Essentials XP issue?

[#1]

Running XP with MS Essentials. Started to have a problem tonight where the computer locks up. On restart the support message tries to come up. Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes sticks part way up. If it does come up, the computer will lock up on the next thing I do. Either start and select program (and the start menu sticks) or selecting a short cut. To overcome this, I have to hold down the start button. Computer works fine in Safe mode. Tried system restore but doesn't fine earlier version. Don't have the original disc for XP. Any suggestions?

[#2]

When it boots up in safe mode
Open up
msconfig.exe =======> untick all the Startup items
Reboot into normal mode ======> if boots up ok =======> Re-tick the Startup items one at a time to see which is causing the issue(s)

[#3]

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,126217.0.html but probably not relevant to this case

[#4]

Quote from: TORPC

When it boots up in safe mode Open up msconfig.exe =======> untick all the Startup items Reboot into normal mode ======> if boots up ok =======> Re-tick the Startup items one at a time to see which is causing the issue(s)

Tried this switching everything off with no success.
When I can get window to start up normally, I get a message about my active desktop not starting correctly.
I say when, because now I can only get Windows to start in Safe Mode. And even with Safe Mode and Networing selected I cannot connect to the Internet. Concerned I may have a Hardware problem after all

[#5]

This is a known problem and I saw four computers suffering from it on Thursday.  See http://www.techienews.co.uk/979984/microsoft-security-essentials-error-stutters-windows-xp-systems/ for example.  The symptoms I saw were:

• Computer becomes very slow, possibly taking an hour or more to get past the Welcome screen


• Error messages that Microsoft Security Essentials (or a component thereof) is not working

I fixed this by booting to Safe Mode and using msconfig to block all startup programs and non-Microsoft services.
Re-starting normally and uninstalling MSE.
Installing MSE version 4.3 or 4.4 (then blocking the 4.5 update to avoid the scare-mongering messages).
P.S.  The 'fix' issued by Microsoft is unlikely to work without intervention because affected computers don't perform well enough.

[#6]

Did another affected computer yesterday; this one got as far as the desktop but then hung.  My cure procedure (as per the previous post) worked again.  I should have mentioned explicitly that you need to run msconfig again and revert back to normal startup at the end. 

[#7]

I did it slightly differently:
Boot to safe mode, in Computer Management change the Microsoft Antimalware process to manual and stop it.
Reboot to normal mode, open IE and download and run the latest standalone virus definitions for MSE (self-install pack) and restart MSE from within itself.
This seemed to changed the process properties back to normal so no further action was required.
Can't recall exactly where the MSE definitions are but Google found them quickly (on the Microsoft web site).

[#8]

Yes, I tried another method today which seemed to work but I'm not completely sure about it yet:
Start the computer in Safe Mode with Networking (probably only works with a wired network connection).
Start MSE and Update it.  The update reports an error during installation but ignore that.
Restart in normal mode; MSE now reports it is up to date and works normally.
Edited to correct misprint

[#9]

Interesting, I had assumed that MSE wouldn't run at all in safe mode.

[#10]

it doesn't start in safe mode but you can manually run any application you like after start up
Now in the case of MSE antivirus it may not provide full protection but the updater appears to work

[#11]

Thanks for all the replies folks.
I gave up (Enough of seeing the pop up message as well) and went out and purchased Windows 7. Installed now and works fine.
I have another desktop running XP which interestingly doesn't have the issue. If it does, I will try the suggested fixes.
Out of interest, the final straw was that I could not start XP in normal mode (to see if it would lock up again). No matter what I selected, XP would start in Safe Mode. After a number of Safe Mode start ups does XP only start in Safe Mode?

[#12]

Well that's a victory for Microsoft.  They 'accidentally' mess-up Windows XP and so manage to sell a copy of Windows 7 on the basis of their stupidity.
XP does not get stuck in Safe Mode unless you choose the Diagnostic Startup option in msconfig then forget you did it.