task manager does not display

I too have this problem. Ive copied/renamed taskmanager and ran it to see if i could find any suspecious programs.. Nothing. here is my hijack log.

Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7
Scan saved at 9:31:24 PM, on 6/19/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\LEXBCES.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\LEXPPS.EXE
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG6\avgcc32.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\navapw32.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_04\bin\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\ShareDLL\CtNotify.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\ZONELA~1\ZONEAL~1\zlclient.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\YAHOOMSNGR.EXE
C:\Program Files\Creative\ShareDLL\MediaDet.Exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Xfire\Xfire.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG6\avgserv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\CDAC11BA.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\CTSvcCDA.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\NMapWin\bin\nmapserv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\pctspk.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ZONELABS\vsmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\MsPMSPSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Winamp.exe
C:\Program Files\Trillian\trillian.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\MOZILL~1\FIREFOX.EXE
C:\Documents and Settings\Tom\Desktop\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = URL
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = URL
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = URL
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = URL
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch = URL
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = URL
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = URL
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = URL
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = URL
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch = URL
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = URL
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyServer = 129.175.51.23:80:80
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.ocx
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {9527D42F-D666-11D3-B8DD-00600838CD5F} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\IETie.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ATIPTA] C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG6\avgcc32.exe /STARTUP
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NAV Agent] C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\navapw32.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_04\bin\jusched.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Disc Detector] C:\Program Files\Creative\ShareDLL\CtNotify.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Zone Labs Client] C:\PROGRA~1\ZONELA~1\ZONEAL~1\zlclient.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AceGain LiveUpdate] C:\Program Files\AceGain\LiveUpdate\LiveUpdate.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Yahoo Messengar] YAHOOMSNGR.EXE
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Symantec NetDriver Monitor] C:\PROGRA~1\Symantec\LIVEUP~1\SNDMon.EXE
O4 - HKCU\..\RunOnce: [Yahoo Messengar] YAHOOMSNGR.EXE
O4 - Startup: Xfire.lnk = C:\Program Files\Xfire\Xfire.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Gamma Loader.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward &Links - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cac&hed Snapshot of Page - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Si&milar Pages - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate into English - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmtrans.html
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console (HKLM)
O9 - Extra button: AIM (HKLM)
O10 - Broken Internet access because of LSP provider 'xfire_lsp_6390.dll' missing
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: ChatSpace Full Java Client 4.0.0.301 - URL
O16 - DPF: {166B1BCA-3F9C-11CF-8075-444553540000} (Shockwave ActiveX Control) - URL
O16 - DPF: {33564D57-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71} - URL
O16 - DPF: {41F17733-B041-4099-A042-B518BB6A408C} - URL
O16 - DPF: {56336BCB-3D8A-11D6-A00B-0050DA18DE71} (RdxIE Class) - URL
O16 - DPF: {9F1C11AA-197B-4942-BA54-47A8489BB47F} (Update Class) - URL
O16 - DPF: {AE1C01E3-0283-11D3-9B3F-00C04F8EF466} (HeartbeatCtl Class) - URL
O16 - DPF: {C5E28B9D-0A68-4B50-94E9-E8F6B4697519} (NsvPlayX Control) - URL
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - URL
O16 - DPF: {F58E1CEF-A068-4C15-BA5E-587CAF3EE8C6} (MSN Chat Control 4.5) - URL

Misfit: when you're posing HJT logs it can get confusing if there is more than one per thread. I've split your problem into a new thread.

What is the solution? I am having the same problem.

What is the solution? I have the same problem

I'm having the same problem with a system I'm working on. Also I cannot run:
CMD, Hijack this, Norton Anti Virus, Ctl-Alt-Del won't bring up taskman, and other system utilities are not working.
Any other programs seem to work fine.

Any Ideas ?? I'm thinking a virus or worm that blocks certain apps.
TIA.

This seems to be a tough one. No Task Manager, No MSConfig, No Regedit, Can't Manage from My Computer? Help. I think it originated with my kids image sharing via AOL IM.

Ditto. CMD is working (my bad) and tried command line for taskmgr. Flashes briefly and quits. Also the same thing for Hijack this. Others didn't respond at all.. I think that the only reason that they "flash briefly" is that they are smaller program size and actually get to start....briefly.

This system was uprotected and some of the apps are Kazaa, Im and others that could have possibly downloaded something that compromised the OS.

Have also noted that the owner of the system had never done any Windows updates. When I tried to update it got to the "Background Intelligent Transfer Service" and continually tries to install it... Just to have it try again in a few minutes.

UPDATE - was able to get Trend Micro's "House Call" to run under Administrator after restarting in safe mode w/networking.
(Wasn't able to get House Call to run under normal restart. Kept getting to about 80% to 95% and erroring.)
System was infested with 10 viruses not counting variants.
20 in all.

Went back to Trend's site and did it again. Found Nothing.
Restarted Windows Update - Got past BITS and is contiuning normal security updates.

Not sure which Virus was causing the problems but at least this is one solution.

After numerous attempts, I finally found a way to beat the AIM virus. http://www.jayloden.com/VirusClean.htm

Jay is the MAN!