Windows acting strange

Hi there,

Ken from the Hijackthis forum has advised me to come here. He has checked my system and my PC is clean on Malware.

You can look at my post there if you wish to check what's happened so far http://forums.whatthetech.com/Windows_acti…nge_t91941.html

When I load IE7 it takes about 30 seconds before I can do anything.

I've also tried to install Firefox. The installation works fine but when I try to run it it wont run. I can see it start up when I have Task Manager open, but it just shuts down with no explanation.

Thanks for your help.

Steve

Well Steve, sorry you are having problems. Could you please post some information about your computer - make and model of motherboard or PC, amount of RAM, type graphics card, amount of free disk space, Page File setup, and version of Windows (to include patch level)? Is this problem consistent? That is, does it happen when the computer is first turned on, or only after it has been running for a bit and fully warmed up? Do you know your temperatures, including that for the graphics card? High heat can cause some component to go into thermal protection mode - basically they stop until cooled down. Does the computer work fine otherwise? Once the 30 seconds have passed, what happens? Are you able to use IE7 fine after that? How do you connect to the Internet? Are there any other computers there and if so, do they connect fine? When did the problem start? Have you tried resetting IE? This is done by going to Tools > Internet Options > Advanced. Under Reset Internet Explorer settings, make sure understand the description, the press Reset….

Hello. Sorry to bump in. I can help too can I Digerati ;D?

Dunacting, if you are running CPU intensive programs (such as like a full virus scan) it may take longer for some programs to open. Have you tried cleaning the cache, temp. files, and cookies from your browser? You can also review "Internet Options" in IE by right clicking the IE icon on the desktop and clicking on Properties.

You have Firefox installed correct? The latest version? Have you tried double-clicking the FF icon on your desktop?

Can you go the START Menu, click RUN and type in "firefox" (without) the quotations. So you see the Firefox browser on the Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete) when you start it?

Hello. Sorry to bump in. I can help too can I Digerati ;D?

The very definition of "forum" is a public facility to meet for open discussion, so of course you can help, as long as you don't intentionally suggest something malicious, or send folks off on wild goose chases, or have them repeat tasks. So I would say, however, that if you followed the link to his other post, you would see he has run ATF, which is very effective at purging the system of all temporary files.

…as long as you don't intentionally suggest something malicious, or send folks off on wild goose chases…

I like the wild goose chase part. Will do (means that I won't). I was just busy at the moment. So I didn't read the link.

Hi Dunacting,

Welcome to the Tech Forums.

I believe that you already have used the PCPitstop Full Tests (at least you have the ActiveX applet showing in your HJT)

A quick way to give an overview of your machine would be to run a fresh PCPitstop Full Tests and post the Tech Express.

That would answer alot of the questions that have already been presented, and give us a nice place to start.

Best Regards

We're ganging up on you dunacting One question, How does IE7 work if you boot to Safe Mode?

OK Thanks for all of you "ganging" up on me.

Any help I get is much appreciated.

First of all to Doug.

Here's the PCpitstop link

http://www.pcpitstop.com/techexpress.asp?id=XYH7TWWUE0WSTG89

Digerati
Hopefully the link above will go to answering most of your questions, let me know if there's anything missing.

Have you tried resetting IE?

No haven't tried that. I give that a go after updating this and then report back.

drragostea

if you are running CPU intensive programs (such as like a full virus scan) it may take longer for some programs to open. Have you tried cleaning the cache, temp. files, and cookies from your browser?

I'm not running anything CPU intensive. The problem I have happens all the time. I've had Task Manager open to see if there's anything else running while I'm loading and there isn't. Cache, temp files and cookies anlong with other stuff is removed usingf Webroot Window Washer, so I'm confident there isn't loads of stuff sitting on my machine. Also, I do disk defrags and general housekeeping to keep it that way.

You have Firefox installed correct? The latest version? Have you tried double-clicking the FF icon on your desktop?

I've installed the latest version.

Can you go the START Menu, click RUN and type in "firefox" (without) the quotations. So you see the Firefox browser on the Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete) when you start it?

Done this and Task Manager shows it starts up and then just disappears.

Ztruker

One question, How does IE7 work if you boot to Safe Mode?

I haven't tried this, I'll give this a go after I've carried out a reset of IEF as suggested by Digerati.

Thanks again for your help. I going to try the reset of IE7 and then try IE7 in safe mode and then report back.

Steve

Ok BAck again, with an update.

Digerati

Have you tried resetting IE?

That was interesting. I reset and reloaded IE7, set my settings and didn't notice any difference. Closed IE7 down and then re-opened it and it said I didn't have the latest version and that I had to download IE7 for Service Pack 2. Thought I'd had this already.

So I downloaded the latest version and updated with the latest updates. Still no change.

Also I've noticed a couple of questions I didn't answer earlier, here's the answers…..

Is this problem consistent? That is, does it happen when the computer is first turned on, or only after it has been running for a bit and fully warmed up?

Yes it's consitent. Happens when I first switch on and consitently after that even after several hours.

Do you know your temperatures, including that for the graphics card?

No don't know the temperature. How do you find this out?

Does the computer work fine otherwise?

Mostly yes. On the odd occasion things slow down but I've always just assumed that what you expect with Windows. I have just noticed that the System Tray isn't showing all the usual Icons, but having tested a couple of the programs that should be there, they are loaded and working.

Once the 30 seconds have passed, what happens? Are you able to use IE7 fine after that?

Yes I can do everything normally, sometimes after a page has loaded it takes a couple of seconds before I can scroll or type on the page, but not 30 seconds.

How do you connect to the Internet? Are there any other computers there and if so, do they connect fine?

We have an ADSL Router. It's made by SafeCom. My son and daughter's PC are connected via cable to it and we have a couple of laptops that connect wirelessly to it and they all work fine.

When did the problem start?

Not sure really. You tend to accept somethings for a while and then you notice them and then they drive you mad. I think this one has been this way.



Ztruker

One question, How does IE7 work if you boot to Safe Mode?

Went into Safe Mode and it loads practically instantly, using the same page.

What if you temporarily disable your firewall?

Steve,

You have:
AVG 7.5 Guard <– an OK security utilitiy
Webroot Windows Washer <– an OK security utility
Norton/Symantec Suite <– an OK collection of security utilities.

It appears that they are all running active at the same time.
I wonder if they are conflicting with each other.

Consider turning off AVG and Webroot, leaving Norton.
Report back with machine function and web browser function with that condition.
_______________________

Do you have both a Canon Printer and a Lexmark Printer?
If you are no longer using one of them, consider uninstalling the related software.
______________________

This may be somewhat of a "find the needle in the haystack" kind of operation.
You have several utilities (in addition to the above antispywares) that "could" be causing your problem by not playing nice with each other.

Best way to find out, is to disable each, one at a time.
________________________

Let's get a look at your StartUp programs from another point of view.

Download and Run CodeStuff - Starters

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.

Hi Doug,

You have:
AVG 7.5 Guard <– an OK security utilitiy
Webroot Windows Washer <– an OK security utility
Norton/Symantec Suite <– an OK collection of security utilities.

I have AVG 7.5 Guard install, but it's not running.

Webroot Windows Washer is the program which deletes all Temporary files, cache, cookies, history etc similar to ATF. It's not the Spyware program. This only does this when told to. Will this still have an effect?

Do you have both a Canon Printer and a Lexmark Printer?

No don't have a Canon printer and no Canon printer driver. I have a couple of Canon cameras.

Here is the list of StartUps:-


Steve

Doug, Have you had chance to look at my replies. Thanks. Steve

Hi dunacting

From re-reading your log with Ken and the thread above, it appears that your greatest concern is the delay/lag when opening Internet Explorer, and that after IE is loaded, you have relatively "ordinary" performance with browsing and internet activities.
Am I understanding that correctly?
(note: I am temporarily ignoring the problem with getting Mozilla Firefox to run)
(note: we can get back to the CodeStuff Starters after investigating the below)
_________________

It appears that you have Paging File "turned off"
You have a good amount of RAM (1024mb) but your machine will sometimes exhaust that amount of physical memory, particularly when first loading programs. Then later when the application is loaded, system demands are not so great.
Windows accommodates for these occurrences by reserving a small portion of the Hard Drive to emulate physical memory.
Windows will address low priority portions of applications (like IE) to the "paging file" on Hard Drive for quick access, instead of loading those low priority portions into your physical RAM memory.

Your Pit Test indicates - Paging of Kernel disabled - YES
This indicates that a setting has been selected to "turn off" the paging file
_______________

Please consider doing the following:

Right-Click on My Computer
Select - Properties
Click on the Advanced(tab)
In the Performance section, Select - Settings(button)
Click on Advanced(tab)
In the Virtual Memory section click on the CHANGE(button)
Select - System Managed Size (place a dot in front of this item)
Press - Set(button)
Press - OK
Press - OK, OK, OK to exit the performance settings
_______________________

I am suspecting that the above settings had been set to "no paging file"
Your machine should allow windows to manage the paging file (as per instructions above)
____________________

Reboot your machine and attempt to use Internet Explorer.
Hopefully there will be less "lag time" now.
Please let us know.
______________________

If necessary, we can continue with the StartUps.

Best Regards

Thanks Doug,

From re-reading your log with Ken and the thread above, it appears that your greatest concern is the delay/lag when opening Internet Explorer, and that after IE is loaded, you have relatively "ordinary" performance with browsing and internet activities.
Am I understanding that correctly?

More or less, I do get a lag when any page opens to me being able to do anything, but this is a second or two.

(note: I am temporarily ignoring the problem with getting Mozilla Firefox to run)
(note: we can get back to the CodeStuff Starters after investigating the below)

Yes I agree with this action.

I've carried out the actions to the paging file, although these was a paging file set, although not Windows Managed, and rebooted. The delay is still there.

I carried out another Pitstop test but the page has changed and I can't find the setting to allow me to share the results.
Is there any other way I can check to make sure this setting has now been set correctly?

Your Pit Test indicates - Paging of Kernel disabled - YES

Thanks