Extra slow Win XP Startup with CPU stuck at 100%

My system seems to be stuck during startup for an extra prolonged period of time. The firewall, virus and malware checkers have been loaded… though the virus checker has not come online. As soon as it does the system is back on track… so there might be something slowing the process prior to it coming online with its updated virus database.

This person seemed to have a very similar problem – http://forums.techguy.org/windows-xp/28853…00-startup.html

Ran HijackThis and saved the log file listed below. Help is very much appreciated.

Thank you.


📎HJT_for_Peddlerer.txt

Please only post HJT logs as "attached file" here in Software and Hardware forums.
Note: We do not provide HJT analysis, nor malware removal services here.
If you believe you need such then post to http://forums.whatthetech.com/Virus_Spywar…emoval_f27.html

How does it behave if you boot to Safe Mode with Networking? If better then something is starting at boot that is causing the problem.

Use msconfig to determine what is causing the problem.

These are good tutorials on using msconfig in XP or Vista:
How to use msconfig in Windows XP
How to use msconfig in Windows Vista

Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter.
Click on the Startup tab, record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
Reboot and see if it runs normal.
If yes then use msconfig to enable several items at a time till you find the culprit.

If no, boot to Safe Mode again, start msconfig and click on the Services tab.
Check the Hide All Microsoft Services box, record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
Again, do a regular boot, see if it runs normal.
If yes then use msconfig to enable services till you find the culprit.

Once you've found the culprit, uninstall it or find out how to eliminate it from your system.
Simply disabling it in msconfig is a temporary fix at best.
Enable everything else you disabled.

the cpu usage gets stuck over the 97/98% mark while processing the avastsvc.exe file, so it is the avast antivirus program. this process continues even when the web shield service is disabled. avastsvc.exe is a vital component and have not read anything negative about it in the forums… it is necessary for the antivirus program to run. doing a deep malware scan now to see if anything pops out. (also, took off some other items on startup…)

Uninstall Avast and install Microsoft Security Essentials. I've been using it for quite awhile now and am very happy with it and it is not resource intensive at all.

reinstalled avast… startup is flying again. bloody computers. for what it is worth, thank you ztruker…

Excellent, glad that did it.