WinPatrol is driving me crazy!

Running Windows XP.

For a while now I've been blaming Avast for the time it takes to update and let me use my computer.

For the last couple of days, I've noticed WinPatrol seems to always be active and working to check my Start Up programs. Today I clocked it at 90 minutes before I rebooted my computer. It's still doing it!

I'm very tempted to boot WinPatrol off my computer. What do you suggest or recommend?

 

1. Uninstall WinPatrol
2. Uninstall Avast
3. Install Avira Antivirus http://majorgeeks.com/Avira_AntiVir_Personal_-_FREE_Antivirus_d955.html

 

Thanks. Now if I could only find WinPatrol on Search I'd be able to do that. It doesn't show up anywhere but in my Sys Tray where it's yapping its head off all the time, even when I'm not on line.

Avira? I'll check it out.

 

I see, i'm not sure about WinPatrol if isn't an Spyware, try with Ccleaner:

http://www.piriform.com/download

Install it, in Options > Tools > Start

you will found all the programs that starts with Windows, disable WinPatrol if it appears there.

tell us results.

 

Amen on Avira over Avast. Avira is the one I settled on after several free AV programs drove me nuts with CPU load...

 

Thank you both. I found WinPatrol in Start Up and deleted it.

It takes so long to move from one screen to another because of WinPatrol that I gave up on Search.

Y'know the funny thing? I run CrapCleaner regularly, and always before I log off. For days now, I've been getting over 2,000 temporary files deleted, sometimes within hours of each execution. I believe WinPatrol is adding those files every time it checks something out -- which is constantly. No wonder I keep getting messages that my virtual file is being enlarged/expanded!

Currently, WinPatrol is still on my computer and it's running! I right clicked on it in Sys Tray and exited the program. It's still running!

I hovered my mouse over Avast and guess what flashed up -- WinPatrol.

Clearly the two programs are connected in some way. As soon as I download Avira, I will delete Avast.

 

Hi

I used Avast years ago, but stopped after it became bloatware (much like Norton) and started hogging system resources. Also, I noticed it would have issue with its update servers (even on a DSL connection).

Avira is a good choice for a standalone antivirus program to replace your Avast.

 

CrapCleaner?

You mean Ccleaner?

keep us updated.

 

Thank you all for your help.

Avira installed and a complete scan run (2 hours). No viruses or 'funny' files.

Avast is gone, so is WinPatrol. With both of those gone, Control Panel and Add or Remove Programs didn't take half an hour to open. Amazing.

Because my C drive is almost full, I thought that was the reason for my computer slow down. D drive has masses of space, still.

The combination of Avast and WinPatrol is what I think caused the slow down, because everything has speeded up since. I'm still getting a lot of temporary files show up in CrapCleaner, far too many for the length of time since I rebooted. I'll keep an eye on it.

Thank you again. :drool

 

Y, no problem and don't install trash in your computer

 

I have been using WinPatrol for quite some time and have never had any of the problems you mention.
WinPatrol is an always on program that sits in the background and monitors. Doesn't scan like an AV or an antispyware program does.
My Scotty is very well behaved.

 

My personal guess is that Avast was set to do a "Boot Time" scan.
WinPatrol is probably innocent and was being shown as a false positive.

 

I've got to jump in and agree with hrlow here. I've got winpatrol running on well over a dozen machines, and I have NEVER had one single problem with it. And this ranges on machines running XP SP3, 512M RAM, up tp WIN7, 64 bit, 8Gig RAM.

I find it to be a very versatile and useful program for analyzing and managing the processes on the machines. So whatever problems you are experiencing, I really doubt it is related to winpatrol.

Just my observation/opinion.

Fair winds to you.

 

Yes, maybe is true and it works fine, but all users and systems are different we can't apply the same software because we aren't under a domain with the same politics.

Users install everything than download and that maybe was his problem who knows....

Just my observation/opinion.

 

itmortiz I see, i'm not sure about WinPatrol if isn't an Spyware, (post #5)

WinPatrol is NOT spyware.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/WinPatrol_d3380.html

Tested by MG and a 4.79 rating out of 5

 

LOL I'll try not to install garbage.

I've had WinPatrol on my computer ever since I started using a computer and had no problems until recently. Avast has also been on my computer for years, ever since a warning came out about AVG and I booted it. I hadn't made any changes to either (except accepting automatic updates from Avast) so I don't know why both programs started acting up. I can only think the manufacturer changed Scotty's diet.

I felt safe with WinPatrol, although it never notified me of a program change or addition I hadn't already approved and knowingly downloaded. Now it's fingers-crossed time even though I've been visiting the same on-line sites for years. Caution is my middle name.

I apologise if I offended anyone by calling CCleaner by the name it had when the program first came out. Some habits die hard. It's a program I would never want to be without.

Just like Major Geeks -- I'm glad you guys are here.

 

I still feel that an update to Avast was giving a false positive.

 

Yeah, like Symantec problem, thx about the info of Winpatrol

 

Just hate to see a good program get a bad rep.:wave

 

Yes, I guess that's possible, but it doesn't explain why WinPatrol kept running and verifying files over and over. And when Mouse hovered over Avast in the Sys Tray, WinPatrol flashed up so fast I nearly missed it.

WinPatrol was installed by a professional techie when my computer was set up and I've never messed with it.

Just as AVG was compromised a few years ago, I think someone nasty got their hands on Avast.

At the moment, everything seems back to normal and back to the speed I'm used to getting on this computer, consider how full the C drive is.

 

I hear ya. I've had WinPatrol since the year dot and never had a problem. I'm very cautious about where I go on the Internet and what I download. The only uncontrolled features were automatic updates to Avast (and now Avira). It may be that something crept in with Avast because those two programs were definately linked on my computer.

Who knows? The truth may come out eventually, but I hope this thread will alert members to keep an eye on those two programs. Running CCleaner showed some unbelievably high temporary files deleted, so that may be a clue to show something is wrong.