4
1
For my work in a library I administer a couple of pcs, which can be used by visitors to browse the web. I keep seeing a very strange issue, that leaves me completely stomped.
When a user goes on Facebook the computer freezes for a couple of seconds, then the browser closes, an error message pops up, saying "InitiateSystemShutdown failed.". The message closes at once and the computer reboots. This doesn't always happen, half the time Facebook works fine.
The environment is as follows:
- All PCs run Windows 7 (from the same disk image).
- Windows, Flash and Java are fully patched.
- The problem occurs with all recent versions of IE, Firefox, Opera or Chrome. (Although it feels as if it happens most with Chrome.)
- The PCs are protected by Norton Antivirus and when they reboot, they are completely reset by Faronics Deep Freeze.
- The PCs access the internet through an Ubuntu gateway server somewhere in the town hall. It applies a content filter and scans for viruses.
I am completely lost. Can anyone give me a pointer on where the problem might be? Or what I could do to narrow down the problem?
Béné
Posted 2013-03-15T21:38:48.213
Reputation: 43
1this is one comp? or all of them? Memory amount? – Logman – 2013-03-15T21:44:35.047
1This is a problem? I would like to know how to cause that! j/k – Kazark – 2013-03-15T21:59:38.367
Logman, yes it happens on all PCs and they have 4GB of RAM. (Not sure 100% on that - I'll check tomorrow morning.) – Béné – 2013-03-15T22:17:36.793
This sounds suspiciously like a virus. I would run an anti-virus program from another source. – Xavierjazz – 2013-03-15T23:09:45.357
1"InitiateSystemShutdown failed." is an API call to shutdown computer. Did you check the event logs to see what app is calling it? Faronics? System? Like Xavier mentioned, could be a virus and it got on your image – Logman – 2013-03-15T23:13:41.500
Thanks Logman! I was able to find what shuts down the PCs. It's a program called NetLoan. It controls the user sessions - logs in users with their library card ID and logs them out after one hour. It seems when opening Facebook the PC freezes, NetLoan loses control of the session (b/c it's unresponsive) and shuts down the PC as a security measure. The question remains: Why does visiting Facebook completely lock up the PC? – Béné – 2013-03-16T11:32:35.477