I get an error message every now and then. All the message says is "fAIL",
spelled like that. There is no number and there is no pattern to when it
appears although it seems to be a little bit after my printer has been used
although not right after. Maybe a minute or so after. I checked my event
viewer and it doesn't appear there. I guess my first step is to find out
what is causing it. Any suggestions?
I am using windows xp, avast free anti virus and comodo firewall.

 

Do a scan with MalwaÑeBytes and SUPERAntiSpywaÑe.
(Free Home edition)

<http/www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php>

Reboot
-=-
<http/www.superantispyware.com/>
Reboot
-=-



ƎиçΞᴌ
-=-

"deertroy1" wrote:

> I get an error message every now and then. All the message says is "fAIL",
> spelled like that. There is no number and there is no pattern to when it
> appears although it seems to be a little bit after my printer has been used
> although not right after. Maybe a minute or so after. I checked my event
> viewer and it doesn't appear there. I guess my first step is to find out
> what is causing it. Any suggestions?
> I am using windows xp, avast free anti virus and comodo firewall.

 

I have both of those programs. I beleive I've scanned with Malwarebytes and
it came back clean. However, I'll do a full scan and reboot with each and
post the results here.

"Ǝиçεl" wrote:

>
> Do a scan with MalwaÑeBytes and SUPERAntiSpywaÑe.
> (Free Home edition)
>
> <http/www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php>
>
> Reboot
> -=-
> <http/www.superantispyware.com/>
> Reboot
> -=-
>
>
>
> ƎиçΞᴌ
> -=-
>
> "deertroy1" wrote:
>
> > I get an error message every now and then. All the message says is "fAIL",
> > spelled like that. There is no number and there is no pattern to when it
> > appears although it seems to be a little bit after my printer has been used
> > although not right after. Maybe a minute or so after. I checked my event
> > viewer and it doesn't appear there. I guess my first step is to find out
> > what is causing it. Any suggestions?
> > I am using windows xp, avast free anti virus and comodo firewall.

 

deertroy1 wrote:

> I get an error message every now and then. All the message says is "fAIL",
> spelled like that. There is no number and there is no pattern to when it
> appears although it seems to be a little bit after my printer has been used
> although not right after. Maybe a minute or so after. I checked my event
> viewer and it doesn't appear there. I guess my first step is to find out
> what is causing it. Any suggestions?
> I am using windows xp, avast free anti virus and comodo firewall.

Install SysInternals' Process Explorer (now owned by Microsoft). In the
toolbar is a sniper crosshair. Click on it and then click on the window
displaying the "fAIL" message. Process Explorer will then highlight
(default is gray highlighting) which process has a handle to that opened
window. This will tell you who opened that message.

 

I ran a scan with both programs and they came back clean. However, the fAIL
error appeared imediately following rebooting both times. I'm in the process
of running a boot time scan with Avast. Thanks for the tip about Process
Explorer. I'll install it once I get home and hopefully that will tell me
where the error message is being generated. I'll post results later.


"VanguardLH" wrote:

> deertroy1 wrote:
>
> > I get an error message every now and then. All the message says is "fAIL",
> > spelled like that. There is no number and there is no pattern to when it
> > appears although it seems to be a little bit after my printer has been used
> > although not right after. Maybe a minute or so after. I checked my event
> > viewer and it doesn't appear there. I guess my first step is to find out
> > what is causing it. Any suggestions?
> > I am using windows xp, avast free anti virus and comodo firewall.
>
> Install SysInternals' Process Explorer (now owned by Microsoft). In the
> toolbar is a sniper crosshair. Click on it and then click on the window
> displaying the "fAIL" message. Process Explorer will then highlight
> (default is gray highlighting) which process has a handle to that opened
> window. This will tell you who opened that message.
> .
>

 

PS - I'm not sure if my card reader is Alcor Micro as there is no name on it
and it only says generic usb reader!

"deertroy1" wrote:

> The error is from multi media card reader and is called shwicon2k.exe,
> Sunkist, Alcor Micro. This makes a little bit of sense as when I go to shut
> down the multimedia card reader will not shut down and I have to "end
> process. I installed the internal card reader myself several years ago and
> have never had a problem until now. Any suggestions on how to fix the error?
>
> "deertroy1" wrote:
>
> > I get an error message every now and then. All the message says is "fAIL",
> > spelled like that. There is no number and there is no pattern to when it
> > appears although it seems to be a little bit after my printer has been used
> > although not right after. Maybe a minute or so after. I checked my event
> > viewer and it doesn't appear there. I guess my first step is to find out
> > what is causing it. Any suggestions?
> > I am using windows xp, avast free anti virus and comodo firewall.

 

The error is from multi media card reader and is called shwicon2k.exe,
Sunkist, Alcor Micro. This makes a little bit of sense as when I go to shut
down the multimedia card reader will not shut down and I have to "end
process. I installed the internal card reader myself several years ago and
have never had a problem until now. Any suggestions on how to fix the error?

"deertroy1" wrote:

> I get an error message every now and then. All the message says is "fAIL",
> spelled like that. There is no number and there is no pattern to when it
> appears although it seems to be a little bit after my printer has been used
> although not right after. Maybe a minute or so after. I checked my event
> viewer and it doesn't appear there. I guess my first step is to find out
> what is causing it. Any suggestions?
> I am using windows xp, avast free anti virus and comodo firewall.

 

deertroy1 wrote:
> PS - I'm not sure if my card reader is Alcor Micro as there is no name on it
> and it only says generic usb reader!

Alcor makes USB chips of one sort or another. Other companies will be
responsible for using their chips, to build card readers or hubs or whatever.

The software you reference (shwicon2k.exe), may not be absolutely essential
software. I seem to remember at one time, card reader manufacturers including
"chopware" that placed non-generic icons for the four reader device entries
you might see in Explorer. The actual driver, needed to make the hardware work,
may be built into Windows, if the OS is modern enough. For something like
Win98, the driver package in that case, would be providing USB support that
may not be in the OS itself. But newer OSes could be in better shape in
that regard, and not need the CD that comes in the product box.

http://www.file.net/process/shwicon2k.exe.html

"Bought a flash card reader off of Newegg and it came with this on a CD.
Perfectly safe. All it does is change the icons for the drives in My Computer."

HTH,
Paul

>
> "deertroy1" wrote:
>
>> The error is from multi media card reader and is called shwicon2k.exe,
>> Sunkist, Alcor Micro. This makes a little bit of sense as when I go to shut
>> down the multimedia card reader will not shut down and I have to "end
>> process. I installed the internal card reader myself several years ago and
>> have never had a problem until now. Any suggestions on how to fix the error?
>>
>> "deertroy1" wrote:
>>
>>> I get an error message every now and then. All the message says is "fAIL",
>>> spelled like that. There is no number and there is no pattern to when it
>>> appears although it seems to be a little bit after my printer has been used
>>> although not right after. Maybe a minute or so after. I checked my event
>>> viewer and it doesn't appear there. I guess my first step is to find out
>>> what is causing it. Any suggestions?
>>> I am using windows xp, avast free anti virus and comodo firewall.