Computer suddenly gets SLLOOOOOOOW.

[bork]

I don't understand why after 3+ years of use, I started getting all these issues.   :'(  My PC was wiped clean and everything reinstalled from scratch in December due to a virus I got.  It was running much, much better than before.

But recently I've been having some issues with Windows XP slowing down.  The strange thing is, it's not everything, but just the task bar or trying to open up the task manager that slows down.  Connecting to the internet also takes longer than before and sometimes web pages load much slower than they did before this problem started a week ago.

Initially I figured this was due to Norton Antivirus 2008; the first time this happened Norton was being a resource hog.  I uninstalled that crap and now have NOD32 running.  TeaTimer.exe, a file associated with Spybot, was also an issue and I disabled it.  But this problem is still happening.  It usually seems to come and go.  When I connect to the internet, the task bar freezes for about 10 seconds then returns to normal.  This didn't happen before.

This isn't another virus, is it?     It doesn't seem that way...

[T234]

Is everything up to date? Patches and shit?

[bork]

Is everything up to date? Patches and shit?

I do believe so, yes.  I tried someone's suggestion to use reg edit and deleted HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\S tuckRects 2.  I noticed that after restarting the 10 second "freeze" I get wasn't there when I connected to the internet.  But it's still acting slow online with loading forums and such.  Start up is taking longer than before still; I can't access the taskbar or manager for 20-30 seconds after Windows has loaded.  This also didn't happen before.

[T234]

Check what programs run at startup and report back.

[bork]

Check what programs run at startup and report back.

How do I check this?

Right after I posted the last message, I closed firefox and the task bar froze again.  Posting from my iPod now. 

[T234]

Control Panel->Startup Programs, I think. Try that and see.

[Eric P]

try "hijack this" to get a list of running processes

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/programs.php

[T234]

DON'T DELETE ANYTHING USING HIJACKTHIS THAT YOU DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT IT DOES

[Candyflip]

Yeah, a Hijack This log would help. COPY/PASTE AWAY

[bork]

Okay, here's what HiJack This gave me:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 5:59:36 PM, on 2/3/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RunDll32.exe
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\ESET\ESET NOD32 Antivirus\egui.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\WiFiConnector\NintendoWFCReg.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\AluSchedulerSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\ESET\ESET NOD32 Antivirus\ekrn.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\tcpsvcs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\slserv.exe
C:\Program Files\Alcohol Soft\Alcohol 120\StarWind\StarWindService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.ocx
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Cmaudio] RunDll32 cmicnfg.cpl,CMICtrlWnd
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ATIPTA] C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTTask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IMJPMIG8.1] "C:\WINDOWS\IME\imjp8_1\IMJPMIG.EXE" /Spoil /RemAdvDef /Migration32
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MSPY2002] C:\WINDOWS\system32\IME\PINTLGNT\ImScInst.exe /SYNC
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PHIME2002ASync] C:\WINDOWS\system32\IME\TINTLGNT\TINTSETP.EXE /SYNC
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PHIME2002A] C:\WINDOWS\system32\IME\TINTLGNT\TINTSETP.EXE /IMEName
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroCheck] C:\WINDOWS\system32\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [egui] "C:\Program Files\ESET\ESET NOD32 Antivirus\egui.exe" /hide /waitservice
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - Global Startup: ニンテンドーWi-Fi USBコネクタ用ＰＣ登録ツールの起動.lnk = C:\Program Files\WiFiConnector\NintendoWFCReg.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/wuweb_site.cab?1198969886812
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/muweb_site.cab?1198969872921
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{D160C64E-E82B-4BA0-AB85-0BFDD25AAB98}: NameServer = 163.139.21.197 163.139.230.168
O18 - Protocol hijack: IW - {F4CB1DC2-BF71-42F5-81AB-4606998A6B56}
O18 - Protocol: skype4com - {FFC8B962-9B40-4DFF-9458-1830C7DD7F5D} - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\Skype\SKYPE4~1.DLL
O23 - Service: Apple Mobile Device - Apple, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\AluSchedulerSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Eset HTTP Server (EhttpSrv) - ESET - C:\Program Files\ESET\ESET NOD32 Antivirus\EHttpSrv.exe
O23 - Service: Eset Service (ekrn) - ESET - C:\Program Files\ESET\ESET NOD32 Antivirus\ekrn.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_3_4.EXE
O23 - Service: SmartLinkService (SLService) -   - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\slserv.exe
O23 - Service: StarWind iSCSI Service (StarWindService) - Rocket Division Software - C:\Program Files\Alcohol Soft\Alcohol 120\StarWind\StarWindService.exe

--
End of file - 5080 bytes

[bork]

Interesting.  There were still some Norton files running; I deleted that crap and things got a bit smoother.  I think I may have to just reformat again...I blame Norton.  F U SYMANTEC    It's not like I have much of anything on the PC right now anyway.  Just move the iTunes librrary over to the external hard drive and I'm set.

[Vizzys]

symantec is pure evil and greedy corp

 they bought out partition magic, a frequently updated and awesome program  then decided to sell it under their name but stop development on it

[bork]

symantec is pure evil and greedy corp

 they bought out partition magic, a frequently updated and awesome program  then decided to sell it under their name but stop development on it

Never again.  They got me twice, but I will never touch a single Symantec problem ever again.  And now it's looking like I'm going to have to reformat AGAIN.   :'(

Do you know of some good free or cheap backup software?