The application or DLL is not a valid Windows image. Please check this against your installation diskette.... HELP?

[QueBert]

The application or DLL XXXXXXXX is not a valid Windows image. Please check this against your installation diskette.

I get that error on a regular basis (a few times a week) rebooting fixes it every time. Running Windows XP Pro. It doesn't occur on the same file, infact when I start to get the error it seems anything I try to run I get the same error. The XXXXX will be whatever I'm trying to run, Trillian, Dreamweaver 4, Acdsee. On Google I can't find any info about what causes this, a few posts about "spyware" I've scanned with spybot & adaware. I don't really want to have to delete my XP and reinstall, especially when a single reboot fixes this. I just rebooted from it actually, and I can probably go 2-3 days without it happening again.

ideas?

thanks

 

[johnjkr1]

Ok, I JUST had a user call me who was having the exact same problem, except his would not let him get to the desktop. It appears his user accounts got screwed up somehow, since it started to ask him for a password. You might try a system restore, if its only been a couple days. If that fails, what I did to fix this users problem was to run a repair installation, and it works fine since then. Do you happen to have Norton or an HP printer installed on your computer?

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: johnjkr1
Ok, I JUST had a user call me who was having the exact same problem, except his would not let him get to the desktop. It appears his user accounts got screwed up somehow, since it started to ask him for a password. You might try a system restore, if its only been a couple days. If that fails, what I did to fix this users problem was to run a repair installation, and it works fine since then. Do you happen to have Norton or an HP printer installed on your computer?

hummm it's been a few weeks (I think) and I have system restore turned off. I did an upgrade install of XP not long ago, because my system was taking forever to shut down or reboot (for no reason) the reinstall fixed that, but I still get this error *siiigh*

I have nothing norton installed, as for HP I was fixing somebodies printer a few months ago and installed the drivers to test it on my PC. I'm sure there is something HP left dormate on my box, those fvckin drivers install a ton of extra crap.

 

[johnjkr1]

You might want to give the repair option a try (not the "press R to go to recovery console repair"), that is what I did and it fixed the guys computer right up. The only left was a format, but he was whining about data. The only reason I mentioned HP, was that his problem started when he turned on his HP printer, all the windows image errors happened after that.