Scotty, I need warp speed in three minutes or we're all dead!

I'm having a problem with my system where Firefox, Thunderbird, and Internet Explorer regularly hang for 20 seconds every two minutes or so. I built my system a little over a year ago and everything has been fine - the hanging problem seems to have started sometime in the last 3-4 months. I'm running Comodo Firewall 3.0.20.320 and also Comodo AntiVirus Beta and have tried disabling both programs and uninstalling then reinstalling both but no change.

I've scanned my system for virus's with the Comodo AV in regular and Safe mode and online virus scans by AVG/Avast! & Trend Micro and no virus's are detected. I have SpywareBlaster, AdAware and Spybot S&D installed and have scanned in regular and Safe mode with them and no problems have been found. I've also ran CheckDisk, used the CCleaner tool, and De-fragged my drive and still have the issue.


Is it time for HijackThis or are there other things that should be checked first?


Here are some screenshots of Windows Task Manager during and after Hanging episodes

CPU Usage - No Hang
[external image: Posted Image]

CPU Usage - Hang in Progress
[external image: Posted Image]

System Processes - No Hang
[external image: Posted Image]

System Processes - Hang in Progress
[external image: Posted Image]

Well, it's not that bad but I sure could use some help

My name's Dave and I've got a problem with regular hangs affecting Internet connectivity. Rather than post everything twice, I posted the full account detailing my issues in the WTT Computer Help forums - http://forums.whatthetech.com/Getting_regu…ity_t90192.html

here a picture of a ship in warp drive

here a picture of a ship in warp drive

Thanks for the welcome - is your attached image of Windows Task Manager with Explorer.exe highlit supposed to be helpful in some way?

It was just a hint to try culling some of your running processes to isolate the problem

Hi NorCalDave

Any particular reason for stating your problem in the HiJackThis forum, without a HiJackThis log?
Nothing wrong in that as I see it, just wondering.

Anyways, to your problem. I am answering here, as I am not allowed to answer in the HJT forum!

Have you tried to close the service and see what happens?

Maybe you should try track down the particular program using that service. It may be a program / Firefox Addon auto-opdating.
Especially addons like mail-notifiers can cause this behavior. Check if you have one, and set the mail-update timing different, or find another which aint a resource hog.

A program that can help you with tracking which program is using the service, is Process Explorer
(Thanks to Digerati I am now aware of this great tool, so thank you Digerati!)

Regards Abydos

I posted here because that's what I thought I was supposed to do after reading the info at the top of the page at this link - http://forums.whatthetech.com/Self_Help_Fi…alware_f97.html.

Hi NorDalCave

HJT-forum is only used by persons who think they are infected some way or another.
If you think thats the case, we shouldn't discuss your problem further, until a trained malware
expert have had a look upon your HJT-log.
If the problem still exists after that, or you don't think you're infected some way. We can just go on here, or you can state you're problem once again in the correct forum, which would be here : Link

Regards Abydos

ps. If you have any questions about the above, please ask away

NorCalDave,

svchost.exe is a process used by Windows to facilitate connection to the internet.
When a utility, application, or malware is connecting to the internet there will be an instance of svchost.exe open.
It is not uncommon, and not necessarily bad, to have several instances of svchost.exe open at any one time.
After all, that's how Windows facilitates the connection.

What is troublesome is that you apparently do not know "what" is trying to access the internet at those times of "hang".

Using Process Explorer, you may find out. Good recommendation Abydos.

Another method to display "similar" information is to use the more simple tool – CodeStuff Starter
__________________________

Please Download, and Run CodeStuff - Starters
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/starter.html

From the StartUps(tab) – Please Click – File - "Save as HTML"
Name the file: Starters(todays date).html

Attach the file as an "attached file" to your next Reply in this thread.
___________________________

You have a reasonable assortment of AntiMalware utilities, and have run them recently, but this alone does not assure that you do not have a malicious process in action on your machine.

Please post the CodeStuff Starters report as per above.
But we may still be sending you over to Malware Removal to get a more in depth look at what may be occuring.

Best Regards

Sorry for the delay - I'm starting a new career and things are kind of crazy right now. Here is the Starters report - at least I hope I did it right.

Yes, NorCalDave, That was exactly what i was looking for.

Unfortunately, it didn't produce anything that jumps out at me as the culprit.

What I don't like.… is that I don't see an AntiMalware Running as Real-Time Protection.
What's up with that?

Will you do one more test?

Please Run the PCPitstop Full Tests, here:
http://www.pcpitstop.com/pcpitstop/default.asp
Register and create a password
Accept the ActiveX component to allow your machine to run the Full Tests
Registering and accepting the ActiveX are both SAFE and FREE.
Full Tests is the first item in the left hand column of that page.

The Full Tests take less than 5 minutes for most machines.
Once you have your Results, please post the TechExpress Link back here into this thread for review.
TechExpress is the last item on the list in the yellow box in upper right area of any Results page.
Post the entire URL link information back here into this Forum thread.

Caution: During the testing of Video Adapter, a variety of patterns, shapes, colors and text are “flashed” onto the users monitor screen. In the many thousands of daily uses of the PCPitstop Full Tests over several years, two individuals who suffer epilepsy experienced discomfort and temporary dizziness when viewing the flashing patterns.
If you know that you are susceptible to photo driven seizure, look away from your screen during the Video Adapter testing sequence.
__________________-

If that doesn't produce a good line of investigation, then our next stop will be a HJT Log.
But first, please post your PCPitstop Full Tests - Techexpress.
Then we can consider next steps.

Best Regards

Doug,

is that I don't see an AntiMalware Running as Real-Time Protection.

Windows Defender is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected and minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.

Of course you are right DaChew. I just don't consider Windows Defender to be sufficient. NorCalDave, I'm going to consolidate this post with the other one from Malware Removal. Then I will be moving the full post to Windows Forum as a better location for continued work.

Doug, I am still trying to grasp or reconcile the concepts of realtime resident protection and layers of protection? Could you give an example of an adequate antimalware realtime protection?

Could you give an example of an adequate antimalware realtime protection?

I can give you two examples of very potent real-time anti-malware programs.

DSA (Dynamic Security Agent) from Privacyware.com

and

Threatfire (Former known as CyberHawk) from Threatfire.com

Both come as free of charge to boot.

Regards Abydos