sluggish system

[Eddie G]

My brand spanking new E6600 machine is as slow as a 3 toed sloth!!! I
am running Windows XP Pro and the other day I downloaded something from
a p2p network and think my system is infected with something. I ran my
antivirus software and it got something and deleted it. I ran Ccleaner
to clean up my registry and ran Giant Antispyware, Microsoft's Malware
removal app, and Spybot. Spybot I ran first and it found several
things. MS's tool found nothing and Giant is currently scanning and so
far found nothing.

What else could be causing Windows XP to launch applications so slowly?
Is there a flowchart of things to follow? Should I re-load XP? If so
can I do a repair or do I have to do a full install? It'd be a real
pain to back up all of my data again as I only have 1 HD on this
machine. I can use this as a reason to buy a new one ;-)

Thanks!!

Eddie G

 

[Galen]

In Eddie G had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

My brand spanking new E6600 machine is as slow as a 3 toed sloth!!! I
am running Windows XP Pro and the other day I downloaded something
from a p2p network and think my system is infected with something. I
ran my antivirus software and it got something and deleted it. I ran
Ccleaner to clean up my registry and ran Giant Antispyware,
Microsoft's Malware removal app, and Spybot. Spybot I ran first and
it found several things. MS's tool found nothing and Giant is
currently scanning and so far found nothing.

What else could be causing Windows XP to launch applications so
slowly? Is there a flowchart of things to follow? Should I re-load
XP? If so can I do a repair or do I have to do a full install? It'd
be a real pain to back up all of my data again as I only have 1 HD on
this machine. I can use this as a reason to buy a new one ;-)

Thanks!!

Eddie G

If nothing is being found that doesn't mean your system is clean it just
means that there may be something hooked in so deep that you are unable to
find it. If all hardware checks out and the system is still running slowly
after all scanning (and I recommend manual cleaning of any malware found
instead of automated routines) and all the running processes seem to be
legitimate then a complete and total reformat may well be required. I'd
certainly not attempt a repair installation and if the source of the malware
isn't found then you'll need to reformat to ensure that the system is clean
once again.

Personal point of view: Antimalware tools aren't really that good for
anything other than preventing infection. Once a system is infected then
removal by hand is ideal. Sometimes removal, with 100% surety, isn't
possible so a reformat is, unfortunately, the only cure.

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"At present I am, as you know, fairly busy, but I propose to devote my
declining years to the composition of a textbook which shall focus the
whole art of detection into one volume." - Sherlock Holmes

 

[Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User]

Try running the Ewido online scan.. http://www.ewido.net/en/

 

[DandyDon]

When your scan is complete, 'unhide' System files and run all scans again.

To 'unhide' System files, open Control Panel-Appearance and Themes-Folder
Options-View. Check 'show hidden folders and files' Uncheck 'hide protected
operating system files'.

If you can get online, run an online virus scan. Trend Micro's Online
Housecall is very good. When you finally get clean, get a real firewall on
your system, XP's is pretty much worthless. Zone Alarm is free and very
good. (And a word of advice, stay away from P2P sites.)

 

[Eddie G]

Thank you,

This is really embarassing but I forget how to boot into safe mode. I
want to run my registry cleaner and all of my other scans again in safe
mode...iirc it is better to do it in safe mode, right?

Thanks!!

Eddie G

 

[Bob I]

Ditch the so-called "registry cleaner", it's more likely to shoot you in
the foot.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

This is really embarassing but I forget how to boot into safe mode.

Press F8 as the system starts to boot, and you'll get a menu with the
choice.

I
want to run my registry cleaner and all of my other scans again in
safe mode...iirc it is better to do it in safe mode, right?

The best way to run your registry cleaner is not at all. I always recommend
against the routine use of registry cleaners. Routine cleaning of the
registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the registry alone and don't
use a registry cleaner. Despite what many people think, and what vendors of
registry cleaning software try to convince you of, having unused registry
entries doesn't really hurt you.

The risk of a serious problem caused by a registry cleaner erroneously
removing an entry you need is far greater than any potential benefit it may
have.