Hello windfinder,
The issue appears to be, what we call, a Mod-Auth Tamper. There are two types of Mod-Auths (In Memory and On Disk) but without the full Diagnostic Report, I can't tell exactly which one.
If you can paste the Diagnostic Report into Notepad then look under the line "File Scan Data-->" if there is anything that starts with the words "File Mismatch:..." then the issue is an 'On Disk Mod-Auth'.
Example:
File Scan Data-->
File Mismatch: C:\Windows\system32\<file name>[<long file version number>]If there isn't any "File Mismatch:.."line(s), then the issue is an In Memory Mod-Auth.
Now that you know which type of Mod-Auth your computer is experiencing, follow the below set of steps for your specific issue:
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On Disk Mod-Auth:
The core of your issue centers on the line in your Diagnostic Report that reads:
File Scan Data-->
File Mismatch: C:\Windows\system32\<File Name>[<Version Number>]
This means the file has been Tampered, Modified or has become Corrupt. Vista see this as an attack to bypass it's Licensing security.
To resolve the issue, you need to either repair or replace the file with a known-good one (of the proper file version)
First try repairing Windows using System Restore:
1) Reboot Vista into Safe Mode
2) Go to Control Panel
3) On the left hand side of the Control Panel window, Click on "Classic View"
4) Double-click "Backup and Restore Center"
5) On the left hand side of the window, click "Repair Windows using system restore"
6) Select "Choose Different Restore Point", Put a check in the box that says "Show restore points older than 5 days", select the restore point that corresponds to the date Before you first noticed the issue.
7) Click the "Next" button.
8) Reboot back into Normal mode
9) Vista should no longer be in Reduced Functionality mode
If that doesn't work, we'll try doing a System Scan. The scan will look for bad Vista files and will attempt to repair them, if possible.
1) Login to Vista in Normal Mode (not safe mode)
2) Launch an Internet Browser
3) Type: %windir%\system32\ in the browser's address field
4) Scroll down till you find the file cmd.exe
5) Right-click the file and select 'Run as Administrator'
6) In the CMD window, type: sfc /scannow
7) Reboot twice and see if that resolves the issue.
If neither of these sets of steps resolves the issue, my only other suggestions would be either to contact Vista support at http://support.microsoft.com or reinstall Vista.
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In Memory Mod-Auth:
Because you have found that there are No Mismatched files listed under the "File Scan Data-->" line of your Diagnostic Report, you know that your issue is an In Memory Mod-Auth and therefore caused by an incompatible program. This means there is a program install and Running that is trying to access parts of the OS that Vista does not allow, which by definition, means it is incompatible with Vista.
NOTE: We have seen an increase in this type of issue and we believe it is unlikely that software writers are still making programs that are incompatible with Vista. Instead, we believe that a majority of the issues are being caused by Malware that are doing the same things (on purpose) as incompatible programs do (by accident).
In addition to why a Mod-Auth occurs, it's also important to understand how Vista detects a Mod-Auth event. There is a Service that runs in Vista that detects a Tamper to a Critical System file. But this Service runs randomly, so if you were to install an incompatible program and run it, Vista (most likely) would not immediately enter a Mod-Auth State and it could take some time for the Mod-Auth to be detected. The important point to note is that the moment Vista detects the Mod-Auth, you know that the program that is causing the Mod-Auth, is currently running.
Below I have provided a number of steps to help you identify the program that is causing the tamper:
First, go to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931699/ and confirm that you do not have any of the programs known to cause this type of issue.
Second, in your Diagnostic report above, you can see the line that starts with 'TTS Error:' followed by a bunch numbers: M:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx- This is the Tamper Time Stamp and it breaks down like this:
(year) (month) (day) (time in 24format) (millisecond)
M:2009 07 23 2340 42917-
Now that you know the time of the tamper, you can now try to connect that time with a program.
1) Login to Vista and select the option that launches an Internet Browser
2) Type into the browser address bar: %windir%\system32\perfmon.msc and hit Enter
3) When asked if you want to Open or Save this file, select Open
4) In the left hand panel, click Reliability Monitor
5) Click on the “System Stability Chart” above the date 07/23
6) Below the chart, in the “System Stability Report” section look at the report titled "Software (Un)Installs for 07/23/2009"
7) Look for any program that shows "Application Install" in the 'Activity' column.
8) Since the process that detects Tampers runs randomly, it can take up to 3 days for the process to detect the tamper and set Vista to a Tamper State. Because of this, please repeat steps 5) thru 7) for the dates 07/22/2009, 07/21/2009 and 07/20/2009 (or around the date the issue first occurred)
This could tell you what programs were installed on or around the Tamper date and should help you narrow down the possible programs that could be causing the issue. Unfortunately, if you installed the program at some time in the past, but didn’t run it till now, this process may not be helpful. The removal of any application you may have installed recently could go a long way to troubleshooting this issues.
Note: Since everyone has different programs installed on their computer, it is extremely hard for support to figure out what program is causing the problem, but if you still need assistance in identifying the Incompatible Program, please create a no cost support request at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52029
Also Note: it has been found that Malware, such as Viruses and Trojans, can also be incompatible with Vista and can cause an In Memory Mod-Auth. A number of users (that were experiencing your same issue) have confirmed that a Malware infection was the cause. If you follow the above steps and cannot find a program that is causing the Mod-Auth, you may want to investigate if a Virus, Worm or Trojan may be to blame. You can contact PC Safety, which is a Microsoft group, which provides free assistance with Malware infections. I encourage you to use the ‘Windows Live Safety Scan for Windows Vista’ (http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/whatsnew.htm) before contacting PC Safety.
PC Safety:
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/support/default.mspx
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/whatsnew.htm
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Thank you,
Darin MS
