XP just stops responding

[Greg Hines]

Hi Everyone,

Dell Dimension 3100 with XP Prof. SP2 with all current updates.

Several times a day when you want to browse a local or network drive or any
program wants to do the same (eg: file open or file save) the browsing or
reading of the drive information just freezes for all drives (local and
network). Other programs will run as long as they don't have to read any
drive content such as file open.

After 1 - 2 minutes everything returns to normal.

Done the following:-

Chkdsk on all drives
Run Ad-aware and Spybot for Malware
Run a complete Virus Scan using avast and nod32
Uncheck all the items under Performance Options | Visual Effects
Installed the tweak to make "My Computer" open faster.

I've even created an image of the HDD, installed onto another HDD and placed
new HDD into another computer of the same make and model. Problem persists.

This is just driving me nuts so any assistance would be appreciated.

 

[Guest]

It could be the Windows Firewall that is causing your problem. I hated mine,
because sometimes it would ask you if you wanted to allow a connection and
sometimes it would just block it with no signs. I got mcafee instead. Try
turning it off and see if the problem persists.

 

[Greg Hines]

The firewall is disabled.

It could be the Windows Firewall that is causing your problem. I hated
mine,
because sometimes it would ask you if you wanted to allow a connection and
sometimes it would just block it with no signs. I got mcafee instead. Try
turning it off and see if the problem persists.

 

[Prometheus]

I have heard of this, there are problems out there closly related to
svchost.exe chewing up 100% of the CPU for some time.

Look in the task manger and see if any of the svchost.exe preccesses
are chewing up abnormal ammounts of cpu

 

[Greg Hines]

Done that, when problem happens 98 - 99 % is System Ide, so nothing is
hogging the CPU time.

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

The firewall is disabled.

Then enable it. Do a thorough check for malware, following all of the
steps at one of these Web pages.
Help with malware:
All MS-MVP Sites.
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/darnit.html
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

So How Did I Get Infected Anyway?
For quite a few people it's by installing programs like Messenger Plus,
whose ads for malware don't identify the malware as such and try to convince
you that you owe it to the author. See also:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=27971
Don't ever do a "default" install of anything. Always choose Custom and see
what else is being carried along. Don't install any extras you're not sure
of.