AIM - Buffer Overrun Detected

I'm sorry but I don't use system restore and due to this problem occuring weeks ago, the damage is already done and too far back to do a system restore. Can anyone else please offer some advice?

I apologise and retract my last statement, system restore is turned on. The problem occured on the 23rd of June and I'm unable to go back that far in my system restore. The furtherest I can go back is the start of July.

ok, are u on XP?
if so go to start/run and type sfc /scannow, it will check ur system files for corruption, against good ones on ur install cd

Yes I'm running Windows XP Service Pack 3. I checked my update history in windows update and found nothing installed on the 23rd of June.

With regards to sfc /scanow.. because I am running XP SP3, is it going to be a problem that my XP OEM CD is SP1? I assume the DLL files have been updated, so would it be attempting to overwrite new DLLs with old ones?

i think u may have a prob. regardless of how this turns out u need to make urself a "slipstream" xp sp3 cd later so if u have to use sfc, or do a reapair or reinstall u dont have to go thru all the business of reinstalling each service pack
there may be a way to run sfc  using the sp3 installs instead of cd, but i will have to check

ok, it may still work
run sfc /scannow and it should prompt u for the cd, at which point u should be able to direct it to this location
C:\I386

as it runs, it will propnt u about each file problem, u will be able to tell if it using older versions by the version number on the files

oops that may be wrong location
ur 1386 folder may be in a diff place
AND u may have several of them

I'm unable to point it to the C:\i386 folder, it only prompts me to insert the Windows CD. Also, the i386 folder does not exist on my pc. I've also read that you can change a registry key so that it will install from the servicepack directory:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Setup\
CDInstall (1)  - set by default
SourcePath:  this is supposed to be set to C:\i386 but on my pc it has the E:\ partition set for some reason.
ServicePackSourePath: C:\windows\servicepackfiles\

yes i saw something about the registry key also
is ur E: partition the "hidden" recovery partition? if so it will only have the original files, not sp3

search for a file named sp3.cab on ur pc. ththe location u find that file in is the location u want to try and point sfc at

E: is a standard partition used for music, i have no idea why it would have set it to that! Very bizzare.
It's sounding more like I need to make a slipstream SP3 disc, but I have no idea how to go about that. I find nLite to be very very confusing.

i used a diff process last time i slipstreamed, but i have forgotten what i used, let me dig around a bit and find my info

what was ur original xp version?

Service Pack 2

ok, do u have the FULL sp3 udate file on ur pc?

i think this is the way i did it
http://apcmag.com/how_to_create_a_bootable_xp_sp3_cd.htm
shame u dont have vista, i recently used a prog named vista update integrator and it was a breeze

Nope, I can't find it.
I did find the location of the i386 folder:
E:\abfae75d651d648355086a31\i386    and it only contains 7 files..

do u have hidden and system files unhidden?
i just looked at the nlite tutorial and it doesnt look that bad
do u have ur xp sp2 original cd?
no matter how u build a slipstream, u will need to get the full sp3 update file from microsoft

sp3.cab may be in windows/system32/service pack files

Yup it's in there..      sp3.cab 22.7MB

if u have a lot of other files in there, thats prob the location u want to aim sfc at

And yes I have my XP SP2 OEM original CD

I have to go sleep, but i'll do that when I wake up and report back! Thanks heaps for your help so far man.

Refer to this
http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/XP/Q_21497491.html