here is another one

It seems (out of the corner of my eye, because i am working on a different computer from my 8890, because my wireless doesn't work) that my computer is automatically refreshing every 30 seconds to 1 minute. and right when it refreshes my mouse disappears. This refreshing also causes all the ATI 9700 Demos to crash. What causes this refreshment? mmm... refreshments!

Thanks Aussie, i did the hijackthis thing. this is what came up. I don't know how to read, so ill copy it here.

Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7
Scan saved at 12:13:47 PM, on 11/25/2003
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton Personal Firewall\NISUM.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton Personal Firewall\ccPxySvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Ahead\InCD\InCDsrv.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\AdvTools\NPROTECT.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\slserv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SOUNDMAN.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\mHotkey.exe
C:\Program Files\Clevo\AutoMailChkr\MailChkr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\Program Files\Ahead\InCD\InCD.exe
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wuauclt.exe
C:\WINDOWS\slrundll.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Kana Gon Soon\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Directory 1 for hijackthis.zip\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://google.com/
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.ocx
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMan] SOUNDMAN.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CHotkey] mHotkey.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SynTPLpr] C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPLpr.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SynTPEnh] C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AutoMailChecker] C:\Program Files\Clevo\AutoMailChkr\MailChkr.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccRegVfy] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccRegVfy.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Advanced Tools Check] C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\AdvTools\ADVCHK.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroCheck] C:\WINDOWS\system32\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [InCD] C:\Program Files\Ahead\InCD\InCD.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ATIModeChange] Ati2mdxx.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ATIPTA] C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O9 - Extra button: Related (HKLM)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Show &Related Links (HKLM)
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{EF4F7785-DF99-4C3D-8830-8DA492578ADC}: NameServer = 128.138.240.1 128.138.129.76

Looks to me as though nothing is wrong. Figures. That's how XP is. Everything is wrong but nothing is showing as wrong. I feel like crap with the way ive been treating the forums, so i am going to crawl into a cave for a while. goodbye

Hey, man, much appreciated. Just one thing: how do i determine whether my computer system is functioning without crashing?

i hate to be a nuisance, too, but you should know i am a total noob to XP. ive been working with dos/98se for 15 years, and never had trouble doing reformats etc.

Can the absolute first thing i do after installing windows be to instal NFW and NAV2k3P (Virus)? I dont' really want to go on the internet w/o those installed. What is ghosting?

Hey what's up?

wuauclt.exe stands for "windows update autoupdate client" so i assume it was okay to have. I say "was" because that was on my old install of XP. So far i am successful, and i owe a lot to gsferrari for helping me. So far, though i have not installed anything but drivers and windows update. I will leave it here for a few days and see if i have any troublems. I know for a fact, that once windows xp makes absolute sense to me, i will be happy. But until then, i have to keep experimenting. I have to admit i've had a gift with fixing computers once i broke them. That was the pioneering moment when i was a kid and f'ed up my dad's x86 tooo many times.