This problem is out of *my* depth, someone PLEASE help, my PC may never be the same again!

[Guest]

I recently posted the same problem under "Seemingly Random Start-Bar Lockups" but I fear my problem may run deeper than that now

Basically, at unspecified times (ie. It can be just after I startup or just before I shutdown or any of the time inbetween) my start bar locks up, everything slows down and my PC's functionality plummets to absolute 0 for a while, then I seem to regain some control. Ctrl - Alt - Del does nothing for ages, usually resulting in a complete crash & burn. I have the inkling of a suspicion that there is an unrecognised (and certainly unauthorised) program, script or RPC type utility running in the background to cause this. I have tried scanning my PC with Panda Activescan, an online virus scanner that is constantly updated and has a heuristic detection system, so it even finds unknown vrii, but this finds nothing. Similar failures with Adaware 6.0 and Spybot S&D. I am at my wits end with this, it's driving me loopy! This has only been happening in the last week or so (27/12/03 roughly) and I have a backup theory that it was one of the WinXP updates from Windows Update. I'm not sure which one but this problem only started about the same time as I did my last update

Even if you can't solve this problem, any advice (links to tools or utilities, I've already got the support tools from the WinXP CD) would be much appreciated

Feel free to E-Mail me if anybody comes across anything

System Spec
WinXP Pro
1.3Ghz Athlon Thunderbird
256MB DDR RAM
1 x 30GB HD, 1 x 10GB Partition (WinXP and file system), 1 x 20GB Partition (all my music, progs, documents and misc

Thanks in advance
Adam.

 

[wayne]

Couple of simple suggestions.

First is restore points have you tried rolling back?

Second is booting into safe mode and then running AV software. Some smarter
viruses are able to hide if they can run before AV software.
One feature I really like about Symantec is you can boot from the CD and
have the latest update on your computer or a cd drive and have it use that
update to scan with. Other AV software that I have seen will include a Boot
CD but don't always have a way to run with latest updates.

Check the event viewer and see what it says

You can also remove updates using add remove programs

Wayne

I recently posted the same problem under "Seemingly Random Start-Bar

Lockups" but I fear my problem may run deeper than that now.

Basically, at unspecified times (ie. It can be just after I startup or

just before I shutdown or any of the time inbetween) my start bar locks up,
everything slows down and my PC's functionality plummets to absolute 0 for a
while, then I seem to regain some control. Ctrl - Alt - Del does nothing for
ages, usually resulting in a complete crash & burn. I have the inkling of a
suspicion that there is an unrecognised (and certainly unauthorised)
program, script or RPC type utility running in the background to cause this.
I have tried scanning my PC with Panda Activescan, an online virus scanner
that is constantly updated and has a heuristic detection system, so it even
finds unknown vrii, but this finds nothing. Similar failures with Adaware
6.0 and Spybot S&D. I am at my wits end with this, it's driving me loopy!
This has only been happening in the last week or so (27/12/03 roughly) and I
have a backup theory that it was one of the WinXP updates from Windows
Update. I'm not sure which one but this problem only started about the same
time as I did my last update.

Even if you can't solve this problem, any advice (links to tools or

utilities, I've already got the support tools from the WinXP CD) would be
much appreciated.

Feel free to E-Mail me if anybody comes across anything.

System Spec:
WinXP Pro,
1.3Ghz Athlon Thunderbird,
256MB DDR RAM,
1 x 30GB HD, 1 x 10GB Partition (WinXP and file system), 1 x 20GB

Partition (all my music, progs, documents and misc)

 

[Frenchy]

Do you have enough room on the 10 Gb partition? Is that where U have the Pagefile.sys??
Try moving that to the 30 GB one? You may just be swapping out data into a too small an
area. If U are not sure how to do this, post back.

Frenchy

I recently posted the same problem under "Seemingly Random Start-Bar Lockups" but I fear

my problem may run deeper than that now.

Basically, at unspecified times (ie. It can be just after I startup or just before I

shutdown or any of the time inbetween) my start bar locks up, everything slows down and my
PC's functionality plummets to absolute 0 for a while, then I seem to regain some control.
Ctrl - Alt - Del does nothing for ages, usually resulting in a complete crash & burn. I have
the inkling of a suspicion that there is an unrecognised (and certainly unauthorised)
program, script or RPC type utility running in the background to cause this. I have tried
scanning my PC with Panda Activescan, an online virus scanner that is constantly updated and
has a heuristic detection system, so it even finds unknown vrii, but this finds nothing.
Similar failures with Adaware 6.0 and Spybot S&D. I am at my wits end with this, it's
driving me loopy! This has only been happening in the last week or so (27/12/03 roughly) and
I have a backup theory that it was one of the WinXP updates from Windows Update. I'm not
sure which one but this problem only started about the same time as I did my last update.

Even if you can't solve this problem, any advice (links to tools or utilities, I've

already got the support tools from the WinXP CD) would be much appreciated.

 

[Guest]

I will try all of your suggestions, if I find pagefile.sys I will shift it immediately, it does a mini version of the same lockup for media player, could be just the time it takes to load all the data. But my suspicions of a virus are growing after what you said Wayne, a process called dllhost.exe is seen everytime I start now, never used to be there, and nothing special happens when I shut it off so it's getting obliterated after I find out what it is.

Umm... ok... I just completed a search and it seems I don't HAVE a pagefile.sys! Man this computer just needs to get chucked out of the window. Will post back when I know what this is. Hopefully I can get rid of it. Thanks guys.

 

[Guest]

Right, well. AVG 6.0 found a script/exploit hidden in my USER/IE/TEMP dir, but the reboot after getting rid of the thing the lockup happened again, but then again I had just reinstalled Phaseout (an IE replacement) as I suspected this of causing this problem, suffice to say Phaseout is out, IE is back in and hopefully I shouldn't have any more problems.

Don't know why I can't find my pagefile.sys tho, lol. Madness.
I really appreciate all your advice as it cut around 3hrs off my mad journey to narrow down what the cause was.
Cheers and have a Happy New Year all! 2004 baby wooo!

Adam.

 

[Frenchy]

To be able to see the Pagefile.sys, you have to make all hidden files visible. Then you
will find this file in the root directory. Note there may be more than one pagefile.sys, in
all three partition root directories!

To enable hidden file view, open any folder and at the top, click on TOOLS and then click on
the FOLDER OPTIONS and then the VIEW Tab. Scroll down until you see the "hidden files and
folders" section and click the radio button to show these files.

Now you will be able to see hidden files!

Perhaps a good idea to delete all the pagefile.sys files you find and then make one new one
on the largest partition. Certainly I helped speed up the boot and particularly the shut
down time by removing and then re-instating my pagefile.sys. This procedure is quite safe!

The following is a cut and paste from "Jimmy S", who does a sterling job in the xp games
News Group.

1. In Control Panel / System / Advanced / click the Performance
: "Settings..." button which open the "Performance Options" box.
:
: 2. Click the "Advanced" tab and then the "Change..." button.
:
: 3. Scroll through the list, click on any line that has a value listed in
: the "Paging File Size" column, click the "No paging file" choice,
: and then click the "Set" button for the page file to be cleared.
:
: 4. After completing step 3 for each entry, click OK 3 times to exit.
:
: 5. Restart the computer, hold down F8 to startup in Safe Mode.
:
: 6. Delete each pagefile.sys you find on your drive's partitions.
:
: 7. Repeat steps 1+2, and click the "System managed size" choice.
:
: 8. Click the "Set" button, click OK 3 times, and restart the system.
:
: 9. For a visualization of the Virtual Memory Page file configuration try:
: http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/expertzone/columns/mcfedries/03june16.asp
: For advanced options visit: http://www.aumha.org/a/xpvm.htm

Rgds
Frenchy

I will try all of your suggestions, if I find pagefile.sys I will shift it immediately, it

does a mini version of the same lockup for media player, could be just the time it takes to
load all the data. But my suspicions of a virus are growing after what you said Wayne, a
process called dllhost.exe is seen everytime I start now, never used to be there, and
nothing special happens when I shut it off so it's getting obliterated after I find out what
it is.

Umm... ok... I just completed a search and it seems I don't HAVE a pagefile.sys! Man this

computer just needs to get chucked out of the window. Will post back when I know what this
is. Hopefully I can get rid of it. Thanks guys.