Everytime I boot my computer (or it crashes, which has been happening pretty frequently, recently), I get the following message:

(paraphrased) "Windows could not load one of the files from your registry. A copy has been loaded from a log successfully."

When I look into the Event Viewer, I found the following message under the Application window as a warning:

"Windows saved user COMPUTER\ericator registry while an application or service was
still using the registry during log off. The memory used by the user's registry has not
been freed. The registry will be unloaded when it is no longer in use.

This is often caused by services running as a user account, try configuring the services
to run in either the LocalService or NetworkService account."

I also found this:

"Windows cannot unload your classes registry file - it is still in use by other applications or services. The file will be unloaded when it is no longer in use."

I checked the Services control panel and none of the services are set to login as a User. I know this is not the only problem with this computer, and I may even have a hard drive that's ready to die, bad memory, or a faulty motherboard, since I keep getting a "The Volume Is Dirty" during a disk check. But I do feel like this is the starting point.

Any help would be appreciated. I'm getting really tired of this thing dying on me in the middle of my work.

Thanks in advance and I'll jump through any hoops to help get this back.

theEricator

Touch a bare metal portion of the computer enclosure to ground out any difference in static electrical potential. Then pull the memory modules and re-insert them a couple of times to help clean the contact surfaces.

If you have more than one memory module, and they are both the same capacity (ie; two modules at 256MB), switch them in the slots.

Then run a thorough test/check on the RAM. Download and run MemTest86+.
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

Use the appropriate downloaded file to create either a floppy bootdisk or a bootable CD. For a floppy, unzip the files to an empty directory and (with a floppy in your drive) run the install.bat file. When complete, you won't see any files on the floppy, but they are there. Just boot the machine with this floppy and run it as long as you can afford to. If there are errors, run it on one memory module at a time to narrow down the possibilities. (ie; Remove all but one module.) You may have to set your bios boot device sequence to boot from the floppy (or CDROM) drive first.


If it passes,,,,,

Open a Command Prompt window. Type in chkdsk c: /r at the command prompt. (If c: is your windows drive. If not, adjust accordingly.) It will inform you that it must be run at the next boot. (Comply, shut down Windows and reboot.)

Next run a file check on the O/S.

If you have an XP CD:
Click START, RUN, type in:

sfc /purgecache

(This ensures that system files are copied from your Windows installation media, and files which may be infected/damaged with malware, or are corrupted, are not copied from your drive. Some of the files which are restored/replaced may need MS Updates applied. If sfc replaces any such files, you will have to reinstall updates for those files. (If you have Automatic Updates active, this will happen automatically.))

Then type in:

sfc /scannow

Have your XP CD handy.


Post back with your results.

Dan, thank you for the info. I followed all of the steps with the following results:

Remove and reseat memory modules several times. Done
Test with MemTest86+
Both sticks (256MB): Fail on passes 1, 2 ,3 and 9, in tests 2, 3, and 4
Isolate first stick in 0 slot: 3 passes, PASS
Isolate second stick in 0 slot: 7 passes, PASS
Restest both sticks: 12 passes, PASS
Ran sfc /purgecache Briefly opened a command window, ran and shut. Nothing else.
Ran sfc /scannow Long wait while it scanned, and then it just disappeared. No report.
Rebooted Immediately got BSoD for IRQL Not Equal...unknown cause.
Rebooted again Hung on Blue "Welcome to Windows" screen for several minutes. No hard drive activity.
Rebooted this time Started up with standard "One of the registry files had to be recovered from a log or an alternate copy. Recovery was successful".

Nothing further to report. Still open to ideas and ready and willing to follow any instructions you might have to suggest. Thanks again, and I really appreciate the help.

What were the results of chkdsk c: /r?

The results of the chkdsk c: /r were "The volume is clean."

Do you have an XP CD?

If so, I would perform a Repair Install of the OS:

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install

Okay. I'll look into it. Thank you. I'll let you know how it goes.