XP gone haywire!!!

[Tim]

I have XP Pro, and it's been running fine for a couple of
weeks. Last night it went berserk!

I have CPU usage going from 0% -> 65% -> 0% every second
or so. No process shows up in Task Manager - System IDLE
is using 99% throughout. This recurs over (multiple)
reboots.

If I unplug the net cable, it all goes quiet and works
fine - but as soon as I plug the cable back in it goes
haywire again.
It's a local LAN, and all my other (non-XP) machines are
fine.

I noticed that my IP address (DHCP'd) is set to
169.254.58.242 (my local DHCP server assigns
192.168.0.80+)! Turning off DHCP and providing a static IP
doesn't help.

It's a simple setup with just vendor provided s/w
installed.

Any thoughts on this please?

Thanks

tim

 

[Joe727]

Do you have a firewall such as the free version of Zone Alarm installed?

Joe

 

[Tim]

Nope - I rely on an ADSL router/firewall. Basic XP Pro SP1
+ security updates. Hauppauge and mobo software and
MediaPlayer9. DVD s/w from Cyberlink.

As I say, all was well until around 9pm (UK).

Yesterday I installed M/S wireless Keyboard, and enabled
file-sharing. I de-installed the KB and disabled file-
sharing as part of my testing ... I also stopped every
service I could find (including scheduler).

I guess it's a rogue process - update? - but I can't find
it in the process list. Nothing shows up in the event logs
except the start/stop of the network when I plug in/out
the cable. I thought it might be the network browser, but
disabling this didn't help either. It has to be network
related ... but then most functions are now network based.

Why would I be getting such a strange IP address - it's
not the one assigned by my ISP either!

I generally know my way around systems, but this has left
me totally stumped!

Thanks for the thought.

tim

 

[Joe727]

One of the benefits of Zone Alarm is that it will tell you what's accessing
the internet. I use it in conjunction with my router's firewall.

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

A possibility: Your PC is loaded with spyware that is also hogging
resources.

There is an excellent article about spyware in PC Magazine:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,978170,00.asp

Their Editor's Choice is Spybot for spyware removal. It's free.

http://security.kolla.de/

Joe

 

[Joe727]

There's one other possibility, although it's probably a remote one:

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=474623

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/28956.html

Joe

One of the benefits of Zone Alarm is that it will tell you what's accessing
the internet. I use it in conjunction with my router's firewall.

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

A possibility: Your PC is loaded with spyware that is also hogging
resources.

There is an excellent article about spyware in PC Magazine:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,978170,00.asp

Their Editor's Choice is Spybot for spyware removal. It's free.

http://security.kolla.de/

Joe

<snip>

 

[Tim]

That's a pun right? (remote Good story though, thanks.

I think what's happening is that, although my network
controller is enabled, and the cable is physically
connected (so XP thinks all's well with the world), there
is a problem with it.

I guess the physical connection of the cable starts the
net-awareness of XP ... so net-browser/whatever runs and
fails! This then happens repeatedly (and frequently).

After trying a working cable, and still having no luck, I
assume it's the machine. I'll try a different OS first -
and then back to the makers I guess.

Thanks for the thoughts tho'

tim

PS XP hangs something rotten when the onboard LAN messes
up - I've had no end of trouble trying to disable
it/change drivers etc ... everything locks up!

 

[Guest]

This was not smart 169.254.58.242

 

[Joe727]

Yes, a little joke - very little - LOL.

Did you download and run Spybot?

Joe