Ctr+Alt+Del

XP Prof....SP3

Have not needed a Crt alt del for some time to bring up task manager, now I do need it but when I do the combo..nothing at all happens. Actually, not even sure if I have ever brought it up on this computer.

I am not logging in under Admin account but do have admin rights but that should not make any difference.

Any ideas?

 

Sometimes on my pc, I have to press the three a bit separately, instead of simultaneously.

Thanks to Jose Ibarra:

Some malicious software is aware of the methods you are most likely to use to find and remove it (Task Manager, System Restore, Command Prompt, the Internet, Google, etc.)


The malicious software does not want you to use things like Task Manager to find and remove it, so it prevents them from becoming a running process on the system and the process will not launch or the process will be terminated as soon as it does launch.


The malicious software is happiest when it fools you into thinking you have to use System Restore, a Repair Install or just reinstall your XP from scratch to fix your system when none of that is necessary.


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 afflicted until you remove the malicious software.


There are usually a few other things that also won't work that you would probably find out about later, so I recommend you do this:


Reduce the chances of malicious software by running some scans.


Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware detection programs then resolve any remaining issues:


Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/
SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/


These can be uninstalled later if desired.


When the scans run clean, reboot, test your Task Manager and we can fix any other remaining issues.


If things look good, you can delete the c:\windows\system32\jose.exe file.

 

Thanks for the tips Elizabeth.

I do, and have run Maldwarebyes Pro for a number of years. I ran a scan when I first noticed this several months ago but it found, and finds nothing.

I thought the executable file name was taskman.exe. So, if I go to system 32 and double click on taskmaner.exe it come up. I guess this might suggest a registry error/omission for the command ctrl alt del?

 

Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Key: Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Name: DisableTaskMgr
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1=Enablethis key, that is DISABLE TaskManager
Value: 0=Disablethis key, that is Don't Disable, Enable TaskManager


As part of the enhanced management available in Windows 2000 and Windows XP, rather than risking a registry change, as an administrator you can enable or disable Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP Pro's TaskManager using Group Policy Editor. This can be applied to the local policy. Note: if you are trying to override your organizations group policy, you can't. As soon as you re-authenticate to the domain, the domain or OU Group Policy will rewrite the registry setting. But if the TaskManager was accidently disabled or you need to control this item for a set of standalone boxes this is for you:

•Click Start
•Click Run
•Enter gpedit.msc in the Open box and click OK
•In the Group Policy settings window
◦Select User Configuration
◦Select Administrative Templates
◦Select System
◦Select Ctrl+Alt+Delete options
◦Select Remove Task Manager
◦Double-click the Remove Task Manager option
And as I mentioned above, since the policy is Remove Task Manager, by disabling the policy, you are enabling the Task Manager.

above is from here

Also can read this:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7276047_enable-task-manager-group-policy.html

------------------------------

If malware scan is clean, what is your current antivirus?

is a full scan clean?

did you run SAS and is it clean?

If you can open taskmgr.exe from system32 folder and it works, then either the policy has been altered or there is an infection somewhere.

if all scans are clean, defrag and run checkdisk:

if you do not have Recovery Console installed, then run from the start menu

go to start, run, type in cmd

in cmd type in chkdsk c: /r and press enter

type Y for yes and press enter

type exit and press enter

restart pc, allow checkdisk to finish and run again

you can view report in event viewer under applications directory, Winlogon in right hand pane

 

No domain, it's my personal home computer.

What am wanting to do is turn off the XP time server programs, which I need to figure out what they are called too.

I have a few programs, WSJT, and FLDIGI that need to have time precision of less than 2 seconds, preferably less than 1, time synced with UTC time. I have installed NTP Server and Meinberg Time Sync but XP time servers do not allow the sync to happen and it is causing de-coding problems as the sequcne is 48 seconds on....12 seconds off. If the computer time is more than 2 seconds off you miss the de-code.

Would you know what programs I need to disable in XP to do this? I am assuming it can be done through Taskmanager, but not certain.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

Sorry, I must have missed your reply.

If you double click on the time in the lower right hand corner, a dialog box will open, go to
Internet time zone and uncheck box to automatically sync time with servers.

To change w32 time providers and sync time

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ W32Time \ TimeProviders \ NtpClient \

Double-click the SpecialPollInterval value, and change the Base of the Value data to Decimal

Now change the Value data to the time interval you desire, noting that the time is given in seconds (so for 1 day the value would be 86400, while the default (7 days) is 604800 USE 43200 to keep errors out of event log. 28800 is 8 hours 15768000 is 6 months.

w32tm /resync /rediscover command line

For new time servers on date/time properties

http://tf.nist.gov/tf-cgi/servers.cgi

time-a.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov

below is the key in regedit that you would place a different time server from the ones that come with windows:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
Value Data: Server Hostname or IP Address

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...-us/windows_date_turn_off_synch.mspx?mfr=true

above might be helpful and/or informative for you to read.