View source for Command Services Blue Screen

This page is copyright 2007 by Will Johnson, you can contact me by clicking on this link at [mailto:wjhonson@aol.com wjhonson@aol.com], which should open your email client if you're properly set-up, or just type it into you email client.

==Background of the problem==
Since the 21st of July, many users of AOL (perhaps all) have been having an issue where AOL's "Spyware Protection" pops up, while connected, stating "We have found and blocked Command Services.  To view details, select View Blocked Items." [http://www.google.com/search?q=%22command+services%22+blue&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGLG See this search].

Other spyware programs do not find any Command Services, yet AOL does.  In addition, starting from the 21st of July, these same users have had periodic blue-screens.  Sometimes the blue screen occurs randomly during the course of computer usage and then will recur upon startup. Sometimes it occurs upon shut-down and then will recur upon startup. Selecting "Last Known Good Configuration" will re-set the system, so it can startup, but then again later that day or the next the blue screen will recur.

The above search shows how prolific this *bug* have become, already getting about a thousand [[Goog]]s.  Users have stated that they have downloaded various anti-Spyware, anti-Adware and anti-Virus programs but nothing seems to correct the problem.  The problem so far appears to be  intermittent, with no known way to force it to repeat, however a few things seem to characterize it.

==My own testing==
After booting cleanly, if you *do not* sign onto AOL, you will not again have the problem.  The problem appears to be related either to signing onto AOL, having Spyware Protection find "Command Services" (which it only does while you are online), or IE browsing through the AOL service.  Other activities, for example word-processing, or playing a non-online game do not appear to cause the blue screen.

There are two error codes related to this problem.  The intermittent error, which sometimes, but not always happens at shutdown is 0xC0000005 0x805C607B 0xF971593C 0xF9715638.  The error code that comes up at start up is 0xC0000005 0x805C607B 0xF96DD1E5 0xF96DCEE4.  They seem to implicate a driver of some kind.

==Steps I followed==
Microsoft's help site is not more specific that that, but does recommend a series of steps you follow.  Following these steps however gives conflicting results.  Although you *can* get to a point where continued reboots do not cause a blue screen, this point also appears to block you from signing onto AOL, probably because some required service is not loaded.  In addition, following the step, which you must, to "disable ALL services", removes all your old restore points.  So after doing this, which you will, and it will not solve the problem, you've now created a computer that can never again be rolled back before today.  Thank you so much Microsoft.  I would recommend their help page be changed to say, do NOT under any circumstances, disable ALL services, ever, period.

At any rate, after that rant, the instructions fail to allow the average user to properly determine how to fix the error.  Asking a user to start or stop dozens of services vaguely defined, until the system works for a day, is not really a *solution* at all.  That Microsoft would ask users to do this, is ridiculous.  In addition, one particular service, if you turn it off and reboot will WIPE OUT all your restore points.  It's a timebomb, they should change the page.  Okay I guess I wasn't done ranting.

One user has suggested that perhaps there is something wrong in AOL's drivers themselves and recommends starting AOL Computer Check Up.  If you do not have this software, you can download it from AOL.  Once you start the software, a panel will come up.  On the left-hand side, under "Other Support Tools" you will see "One-click fixes".  Click on that.  A new panel will come up, with a tabbed top.  The tab marked "Connectivity", click on that.  I don't know exactly which thing is causing the problem, if any of these are, so lets first choose "Clear IE Cache and Replace AOL Adapter".  After this is done, and you've rebooted, come back here.  Secondly choose "Repair ACS", and thirdly choose "Rebuild AOL Adapter".

Does any of this fix the problem?  Let me know.  I'm not quite sure myself yet.

While I was doing some of the above, I got a blue screen again.  After a few more reboots I was able to do through the process without a blue screen. And rebooted cleanly without a blue screen.  I also noticed in One-click fixes, under the Connectivity tab "Prevent IE from dialing a connection".  I did this one as well because when I reboot I get a message saying that something is trying to connect to youtube.com

The last two times I've rebooted, this message no longer comes up, so hopefully we're making progress here!  My thanks go neither to AOL nor to Microsoft.  And if you have the chance be sure to bitch in their ear for me, thanks.

By the way, it's very interesting that AOL would decide to come out with, just now, a *new* version of AOL to replace AOL 9.0 SE, this one is called AOL 9.0 VR.  Not sure what the VR stands for.

==The solution ?==
Only time will tell, but after all the above, the last thing I did was to uninstall AOL Spy Protecter.  Note that this is *not* AOL SpyZapper which runs when I boot, but rather it's some sort of service that runs *only* once you sign into AOL.

You uninstall AOL Spy Protector, by going to Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.  Then once that panel comes up, click on AOL Uninstaller once to select it and then click the Change/Remove button.  You will now get a list of things you can Change or Remove and one of them will say AOL Spy Protector.  Do it, get rid of the beast.  After I did, and rebooted once or twice or whatever, finally my blue screen seems to be gone forever.

End of story?  Until next time my friend, until next time.  AOL hires high school dropouts to constantly update their software it seems.  Each update introduces more bugs, but hey, life's a bitch huh?