Computer slowing down more every day

Discussion in 'Malware Help - MG (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by snow scorpion, Oct 7, 2003.

  1. snow scorpion

    snow scorpion Private E-2

    I need help - my computer is slowing down more and more every day.

    My specs:
    Windows ME
    Dell Dimension L866r (Computer is almost 3 years old.)
    Pentium III Processor at 866 MHz
    128 MB RAM
    48x Max Variable CD-ROM (factory installed)
    20 GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive (12 gigs currently free)
    1 floppy drive - factory installed

    If I restart the computer, it works fine for about 30 minutes then pages start loading slower, everything on the screen starts moving in a herky-jerky fashion. And the longer I stay on the net, the more the computer slows. (Over the weekend, it would run fine for almost an hour before slowing down.)


    I scanned for viruses with eTrust EZ Anti-virus - 0 infections

    I ran Ad-Aware 6.181 - computer still slows down.

    I ran Spybot Search & Destroy 1.2 - computer still slows down.

    I ran disk defragmentor - computer still slows down.

    I ran disk cleanup - computer still slows down.

    I tried System Restore with 4 different dates - all 4 times I ended up getting the message "Restoration was Unsuccessful"


    Additional information that might be relevant:

    Everytime I start my computer, 5 seconds after the desktop is ready, a small window appears for a fraction of a second. The window says something about "preparing to x... please wait." It doesn't stay onscreen long enough for me to read it, but it is from a company named SoftCast.

    Also, there is a toolbar that a pulldown menu says is from "oastmchtrie". Neither Ad-aware nor Spybot can get rid of it. I can rid of this toolbar with the pulldown menu, but when I restart the computer the "oastmchtrie" toolbar returns.

    If I don't get on the net, I can use Microsoft Word and Microsoft Works for 3-4 hours before the computer starts to get a little sluggish.


    Any suggestions are welcome, but if you have advice, please explain it to me as if I was 4 years old; my knowledge of all things cyber- is extremely limited. (I halfway expect the computer to explode if I do anything with it other than word processing, spreadsheets, surfing, and e-mail.)
     
  2. g1lgam3sh

    g1lgam3sh MajorGeek

    I agree, sounds like clean out time. Do you have ability to back up vital files, easier than floppies, can you compress onto floppies (zip, rar). If so back em up in case you have to fdisk/format and start again, (ha ha). All other questions are answered here, go backwards in posts.
     
  3. snow scorpion

    snow scorpion Private E-2

    Hi, robo.

    I don't know. Is format/reinstall an option in my case?

    I do have a CD from Dell labelled "Reinstallation CD WMe" that came with the computer when I got it.

    Am I going have to use this thing? If so, what do I do?
     
  4. snow scorpion

    snow scorpion Private E-2

    Hi, g1lgam3sh [that's some name you have there - makes you sound like a cyborg or a borg drone]

    No, all I have is a floppy drive.

    How do I back up vital files?

    Which are the vital files?

    What's going on inside my computer to cause all this trouble?
     
  5. g1lgam3sh

    g1lgam3sh MajorGeek

    What's in a name?

    Vital files: Address Book, messages, data etc.
    Do you have WinRAR, Winzip? make archive put it all in, span floppies if you have to, (am assuming you do not have CDWriter)
    Make bootdisk, boot off it.
    type fdisk and enjoy the feeling of triumph!.
    Then basically restore everything. Lot's more advice on here but that's the brutal approach:D
     
  6. augiedoggie

    augiedoggie The Canadian Loon - LocoAugie (R.I.P. 2012)

    Floppy:eek: , besides CD-RW are cheap. Vital files are your personal data, such as emails, docs & settings etc. Whatever your personal data is.

    I googled both references and came up with not much. Try running Hijack This and report back. Seems we're all agreeing that it's a nasty.
     
  7. g1lgam3sh

    g1lgam3sh MajorGeek

    Agree with Augiedoggie here. Max UK for 52x CD writer = £25, can pay more of course.
    Hook it up, burn your necessarys, reboot and enjoy the feeling of toasting a drive.
    If not feasible can recc WinRAR for putting your files on floppies, I knew floppies would come in useful one day:D ;) :eek:
     
  8. snow scorpion

    snow scorpion Private E-2

    Save all the stuff in Mt Documents I want to keep? :eek:

    That's going to take a while.

    I'll get back to you guys when I have all that done.
     
  9. snow scorpion

    snow scorpion Private E-2

    Problem solved!!:D

    The folks at lavasoft sent me back here and had me run a HijackThis scan, and then they told me which things to fix.

    I'm glad I didn't have to start uninstalling and reinstalling all of Windows ME.

    Thanks, everybody.

    And remember, if your 'puter starts slowing down, look into a HijackThis scan.
     
  10. Warcat14

    Warcat14 Private E-2

    try reinstalling windows. i did and i dont regred it
     
  11. zebulebu

    zebulebu Private E-2

    Dude, piece of advice

    Check your next phone bill. You may well have fallen victim to a Pr0n dialer.

    Don't want to alarm you unnecessarily, but it is a possibility...
     

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