FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  571 (26/06/07)

Q. I am having problems with my computer and usually when I start and shutdown I see an error message box with the code oxc0000142 and a lot of other gibberish. Can you tell me what this means?

Dev Taylor, via email

A. I’m guessing the message also says something like ‘application failed to initialize properly’, in which case this is a fairly common but potentially time-consuming fault to diagnose problem. 

Incidentally, the first character of the error code is a zero, not the letter ‘o’, which is why a lot of people run into a dead-end when trying to ‘Google’ this and other similar error messages. 

But I digress, and the code 0CX0000142 indicates that a .dll (dynamic link library) file failed to load or unload when a program or service was launched, or shut down. In other words the program didn’t start properly and promptly froze, gumming up the works. The difficult bit is finding out which one it was, so it can be uninstalled and reinstalled or patched and the only way to do that is through a process of elimination.

However, there are a few likely candidates to check first, and these include your firewall (ZoneAlarm has been known to cause this problem), anti-virus program and so on. You can selectively disable them1 one at a time by deselecting them from the startup list (Startup tab) that is displayed when you type ‘msconfig’ in Run on the Start menu. After unchecking a program or service reboot each time and don’t forget to re-enable the programs you want to have launch with Windows.    

Q. I am running a laptop with XP Home and SP2 and until now have had no serious problems. Now, after booting up an error box appears headed ‘rthdcpl.exe’. In the box it states 'The system DLL user32.dll was relocated in memory. C:\Windows\system32\hhctrl.ocx occupied address range…’.

Other than normal Windows updates I have not installed any new software or made any changes. If I carry out a System Restore the problem seems to go away until I power down – Windows then installs an update and when I next switch on the problem is back again. Is this due to the Windows update and if so how can I get back to situation normal?

Paul Zimmermann, via email

A. You are right and the Windows update is causing the problem. More specifically it involves a conflict with your PC’s Realtek soundcard and the ‘HD Audio Control Panel’, which for some reason the update prevents from launching. The good news is that Microsoft has come up with a patch (KB935448), which will put things to rights.

Q. I recently decided to change to a cordless mouse for my laptop and used the Logitech installation disc for this purpose. I also installed MusicMatch Jukebox from the same disc. The latter refused to install properly and I have found it impossible to remove since the uninstall file is corrupted. I would be grateful for any advice you could offer to help me get rid of it.

Sue Arkwright, via email

A. This can be an awkward customer as there are several parts to this program that can mess up the uninstaller. Start by checking that no part of it is running by opening Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc). If you see any of the following: mmjb.exe, mim.exe, mimboot.exe, mmdiag.exe, mm_Tray.exe. mm_TDMEngine.exe, mmjbburn.exe, mmjblaunch.exe and mm_server.exe, right click on them and select End Now. You should now be able to uninstall the program from Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel.

Afterwards reboot the PC, now open Windows Explorer, go to C:\Program Files and if you see a Musicmatch folder, delete it. Finally, the MusicMatch uninstaller leaves a couple of Registry entries behind so for the sake of completeness they should be removed as well.

If you know your way around the Registry open Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\

Windows\CurrentVersion\Run,

and remove the key MimBoot, then pop over to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MusicMatch\

MusicMatch Jukebox\4.0\MainApp

and do the same with ShutDownMim. If you are not happy tinkering with the Registry then use the freeware RegSeeker, to clean out the detritus.

Q. Could you remind me how to reset the drop-down list of e-mail addresses that appear on the To… fields in Outlook Express when you start to type an address you have used before?

Mike Williams

A. That’s OE's AutoComplete feature and you can switch it off by going to Tools > Options and the Send tab and deselect 'Automatically complete email addresses when composing'.

Q. My PC runs XP Home and has 2 USB sockets at the back, which is not very convenient. I installed a 4-way USB hub and everything worked fine until recently. Now my web-cam, card-reader, printer etc. only work when connected directly to the sockets on the back, not through the hub, even though the hub LEDs light up.

Windows says that it can't recognise any of the accessories plugged into the hub. I bought a new hub (powered 7-way) thinking that it was faulty, but the problem persists with the new one too! I think that this discounts any leads, sockets etc, from being at fault. Is there a USB control somewhere within Control Panel, say, where I can reset something or do you know what is causing this?

Charles King, by email

A. I know it sounds unlikely but as Mr Sherlock Holmes wisely (and repeatedly) said, ‘…when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’. In this case the chief suspect is still the hub, since the on-board ports are clearly working, and the fault you describe is a classic case of a lack of power, so replace the new hub, which may be faulty.

There is an outside chance of a driver problem, but you can quickly check this from Device Manager (Winkey + Break > Hardware > Device Manager) and check for any exclamation marks next to the entries under Universal Serial Bus Controllers. If so right click on the item, select Update driver and follow the prompts.

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© R. Maybury 2007 1907