Those bars are the strangest thing. They are not progress bars or error bars, and they tend to appear near the lower left portion of the screen with no regard for what programs I am using at the time. They literally look like a two-inch piece from the top of an old-school Windows window. I can click on them and move them, but nothing happens if I right-click. They eventually go away.
The last one that showed up–about 30 minutes ago, while I was implementing your last round of instructions–coincided with an increase in the volume from the fan inside the laptop. I checked task manager and Firefox was using more than 900MB of RAM, about twice the normal amount. I didn't think to screen-shot it, but I'll do that if it happens again.
As for the loudness of the PC, I was referring to the fan, and this morning it was constantly "loud" for several hours. If there were updates in the background, they shouldn't have lasted anywhere near that long. When I checked the Task Manager (after sending my previous post), Firefox was using more than a GB of memory.
Anyway, to update:
1) I am using the latest version of Flash, according to the Adobe test site, and automatic updates are enabled
2) I have installed an updated Intel graphics driver, pending restart
(my PC actually has two graphics cards–Intel and a more powerful AMD/ATI–but I keep the AMD/ATI card deactivated as it had become buggy)
Those bars are the strangest thing. They are not progress bars or error bars, and they tend to appear near the lower left portion of the screen with no regard for what programs I am using at the time. They literally look like a two-inch piece from the top of an old-school Windows window. I can click on them and move them, but nothing happens if I right-click. They eventually go away.
I'm dumbfounded, no clue what it is if we can't get a reference to what it pertains to.
Let's open Firefox and see if it's the latest version
click on the 3 bars at the top right corner scroll down to the bottom of that window and click on the little blue circle Then click on about Firefox
might not be a cure but at least that can be ruled out
~~~
Please Download Tweaking.com - Windows Repair from Here OR Windows Repair (all in one) from here.
Install and then run the program
Execute the instructions on Step 1 Important
Click Next on Step 2 Optional, do the Pre Scan skip Step 3 and 4 Optional for now.
On Step 5 Backup System Restore Do a Registry backup. When you have completed this click Next
Click Repairs - Open Repairs in the bottom right corner
Uncheck the All repair button then select just the item(s) listed below
01 - Repair Registry Permissions 03 - Reset Service permissions 04 - Register System Files 05 - Repair WMI 06 - Repair Windows Firewall 07 - Repair Internet Explorer 10 - Remove Policies Set By Infections 17 - Repair Windows Updates 19 - Repair Volume Shadow Copy Service 21 - Repair MSI (Windows Installer) 26 - Restore Important Windows Services 27 - Set Windows Service to Default Startup
Click the Start button and let the process run to completion. Copy any error messages into Notepad, Save it on your Desktop. ( Reboot if asked to do so)
Please copy and paste the Contents of this file on your next reply.
Restart the computer normally.
Let's follow that up with an online scan
[external image: G0tu5D9.png]Emsisoft Emergency Kit - Fix Mode Follow the instructions below to run a scan using the Emsisoft Emergency Kit.
Download the Emsisoft Emergency Kit and execute it. From there, click on the Install button to extract the program in the EEK folder;
Once the extraction is complete, the EEK folder will open. Right-click on
[external image: G0tu5D9.png]
start emergency kit scanner.exe and select [external image: Spcusrh.png]Run as Administrator (for Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 users);
EEK will suggest that you run an online update before using the program. Click on Yes to launch it.
After the update, click on Malware Scan under 2. Scan and accept to let EEK detect PUPs (click on Yes).
Once the scan is complete, make sure that every item in the list is checked, and click on the Quarantine selected button;
If it asks you for a reboot to delete some items, click on Ok to reboot automatically;
After the restart, open EEK again (in the C:\EEK folder);
This time, click on Logs;
From there, go under the Quarantine Log tab, and click on the Export button;
Save the log on your desktop, then open it, and copy/paste its content in your next reply;
Still working on the Tweaking repair scan, but I got a screen cap of a phantom window bar. When it came up, I had Firefox and iTunes open, as well as the Tweaking scan. At first, it seemed to have a blank window under the bar, which disappeared when I clicked on the bar. I closed iTunes, but the bar persisted. The bar disappeared when I clicked the clear desktop button at the lower right of my screen.
I suppose the phantom windows could be related to iTunes. I hadn't noticed it, but most of the time my computer is on, iTunes is on. I'll keep an eye on it.
Also, I forgot to mention that the system sometimes hangs temporarily on paste operations, such as when I pasted a log into this window.
I confirmed I am using the most current version of Firefox.
I did get some errors during the windows all-in-one repair prescan step. pasting that log below. I didn't get any errors during the rest of the process, unless they appeared in the command line window, which closed of its own accord. I'll attach the logs from that scan, because I doubt they fit in the text box.
The EEK scan quarantined one item. Pasting that log.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Tweaking.com - Windows Repair 2018 (v4.0.9) - Pre-Scan
│ Computer: SIDEKICK (Windows 7 Home Premium 6.1.7601.23914 Service Pack 1) (64-bit)
│ [Started Scan - 10/25/2017 6:24:32 PM]
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Scanning Windows Packages Files.
│ Started at (10/25/2017 6:24:32 PM)
│
│ No problems were found with the Packages Files.
│
│ Files Checked & Verified: 5,845
│
│ Done Scanning Windows Packages Files.(10/25/2017 6:33:23 PM)
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Scanning Reparse Points.
│ Started at (10/25/2017 6:33:23 PM)
│
│ Missing Default Reparse Point: (Original Path: C:\Users\Default\Cookies) (Target Path: C:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies)
│ A Default Reparse Point is missing and this can cause problems on the system.
│
│ Problems were found with the Reparse Points.
│ You can use the Repair Reparse Points Tool at the bottom of this Window to try and fix these problems.
│
│ Files & Folders Searched: 616,520
│ Reparse Points Found: 43
│
│ Done Scanning Reparse Points.(10/25/2017 6:44:54 PM)
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Checking Environment Variables.
│ Started at (10/25/2017 6:44:54 PM)
│
│ This folder in the 'Path' variable doesn't exist: C:\Program Files (x86)\AMD APP\bin\x86
│
│ This folder in the 'Path' variable doesn't exist: C:\Program Files (x86)\QuickTime\QTSystem
│
│ Problems were found with the Environment Variables.
│ You can use the Repair Environment Variables Tool at the bottom of this Window to try and fix these problems.
│
│ Done Checking Environment Variables. (10/25/2017 6:44:54 PM)
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Finished Scan - 10/25/2017 6:44:54 PM]
│
│ [x] Scan Complete - Problems Found!
│ [x]
│ [x] You can use the Repair Reparse Points or Repair Environment Variables tools at the bottom of this Window if needed.
│ [x]
│ [x] While problems have been found, you can still run the repairs in the program.
│ [x] But for the best results it is recommended to fix the problems reported in this scan if possible.
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Emsisoft Emergency Kit - Version 2017.8
Quarantine log
Date Source Event Detection
10/25/2017 8:00:06 PM Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\FREE YOUTUBE DOWNLOADER Moved to quarantine Application.InstallAd (A)
To me, the machine looks to be healthy except, for the running script. Trying to find out if it's an addon or an extension that doesn't release…..it can be like trying to find a a needle in a hay stack. Through reading, most of what I was able to find was possibly related to java script or something similar but can't see how thats related to this.
The original warning – the one I first posted about – was not a legitimate alert about an unresponsive script. I don't think my browser was open, but it definitely said "web browser" as opposed to "Firefox" or "Chrome." But maybe we've got whatever caused that.
I went through the links you sent. My version of Firefox doesn't seem to have an error console, at least not accessible in the way described. I couldn't find it. But I've removed most of my add-ons or replaced them with newer alternatives. I did the same with the themes. I'll keep an eye on them.
If it looks clean, maybe I should just see how the computer acts today and get back to you?
Sounds good. In the meantime, can I go ahead and clean up some of the installs we made? Specifically, running Zemana and Avira simultaneously seems like it could bog things down.
Also, the Windows Repair scan came up with a number of errors I don't really understand. Should I run that tool again and let it execute the repairs?
Please download DelFix or from Here and save the file to your Desktop.
Double-click DelFix.exe to run the programme.
Place a checkmark next to the following items:
Activate UAC
Remove disinfection tools
Click the Run button.
– This will remove the specialized tools we used to disinfect your system. Any leftover logs, files, folders or tools remaining on your Desktop which were not removed can bedeleted manually (right-click the file + delete).
****************
the Windows Repair scan came up with a number of errors I don't really understand. Should I run that tool again and let it execute the repairs?
Let's do this
Open Windows Repair
Go to Step 5. Under System Restore click Create. I want a restore point on there before doing more changes.
Click the Open Pre-Scan button, then click Start Scan. Wait for Windows Repair to finish scanning.
Go to Step 3, then click Check in the See If Check Disk Is Needed. If Windows Repair stated that errors are found, click Open Check Disk At Next Boot. Choose (/R) Fixes errors on the disk also locate bad sectors and recovers readable information, then click Add To Next Boot. Reboot the computer to let Windows check the disk.
Go to Step 4, then click Do It.
Your computer should reboot throughout the process.
Well, this is fun. I ran Windows Repair, created a restore point, ran the prescan and the chkdisk check. Activated Check Disk Next Boot. Hit the restart into safe mode button on Windows Repair. System shut down but didn't run check disk and couldn't start. I tried a couple times, using F8 to select normal restart, then safe mode, then selecting system/startup repair I ran system restore. The restore point failed, and somehow system restore deleted all other restore points. Restart failed again. I was able to get into the system using F8 and Last Known Good Configuration. But all my restore points are gone and I'm not sure how to proceed from this point. Any suggestions?
Well, this is a first for me, this tool usually helps people not create problems.
Sounds like chkdisk did try to run and especially use disk cleanup.
If I'm correct, once restore points are deleted, they are deleted.
Click on the Start menu, type in rstrui.exe click on that
the window opens and still no restore points?
**
Before anything else happens, let's create a restore point now.
Click on the Start menu, type “restore”, and click “Create a Restore Point”
The System Properties dialog screen opens up. Click the Create button.
Type in a description for the restore point which will help you remember the point at which is was created.
The time it takes to create the restore point will depend on the amount of data, computer speed etc.
**
every few days the computer will create new restore points. This means you would have to use the computer as is for those to be created.
Let me get you over to the tech forum to see if the guys over there know of a way to check or if there is ways to better stabilize the system.
Update. I haven't received a reply on the other forum, but I was able to coax Windows to start in normal mode, using MSCONFIG, rescheduling CHKDSK, and waiting about 30 minutes for the machine to boot. I was just now able to create a restore point. I'm still not sure what happened, but hopefully it's at least functionally resolved.
Oddly, the phantom window reappeared. That seemed to be resolved before my system destabilized. iTunes was not running at the time.
Also, I just ran the remaining fixes using the Windows Repair tool – reparsing points and sfk scan – and the delfix tool. Log pasted below.
Any further advice or thoughts?
# DelFix v1.010 - Logfile created 28/10/2017 at 12:46:25
# Updated 26/04/2015 by Xplode
# Username : Smash - SIDEKICK
# Operating System : Windows 7 Home Premium Service Pack 1 (64 bits)
