Program refuses to be closed, even when forced via task manager

[Allenby]

So I've used μTorrent for at least a year now, and all of a sudden a couple days ago it started locking up a number of minutes after starting... The most annoying bit is, as the subject line suggests, I can't close it by any means short of resetting my computer... and even my computer is loath to shut down when it's like this short of a hard shutdown...

In any case, as I've seen requested in similar topics I have a hijackthis report. I hope it can be used to diagnose my problem:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2

Scan saved at 3:54:43 PM, on 5/7/2008

Platform: Windows Vista (WinNT 6.00.1904)

MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16386)

Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:

C:\Windows\system32\taskeng.exe

C:\Windows\system32\Dwm.exe

C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE

C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe

C:\Program Files\Motorola\SMSERIAL\sm56hlpr.exe

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe

C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jusched.exe

C:\Program Files\WiFiConnector\NintendoWFCReg.exe

C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\MOM.EXE

C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe

C:\Windows\system32\wuauclt.exe

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe

C:\Windows\system32\SearchFilterHost.exe

C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = "http://www.daemon-search.com/startpage

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.gateway.com/g/startpage.html?Ch=Retail&Br=GTW&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=PTB&M=MT6452

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.gateway.com/g/startpage.html?Ch=Retail&Br=GTW&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=PTB&M=MT6452

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://www.gateway.com/g/sidepanel.html?Ch=Retail&Br=GTW&Loc=ENG_US&Sys=PTB&M=MT6452

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName =

O1 - Hosts: ::1 localhost

O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll

O2 - BHO: Spybot-S&D IE Protection - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll

O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll

O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll

O2 - BHO: Browser Address Error Redirector - {CA6319C0-31B7-401E-A518-A07C3DB8F777} - c:\google\BAE.dll

O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Windows Defender] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe -hide

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [synTPEnh] C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [sMSERIAL] C:\Program Files\Motorola\SMSERIAL\sm56hlpr.exe

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NapsterShell] C:\Program Files\Napster\napster.exe /systray

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [bigFix] c:\program files\Bigfix\bigfix.exe /atstartup

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTTask.exe" -atboottime

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [sunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jusched.exe"

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [startCCC] C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\CLIStart.exe

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [spybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [WMPNSCFG] C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\WMPNSCFG.exe

O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /detectMem (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')

O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [WindowsWelcomeCenter] rundll32.exe oobefldr.dll,ShowWelcomeCenter (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')

O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /detectMem (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')

O4 - Global Startup: Run Registration Tool.lnk = C:\Program Files\WiFiConnector\NintendoWFCReg.exe

O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\EXCEL.EXE/3000

O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll

O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll

O9 - Extra button: Send to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll

O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: S&end to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll

O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\REFIEBAR.DLL

O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe

O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {DFB852A3-47F8-48C4-A200-58CAB36FD2A2} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll

O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Spybot - Search & Destroy Configuration - {DFB852A3-47F8-48C4-A200-58CAB36FD2A2} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll

O13 - Gopher Prefix:

O23 - Service: Ati External Event Utility - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\Windows\system32\Ati2evxx.exe

O23 - Service: Google Updater Service (gusvc) - Google - C:\Program Files\Google\Common\Google Updater\GoogleUpdaterService.exe

O23 - Service: PrismXL - New Boundary Technologies, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\New Boundary\PrismXL\PRISMXL.SYS

O23 - Service: SBSD Security Center Service (SBSDWSCService) - Safer Networking Ltd. - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDWinSec.exe

O23 - Service: SigmaTel Audio Service (STacSV) - SigmaTel, Inc. - C:\Program Files\SigmaTel\C-Major Audio\WDM\STacSV.exe

--

End of file - 5913 bytes

[hermanm]

Rename your utorrent folder to utorrent.001 and re-install utorrent. One of the .dat files is probably corrupt.

[jewelisheaven]

I would think it has more to do with external processes, like "prismxl" or that "bigfix"... dat files don't interfere with uT closing.

[Firon]

Aye, kernel mode stuff can prevent a program from ever shutting down (because it prevents i/o and other things from completing).

It'd be easer to know if you posted a DLL list from Process Explorer, so we could see what's hooking into utorrent.