Bugshooting Thread

[Aggie]

I'm trying to bugshoot a problem on my parental units' computer; the local big-box shops want to re-install the OS for obscene gobs of money, so I figured I'd better take a crack at it first.

The computer is a HP Pavilion dv6 (Entertainment) Notebook PC running Windoze 7.

Immediately after startup, this error message pops up:

Runtime Error!

Program:
...Hewlet-Packard\TouchSmart\Media\Kernel\CLML\CLMLSvc.exe

This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.

Please contact the application support team for more information.

I've checked and the file actually exists (unlike some users reporting similar issues).  

They have been reporting additional error messages relating to the ActiveX controls in IE, which may or may not be related, and have been causing some browsing and accessibility/functionality errors.  I gave them the usual lecture about not using IE, am installing Firefox with an admonition to actually use it (Dad deleted it last time) and am currently running Malwarebytes to check for issues.  I'm on the fence about installing any current HP updates, but probably will unless I hear otherwise.


Any other suggestions?

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I imagine you can't restore the system fresh for some reason? The file you mention isn't a standard W7 file (or it doesn't exist on my computer) so probably a service is calling it and the file is corrupted. If you are able to start the system in safe mode try to disable whatever service is calling it and try booting normally. If you are unable to boot in safe mode you may be too far gone and you will have to reinstall the system, which in many laptops is copied in a hidden partition that allows you to restore it to the moment it was bought, that should be accessible in the BIOS Setup. Obviously if you want to save files from that system you would have to pull the hard disk to a portable enclosure, copy the files and place the HD back again in the laptop.

[Sibling DavidH]

If the computer is usable after that message, you could see just how essential Hewlet-Packard\TouchSmart\.. is.  You could go into MSConfig - startup and untick it (I presume it's there), then see how badly it affects what it controls.  At a guess it's the mouse-pad and Windoze might well take over from it.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

My guess is that one (or more) of Micro$oft's updates broke the TouchSmart engine/driver package (the one that's reporting it quit unexpectedly).

HP is notorious for failing to update hardware drivers-- in fact, most companies are bad about that.  To HP's credit, they likely did not make the driver themselves, but purchased it from a 3rd party, who they contracted with, to manufacture the actual touchpad, and likely re-branded the drivers with "HP" on them ...

... meh.

If you can find out who actually made the hardware touchpad for your 'top?  You might have better luck finding a later driver, directly from the maker's website (if they have one, that is).  Sometimes, digging deep into the driver's properties-tag (right-click on the device itself, under Device Manager, and read all the various tabs-- sometimes you find out interesting stuff that way).

Touchpads are not very complicated here-- they are basically a miniature digitizer tablet embedded in the case.  Many of the newer ones are capacitive based, instead of the older resistive based, meaning they are more sensitive, and can discern degrees of touch (how hard, etc). 

The bottom line, though, is if your parents are not using anything out of the ordinary (such as gestures, multi-touch, pinch-to-zoom, etc) with their mousepad?  They don't need a fancy-smanchy driver-- a simple generic driver will do the same thing, without all the error messages...

[Aggie]

I imagine you can't restore the system fresh for some reason?

Yes, lack of computer skills.    Dad tried to restore to an earlier state already, I think (haven't talked to him directly yet).  I'm trying to see if I can sort it out without doing anything drastic.  


The computer is still usable; in fact, I think switching to FF has taken care of most of the obvious browsing symptoms they were complaining of.  I played around with startup and unticked some things yesterday, although not the one that causes the error, apparently.


I'll check into software itself... it's definitely a third-party program, as CLMLS stands for CyberLink MediaLibrary Service.  I don't think it's the touchpad driver, though; the little bit I know suggests it's a media driver (music, photos, video).  I'm certainly not the only one to have problems with it.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Run MSCONFIG, select the Services tab, check the Hide all Microsoft services and look for any service that has Cyberlink as the Manufacturer, untick it and reboot.

[Aggie]

I've tried that...  still seems to run into the runtime error on restart.  I did the same under the startup tab.

Here's the weird bit (in my mind):  The laptop isn't equipped with a touchscreen, so presumably TouchSmart is only involved in using the touchpad.  Like Bob said, the way my parents use their computer probably doesn't require TouchSmart.  I've found reference to disabling TouchSmart here, but I couldn't actually find the TouchSmart software on the machine, so I have no idea how to otherwise disable it.

Browser functionality seems to work fine now (due to switching to FF), and the runtime error isn't causing any other obvious problems at the moment, so I sent the computer back home with them. It's not solved in my mind, but will probably be fine to limp by until something else goes squirrely.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Then a service that is not labeled as cyberlink is trying to run the service unsuccessfully. Try downloading HijackThis and post the results of the scan, that may help you remove whatever is that is running it.

[Griffin NoName]

Go to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals - scroll down until you see top downloads on left hand side with a link to "autoruns". Download and install it. Run it "as adminstrator" - choose tab "everything" - do a search (menu item) for HP or Hewlett Packard or Cyberlink - should find all processess involved - untick all the Cyberlink entries. Reboot.

Autoruns allows you to stop start ups by unticking. It shows all processes. MSCONFIG doesn't. You'll be alarmed by just how many programs are started at startup. I bet there will be several Cyberlink processes which is probably why just stopping the one showing in MSCONFIG is not enough.

Autoruns is one of the most useful programs ever.

[Aggie]

Thanks Sibs... I'll try this out when I next get my hands on it.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Go to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals - scroll down until you see top downloads on left hand side with a link to "autoruns". Download and install it. Run it "as adminstrator" - choose tab "everything" - do a search (menu item) for HP or Hewlett Packard or Cyberlink - should find all processess involved - untick all the Cyberlink entries. Reboot.

Autoruns allows you to stop start ups by unticking. It shows all processes. MSCONFIG doesn't. You'll be alarmed by just how many programs are started at startup. I bet there will be several Cyberlink processes which is probably why just stopping the one showing in MSCONFIG is not enough.

Autoruns is one of the most useful programs ever.

Nice.  You've managed to teach this old dog a new trick.

[Griffin NoName]

Go to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals -

Autoruns is one of the most useful programs ever.

Nice.  You've managed to teach this old dog a new trick.

The other sysinternals programs can be useful too.

[Roland Deschain]

Did it work for you? After reading this thread, I need to know.

[Aggie]

The next call I got was that somehow Mom had convinced her antivirus software to block Firefox...

They managed to resolve that, and the runtime error has not shown up again.  Perfect kludge job... poke around a bit and the bugs run and hide for a while.

[Roland Deschain]

Glad it worked out. My dad's done similar stuff, then denied all knowledge of having done it, becoming quite annoyed and adamant about it.