SLOW computer

[eippob]

My computer is slow and often it says program not responding when I try to close something. I have defragged, cleaned history and all that stuff. I ran scans and says no virus. I did a free scan and it said I had problems but I had to pay to have them fixed. Anyone know how I can figure this out and not have to pay? I appreciate any help in advance. Thank you.

[Midknyte]

What antivirus/antispyware program are you using? Avira is totally free. Malwarebytes has a free version also.

Antivirus/Antispy

[Welshjim]

eippob--Things to try
1) Disk Cleanup. There are several ways to reach it. One is Start|All Programs|Accessories|System Tools|DiskCleanUp. That will start a scan of the PC to tell you what files might be deleted or compressed. (The scan takes a while.) I would certainly delete Temporary Internet Files, Temp files, Downloaded Program Files and probably Compress Old Files. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312 for details.
2) Then I would run ErrorChecking. (left click on MyComputer||right click on C:\ drive icon (assuming that is your hard drive)|Tools|Error Checking. Check the box "Automatically fix file system errors". Click Start (within the error checking window). You will be told to reboot. Do so. Error checking will then run as part of the reboot. It can take a while.
3) Start|Run|type MSCONFIG|OK|Startup tab. WinXP actually needs very few thirdparty programs (the ones you see in msconfig) to run at start. Antivirus, Firewall, Antispyware, programs associated with wireless connections such as mouse, network, etc. would be among the few. Uncheck the box to the left of any program you feel you do not need at startup. Click Apply. This site will help you make decisions what you do and do not need http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php

[eippob]

Thank you both for your replies to Midknyte I use Norton And to Jim I did all you mentioned and when I got to number 3 and did the run I typed ;in MSCONFIG/OK/startup and it said cannot find I did it several times and it kept saying the same thing. What am I doing wrong? Thank you.

[Midknyte]

You just type msconfig into the run box. not msconfig/ok/startup. he means the tab for startups in msconfig.

Norton is only antivirus. You should run Malwarebytes or Superantispyware also.

[eippob]

I am so embarassed I did the config thing and there are 4 things listed and I am not sure why they are there or what some of them are. I do have an antispy thingy too. ONe of the things listed is ctfmon I dont know what that is and bill minder dont know what that is and what is exif launcher abd some registry cleaner that I thought i had uninstalled. I dont know if I should delete all of them. Thank you.

[Midknyte]

ctfmon is minor.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/282599

billminder might be tied to quicken if you have it.

exif sounds like a Fuji camera app.

you can uncheck them in msconfig. it doesn't delete the program.

[eippob]

Thank you for your reply. I do have Quicken but never use bill reminder and my daughter has the camera you mentioned. That explains it thank you very much.

[Broni]

1. Please, post some computer info:
- processor type, amount of RAM (hold Windows logo key, hit Pause/Break key)
- hard drive size/free space (open "My Computer", right click on hard drive letter, click "Properties")
- security programs in use (antivirus, firewall)

2. Download HijackThis:
http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en...kthis/download
by clicking on Download HijackThis Installer
Install, and run it.
Post HijackTHis log.

NOTE. If you're using Vista, right click on HijackThis, and click Run as Administrator

[eippob]

Here is the information you asked for and the hijack log
processer type AMD athlon
Ram 651MH 350 MB
Hard drive size 37.2 GB I think that is right
Free space 25.4 GB
Security programs Norton and Superantispyware
The log
Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 6:36:37 AM, on 3/21/2009
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16791)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\AluSchedulerSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://google.com/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = \blank.htm
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: NCO 2.0 IE BHO - {602ADB0E-4AFF-4217-8AA1-95DAC4DFA408} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\coShared\Browser\2.5\coIEPlg.dll
O2 - BHO: Symantec Intrusion Prevention - {6D53EC84-6AAE-4787-AEEE-F4628F01010C} - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\IDS\IPSBHO.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In SSV Helper - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: MSN Toolbar Helper - {d2ce3e00-f94a-4740-988e-03dc2f38c34f} - C:\Program Files\MSN\Toolbar\3.0.0988.2\msneshellx.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Show Norton Toolbar - {7FEBEFE3-6B19-4349-98D2-FFB09D4B49CA} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\coShared\Browser\2.5\CoIEPlg.dll
O3 - Toolbar: MSN Toolbar - {1E61ED7C-7CB8-49d6-B9E9-AB4C880C8414} - C:\Program Files\MSN\Toolbar\3.0.0988.2\msneshellx.dll
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office12\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: Send to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: S&end to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office12\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {0E5F0222-96B9-11D3-8997-00104BD12D94} (PCPitstop Utility) - http://pcpitstop.com/betapit/PCPitStop.CAB
O16 - DPF: {8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93} (Java Runtime Environment 1.6.0) - http://dl8-cdn-01.sun.com/s/ESD5/JSC...ws-i586-jc.cab
O16 - DPF: {B1E2B96C-12FE-45E2-BEF1-44A219113CDD} (SABScanProcesses Class) - http://www.superadblocker.com/activex/sabspx.cab
O20 - Winlogon Notify: !SASWinLogon - C:\Program Files\SUPERAntiSpyware\SASWINLO.dll
O23 - Service: Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\AluSchedulerSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Settings Manager (ccSetMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Lic NetConnect service (CLTNetCnService) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: COM Host (comHost) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\VAScanner\comHost.exe
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_3_4.EXE
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate Notice - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Core LC - Unknown owner - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec RemoteAssist - Symantec, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Support Controls\ssrc.exe

--
End of file - 5616 bytes

[Broni]

The log seems to be clean.

350MB of RAM is pretty odd number, but if the RAM is somewhere around that number, that's your first problem. If you add Norton to the picture, no wonder, your computer is slow.
You need more RAM to start with, and getting rid of Norton comes close as a second issue.

[eippob]

If I got rid of Norton what would you suggest for protection? I have a question about RAM. If a person adds RAM would it show up where I found the 350 RM listed because I had added RAM a while back. Well, I didnt actually but had it added. I appreciate the help.

[Midknyte]

Avira.

Antivirus/Antispy

[Broni]

If I got rid of Norton what would you suggest for protection?

One of these:
- Avast! free antivirus: http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
- Avira free antivirus: http://www.free-av.com/en/download/index.html

- free PC Tools Firewall Plus: http://www.pctools.com/firewall/

- free Comodo Internet Security (firewall + AV): http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

If you decide to install Avast, or Avira, make sure, Windows firewall is turned on, or use PC Tools Firewall Plus.
If you decide to install Comodo, make sure, Windows firewall is turned off.

IMPORTANT! Make sure, you use only ONE antivirus, and ONE firewall.


To see amount of RAM installed, hold Windows logo key, and hit Pause/Break key.

[Welshjim]

eippob--I use Norton Antivirus with AntiSpyware 2009. If that is what you have, I would not change/uninstall it. Others here have not liked Norton AV in the past but the 2009 version is quite good, and, except when it scans, not a resource hog.
So how is the PC running these days? It seems RAM is your problem if it is still slow.