slow internet, about:blank & fan runs a lot

Extreme novice seeks patient geek to walk me through diagnosing and improving internet access. Able to speek plain language a must!

About the system: We have a new Dell System 8300 with lots of unused space. Unused space 66.38% to 90.74%. Memory on both Channel A&B 512MB. Intel Pentium processor with a speed of 3.0 GHz. Intel PRO/100 VE Network Connection (Network Card) the Display adapter has 128MB. The modem is mode lBCM V.92 56K Modem. Microsoft Windows XP Professional. (All this I pass on to you without knowing much of what it's useful for)

Main Problem: Everything accessed on the internet comes and goes much slower than usual. Hard to say when it started. Perhaps 3 weeks ago.

Other Stuff: Curious what the "about:blank" address that comes up when I go into the internet has to do with my slow computer. Also, around the same time we noticed the fan runs at odd times and more frequently than it used to. Probably unrelated problem is my missing photos. I just learned how to download them from the digital camera the first week of July. Played with them. Printed a few out. Now I can't find them in any of our files.

HERES THE GOOD AND THE BAD:
We have five log-ons for our family.
Most sites we go to are very popular. Amazon, Noggin, Music Match but we've all tried the odd link that were not so reputable. What did you say about porn not being free and the puple guy not being worth downloading?

MEA CULPA!

We have Norton Antivirus which runs at regular intervals.
We have Spy blocs from eblocs.com which has helped with pop-ups but not this.
We tried popup-blocs but that was ineffective.

WHAT I NEED:
Patient intruction from a Geek who can speek in layman's terms. (I have read some of the message boards and this has helped me get this far but I get lost in the techie language after a while.)

First, how do I diagnose the specific problem? Next I will need to know how to begin to bring the computer back to health. Later, I will learn how to futher protect this machine from those bad guys.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. I FEEL LOST

 

Thnx Major for the prompt reply, but nothing is easy. I got to step 4 in the "about:buster" directions. I was stumped there because I didn't know where I was supposed to remove the indicated lines from. While you're at it you might as well let me know where I'm supposed to delete the dll file from in step 5.

Looking forward to the next lesson. J3

 

Since you asked for a highjack log I downloaded 3155.html thinking that I would create the asked for log during this proceedure. (Was that the right guesse?) Then I follwed directions till I got to the last part that directs one to unzip the hijackthis zip file. Well, I don't know how to unzip on the computer. Plus, Iwill need to know where I go to see this ".exe" that indicates I can delete the zip file which is in my LOCAL Disk (C:.) So what do I do now, please?

This is me and computers. I start thinking it's not so hard to explore around in them then before too long I run into an unfamiliar instruction and I'm stumped.

A-Mazed. J3

 

I'm impatient, I know. But can anyone help me move forward on Major Attitudes suggestions? I get stuck easy so I need baby steps in my intructions.

Thank you! Awaiting My Rescuer. J3