Add or Remove Programs will not start

[digitalfreedom64]

ok it's pretty much like the title says, I click start/control panel/ add or remove programs and I get a Parser Message:

Value creation failed " at line 521

Already tried system restore, didn't work. I'm thinking I need to do a repair install of Windows. Would this be correct action?

[Panama Red]

Have you run a full AV scan and scans with Adaware and Spybot? I'd do those first in Safe Mode. Use Safe w/Networking and run a scan at Trendmicro's Housecall first. Then post a Hijack This log just be sure you don't have some other headache. Leave the repair install til last.

[digitalfreedom64]

Originally Posted by Panama Red Have you run a full AV scan and scans with Adaware and Spybot? I'd do those first in Safe Mode. Use Safe w/Networking and run a scan at Trendmicro's Housecall first. Then post a Hijack This log just be sure you don't have some other headache. Leave the repair install til last.

My AV checks for updates and auto scans every night. I ran adware scans like 4 days ago but i'll scan again.

[digitalfreedom64]

Did virus scan, came up with nothing. Adware scans came up with 3 tracking cookies. Readjusted browser security to keep that from happening again.

The hijack this thing, I told it to do a system scan and create log, I hope that's right. If not i'll be happy to do this again. Added the log as an attachment to this post to keep from taking up a whole page with it.

[Panama Red]

I see a lot of stuff but nothing jumps out as detrimental. MS Knowledge Base doesn't offer much either. Just be be sure there's nothing in the log, why don't you open a new thread in the Security Forum with HJT in the title. Hopefully, Lobos will stop by and give it a look see. And it's ok to post the entire log in the post.

[el_novato]

Right click on the Desktop and click on Properties...Under the Themes tab, reapply the Windows XP theme. Click Apply then OK.

HTH

e.n.

[Digitalic]

Check event viewer for errors that coincide with this problem and post event ID number and description.

Try running SFC.

[digitalfreedom64]

Originally Posted by el_novato Right click on the Desktop and click on Properties...Under the Themes tab, reapply the Windows XP theme. Click Apply then OK. HTH e.n.

I did this and to my amazement the problem was solved. So i reapplied thattheme I was using just to see what would happen and add/remove programs gave all sort of errors and crashed. reapplied the XP theme and it opened back up with no problems what so ever. So I've uninstalled the theme I was using to keep this from happening again. Also wrote the name of it down so I don't end up downloading and installing it again.

[Panama Red]

Nice one, el novato! Gotta store that one for future reference.

[digitalfreedom64]

Originally Posted by Panama Red Nice one, el novato! Gotta store that one for future reference.

Seriously I never would have thought of it.

[el_novato]

Thanks for letting us know that it worked!

e.n.