Windows XP slows to a standstill

[Guest]

I have no idea what happened. But I think something connected with an Adobe
Reader 7 update has either loaded in a virus or damaged something on the
computer.

That was the last thing I saw come down before my computer slowed down.
Something somwhere is taking up all the action on the CPU. I've tried hunting
it down on the Task Manager. I've tried uninstalling all background
programmes. But still the CPU is fully occupied.

Also my Windows XP has told me that my Hardware has changed so much that I
need to re-activate in three days. Unfortunately because the machine has
slowed down I can't log onto the internet with it.

I put the machine into diagnostic mode and certainly I can open and close
programmes in that mode, and the sound of the disc chugging has stopped. But
unfortunately I can't access the internet in that mode. It won't open up my
ppoe connection, or access my Linksys router... luckily I have another
computer that can access or else I wouldn't writing this right now.

I've got Norton scanning in Diagnostic mode but it hasn't found anything.

Any ideas?

And if I can't connect in three days will Win XP shut down entirely?

 

[R. McCarty]

Certainly the last known change has some weight in a sudden change
in system performance. However, for Windows to determine that a
hardware change has caused WPA to fall-over doesn't track with a
Adobe Reader update.
These days just using an AntiVirus product is not adequate protection.
You need a Firewall and some type of "Real-Time" protection against
Malware. Utilities such as AdAware, SpyBot and MS Antispyware
are also required. The Windows Firewall is "Very Basic" protection,
but it doesn't provide for outbound checking. So if something gets on
the computer, it (WF) won't notify you of it's activities.
Run away disk activity and system loading are definitely signs of a
"Baddie" running. There are lot's of good White papers on the web on
removing Malware and tightening protection on your PC. It's really a
two step process - clean it up and then tighten it up.
I would boot to "Safe Mode with Networking", then immediately
download the following tools:
Spybot: - http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
AdAware -
http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE...045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5
MS -ASW -
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...-fca2f2c6f0cc/MicrosoftAntiSpywareInstall.exe

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Lawrence

How large is your hard drive and how much free space? How much RAM
memory?

Have you tried routine housekeeping?

Run Disk CleanUp to Empty your Recycle Bin and Remove Temporary Internet
Files. Also select the More Options tab, System
Restore and remove all but the latest restore points?

Whenever you remove redundant files you should always run Disk
Defragmenter by selecting Start, All Programs,
Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter.

Have you installed Adobe 7 or updated Adobe 7. I have been told you need
to uninstall Adobe 6 before installing Adobe 7.

Task Manager is useful but you could look at another freeware utility
Process Explorer, which provides similar information but adds that
little bit extra towards seeing what the running processes represent.

For further information about Process Explorer see here:

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/procexp.shtml

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
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Stourport, Worcs, England
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[Guest]

I'll try this, though the computer barely responds to anything, let alone
installing new programmes.

I note in the Task Manager that the System Idle Process uses 98% of the CPU.

I take it that can't be right.

Any idea what that means?

 

[Guest]

Yep, I've got 6 gig free on the disk drive so it should be OK.

512 on the RAM.

I've done all the housekeeping and removed everything from Start Up. Closed
down all unneccesary systems. And I'm even running it in Diagnostic mode and
the CPU is maxed out.

The System Idle Process uses 98% of the CPU.

So I'm pretty stuck at the moment. I can't open programmes. Can't download.
Can't log on to the Internet. Just opening up My Computer takes twenty
minutes let alone rummaging around looking for likely candidates.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Lawrence

How large is your hard disk?

The CPU reading is not the problem. If System Idle Process reads 98% it
means the system is only using 2% of it's capacity.

Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to bring Task Manager and select the Performance
Tab. What is the Commit Charge? Two figures divided by backslash.

Have you ever downloaded any memory boosters or the like? Some web sites
can offer these and it can be easy to accept the offer when they are
best declined!

What was the answer to my question about Adobe?

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Using invalid email address

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please tell the newsgroup how any
suggested solution worked for you.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Jim]

I'll try this, though the computer barely responds to anything, let alone
installing new programmes.

I note in the Task Manager that the System Idle Process uses 98% of the
CPU.

I take it that can't be right.

Any idea what that means?

It usually means that the computer has no work to do. Perhaps something has
installed a process on your system that calls itself the system idle process
but prevents you from using the computer.
That case is truly a long shot.
Jim

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I note in the Task Manager that the System Idle Process uses
98% of
the CPU.

I take it that can't be right.

It's entirely normal.
That's just the name for what the system is doing when it's not
doing anything. It's there to make the total add up to 100%

 

[budman]

Bad stick of memory?? That'll do it.

 

[Guest]

Lawrence

How large is your hard disk?

31gig with 10gig spare.

So plenty of room there.

The CPU reading is not the problem. If System Idle Process reads 98% it
means the system is only using 2% of it's capacity.

Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to bring Task Manager and select the Performance
Tab. What is the Commit Charge? Two figures divided by backslash.

Commit Charge is 305M/2481M

Have you ever downloaded any memory boosters or the like? Some web sites
can offer these and it can be easy to accept the offer when they are
best declined!

Nope.

What was the answer to my question about Adobe?

Yes, the Adobe Reader upgrade function kept blinking at me and I succumbed.
It installed Adobe 7 and from then on, coincidental maybe because it had been
cranky for a while, the CPU usage maxed out.

However, although Norton could find no virus, a used eacceleration.com's
virus checker... found it through Google... Set it to work over night and it
pulled up a virus it called Backdoor.Generic.284 It quarantined that and that
seems to have done the trick. Perhaps it had been there a while and the Adobe
upgrade pushed everything over the limits.

I can now type and open files and programmes which is a vast improvement.
Still feels a bit sluggish. But I can see that CPU usage is bouncing around
at 4% rather than the 100% that it had.

So I think I'm probably all fixed up and wondering whether I should prepare
all my programmes and data for an upgrade of a new faster mother board.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Lawrence

What is your security set up in terms of anti-virus, firewall and
anti-spyware programmes?

I tried to find information about Backdoor.Generic.284 but drew a blank.
The problem is that one Trojan can open the door for spyware so you may
find it worthwhile to thoroughly clean the machine. Also no anti-virus
or anti-spyware will find all problems.

When dealing with a persistent virus / trojan you need to delete system
restore points and not use them as they will contain the virus and put
it
back into your system. Turn off System Restore until cleaning is
finished. Also run your anti-virus with updated definitions in safe
mode. Sometimes you need to run an anti-virus from a floppy and Trend
offer one that can be used.

Create a new folder named Sysclean (e.g., C:\Program files\Sysclean, or
just a desktop folder).
Download Sysclean.com (http://www.trendmicro.com/download/dcs.asp) and
place it in this folder.

Download the latest Controlled Pattern Release zip
(http://www.trendmicro.com/download/pattern.asp, e.g., lpt123.zip) and
extract its contents to the same folder. See the Readme text file for
additional instructions.

Delete Temporary Internet Files (IE Tools>Internet Options>General)
accepting the option to delete all offline content. Reboot and delete
contents of all TEMP folders and then your Recycle Bin.

Close all running programs including your anti-virus application, go
offline, and run Sysclean. For best results, do nothing with the machine
until the scan completes.

If the scan shows any infections in System Restore files and you're
running WinXP, create a new Restore Point
(Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore), then delete
all but the most recent Restore Point (Start>Programs>Accessories>System
Tools>Disk Cleanup>More options).

Work through the spyware removal programmes etc in turn in safe mode
until you get no results.

Afterwards, update your own anti-virus application and perform another
full system scan.

Finally run HijackThis and post the HijackThis log to the HijackThis
forum here:
http://aumha.net/

You will need to register with Aumha to be able to post.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Using invalid email address

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please tell the newsgroup how any
suggested solution worked for you.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Guest]

Lawrence

What is your security set up in terms of anti-virus, firewall and
anti-spyware programmes?

Win Xp's firewall. And Yahoos anti-spyware stuff. Though I've now got
eAcceleration ... though I just had to turn off their firewall as I could not
log onto the internet at all. Which I suppose is the safest bet.

I tried to find information about Backdoor.Generic.284 but drew a blank.
The problem is that one Trojan can open the door for spyware so you may
find it worthwhile to thoroughly clean the machine. Also no anti-virus
or anti-spyware will find all problems.

When dealing with a persistent virus / trojan you need to delete system
restore points and not use them as they will contain the virus and put
it
back into your system. Turn off System Restore until cleaning is
finished. Also run your anti-virus with updated definitions in safe
mode. Sometimes you need to run an anti-virus from a floppy and Trend
offer one that can be used.

Create a new folder named Sysclean (e.g., C:\Program files\Sysclean, or
just a desktop folder).
Download Sysclean.com (http://www.trendmicro.com/download/dcs.asp) and
place it in this folder.

Download the latest Controlled Pattern Release zip
(http://www.trendmicro.com/download/pattern.asp, e.g., lpt123.zip) and
extract its contents to the same folder. See the Readme text file for
additional instructions.

Delete Temporary Internet Files (IE Tools>Internet Options>General)
accepting the option to delete all offline content. Reboot and delete
contents of all TEMP folders and then your Recycle Bin.

Close all running programs including your anti-virus application, go
offline, and run Sysclean. For best results, do nothing with the machine
until the scan completes.

If the scan shows any infections in System Restore files and you're
running WinXP, create a new Restore Point
(Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore), then delete
all but the most recent Restore Point (Start>Programs>Accessories>System
Tools>Disk Cleanup>More options).

Work through the spyware removal programmes etc in turn in safe mode
until you get no results.

Afterwards, update your own anti-virus application and perform another
full system scan.

Finally run HijackThis and post the HijackThis log to the HijackThis
forum here:
http://aumha.net/

You will need to register with Aumha to be able to post.

I'll get hold of the sysclean stuff just to give it all an extra clean.

Lawrence