XP overload / malfunction

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fred Marshall
  • Start date Start date
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Fred Marshall

Windows XP - boots OK.
My Computer will not open.
Control panel will not open.
Within a short time Explorer takes up to 98-99% of CPU. Obviously a very
sluggish system at that point. Pretty useless.
hp printer 1100 series comes up installing often - not completing?
Safe Mode works OK it seems.

Did a Windows Install/Repair. No help.

Suggestions appreciated.

Fred
 
Windows XP - boots OK.
My Computer will not open.
Control panel will not open.
Within a short time Explorer takes up to 98-99% of CPU. Obviously a very
sluggish system at that point. Pretty useless.
hp printer 1100 series comes up installing often - not completing?
Safe Mode works OK it seems.

Did a Windows Install/Repair. No help.

Suggestions appreciated.

Fred
Click to expand...
Download, install, and run all the below...

Ad-Aware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Spybot - Search & Destroy by Patrick Kolla
http://security.kolla.de/

NOTE: After you install the above, click "Online" and get the latest updates for the database.
Update it regularly for new spy info.

HijackThis
http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/hijackthis.zip

Also do a virus check...

This is a link to a small FREE program by McAfee Anti-virus named Stinger. It will scan your
system for 54 known viruses and trojans and repair them. You don't need McAfee anti-virus
installed on your computer... this is a stand alone program. http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/
or http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=stinger
Direct Download: http://download.nai.com/products/mcafee-avert/stng260.exe

NOTE: Disable System Restore BEFORE you run Stinger:
http://vil.nai.com/vil/SystemHelpDocs/DisableSysRestore.htm

Microsoft provides free anti-virus software that can be used for 1 year.
http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/


Free online virus scanners
http://housecall.antivirus.com/
http://www3.ca.com/virusinfo/virusscan.aspx
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp
<http://security.symantec.com/ssc/vc...us&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=TUIBRGZYFSUEUXNZVII>
http://security.norton.com/default.asp?langid=us&venid=sym
http://security2.norton.com/us/home.asp
http://www.freedom.net/viruscenter/onlineviruscheck.html
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/
http://www.dials.ru/english/www_av/
http://www.kaspersky.com/remoteviruschk.html
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/
 
Fred Marshall said:
Windows XP - boots OK.
My Computer will not open.
Control panel will not open.
Within a short time Explorer takes up to 98-99% of CPU. Obviously a very
sluggish system at that point. Pretty useless.
hp printer 1100 series comes up installing often - not completing?
Safe Mode works OK it seems.

Did a Windows Install/Repair. No help.

Suggestions appreciated.

Fred
Click to expand...

High CPU usage by Explorer.exe is one common symptom of a computer
infested with certain types of spyware/trojans.

Unk has given you some links to tools that will idenfity and clean up
the system for you.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
Remove HP printer in Safe Mode.

Reboot in normal mode and see if things
are back to normal.
 
The printer isn't "installed" and there's no hp software installed that can
be handled with Add/Remove programs.
I've since removed all the hp files and folders I can find just the same.
I think it was an install that was stuck and trying to complete itself.
I'm past that printer thing now....

Thanks for the reply.

The system has had about every thing imaginable done to stabilize it.
hitmanpro was run.
Antivirus scans.
msconfig takes out most things that would start.

Explorer continues to take up huge amounts of CPU.
Stopping Explorer with Task Manager works. But working without Explorer is
hard as you know.
Nonetheless, much of the work has been done that way.

I'm beginning to think that there could be corrupt files due to hard drive
starting to fail. Some Microsoft error follow ups suggest this.
The drive tests good on an IBM/Hitachi Quick Test but recently returned a
bad code on a more comprehensive test. I'm going to clone it to see what
happens.

Fred
 
Fred Marshall said:
The printer isn't "installed" and there's no hp software installed that can
be handled with Add/Remove programs.
I've since removed all the hp files and folders I can find just the same.
I think it was an install that was stuck and trying to complete itself.
I'm past that printer thing now....

Thanks for the reply.

The system has had about every thing imaginable done to stabilize it.
hitmanpro was run.
Click to expand...

While Hitman Pro is not classed as a rogue or suspect product it is
also not classified as a trustworth product.
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

In any event no single product is ever considered wholly adequate for
spyware protection and removal. A combination of two or more products
is usually best.

Here are some free online scanning sites that are pretty good. Try at
least one and preferably two of these to see if they find any
additional nasties on your machine.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
Ron Martell said:
While Hitman Pro is not classed as a rogue or suspect product it is
also not classified as a trustworth product.
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

In any event no single product is ever considered wholly adequate for
spyware protection and removal. A combination of two or more products
is usually best.

Here are some free online scanning sites that are pretty good. Try at
least one and preferably two of these to see if they find any
additional nasties on your machine.
Click to expand...

Where?

Well, hitmanpro was a new one for me too. It's an automated "combination of
two or more products" of the sort we know quite well. It came recommended -
at least to a point. At least one user suggested that it locks up. Check
it out if only to satisfy your curiosity. It includes Ad-Aware, Spybot
Search & Destroy, Spy Sweeper, ...... It was probably not classified
because it *is* a collection of others.

Thanks,

Fred
 
Ron Martell said:
While Hitman Pro is not classed as a rogue or suspect product it is
also not classified as a trustworth product.
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

In any event no single product is ever considered wholly adequate for
spyware protection and removal. A combination of two or more products
is usually best.

Here are some free online scanning sites that are pretty good. Try at
least one and preferably two of these to see if they find any
additional nasties on your machine.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
Click to expand...

It would help if I included the list, wouldn't it?

Trend Micro http://housecall.trendmicro.com
Kaspersky Online Scanner http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
Panda ActiveScan http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan
WindowSecurity.com TrojanScan http://windowssecurity.com/trojanscan
Webroot http://www.webroot.com/

Apologies.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
Well, hitmanpro was a new one for me too. It's an automated "combination of
two or more products" of the sort we know quite well. It came recommended -
at least to a point. At least one user suggested that it locks up. Check
it out if only to satisfy your curiosity. It includes Ad-Aware, Spybot
Search & Destroy, Spy Sweeper, ...... It was probably not classified
because it *is* a collection of others.
Click to expand...

It has apparently been around for a while, at least long enough to get
up to version 2.4.

But it has failed to gain any substantial credibility, at least not
with the experts in this field whose opinions I respect, such as those
at http://www.spywarewarrior.com, http://www.bleepingcomputer.com, and
http://www.aumha.org

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
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