Error when trying to access Task Scheduler: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException

Question

System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException error starting Task Manager...

Window 7, x64 bit version, Home Prem.

When I go to Control Panel, Administrative Tool, and click on Task Manager, I get the above error.

More info in screen capture

http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x478/ispalten/Capture.jpg

Irv S.

Answer 1

The way the / \ slash faces does not make much differences in the address.  For example, C:/WINDOWS/system32, or C:\WINDOWS\system32, typed in the Start RUN box will open the same folder.

Answer 2

It may be necessary to show Both Hidden and System Files, and also to uncheck "Hide known file types" in Control Panel/ Folder Options/ View, to navigate to the mentioned location.

I used a 3rd party program to view WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 and the filename it seems would either be SECURITY/FIREWALL.EXE, which is an illegal name, or FIREWALL.EXE... I don't think it created the SECURITY folder in there? My SYSTEM32 folder contents goes from Setup to Silabs, to sk-SK... If it did happned I would think the SECURITY folder would still be there?

It appeared in MSCONFIG, the Registry, and another start up program utility as shown above. I unchecked it in MSCONFIG and removed it from the Registry and it was 'gone'. I looked at my Norton Logs to see if it did anything about it but no info was there. It might have happened months ago when I was running Computer Associate's ISS 2010. I had to remove it as it get messed up with IE9. It might have done the removal, but no way I can tell.

I even did a DIR /S /ASH search for both FIREWALL.EXE and SECURITY*.EXE with no hits...

I would have thought I could turn up something on the web but came up blank? Maybe it was an error in a program that tried to get on the system and it had a / in the filename path instead of ????

Answer 3

Security would be a folder name not a file name.  I believe AdAware creates such a folder in System32 and write files into it, other programs could also create and write to such a folder.

It is not worth worrying too much about in any case as long as you are confident that your machine is clear of malware and other threats.

You can have a look at some of these if you like, but stay away from any free scans that are offered among the pages, they are probably worse than what they pretend to fix.

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=FIREWALL.EXE&hl=en&tbo=1&rls=com.microsoft:en-au:IE-Address&output=search&source=lnt&tbs=qdr:y&sa=X&ei=lxu5TefGCYeGrAex-NjdBA&ved=0CAsQpwUoBQ&biw=1263&bih=596

I see lots of recommendations here for programs like -

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

SuperAntispyware

http://superantispyware.com/

When I'm chasing malware I like to do my scans from Safe Mode as well as in Normal Mode.

Answer 4

I run both Malwarebytes and Spybot Search and Destroy as well as SuperAntispyware 'randomly'. HiJackThis too, especially when I think something is 'wrong'. About all they find usually is cookies...

The part I can't understand is the reverse / from normal, that is not a backslash but a slash in the path and filename. It is an illegal character, but I'm unsure what that will do to the name?

Answer 5

You are correct.. I was thinking in terms of creating the file/folder.

Well, I know I don't have FIREWALL.EXE, that is for sure.

I'm good...

Thanks for your help...

Irv S.