[Grimmwor]

I am getting the following error when moving files around on my hard drive, particularly when I move items (drag and drop) on my start menu. I have Windows XP SP1. I use Norton Internet Security 2003, and keep both patched and up to date. I have not had any viruses. The problem seemed to start sometime after I installed the ntdll buffer overflow vulnerability patch and installed Norton Internet Security 2003 (I had NIS 2002 all last year; I uninstalled and upgraded to 2003).

I get the following error message in a pop-up dialog box:

"Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Here are the error details:

Error Signature
AppName: explorer.exe
ModVer: 5.1.2600.1217
AppVer: 6.0.2800.1221
Offset: 00007ec4
ModName: ntdll.dll

An important thing to note: I have a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Sound card. When this problem occurs, the Creative Volume Control and Creative MediaSource Go! icons in my system tray disappear (but not any of the other icons in my system tray), and then the screen goes blank for a moment (even the Windows task bar and start button disappear for a moment), and then everything comes back and seems to be OK (except for the Creative system tray objects).

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling sound blaster drivers and utilities. Uninstalling and reinstalling NIS. Reapplying the windows ntdll patch. It has been suggested to me that I should perform a Repair Installation, but you know what, I do not accept that as a viable fix to any problem. It is absolutely absured (IMHP) to completely reinstall an OS to correct an error message. I guess because I am a programmer, I think like a programmer. There is a bug somewhere; we need to find it and correct it, not shoot it with a shotgun.

Anyway, any help/ideas/suggestions/thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Just reply to this post and I'll get an email. I have conducted an exhaustive search on the internet, and there are other people with this exact same problem and error message (same offset), so I know I am not the other one. The only solution I've been able to find so far is to do a repair install. That's bullcrap.