XP slowdown

[Dandroid]

After disinfecting for spyware/malware, and restoring to even the earliest
restore point, my dell still boots and runs very slow. I may have
quarantined or otherwise erased important xp files during the disinfection
process. Knowledgable friends say format & reinstall. I can but would
rather not. Does a method exist for repair without reformatting?

 

[nass]

After disinfecting for spyware/malware, and restoring to even the earliest
restore point, my dell still boots and runs very slow. I may have
quarantined or otherwise erased important xp files during the disinfection
process. Knowledgable friends say format & reinstall. I can but would
rather not. Does a method exist for repair without reformatting?

Your machine still infected and you need to clean up!
If the infection sever then a clean install of the operating system is a must.
Go through these Cleaning steps:
1... Click start >> Control Panel >> Double Click Network and Internet
Connections >> Double click Internet Options, on the IE Properties window
you will see these Options:
General | Security | Privacy | Content | Connections | Programs
| Advanced .

Click on General Tab (1st Tab on the left) and you will see a Button called
[ Clear History ..] click on it to clear your History caches, then click on
[Delete Files..] to delete Internet Files created over the time, click on [
Delete Cookies...] to delete your cookies left by visiting websites.

Then click on Advanced tab and scroll down to under the Browsing Option:
[&] Browsing
[ ] Enable Third-Party browser extensions (Req Rest) uncheck this box.
= Then try to Disable the Add-Ons on your Browser somehow installed on your
browser, On how to disable the Add-ons follow this:
Click on Programs Tab and then click the Manage Add-Ons Button there Disable
the None/Not Verified Plug-ins/Add-ons ( you need to Renable them one-by-one
later and see which is the culprit .
How to manage Add-Ons:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883256
Scan for malware from here:
SuperAntispyware - Free
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html

Run a scan from here on-line:
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx
Download Avast Cleaner (off-line scanner) from here:
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-virus-cleaner.html
Download the Hijackthis and send the report to one of
many
forums for analysis and troubleshooting or you can send it to me on my email
provided at the bottom:
When all else fails, HijackThis v2.0.2
(http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/threat_analytics/hijackthis.php)

Can you please send me a copy at (e-mail address removed) ,
remove
the obvious to email me.

Perform a Repair Installation:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/31534
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

Let us know your progress.

nass

 

[Leonard Grey]

One (or both) of two things is happening:

1- The malware is not completely removed; and/or

2- Even when all malware /is/ completely removed, the removal can leave
your computer in an unstable state. That happens because malware is
frequently tightly integrated with the operating system.

When this happens you will probably have to erase your hard disk and
reinstall your software. That's even likelier in your case because you
restored an old restore point, so now your system consists of a quaint
mixture of old and new system files.

Reinstalling Windows over itself may help, by replacing damaged versions
of Windows system files, but you'll have to update your computer at
Windows Update. Reinstalling Windows won't remove the remnants of malware.

All told, it's another argument in favor of backing up regularly.

 

[Gerry]

Dandroid

Part of the removal process is to remove System Restore points because they
will usually to some extent contain infected files. The chances are
therefore that by restoring to an earlier point you reintroduced the
malware. You need to turn System Restore on and off to remove any malware
infestation there.

How did you remove the malware infestation? What programmes did you use?
Once an infestation gets a foothold you can get certain malware which is
very difficult to detect and even harder to remove. Sometimes you think you
have removed items but because there is further concealed malware the items
you think you have removed return again and again.

Malware removal often damages the system. Is SP2 or SP3 installed? Is your
Windows XP CD SP2 or SP3?

What Errors and Warning are appeared in the Event Viewer logs?

Have a look in the System and Application logs in Event Viewer for
Errors and Warnings and post copies here. Don't post any more than 48
hours ago.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer. When researching the meaning
of the error, information regarding Event ID, Source and Description
are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Gerry]

Bent Attorney

Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to select Task Manager and click the Performance
Tab. Under Commit Charge what is the Total, the Limit and the Peak?

Have a look in the System and Application logs in Event Viewer for
Errors and Warnings and post copies here. Don't post any more than 48
hours ago.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer. When researching the meaning
of the error, information regarding Event ID, Source and Description
are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes,
see:http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tip...

I've the same problem. My computer has become terribly slow. When I
start up, it takes 20 - 25 minutes before I can get on the internet.
I only have 256 meg. memory, but I don't think it should run this slow
because of memory. It's funny, but my major slowdown occurred about 2
years ago, when I wasn't on the internet.
I may upgrade to more memory later on.

 

[Gerry]

Bent Attorney

You clearly have two problems and perhaps a host of minor ones.

The system is heavily reliant on use of the pagefile. This will make it
incredibly slow. To improve the situation you can add memory say 256 mb but
before doing so you probably need to reduce the number of programmes loading
when you boot. You also need to evaluate whether changing programmes will
reduce demands for memory. In this connection what anti-virus and
anti-spyware programmes are installed?

You should be able to gather more information from Task Manager. With
the Processes tab open select View, Select, Columns and check the boxes
before Peak Memory Usage and Virtual Memory size. What are the figures
for the 6 processes using the largest amounts?

The second problem is more pressing as you have a bad sector on your hard
disk. The extent of the problem is unknown, which means it could fail at any
time. If the computer contains data you would not wish to lose you should
take backup copies whilst you can. The way to try to repair bad sectors is
to run the Error Checking Tool (aka as chkdsk). The command, described in
more detail in the link which follows, is chkdsk c: /f /r. Given that you
have one or more bad sectors this could take a long time -users have reorted
the process taking 24 hours.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265/en-us

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bent Attorney

Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to select Task Manager and click the Performance
Tab. Under Commit Charge what is the Total, the Limit and the Peak?

Commit Charge (K):
Total: 605412
Limit: 1033300
Peak: 887068

Have a look in the System and Application logs in Event Viewer for
Errors and Warnings and post copies here. Don't post any more than 48
hours ago.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler
Event Category: Scheduler Events
Event ID: 101
Date: 3/3/2009
Time: 3:15:54 PM
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer: HH-53CHNAJ0OE6O
Description:
Information Level: error
Initialization of the COM subsystem failed. Error code: 0x8007041D

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: SQLBrowser
Event Category: None
Event ID: 3
Date: 3/3/2009
Time: 3:04:14 PM
User: N/A
Computer: HH-53CHNAJ0OE6O
Description:
The configuration of the AdminConnection\TCP protocol in the SQL
instance SQLEXPRESS is not valid.

I've got many many (hundreds of errors) on the System page. Here's
the most recent one:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Disk
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7
Date: 3/3/2009
Time: 1:13:33 AM
User: N/A
Computer: HH-53CHNAJ0OE6O
Description:
The device, \Device\Harddisk0\D, has a bad block.

The errors seem to be similar.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer. When researching the meaning
of the error, information regarding Event ID, Source and Description
are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows
XPhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

Yes. I think I have some research to do.

 

[Daave]

I've the same problem. My computer has become terribly slow.
When I start up, it takes 20 - 25 minutes before I can get on the
internet. I only have 256 meg. memory, but I don't think it should
run this slow because of memory.

(BAE, in the future, please start your *own* thread. Thank you.)

But, given information you posted elsewhere (the fact that you run
Norton products, which require *lots* of RAM), that is *precisely* the
reason your PC runs as slow as it does. The Commit Charge exercise Gerry
asked you to perform confirms this.

Even on PCs with sufficient RAM, Norton has been known to hog processing
cycles to the point of slowing things down tremendously. I noticed you
also run Yahoo Online Protection, which may either be a resource hog on
its own or perhaps conflicts with Norton. Your best bet is to:

1. Purchase more RAM (If you let us know the make and model of your PC,
we can offer guidance. You may also go to a Web site like
http://www.crucial.com/ and determine what kind of RAM you need and how
much it would cost.). If you currently have one 256MB stick of RAM, it's
possible all you need is a second one. Then again, depending on the
cost, you may want to even double that total to 1GB -- just to cover
yourself if you may later use more memory-intensive software.

2. Uninstall Norton (there is a special removal tool on their Web site)
and YOP. For security, you may use this combination:

- Windows Firewall

- NOD32, Avast or Antivir for anti-virus program

- Malwarebytes' AntiMalware and SUPERAntiSpyware to regularly scan for
other malware

- SpywareBlaster and a Hosts file to prevent a lot of spyware and
annoying adware to enter your PC in the first place

- And don't forget to be current with your Windows Updates security
patches!

 

[Ray Luca]

OK. I didn't realize I was breaching etiquette. Subject line
related to my problem so...

What do you think "hijacking someone else's thread" means?

 

[Gerry]

Bent Attorney

I agree with the comments made by my preference for replacements for Norton
would be AVG 8 and Spybot S & D both of which have freeware versions
available for home users.

You should endeavour to eliminate recurring Errors and Warnings in the Event
Viewer System and Application logs. Have there been any further errors from
Event Source: Disk since this one?

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Disk
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7
Date: 3/3/2009
Time: 1:13:33 AM
User: N/A
Computer: HH-53CHNAJ0OE6O
Description:
The device, \Device\Harddisk0\D, has a bad block.

Try HD Tune. It only gives information and does not fix any
problems.

Download and run it and see what it turns up. You want HD Tune
(freeware) version 2.55 not HD Tune Pro (not Freeware) version 3.00.
http://www.hdtune.com/

Select the Info tabs and place the cursor on the drive under Drive
letter and then double click the two page icon ( copy to Clipboard )
and copy into a further message.

Select the Health tab and then double click the two page icon ( copy to
Clipboard ) and copy into a further message. Make sure you do a full
surface scan with HD Tune.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bent Attorney

Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to select Task Manager and click the Performance
Tab. Under Commit Charge what is the Total, the Limit and the Peak?

Commit Charge (K):
Total: 605412
Limit: 1033300
Peak: 887068

Have a look in the System and Application logs in Event Viewer for
Errors and Warnings and post copies here. Don't post any more than 48
hours ago.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler
Event Category: Scheduler Events
Event ID: 101
Date: 3/3/2009
Time: 3:15:54 PM
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer: HH-53CHNAJ0OE6O
Description:
Information Level: error
Initialization of the COM subsystem failed. Error code: 0x8007041D

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: SQLBrowser
Event Category: None
Event ID: 3
Date: 3/3/2009
Time: 3:04:14 PM
User: N/A
Computer: HH-53CHNAJ0OE6O
Description:
The configuration of the AdminConnection\TCP protocol in the SQL
instance SQLEXPRESS is not valid.

I've got many many (hundreds of errors) on the System page. Here's
the most recent one:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Disk
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7
Date: 3/3/2009
Time: 1:13:33 AM
User: N/A
Computer: HH-53CHNAJ0OE6O
Description:
The device, \Device\Harddisk0\D, has a bad block.

The errors seem to be similar.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer. When researching the meaning
of the error, information regarding Event ID, Source and Description
are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows
XPhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

Yes. I think I have some research to do.

 

[Olórin]

What do you think "hijacking someone else's thread" means?

You of course are using the word 'hijacking' incorrectly. To hijack
something means that there was intent to steal something; i.e. an
aircraft comes to mind. You can't innocently hijack something without
without there being the intention of theft.
<snip>
==========

Nope. It *can* mean that but doesn't have to. For instance:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hijack, meaning (c): "To seize control of
.... by use of force, especially in order to reach an alternate destination."

http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/hijack, meaning (2): "To
illegally take control of a transport vessel or vehicle and divert it to a
different destination." The site also notes: "The meaning of today's word
has been changing recently... it also applies to a wide assortment of
metaphors, "The conversation was pleasantly random until Stu deBaker and
Ford Parker came in and hijacked it; after that, the only topic discussed
was cars.""

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hijack, meaning (b): "to
commandeer (a flying airplane) especially by coercing the pilot at gunpoint"

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hijack, meaning (3): "to seize...
by force or threat of force"

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/hijack?view=uk: "1 illegally seize
control of (an aircraft, ship, etc.) while it is in transit. 2 take over
(something) and use it for a different purpose.

Someone can be wrong; fine. But when they aren't, and someone (you, here)
tries to correct them but are themselves wrong (and furthermore isn't
familiar with well-understood "local jargon"), I have to wade in!

 

[Leonard Grey]

You are in a newsgroup, not a court of law. In a newsgroup there are
customs and conventions that have been established over the years. Legal
definitions don't matter.

 

[Gerry]

Bent

This dialogue about hijacking has got out of hand. The reason for starting a
new thread is to avoid confusion as, although users frequently think they
have the same problem, it is often not the case. Starting a new thread makes
for clarity helping those to understand the problem and the answers to
questions posed. If you just said sorry for the misunderstand the other
normally helpful individuals would stop pursuing the point.

Otherwise you have not responding to my questions about your problem.


--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You of course are using the word 'hijacking' incorrectly. To hijack
something means that there was intent to steal something; i.e. an
aircraft comes to mind. You can't innocently hijack something without
without there being the intention of theft.
<snip>
==========

Nope. It *can* mean that but doesn't have to. For instance:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hijack, meaning (c): "To seize control of
... by use of force, especially in order to reach an alternate
destination."

Theft.

http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/hijack, meaning (2): "To
illegally take control of a transport vessel or vehicle and divert it to a
different destination." The site also notes: "The meaning of today's word
has been changing recently... it also applies to a wide assortment of
metaphors, "The conversation was pleasantly random until Stu deBaker and
Ford Parker came in and hijacked it; after that, the only topic discussed
was cars.""

You have not proven that I intended to hijack anything. Intent must
be involved. If you go by your new and improved version of the word,
then you must understand that the idiots(that includes you btw, just
in case you're too dense to understand) that accused me of hijacking
this thread(which btw I never did; look at the subject of the thread;
what does it say?)did in fact hijack this thread; the subject was 'XP
Slowdown'. I responded positively to this thread. There was no
hijacking. Then the anal crowd came in, listened to themselves roar
and scurried away like the mice they are.
So we have here a thread that has morphed from concerning itself with
'XP Slowdown' to a thread that has been hijacked by the imbeciles who
live among us; hijacked into a thread that is concerned with hijacking
a thread. Please note that I wear special sunglasses; much in the
same way that Roddy Piper wore in the movie 'They Live.' It lets me
see who the green lizard people are very clearly. You obviously
intended to disrupt this thread and have of course succeeded by
hijackery. You are clearly visible and out in the open. My glasses
have seen to that. Next: You're going to bring up grammar and
spehlink. I purposely made 5 basic errors; let's see if you can find
them.
I'm waiting.

 

[Olórin]

You of course are using the word 'hijacking' incorrectly. To hijack
something means that there was intent to steal something; i.e. an
aircraft comes to mind. You can't innocently hijack something without
without there being the intention of theft.
<snip>
==========

Nope. It *can* mean that but doesn't have to. For instance:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hijack, meaning (c): "To seize control of
... by use of force, especially in order to reach an alternate
destination."

Theft.

http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/hijack, meaning (2): "To
illegally take control of a transport vessel or vehicle and divert it to a
different destination." The site also notes: "The meaning of today's word
has been changing recently... it also applies to a wide assortment of
metaphors, "The conversation was pleasantly random until Stu deBaker and
Ford Parker came in and hijacked it; after that, the only topic discussed
was cars.""

You have not proven that I intended to hijack anything.

I wasn't trying to but didn't need to - you interjected with "I've the same
problem...." and that's called thread hijacking here, whether you like it or
agree with it or not.

Intent must
be involved. If you go by your new and improved version of the word,

Not mine - online dictionaries agreed.

then you must understand that the idiots(that includes you btw, just
in case you're too dense to understand)

What a charmer you are.

that accused me of hijacking
this thread

No, I didn't - I accused you of nothing but using a wrong definition of a
word. And now, of arrogance.

(which btw I never did; look at the subject of the thread;
what does it say?)did in fact hijack this thread; the subject was 'XP
Slowdown'. I responded positively to this thread. There was no
hijacking. Then the anal crowd came in, listened to themselves roar
and scurried away like the mice they are.

You're really trying to make people like you and want to help you, aren't
you?

Next: You're going to bring up grammar and
spehlink. I purposely made 5 basic errors; let's see if you can find
them.
I'm waiting.

Wait away, I've wasted enough time on you. If that's "scurrying away" in
your book, so be it. (Moreover, I stopped counting at six errors.)

 

[Olórin]

I said I made an error a few posts ago. That's all you're getting out
of me. Now you are getting on the hijacking bandwagon as well. Guess
what Gerry: You've got nothing to teach me. I've learned much on my
own in the past couple of days. Beats posting to the deadbeat
(including you)pseudo helpers here. In case you didn't get the gist
of this post it is this: flip you and the horse you rode in on.

I would like to wish you good luck sorting out your problem on your own
now - but I'm not going to. I hope you flounder to the full degree you
deserve for being such an appallingly rude twat.

I'm working from a new PC; I didn't bother trying to import my killfile
entries from my last one, but you're now the first there.

*plonk*

 

[Johnny Fosse]

I said I made an error a few posts ago. That's all you're getting out
of me. Now you are getting on the hijacking bandwagon as well. Guess
what Gerry: You've got nothing to teach me. I've learned much on my
own in the past couple of days. Beats posting to the deadbeat
(including you)pseudo helpers here. In case you didn't get the gist
of this post it is this: flip you and the horse you rode in on.

You forgot that cutesy "Esq." sig, you overstuffed shirt/buffoon.

 

[Gerry]

Bent

How to win friends and influence people!

--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bent

This dialogue about hijacking has got out of hand. The reason for starting
a
new thread is to avoid confusion as, although users frequently think they
have the same problem, it is often not the case. Starting a new thread
makes
for clarity helping those to understand the problem and the answers to
questions posed. If you just said sorry for the misunderstand the other
normally helpful individuals would stop pursuing the point.

I said I made an error a few posts ago. That's all you're getting out
of me. Now you are getting on the hijacking bandwagon as well. Guess
what Gerry: You've got nothing to teach me. I've learned much on my
own in the past couple of days. Beats posting to the deadbeat
(including you)pseudo helpers here. In case you didn't get the gist
of this post it is this: flip you and the horse you rode in on.