HelpCenter (helpctr.exe) Goes Crazy and Opens 100 times

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Got a problem I cant figure out. When I open Explorer or Outlook, the
HelpCenter ap opens itself 100+ times without warning. If I check
TaskManager, I will have 120 to 150 processes running. Helpctr.exe will be
100+ of those. System runs out of virtual memory and freezes up. Have to
reboot to get loose.

It acts like I have a key or function key stuck down. Any suggestions?

Is there any way to stop helpctr.exe from starting up at all?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Check for Malware. Use all of these free sites.

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/





http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html





http://housecall.trendmicro.com/



http://www.webroot.com/



http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321CD7A2-6A57-4C57-A8BD-DBF62EDA9671&displaylang=en





http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/index.html?source=appvisit







"roswell52" <roswell52@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4451399B-6709-41A7-8403-7551A38DF65A@microsoft.com...
> Got a problem I cant figure out. When I open Explorer or Outlook, the
> HelpCenter ap opens itself 100+ times without warning. If I check
> TaskManager, I will have 120 to 150 processes running. Helpctr.exe will be
> 100+ of those. System runs out of virtual memory and freezes up. Have to
> reboot to get loose.
>
> It acts like I have a key or function key stuck down. Any suggestions?
>
> Is there any way to stop helpctr.exe from starting up at all?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

First thing I tried. Ran AdawareSEV1.06, Microsoft Antispam Beta, Norton
virus scan, etc...all came back clean. Also nothing in the system logs.

"Rich Barry" wrote:

> Check for Malware. Use all of these free sites.
>
> http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
>
>
>
>
>
> http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
>
>
>
>
>
> http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
>
>
>
> http://www.webroot.com/
>
>
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321CD7A2-6A57-4C57-A8BD-DBF62EDA9671&displaylang=en
>
>
>
>
>
> http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/index.html?source=appvisit
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "roswell52" <roswell52@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:4451399B-6709-41A7-8403-7551A38DF65A@microsoft.com...
> > Got a problem I cant figure out. When I open Explorer or Outlook, the
> > HelpCenter ap opens itself 100+ times without warning. If I check
> > TaskManager, I will have 120 to 150 processes running. Helpctr.exe will be
> > 100+ of those. System runs out of virtual memory and freezes up. Have to
> > reboot to get loose.
> >
> > It acts like I have a key or function key stuck down. Any suggestions?
> >
> > Is there any way to stop helpctr.exe from starting up at all?
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

well. I had the same issue for a long while and nobody could help me out with it, hundreds of helpctr.exe spamming my pc.

well long story short, I notice that the F1 in my keyboard is stuck, so i cleaned the keyboard and problem solved. no more undesired helpctrs!