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3945
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Visalia, CA, USA
Fantasy
Edited Date/Time
1/12/2012 12:36pm
My computer is slow as heck, especially after adding a little camera and Skype to talk with relatives. Without Firefox even running it'll show RAM at 40%, and I've seen it at nearly 60%.
Hitting Control/Alt/Delete and then task manager right now shows 92 processes, CPU varying from 2-15%, and physical memory at 47-48%. Clicking the Services tab shows about 160 of them, about half of which have a status of running. The applications tab shows the only application I only have running is Firefox.
We're running Vista Ultimate, AVG anti-virus. It's been getting progressively slower for some time now, well before adding the camera and Skype. I don't know what to delete, what to keep, or how to fix it.
Suggestions appreciated.
Hitting Control/Alt/Delete and then task manager right now shows 92 processes, CPU varying from 2-15%, and physical memory at 47-48%. Clicking the Services tab shows about 160 of them, about half of which have a status of running. The applications tab shows the only application I only have running is Firefox.
We're running Vista Ultimate, AVG anti-virus. It's been getting progressively slower for some time now, well before adding the camera and Skype. I don't know what to delete, what to keep, or how to fix it.
Suggestions appreciated.
Download Spybot Search and Destroy from www.security.kolla.de (it's free with a request for a PayPal donation), install, update, and run it. It's totally manual software, and a scan takes a fairly long time. But it works, and is a very good tool. It can also immunize your browser against many forms of spyware.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
http://www.blackviper.com/
I picked up a 1TB external HD, but am wondering if I should use some of the blackviper stuff prior to hooking it up. I'm also a little unsure as to how to go about using his services- it appears a bit overwhelming to a non-computer guy. Mechanical stuff I'm fine with- software is not a strong-point of mine.
I'd like to avoid reloading windows simply because there are lots of programs that I occasionally use, but don't remember where I got them from, how to set them back up, etc.
Click on run then type in msconfig.
click on the startup tab and see how many items are checked. If you have any process on there with "Virtumonde" in the name then you have a nasty trojan.
Check back here if you have it.
BTW, XP runs fine with everything on there unchecked.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/
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http://www.simplysup.com/ Trojan Remover
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Trojan Remover is a 30 day trial but sometimes it finds stuff malwarebytes misses and visa versa. Trojan Remover runs extremely fast and beeps when it finds stuff, it will give you multiple choices on how to handle what it finds, just agree with whatever it recommends.
Crash, between the AVG and Spybot, wouldn't any maleware, trojans, viruses, etc be taken care of already?
If I hook up the external HD will it automatically copy the unwanted crap over as well as the stuff I'm wanting to keep?
Or, just buy a Mac.
I've had this PC for less than 2 years, AVG has been on it since day 1. I uninstalled Spybot before downloading malewarebytes, thinking that having too many anti-virus programs together could be a problem, like AVG and Norton.
Malewarebytes found 11 items, all from Adware.PopCap. 1 file, 1 registry title, and 9 registry keys. It removed them all, and evidently none of them were malicious. Simplysup found nothing. Should I uninstall these 2 programs, particularly simplysup due to it's 30 day trial run, or am I better off with the whole gamut of anti-a-hole software; AVG/Spybot/Malewarebytes/Simplysup?
My processes are down to 74, and RAM is at 39%, so improvements are happening. At this time I'm guessing that there's not a whole lot I can do to improve on those numbers? Am I safe to hook up the external HD?
Pit Row
I would recommend uninstalling any 30 day trial software because it does run something all the time to nag you to buy it.
The computer I am using at work runs 80-90 processes all the time and isn't slowed down. CPU usage is typically 2%-5% when I check it.
As far as legitimate software you do want to keep which starts with Windows, rather than killing it from msconfig, I'd recommend opening that particular application and using its own controls to shut off the "start with Windows" behavior. They usually make it hard to find, but if it's legit software, it'll be there. Bad actors to keep from starting include all manner of messaging tools, whether from Microsoft, Yahoo, AIM, or whoever. Also check things like iTunes or other music type software, printer utilities, keyboard/mouse update uitlities, etc.
check yer mobo and cpu temp...if they are hot it will it attempt to self preserve itself and slow intruction sets...until it frys.
if you have the american standard of 1/2 inch of dust and animal hair mixed in with some magical fur balls covering yer pc internals that could be it too.
clean it but be careful
yr mo ther bo ard should have a utility disk or something...might be on there or get mobo type and find it webside
but if it is clean it ain't the prob...unless the fan is dying
At this time it seems like everything must be free of viruses, and other software nasties, so I should be safe to hook up the other HD and back everything up?
Maybe that will also allow the computer to work more efficiently and speed it up a bit?
Is there a non-virus version of Skype? I have gotten a couple of odd e-mails from their internal system that screamed "SCUMBAG VIRUS" to me, asking to click on an address. I don't think so.
You end up working on computers that have roaches in them? Good grief.
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