unexplained exclamation.wav periodically after an update (.NET 2.0

[ginahoy]

This is going to take some explaining...

I'm running XP SP2 with .NET 2.0. I did a long overdue (manual) update
yesterday. I accepted all except SP3, IE8 and .NET 3.5. I recall one of the
updates was a SP for NET 2.0. I'm pretty sure my problem is related to that
update, but I see no NET specific forum here. So I hope you guys can help me.

After the update, my computer mysteriously started beeping once every 20
minutes or so. I did a google search and ran Process Explorer and determined
that Exclamation.wav is being called by Winlogon, apparently related to
activity associated with mscorsvw.exe. This process never ran before I did
this update.
Others report this very problem but I haven't found a solution.

A blog by David Notario at MSDN describes mscorsvw - it precompiles .NET
assemblies (NGEN images) when the computer is idle. Apparently, mscorsvw is
experiencing an error, thus the sound. However, the error is not revealed in
the Windows GUI. Notario's blog describes a command that forces mscorsvw to
proceed to process all pending work: ngen.ext executequeueditems

As it turns out, running this command reveals the nature of the error. When
I run the command, I get a windows popup warning "adui16res.dll not found".
If I click OK, the warning message reappears, forever. So I have to force
close the DOS window. In the activity log appearing in the DOS window, the
last line where mscorsvw apparently hangs is "Compiling assemby
C:/.../AutoCAD 2005/AcLayer.dll"

adui16res.dll is located in the same folder. Since the warning popup doesn't
reveal the path where mscorsvw is looking for the missing dll, I have no idea
how to resolve this problem. I believe my AutoCAD is nominal, and the missing
file is where it's supposed to be.

What to do?

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Lotsa questions:

> I'm running XP SP2...

Why hasn't SP3 been installed by now? Extended Support for WinXP (x86) SP2
ends on 13 July 2010. After that date, computers running WinXP (x86) SP2
will NOT be offered any further critical security updates, Automatic Updates
will not work, and Windows Update website will not be accessible until SP3
is installed.

> I did a long overdue (manual) update yesterday.

How long overdue was it and why was it overdue? Is Automatic Updates
enabled?

> I recall one of the updates was a SP for NET 2.0.

We can't rely on your recollection. What does Update History section of
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com say you installed yesterday (KB numbers)?

> After the update, my computer mysteriously started beeping once every 20
> minutes or so.

Is it once every 20 minutes or not? (Yes, time it & make a record of it
before replying.)

And finally...

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002

[ginahoy]

Robear Dyer (PA Bear) writes:
> Why hasn't SP3 been installed by now?

I guess you could say I'm the antithesis of an early adopter. I've only been
running XP for 2 years. I ran WinME for more than 2 years after end of
support with no ill effects.

> How long overdue was it and why was it overdue? Is Automatic Updates enabled?

About 11 months. I only do manual updates, although admittedly I should do
them more often.

> > I recall one of the updates was a SP for NET 2.0.
> We can't rely on your recollection.

Bad choice of words. One of the updates was indeed a SP for NET 2.0 (KB953300)

> What does Update History section of http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com say you installed yesterday (KB numbers)?

There was also a SP for NET 1.1, KB953297. The rest were mostly XP security
updates (40 in total).

> Is it once every 20 minutes or not? (Yes, time it & make a record of it before replying.)

The time depends on whether the computer is idle or not. When idle, I timed
it at 22.5 minutes. Another time, it was 20 minutes.

> What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?

I use Avira. I update the definition file and do a manual scan once a week
(also MalwareBytes). Since I use Firefox, I rarely find any issues and I
don't ever recall a virus detection on this machine. I only use my router's
firewall (Defender is turned off). Good browsing and email habits are the
best defense against bad stuff, coupled with regular scans.

> Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought it)?

No. I installed retail version of XP so no pre-installed security software.
I previously used AVG, but uninstalled last summer and replaced with Avira.

Here are the reasons I believe the problem is related to mscorsvw (and hence
NET Framework):
1) the problem started immediately after the updates
2) I found at least two other reports of mscorsvr causing unexplained beeps
3) the Process Monitor log reveals that the beep occurs in conjunction with
a flurry of msconsvw activitiy
4) my attempt to force ngen to process all pending processes reliably
generates the beep when it hangs on a missing file attributed to AutoCAD

I think #4 pretty much nails it. Since my autoCAD install is nominal, I have
no idea how to resolve the missing file error, which is apparently
responsible for the beeps.

It is frustrating that mscorsvw doesn't provide GUI guidance when it
encounters an error. The user shouldn't have to go to all this trouble to
identify the source of an error, and in this, case, still no clue as to how
to resolve the missing file issue. (e.g., if I knew where mscorsvw expects to
find adui16res.dll, I would simply copy it to that location!)

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Entire thread history:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/browse_frm/thread/4a90abaabd276c47

> I've only been running XP for 2 years.

WinXP SP3 was released two years ago.

> ...I only do manual updates, although admittedly I should do
> them more often

Do you know that Automatic Updates (AU) can be configured not to download or
install updates without your approval? If you'd enable AU with this
setting, you'll know when critical security updates are available, at which
point you can decide if, when, and how you install them.

Not only is your computer (and data) at-risk if you're not fully patched,
your computer puts every other computer in the world at-risk, too.

> I use Avira. I update the definition file and do a manual scan once a week

Why isn't Avira AntiVir configured to update itself at least once a day?
See "at-risk" above.

> I use Firefox

But Windows uses IE, even if you don't, so it's very important to keep IE
fully-patched, too.

> Here are the reasons I believe the problem is related to mscorsvw...

Your issue really doesn't have anything to do with Windows Update
functionality so this isn't really the best place to find assistance.
Perhaps one of these forums would be best? =>
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/netdevelopment

QED: Could you issue have anything to do with the fact that AutoCAD 2005 is
so dated?

Good luck.

[ginahoy]

Thanks for the tip. I posted in the CLR forum in the msdn site. My update
strategy, while admittedly unorthodox, has served me well.