find.**

-Alex

Alex - I already transferred most of my important doc and fotos last night, You are too Late on this one. I do not really comprehend your first sentence.

YOU Are really confusing me and my computer is getting EXTREMELY SLOW NOW,  it takes a minute to just bring up my google home page, online.

About my 2nd computer - too late most likely.

Please read your message before you send it or DON"T Send it,

THanks