Windows XP Laptop Clean-up

I have been working with Tech Support Guys Forum.  My thread was:

http://forums.techguy.org/virus-other-malware-removal/1112935-dell-laptop-clean-up.html

We have done the following:

ran various scan tools to check for malware

ran file cleaners

ran a system defrag

disk clean-up

increased page file size

cleared browser cache and cookies

tried to run Dell Diagnostics (did not work)

updated drivers

uninstalled programs

ran Windows Repair All-In-One

 

They recommend a possible clean-install.

I would appreciate any help you can give me.

 

Thanks,

Chuck

Can we look at a couple things before doing the Clean Install?

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.

Advanced startup options - XP
Advanced startup options - Vista
Advanced startup options - Windows 7

Use msconfig to determine what is causing the problem

These are good tutorials on using msconfig in XP, Vista or Windows 7:
How to use msconfig in Windows XP
How to use msconfig in Windows Vista
How to use msconfig in Windows 7 and Windows 8

Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter.
Click on the Startup tab (for Windows 8, the Startup tab has a link to open Task Manager/Startup tab. Use that.), record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
Reboot and see if it runs better.
If yes then use msconfig to enable several items at a time till you find the culprit.

If no, 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.

Since the Dell diags failed, check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
7 Free Hard Drive Testing Programs
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
Bootable Hard Drive Diagnostics

If none of this helps, see here:

Clean Install XP:
Clean Install- WhatTheTech
Clean Install - Michael Stevens Tech

Parallel Install XP:
Microsoft's Windows XP Professional Parallel Install step by step

Thanks for the information.  I don't wish to pursue the problem any further.

Okay, good luck.

Greetings. Have'nt done this for a long time, need to post a problem(s). Have an old Dell C800 laptop with XP, hasn't been used for quite sometime. I'm sure is has malware/spyware.. on it. I'm not able to run Hijack this-Analyze this ~ error cannot connect to internet, but have internet. Need to accomplish this to go forward with cleaning this relic up.

Thanks for any assistance,

F.W.

 

Hi Timbercreek_farmer

It would be best to post a new topic over in the Virus and Spyware removal forum.

Here's the link and instructions on how to do that.

http://forums.whatthetech.com/index.php?showtopic=106388

 

Regards

paws