4 replies to this topic

[solo58]

My Dell Latitude Laptop is running very slow. It takes 5 minutes to boot up, Applications take a long time, Firefox runs slow, the laptop seems to run hot.... I've tried rebuilding the machine with just the basic software I need. It helped for a few months, but now I'm back to slow. I have AVG running and have tried malware removal tools. Nothing appears to be there.... I've defraged the machine. Occasionally (~once every two weeks,) the laptop crashes and I get the dreaded blue screen. I'm out of ideas. Help!

[LDTate]

DO NOT use any TOOLS such as Combofix or HijackThis fixes without supervision.

Doing so could make your pc inoperatible and could require a full reinstall of your OS, losing all your programs and data.

Vista and Windows 7 users:
1. These tools MUST be run from the executable. (.exe) every time you run them
2. With Admin Rights (Right click, choose "Run as Administrator")

Stay with this topic until I give you the all clean post.

You might want to print these instructions out.

I suggest you do this:

XP Users

Double-click My Computer.
Click the Tools menu, and then click Folder Options.
Click the View tab.
Uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types."
Under the "Hidden files" folder, select "Show hidden files and folders."
Uncheck "Hide protected operating system files."
Click Apply, and then click OK.


Vista Users

To enable the viewing of hidden and protected system files in Windows Vista please follow these steps:

Close all programs so that you are at your desktop.
Click on the Start button. This is the small round button with the Windows flag in the lower left corner.

Click on the Control Panel menu option.
When the control panel opens you can either be in Classic View or Control Panel Home view:

If you are in the Classic View do the following:
Double-click on the Folder Options icon.
Click on the View tab.


If you are in the Control Panel Home view do the following:

Click on the Appearance and Personalization link.
Click on Show Hidden Files or Folders.
Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button labeled Show hidden files and folders.
Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide extensions for known file types.
Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files.



Please do not delete anything unless instructed to.



Next:

Please download ATF Cleaner by Atribune.
Download - ATF Cleaner»
Double-click ATF-Cleaner.exe to run the program.
Under Main choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.

If you use Firefox browser

Click Firefox at the top and choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.
If you use Opera browserClick Opera at the top and choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.
Click Exit on the Main menu to close the program.


It's normal after running ATF cleaner that the PC will be slower to boot the first time or two.

Next:

Please download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to your desktop.

• Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
• At the end, be sure a checkmark is placed next to Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, then click Finish.
• If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version.
• Once the program has loaded, select Perform quick scan, then click Scan.
  
• When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
• 
• Then click Remove Selected .
• When completed, a log will open in Notepad. Please save it to a convenient location and post the results.
• Note: If you receive a notice that some of the items couldn't be removed, that they have been added to the delete on reboot list, please reboot.

Also please describe how your computer behaves at the moment.


Please don't attach the scans / logs, use "copy/paste".

[solo58]

Ran ATF (removed 170M of temp files and 20M from Firefox. Ran Malwarebytes - no infections detected. See full report below. The laptop is still very sluggish. What should I do next? Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.46 www.malwarebytes.org Database version: 4429 Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Internet Explorer 8.0.6001.18702 8/14/2010 3:47:56 PM mbam-log-2010-08-14 (15-47-56).txt Scan type: Quick scan Objects scanned: 128864 Time elapsed: 19 minute(s), 53 second(s) Memory Processes Infected: 0 Memory Modules Infected: 0 Registry Keys Infected: 0 Registry Values Infected: 0 Registry Data Items Infected: 0 Folders Infected: 0 Files Infected: 0 Memory Processes Infected: (No malicious items detected) Memory Modules Infected: (No malicious items detected) Registry Keys Infected: (No malicious items detected) Registry Values Infected: (No malicious items detected) Registry Data Items Infected: (No malicious items detected) Folders Infected: (No malicious items detected) Files Infected: (No malicious items detected)

[LDTate]

As this doesn't appear to be a infection issue, I suggest you start a new topic in our Hardware Forum and post the below for the Tech Team help.

My Dell Latitude Laptop is running very slow. It takes 5 minutes to boot up, Applications take a long time, Firefox runs slow, the laptop seems to run hot....
I've tried rebuilding the machine with just the basic software I need. It helped for a few months, but now I'm back to slow.
I have AVG running and have tried malware removal tools. Nothing appears to be there....
I've defraged the machine.
Occasionally (~once every two weeks,) the laptop crashes and I get the dreaded blue screen.
I'm out of ideas.
Help!

[LDTate]

Since this issue appears to be resolved ... this Topic has been closed. Glad we could be of assistance.

If you're the topic starter, and need this topic reopened, please contact a staff member with the address of the thread.

Everyone else please follow the instructions here http://forums.whatth...ed_t106388.html
and start a New Topic.