Apostrophe character in search box after restart!

[PAB]

Good afternoon,

I have a strange problem that has been happening for over a year!

When I boot or restart the laptop I get a repeated sound just prior to getting to the desktop. When the desktop appears and I click Start, the search box is filling up with apostrophes [as per the screenshot below]. I use the backspace to get rid of them and then all is well. This problem does not recur again throughout the duration of me using the laptop, however long that may be. It only happens if I restart or boot.



None of the keys are stuck.
I have clean installed several times.
The install disk is genuine.
WU is fully up to date.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[wither 3]

It sounds like some program is trying to do a search on boot up.

Run msconfig.exe

In the Services tab, first check the box to "hide all Microsoft......" Then, click on disable all.

In the Startup tab, click on disable all.

Reboot.

Do you still get the sounds?

Even if you do, you should msconfig.exe again and restore things to the way they were.

 

[PAB]

Hi wither 3, thanks for the reply,

It sounds like some program is trying to do a search on boot up.

Run msconfig.exe

In the Services tab, first check the box to "hide all Microsoft......" Then, click on disable all.

In the Startup tab, click on disable all.

Reboot.

Do you still get the sounds?

Even if you do, you should msconfig.exe again and restore things to the way they were.

I did all of the above directly after the clean installs.
This even happens straight after a clean install prior to anything at all being added or installed!

 

[wither 3]

Are you using SP2 and is it up to date?

 

[PAB]

Thanks for the reply wither 3,

Are you using SP1 and is it up to date?

The problem exists whether it is from a clean install without any updates or with SP2 fully updated!

 

[wither 3]

I changed SP1 to Sp2 in my last post. Been spending too much time in the Win 7 forum.

Just to be sure, you did do a clean boot, as I described above? That's not the same thing as a clean install.

You can get rid of the sounds but I don't think that would change the appearance of the apostrophes.

 

[PAB]

Thanks for the reply wither 3,

I changed SP1 to Sp2 in my last post. Been spending too much time in the Win 7 forum.

Just to be sure, you did do a clean boot, as I described above? That's not the same thing as a clean install.

You can get rid of the sounds but I don't think that would change the appearance of the apostrophes.

Me too!

Yes I did before I posted the question along with many other things!

I will just have to live with it, although I have no idea why the apostrophes appear at all!

Thanks again.

 

[wither 3]

Do you know how to get rid of the sounds?

I noticed that you posted this problem in another thread over a year ago-

Search box fills up with apostrophes

Good morning, I had a problem where when i clicked on the start button the start search box filled up with apostrophes, I had to use the backspace to get rid of them, and even then, on the odd occassion it would start filling up again with apostrophes. I only knew this was happening because I...

www.vistax64.com

The problem description is slightly different than described here.

I guess you tried what gonzo24 suggested but you didn't respond.

 

[wither 3]

If you're not using the Classic Start menu, change to it.

When you open it, click on the arrow to the right of Search and select Search for People. Is anyone listed there?

 

[PAB]

Thanks for the reply wither 3,

Yes, I have tried the above. I would really like to get this sorted if I can.

The constant clicking noise is pre the Welcome Windows screen. If I press Esc the noise stops and I don't get the apostrophes in the Start search box once it gets to the desktop. If I don't press Esc I do get the apostrophes in the Start search box once it gets to the desktop and then I have to pres Esc. The issue is obviously PE [not the keyboard].

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

 

[wither 3]

I suppose you could select the Boot Log in the Boot options (msconfig.exe). I think it's called either ntbtlog.txt or ntbootlog.txt and is probably saved in C:\Windows\Logs.

You might also look at the Services and Startup items while you're there to see if anything jumps out.

 

[PAB]

Thanks for the reply wither 3,

[1] I suppose you could select the Boot Log in the Boot options (msconfig.exe). I think it's called either ntbtlog.txt or ntbootlog.txt and is probably saved in C:\Windows\Logs.

[2] You might also look at the Services and Startup items while you're there to see if anything jumps out.

[1] ntbtlog attached.

[2] The thing is, this also happens when I clean install either using an original DVD or a customised ISO using a USB!

Thanks in advance.

 

[PAB]

Hi wither 3,

[1] In Safe Mode, I don't get the noise, but the apostrophes still appear in the Start search box.
[2] I checked Device Manager, all OK.

[3] I ran Startup Repair.
Everything completed successfully except:

---------------------------------------
Session details
---------------------------------------
System Disk = \Device\Harddisk0
Windows directory = C:\Windows
AutoChk Run = 0
Number of root causes = 1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Root cause found:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unspecified changes to system configuration might have caused the problem.

Repair action: System files integrity check and repair
Result: Completed successfully, Error cod = 0x0
Time taken = 851672 ms
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the above was run the problem still persists.

 

[wither 3]

I was thinking about what could be loading just before the Welcome Screen. I'm on my Win 7 system right now and I've got a wired mouse. Last night I booted and watched to see when the light on the mouse came on. It came on immediately before the Welcome Screen. Since the USB ports drivers are part of the boot process, even if you're going to Safe Mode, anything attached to them might cause a problem. It's a push but, you could try disconnecting it completely to see what happens. Don't know why it would cause a noise or why pressing esc gets rid of the noise. Also don't know why it would affect the search box.

Unless one is familiar with every .dll Windows loads, it's tough to determine if there's anything that looks amiss in the boot log.

I'm at a real disadvantage right now. My Vista machine is a dual boot with Vista on two separate hard drives. Last week, the MBR got screwed up and when I booted my primary drive, the system read the registry from the secondary drive and even gave it's desktop even though, Windows Explorer shows the content of the primary disc is what's expected. I tried reinstalling Vista in both drives and a new drive but it's constantly giving me a 0X7E error. Big problem is that I can't get into Safe Mode to trouble shoot. I created a thread on that and later found another one that perfectly describes my situation but I can't get anybody to help. Not sure how you're able to do a reinstall at will.

 

[PAB]

Thanks for the reply wither 3,

I disconnected the mouse [the only thing attached] and it didn't make any difference!

Unless one is familiar with every .dll Windows loads, it's tough to determine if there's anything that looks amiss in the boot log.

Very true!

Big problem is that I can't get into Safe Mode to trouble shoot.

Have you tried Linux Live?

Not sure how you're able to do a reinstall at will.

Is the above comment referencing me?

Thanks in advance.

 

[wither 3]

I think I confused you with someone else in regards o "reinstall at will."

I never tried Linux Live. I just sent a ticket to Phoenix-Award in regards to getting BIOS files and flashing the BIOS. I'm also getting the full Vista ISO from ex_brit to try to use for the install. Only other thing after that is to try to install the NVIDIA driver during the installation. If none of those work, I might buy one of the those boxes you can use to boot a Sata hard drive via USB and try to install Vista from this system.

The files installed going into Safe Mode are part of the operating system. Have you done a SFC scan while booted up?

 

[PAB]

Thanks for the reply wither 3,

I never tried Linux Live.

It should allow you to get into the OS.

I'm also getting the full Vista ISO from ex_brit to try to use for the install.

That's where I got my Vista SP2 from!

 

[wither 3]

I still haven't gotten it yet. I went to the Mega site and tried to download it. it said my browser didn't have enough buffer cache. That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. So, I created an account at Mega (which also wasn't easy) and imported the file there and tried to download it to a subfolder in another folder which had other subfolders. There was no indication that the file was downloaded but the folder and subfolders on my system were synched to Mega. I tried to chat with Mega about it but I couldn't find a way to actually chat with them. All the chat option did was giving a bunch of options. Well, I talked to ex_brit and asked him to upload it somewhere else and share it so I could download it. He had to go to the doctor and I haven't heard back yet.

You didn't answer my last question.

 

[wither 3]

Finally got the download from ex_brit and managed to install it on my new hard drive. The other two hard drives won't boot Vista yet but I'm working on it. I'd love to be able to restore the image I made with Macrium Reflect but haven't messed with the hard drive it's on and won't do me any good until I get those two drives bootable unless i decide to put it on the new installation.

Tried SFC yet?

 

[PAB]

Thanks for the reply wither 3,

Tried SFC yet?