Takes a long time to install drivers in XP

You'll might want to consider installing Service Pack 3.

You mean applications and not drivers.

I'd be very suspicious of something happening like this.  I would give your computer a scan with a very good anti-virus to start with.

Try a couple of online antivirus scanners

http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

i also would run these :
   Spybot :        http://www.download.com/3000-8022-10122137.html
     MBAM  :   http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

is your system slow?  then test your disk also, to know it's status :     http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

right now, it can be anything...more tests needed

My user acount is logged in as "Computer Administrator" per Control Panel's User Accounts window.

I always run my computer with Zone Alarm free firewall, AVG Anti-Virus (Free version), and Webroot Spy Sweeper (v6.1.0.110 full paid for version).

That being said, I disabled AVG and Spy Sweeper and ran Kaspersky's antivirus scanner as mentioned above from dbrunton. It found nothing. I also ran the MBAM program from Malwarebytes as suggested by nobus. It found one registry entry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{2b96d5cc-c5b5-49a5-a69d-cc0a30f9028c} (Adware.Minibug)

I am fairly confident that I am not infected with anything. However, I am also leaning towards this being a Registry error and/or corrupt Windows XP files. I refer to this as a problem with "drivers" and not applications only because I get that Window that pops up saying the driver is not a Windows certified driver, when I try to install something such as iTunes or Network Magic.


Walt D in LV

Hmm.

Both of these applications require Internet access.  Is it possible that the firewall or the anti-virus is stopping both from connecting and they are locking up because of that?

What if you try installing an application that doesn't require Internet access?

Irfanview http://www.irfanview.com/ would be one.  Free graphics viewer.

Sometimes Internet Explorer Brwser Helper objects can cause unexpected behavior. You can try disabling BHO's and then re-enabling one at a time to try to identify the source of conflict. Downloads can seem to have completed successfully but cause problems

try running sfc /scannow from the run box to check your system files

Okay, first I ran sfc /scannow to check the system files. A window popped up and ran for about 10 minutes before I had to go away from the computer. During that ten minutes, there was no bar moving across the screen, only the window that normally I think a blue bar would appear and fill up as the process ran. When I came back about an hour later, the window was no longer there, so can I assume everything checked out, or would there have been a message still on the screen SAYING everything checked out? I'm hoping that NO news is GOOD news.

Secondly, I downloaded and installed the latest Irfan View (I already had installed version 3.98 from 2006, they are now up to 4.23). The install was very quick and easy, but I do not feel this is a big program at all. At 1.3 MBs, it does NOT access the internet, as dbrunton stated, during the install, but after it was finished installing, it DID ask for internet access, which I gave it, and brought up the Irfanview FAQ page.

Other programs that I've installed do not cause any errors or delays during installation, including AnyDVD (6.6 MBs) and Spybot Search and Destroy v1.6.2 (as suggested by Nobus above, 16 MBs) (which DOES access the internet .when installation begins). Actually, Spybot had some errors, but they were Read Only file errors because I had the old 1.5 version still running. Once I closed it, and clicked RETRY, all seemed to work well.

Skywalker39 above stated to install Service Pack 3, which I may try, but at this point I don't know if it WILL be able to install correctly.

Finally, rettif9: where do I access the Browser Helper objects to disable them in Internet Explorer? I found Active X stuff, in a Manage Add-Ons page. Not sure if this is what you speak of or not.

So, I guess I'm having trouble specifically with iTunes and Network Magic at this point. I have another two open questions in regards to iTunes, and I am trying to work with Cisco with Network Magic.
Still no luck on either.

Thanks everyone for their help. I'm still looking for more advice and any is appreciated.

Walt D in LV

>>  or would there have been a message still on the screen SAYING everything checked out?   <<     No, Ms decided not to give that info anymore, like in windows 98

and did the install take as long as before?

Let's check on the burning problem.  If you've got a spare CD try burning a few files to it with your normal CD burning application.  

If you haven't got one then get either IMGBurn http://www.imgburn.com/ or CD Burner http://cdburnerxp.se/  Both are free and good.

Also go to  Control Panel and access the Device Manager.  Under the Controllers for your hard disks (I'm presuming you have IDE or ATAPI controllers) check the Properties sheet.  See what the Transer and Current Transfer modes are set to.  I'm looking to see what speed your hard disk is set to run at.

I've reinstalled iTunes following the steps outlined by WizardWill on the page:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Apple/Hardware/iPODs/iTunes/Q_24265956.html

nobus: Yes, the install took as long as previously.

I can burn data CDs using Nero. I can also burn DVDs using DVD Shrink (which coincidentally uses Nero as its burning program). Both of these programs I used data from off of my hard drive.
I also used CloneCD to copy a CD, with no difficulties (copied from one CD drive to another).

dbrunton:
Primary IDE Channel: Transfer modes are set to DMA if available. Current Transfer Mode: Not Applicable.
Secondary IDE Channel: DMA if available. Current Transfer Mode: Ultra DMA Mode 2

I believe the Primary IDE Channel is Not Applicable because it is turned off (Disabled) in the BIOS. I am not using the Primary Channel, as I have a VIA Bus Master IDE Controller on my motherboard I use for my hard drives. The DVD drives are hooked up on the Secondary Channel. This has been my same setup since I built this computer several years ago and nothing has changed.

I'm guessing I am having trouble with the "GEARS" driver for iTunes, but I cannot figure out how to uninstall it completely and reinstall iTunes fixing the problem. This GEARS drive would not have anything to do with Network Magic, of course, so maybe there is another driver issue?

Presently, I still cannot burn CDs with iTunes (see thread noted above), and cannot install Network Magic.

Walt D in LV

WAltCD,
Browser Helper Objects are in Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Manage Add-ons -> Enable or disable add-ons. You can disable all then test to see if problem clears up. If yes then add back a few or one at a time till the problem reappears. identify guilty party remove and/or re-install.

>> I believe the Primary IDE Channel is Not Applicable because it is turned off (Disabled) in the BIOS. I am not using the Primary Channel, as I have a VIA Bus Master IDE Controller on my motherboard I use for my hard drives.

Are your hard drives connected to the motherboard the same as the DVD drives?

Or do you have something else going on like a RAID setup?  Because if you don't that IDE primary channel should be enabled.

dbrunton:
Sorry I wasn't more clear on that. Yes, the VIA Bus Master IDE Controller is for my RAID 0 set up.
Again, though, this has always been the way I've run this computer, and nothing in that setup has changed.

Walt D in LV

Even plugging in a USB drive to this computer, takes anywhere from seven to fifteen minutes as it takes forever to look for the "driver". When it does finally decide it's found it, it give me the Hardware Compatibility Testing error, saying it hasn't passed and do I want to continue. I press continue, and it goes on for not quite a minute, then pops up again.

This happens for any USB-type drive I plug in, whether it's a flash drive, USB drive, etc.

So, I'm thinking my drivers file(s) is/are messed up or maybe the part of the registry that handles that. Not sure, as I'm unfamiliar with it. That's why I come here, to find assistance with all of you extremely knowledgeable people.

Thank you for all your help.
Walt D in LV

You haven't done anything like add the DriverPacks packages to your Windows XP system?  These can take a long time to look for the correct driver.  But 10-15 minutes is probably too long for them as well to find the correct driver.

If you have these on your system they will be under WINNT\DriverPacks

I'm also wondering if Windows is complaining about the VIA Bus Master drivers?  Can you look and see if there is an update for them.

things to check or try :
start>right click "my computer">properties : is the cpu and ram recognised as it should ?
did it work correct before? (then asystem restore could help)
can it be live messenger ?  read here :  http://windowslivehelp.com/community/t/5204.aspx

@nobus:
My Computer Properties appear normal: RAM and CPU appear as they should.
Up until December 2008, everything always worked normally. That's why I fear I messed something up in the "Driver Look Up" system, whatever that's called.

@drunton:
The VIA Bus Master drivers are up-to-date according to my motherboard manufacturer's website.
I do NOT have a WINNT folder in my C directory, only the WINDOWS folder. There is a Driver Cache folder, but not a DriverPacks folder. Inside the Driver Cache folder is a i386 folder, and within THAT there are 12 files (4 EXE,2 CAB, and 6 SYS)

Thank you for all your helping!

>>  Driver Look Up  <<  ???    what's that? can you explain?

Disconnect computer from network.  Disable firewall and anti-virus.  Try plugging in external USB drive and see what that does.

I'm working on the possible that the anti-virus/firewall is examining or doing something with the USB.

it can also be a corrupt OS, then a repair, or fresh install is needed

What I called "Driver Look Up" is simply whatever service is used to look up drivers. I'm not sure what this is called (Plug and Play? haha)

I tried to install the latest version of iTunes and got the attached error message. This was after about fifteen minutes into the iTunes installation. iTunes continues to work, I just can't burn CDs with it. I can READ CDs, but not burn them.
Further, I tried to install the GEARS drivers directly, from their website. GEARS is the CD drivers iTunes uses. I got the same error message. As in the iTunes install, the error message will pop up twice, once for each of my DVD drives.

As stated earlier, I get a similar message installing other hardware and/or drivers, such as USB drives, warning me that the driver has not passed Windows Hardware Compatibility Testing (even though it usually has), however in those cases the driver gets installed. As you can see here, the GEARS driver is NOT getting installed.

I don't know how the drivers thing got messed up. I can imagine that the GEARS driver has a problem with other software on my system (Slysoft Clone DVD, Elby's Clone CD) as it's been reported to have problems with Roxio (which I do not have). However, having a problem with CD drives shouldn't cause a problem with all other drivers (such as Network Magic or a USB drive).

At this stage I have to agree with nobus that something is screwed with the OS.

What exactly I would not know.  These messages should not be occurring with software that has passed the compatibility testing.

nobus has suggested a repair or fresh install and that may be the only way to go.  Unfortunately.

Thank you, nobus, for suggesting the sfc /scannow technique. I ran it, as I did back in May (thankfully, you suggested it then, as well), with the same results (none.. now results window).

That repair stuff sounds kinda scary. I'll have to make sure my backup is good before doing it. Also, I now have XP SP2 installed (32bit) but my disc is for XP SP1. Might have an issue there.

Thanks again!