Win 2000 error message

[beejay]

When booting up my wife's PC, a splash window always opens :

MSTask.exe - Application Error. The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000142). Click OK to terminate the application."

Clicking on OK makes the window disappear and the PC appears to operate as normal, using Windows 2000.

How can I stop the error message reappearing?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Broni]

mstask.exe is the Windows Task Scheduler process.
If you don't use it, disable the process.
Go Start>Run, type in:
services.msc
Click OK.
In services window look for Windows Task Scheduler. Set its "startup type" (right click>Properties) to "Disable".

[beejay]

Thanks for the speedy reply. I do not use Task Manager and so welcomed your suggestion.

Unfortunately, when I do as you suggest, I get a splash window to say "Cannot find the file services.misc (or one of its components)".

I did a search and do find instances of Taskmgr.exe, however.

How do you suggest I proceed from here?

[SpywareDr]

...
"Cannot find the file services.misc (or one of its components)".

That would be "services.msc" not "services.misc".

If still no luck, click "Start", right click "My Computer" and select "Manage". Click the "+" to the left of "Services and Applications", then click "Services" under it. (You are now in services.msc).

[beejay]

My mistake - sorry.

That fix seems to have worked on first reboot, thanks.

However, I am still getting another error message. The wording is identical to that in my original post except that the executable file referred to is:
" stisvc.exe ".

Have you any ideas why that should be appearing and / or how to get rid of it?

[Broni]

stisvc.exe is a Microsoft Still Image Service.
Microsoft tells:
“Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) enables imaging programs, such as Microsoft Picture It! 2000, Kodak Imaging, or Adobe Photoshop, to communicate with imaging devices such as digital cameras and scanners. WIA supports digital still cameras and both low-end and high-end scanners; it also enables you to retrieve still images from IEEE 1394-based digital video (DV) camcorders and Universal Serial Bus (USB) Web cameras.”

You can eventually disable Windows Image Acquisition service, as well, but mentioned above features won't work anymore.

It looks like you have some system files messed up.
Go Start>Run, type in:
sfc /scannow
Click OK.
Have Windows CD handy.