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I'm so confused by it all

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Moved from Malware Forum and removed HJT log LDT

Please and thank you in advance.
Could someone assist me please? I am so very frustrated. So forgive me if I am long winded or ignorant, as I don't know much about computers and can't afford a new one. Each time I try to do an onkine scan, something prevents the virus signatures or database from downloading. I have tried Trend Micro at least 5 times, which tells me I need to have java installed or updated, or else it is disabled, but which I do have and it is running in the task bar, then it will let me load probably 35 % before I get a failed message. Kaspersky 3, Bit Defender twice,and some others as well. Always get a message, failed to download. I got as high as 92% downloaded with Bit Defender. And with Kaspersky and Trend Micro i will sometimes get a message , you need to be online to run the scanner - even when I am on line. McAfee gives me an error message my web browser is not supported, must be IE 5 or higher. I have IE6 installed! Ad-aware finds only minor annoyances. Spybot always tells me, "There were problems in the include file C:Program Files\Spybot-Search_Destroy\Includes\Hijackers.sbi. See include errors log for details, or same message but \Malware.sbi, or same message but\MalwareC.sbi., and same message with\Trojans.sbi, and \TrojansC.sbi.. I have also run Malwarebytes', and have downloaded all the updates from Microsoft, but sometimes have difficulty getting them to download.

My old faithful standby Gateway only has 384 MB ram, 447 MHZ processor and a 9.GB drive, yet it runs like a top. I can download something and have 3 or 4 other open windows as well. But I keep running out of room on the drive, despite the fact that I have deleted just about everything, and I defrag, disk cleanup, etc.
So I bought this computer (used) which has 33GB drive, AMD Athlon XP 2400+, 2GHz 992 ram. Seems to me it should be much faster than my old one. It runs much slower than my old computer; slower than a turtle. If I try to download something, I can only open one window at times, and I get lots of dns errors or Internet Explorer could not open the search page, or down in the taskbar I get something that says msn auto search and it goes to www,(whatever web page I was looking for) for example.www.google.com, but then it goes to www.www.google.com, www.www.google.net, www.www.google.edu. I don't understand. And how, please, do I set a search page to what I want? Another question, please. Why do I keep getting that annoying little triangle at times in my taskbar, and a message saying this web page may not display correctly? I have uninstalled, and reinstalled Java. Norton was installled originally, but outdated and expired, so I tried Avira, and am now using a 30-day trial of Eset.

The previous owner has games on here, will deleting those speed this up? Trouble is, I don't know in the add/remove programs which are games and which are needed programs. Could you help me out with that as well? I was told by someone to delete viewpoint, but I don't see that in add/remove, but there is a viewpoint folder in my program files. Also to delete Windows messenger. I still see a Messenger folder in my programs folder, but no way to uninstall it. I was told to uninstall WildTangent, which I did, but Spybot found entries even after I did. Someone told me to use HijackThis. So I will post that below. Also, What is the difference between Windows Media Player, MusicMatch jukebox, RealOne Player, QuickTime Player; do I really need all those? And I have a Brother printer, scanner, fax. Can I safely delete HP Deskjet Printer preloaded drivers, or is that something I cannot delete?
I have System Mechanic installed. Generally it shows CPU usage at like 2 or 3 percent, with an average free ram of 630. Yet it will spike up to 100% CPU at times and stay there and I don't know why. Was told to look in task manager. Right; like I have any clue as to what any of that means in there! And is it possible for a virus or whatever to keep disconnecting you from the internet? I have dialup, and it seems I frequently get disconnected only when I'm trying to run online virus scans, or I get the, "Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close" message. I realize this is a bazillion questions, so I thank you all for your patience, and in advance thank you for any and all help, insight you can provide. I truly appreciate it. Oh, PS. I've read something that you can buy something so that even though you're on dial up - some kind of modem or splitter? - you can still receive calls and not tie up the phone line? Any of you experts know of such a thing? It's not a program like callwave, but some kind of hardware.

Programs listed in add/remove programs are: Adobe Acrobat 5.0; Adobe Flash Player 10 Active X; Brother MFL Pro Suite; CA Yahoo Anti-Spy (remove only); easy Internet sign up 25.68 mb (can I delete this?) Eset Nod 32 Antivirus; Hijack this; HP Deskjet Printer preloaded drivers 73.28 mb (can I safely delet this since I have a Brother?); HpSdpAppCoreApp; Instant Support; Intel Extreme Graphics Driver; Intel Mover Data Transfer Demo; Java 6 Update 12; KBD; Malwarebytes Anti-Malware;McAfee Site Advisir; Microsoft Net Framework v1.03705; Microsoft Net Framework 1.0 Hotfix; Microsoft Net Framework 1.1; Microsoft Net Framework 1.1 Hotfix; Microsoft Learning - Software updates- Security Update for Step by Step Interactive Training, and a second Security Update for Step by Step Interactive Training; Microsoft Works 7.0; MSXML 4.0 SP2; MUSICMATCH Jukebox; NVIDIA Windows 2000/XP Display Drivers; PaperPort; ParetoLogic Anti-Spyware; PC Pitstop Optimize2 2.0; PC-Doctor for Windows; PS2; Python 2.2 combined Win32 extensions; Python 2.2.1; Quicken 2003 New User Edition; RealOne Player; RecordNow; S3 Display; S3Gamma2; S3Info2; S3Overlay; Simple Installer- Multilanguage Version; Sonic Update Manager; Trojan Remover 6.65; UnZip Me; Windows Defender; Windows Installer 3.1; Then numerous XP Software and Security Updates; Security Update for Windows Media Player 9.0; Windows XP Service Pack 2; WinPatrol2008; Yahoo! Install Manager; Yahoo! Search protection; Yahoo! Software Update; Yahoo! Toolbar.
Which can I safely remove, please?
Also, Win Patrol is contstanly giving me a message: Scotty the watchdog is on patrol and has detected a change to one of your file type associations. The program currently associated with this file type is Registry Editor Microsoft Corporation regedit.exe %1, a change was made to use the following program for this file type, Notepad Microsoft Corporation NOTEPAD.EXE %1. Is this change okay? Should I click yes or no? Then, if I click on no, this box pops up with same message, only different files. .SCR - Program currently associated with file type is - there's an empty box and it just says Name, underneath it says Company name %1 /S, a change was made to use following program for this file Notepad, Microsoft Corporation NOTEPAD.EXE %1. Is this change okay? So I click on no until I can find out what that empty box is with no name.


Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 7:26:07 PM, on 3/4/2009
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Boot mode: Normal
Hi amiaskan,

You also have a Topic posted over at Bleeping Computers in a Malware Removal Thread.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/lof…hp/t208534.html
You've had it posted there since March 5 (over 10 days) with no reply.
And you have a rather free-for-all Tech and Malware removal Thread going here:
http://www.daniweb.com/forums/showthread.p…CB-A3E1D0D41847
I need to know if you have any "active" Malware Removal Threads going on.
We do not offer Tech/Windows Systems advice and instructions for change when a machine may also be being worked on in Malware Removal.
Doing so can cause some conflicts……… so please let us know immediately.

You've got quite a few questions, and it will be best to try to organize and deal with them in an orderly manner.
You also initially posted in Malware Removal (which may have been appropriate, since you do have some suspicious symptoms
But someone in Malware Removal with enough juice to make the move, decided to remove your HJT and move your Thread here.
Oh, It was LDTate (LDT) who is a Malware Expert.
We can be confident that he had good reason to want some Windows System work done first.
So let's have a look, even though we may find need to refer you back over to the Malware Specialists eventually.

Just a note: It is much easier to "look at" a list presented like I sorted below, than to follow a list in paragraph format as you initially posted.
There's nothing "awful" in your list except maybe Trojan Remover 6.65 which I don't immediately recognize.
But you do have a bunch of "clutter" and unnecessary stuff that you may benefit from removing.

I will hold back on any action until we hear back from you about Active Malware Removal work at any other Forum.
Please let us know.


Adobe Acrobat 5.0;
Adobe Flash Player 10 Active X;
Brother MFL Pro Suite;
CA Yahoo Anti-Spy (remove only);
easy Internet sign up 25.68 mb (can I delete this?)
Eset Nod 32 Antivirus;
Hijack this;
HP Deskjet Printer preloaded drivers 73.28 mb (can I safely delet this since I have a Brother?);
HpSdpAppCoreApp; Instant Support;
Intel Extreme Graphics Driver;
Intel Mover Data Transfer Demo;
Java 6 Update 12;
KBD;
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware;
McAfee Site Advisir;
Microsoft Net Framework v1.03705;
Microsoft Net Framework 1.0 Hotfix;
Microsoft Net Framework 1.1;
Microsoft Net Framework 1.1 Hotfix;
Microsoft Learning - Software updates- Security Update for Step by Step Interactive Training,
and a second Security Update for Step by Step Interactive Training;
Microsoft Works 7.0;
MSXML 4.0 SP2;
MUSICMATCH Jukebox;
NVIDIA Windows 2000/XP Display Drivers;
PaperPort;
ParetoLogic Anti-Spyware;
PC Pitstop Optimize2 2.0;
PC-Doctor for Windows; PS2;
Python 2.2 combined Win32 extensions;
Python 2.2.1;
Quicken 2003 New User Edition;
RealOne Player; RecordNow;
S3 Display;
S3Gamma2;
S3Info2;
S3Overlay;
Simple Installer- Multilanguage Version;
Sonic Update Manager;
Trojan Remover 6.65;
UnZip Me;
Windows Defender;
Windows Installer 3.1;
Then numerous XP Software and Security Updates;
Security Update for Windows Media Player 9.0;
Windows XP Service Pack 2;
WinPatrol2008;
Yahoo! Install Manager;
Yahoo! Search protection;
Yahoo! Software Update;
Yahoo! Toolbar
amiaskan,

Your other questions point at either some serious Windows operating system errors/corruption or possibly some infection going on.
We'll leave the infection matters to LDT and/or whatever Malware Removal site at which you may be working a solution.

But it will help us to know in advance:……

  • Do you have the Windows Installation CD and MS product Key Code?
  • Do you have the Driver Installation CD?
  • If not, have you downloaded the Chipset and other Drivers from the manufacturer's site?
  • What have you done so far to try to resolve the problem.
  • For instance, have you run System File Checker?
  • Have you run CHECKDISK?
  • Have you consulted Event Manager?

To discover the type of Errors the machine has encountered recently, use Event Viewer.

  • Go to Start - Run, type eventvwr.msc, then Press Enter.
  • When the Event Viewer opens, there will be two panes.
    The left pane is for event categories (Application, Security, and System).
    The right pane is for event messages (Information, Warning, and Error). (We want to find errors.)
  • Left-click the Application category in the left pane and check for any error messages in the right pane.
    You want to find the one(s) that occurred at the same time your system encountered the problem you have posted about.
  • Repeat the previous step for each category, or until you find an appropriate error to investigate.
  • Double-click the error message to bring up the information.
  • Click the third button on the right side of the information window (copies information)
  • Paste the information here


Please note: These are just questions "in anticipation" of possible work to be done here in this Thread.

We still definitely need to hear back from you about whether or not you are presently engaged in any Malware Removal Activities.


Best Regards,
Doug

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