Major Slowdown

Hi!

I've a serious slow-down issue in XP. I've run a ton of tests (some details in another thread in the Malware section of this site [I'm clean]), CCleaner, Chkdsk, and so on...and have not gotten anywhere.

I've even removed any programs that were installed in the few weeks prior to the slow down.

I've plenty of RAM and lots of disk space. Advice please!

 

Hi Phlegmbot,

Give us more info about what you're running...CPU, exact memory, XP Home or Pro?
Have you updated Windows lately? That could solve your slow down. Have you noticed programs running in the background? Check your task managers processes and see if anything seems to be hogging your resources. If you do find something strange, post it here and someone's bound to have a suggestion. Sometimes, just googling a process will give you a good idea of the running program and its intent(Updates perhaps).

 

Shoot! I wasn't fast enough to edit my previous post. :zzz
Hi fragmentation could be a possibility as well.

 

Hey! Thanks for the relpy!

OK, I've done a defrag and every other maintenance thing there is to do, including removing unnec. start-ups, checking to see if there are system hogs, and doing full scans with Symantec Pro, Avast!, SAS, and AVG. I've also run MBAM, HiJackThis, and several other tools

I've been to the malware forums, we DID find a virus or two, but they've been cleaned.

I also ran sfc scannow or whatever that thing's called. And I did a chkdsk which I guess found nothing.

I've XPHome
SP3
I've all the updates.

Intel Celeron 1.70Ghz
960MB Ram
80Gig HD, with nearly 17gigs free.

I usually use Firefox, and this slowdown started when I ran IE w/out add-ons (for some reason that was the only IE shortcut on my Start folder...I dunno when the hell I did that, but I opened IE for a particular reason that night)...and that's probably where I got the virus, but I'm clean now and Windows still hasn't recovered.

The only other thing to note is that, somewhere along the lines, some setting was changed that altered the resolution of the text that appears as Windows is coming out of hibernation. It's now much smaller and in the center of the screen. Nobody seems to be able to tell me why that occurred or how it changed. For all I know, it's related to the issue.

Thoughts?

 

Other than perhaps running a registry scan...you seem 2 have covered a lot of ground. Perhaps this might help a little.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/RegCleaner_d460.html
or
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Free_Window_Registry_Repair_d5461.html
Both are free.

Check for old/uninstalled programs in the Software screen. Everything else is pretty much self-explanatory. Do make a back up, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck!

 

How many of those programs do you now have installed? Are you usiing multiple anti-virus programs simultaneously? That's not a good idea.

 

I only have Avast! now. It was suggested to get ridof Symantec b/c it's a system hog.

Again, I've been through the Malware section, so they're pretty thorough about stuff like that.

THX!

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, ANYONE?

 

Yup, did the Reg cleaner -- used 3 different cleaners...including CCleaner, Tune-Up 2009, and the one that comes w/ERUNT.

Any other ideas?

 

Now, now, Mark, no need to be curt. I thought I'd posted them but only previewed the post...

The problem by the way is constant...even to the point that the time it takes to get into Windows is more than triple the normal amount of time.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

 

Wow, really? A lot of them? Yeesh...I already went through this step elsewhere.

!%!@#

Thx again, Mark! Will let you know results. (And, hey, sorry if I misread your tone...perhaps I'm just touchy.)

 

Mark,

I'm looking over that list (which, admittedly, I didn't look closely at beofe posting here)...some of the things I'd disabled are BACK. ctfmon and fxssvc are the first two I'm noticing.

I've read the first of these two may be a Trojan -- how do I double check that (I've disabled it via my Control Panel tho')?

Why would anything disabled come back?

 

Heya!

OK, a few things on my tasks: first, some of the Toshiba services which aren't "necessary" are indeed things I use, so I've chosen not to disable them.


Now a whole bunch of questions. (I've numbered them, so you can more easily answer per #)

1. How do I permanently disable agrsmmsg.exe
2. How do I permanently disable dlactrlw.exe
3. Keeping in mind that I've done full scans w/several programs, including Kapersky, MBAM, and Avast!, how do I know if lsass.exe is the correct version or a Trojan (the library has many trojan reports on it but says it could also be a valid part of the list)?
   Same question for:
4. svchost.exe (listed as both a NETWORK SERVICE and SYSTEM)
5. services.exe
6. winlogon.exe
7. csrss.exe

 

Hey, Mark!

OK, more questions:

1. Out of all the the things I listed in my last post, only ONE of them even appears under ANY of the tabs in StartUp (the program you had me DL), why?
2. Why is there nothing under "Startup User" tab?
3. Can you look at my last post and answer my question about those Trojans vs. the actual programs?

Other info:
StartUp (common) only has RAMASST.exe
HKLM / Run tab is attached as an image
HKCU / Run only has an AOL "Fast Start" thing and MS ActiveSync (the former is handy, the latter, necessary for syncing my phone)
Run Once is empty

p.s. do you know anything about a program called The Ultimate Troubleshooter? I've a trial version of it, which seems decent, but you have to pay for full information about processes.

 

Stopping processes is all fine and good for it's own sake but I doubt that's what caused your issue and the same goes for start ups. Yes, it will help some on an older system but not a sudden slowdown.

Have you tried restoring your system to an earlier date yet? I think I saw somewhere that a recent update is not behaving well in certain circumstances and I can't remember it offhand ATM, sorry. Try restoring from before patch Tuesday, can't hurt as you can restore back to today. You've done everything else.:confused

 

Hey, Auggie!

What you said here is pretty much what I've been telling folks on this board and another "geek" board but everyone seems to feels it's startups and the like (and I don't mind doing the maintenance anyway, as it IS awfully helpful).

I agree w/your assessment, but, b/c I WAS infected with a Trojan (which is why I ask Mark that Trojan question in the other post), I don't have any Restore points from BEFORE the slowdown any longer (due to Malware worries, they had to be deleted).

However, back to YOUR point, I understand that there IS some way to remove recent Windows updates as long as I haven't deleted those updates files (and I haven't). Can you tell me how to delete those updates? The slowdown began, oh, about 3 weeks ago now.

 

Never mind about telling me how to delete the updates. I figured it out...will report back if there's any change (or if there isn't).

 

Hmm, 3 weeks puts that at Jan.3 and patch Tuesday was the 13th, I don't remember MS putting out an emergency critical update between those dates but my memory is a sieve.:-o You can delete the updates from add/remove, the ones that show up anyways and see what happens and if that works then add them back one by one checking the performance, a real pain to say the least.

A more radical but quicker approach, short of a full format and reinstall, UGHH uke, it'll take you some 40 minutes each to repair and install SP3 is if you have an XP CD that came with your system is to do a repair/install which will bring your system back to whatever level the CD that you have is, with your rig maybe SP1 at best, so download the full SP3 package first and burn it to CD as you will lose all your updates in the repair process, it's way better and faster than going through Windows Update, You'll only have to reinstall what updates were issued after SP3 was released.

At this point, I would back up your important files, bookmarks, etc.I've never lost anything, data or programs by repairing but with previous malware one never knows.

Last resort, ya you guessed it.

BTW, before you try any of the above, do you have anything else connected to the USB ports besides keyboard and mouse, like a printer or scanner etc. You want to keep your system as pristine as possible to rule those things out.

Good luck man.

 

OK, I removed the last two IE updates and an odd change: it took even LONGER to get into Windows, but once in, I'm no longer having slowdown issues w/the mouse or with programs opening, but audio and video still skip and echo and don't run properly.

Also, Toshiba Power Saver had an error when I restarted, which is new, and I want to know if someone can tell me if I can expect further (similar) problems if I were to try and remove recent XP updates? (And will those FIX themselves should I RE-install those updates?)

I also, in some research, I found that some people had the same exact issue and simply made a minor change in Internet Options (in LAN Settings, checked "Automatically Select") and that ALSO helped things get back to normal...save for the video and audio.

 

Yeah, I removed the IE updates from December...19th I think it was.

Last time I did one of those, I was no longer able to get back into Windows. So, uh, NEVER again.

Nothing is attached regularly. Obviously, over the course of the weeks, I've used my printer, scanner, etc....but there is nothing that is continually plugged in. I've a laptop.

Thanks, Aug!...Let me know if you've thoughts on my last post.

 

Great man!!!! The reason for the longer bootup the first time would be XP/IE rearranging itself and your second boot should then be normal. Progress! Woot! I would delete and reinstall your CODECS if you have any previously installed. I'm not familiar with laptops, audio or video too much, maybe reinstall WMP?

I would also start a new thread on your WMP issues if the reinstall doesn't take as this thread is getting long and folks don't generally look at them as much as new ones and I consider this thread to be solved. Block the updates for whichever IE update gave you grief. I'm so glad that you didn't have to resort to more 'radical' measures.

BTW, just to go off topic, I love your alias! :-D

 

Hmm, a rethink here. Now that you know the culprits involved, let those IE updates through and if the same thing happens again, then block them, the malware may have corrupted something as IE updates are generally needed for security and further investigation will be necessary if those updates screw you around. That's way past my experience.

 

Aug,

DO me a favor, don't call it "resolved" yet. The audio and video slowdowns were part of the original problems (and it's NOT just in WMP, even sound F/X like clicking an icon or "You've Got Mail" is "Y-y-y-y-yooooouuv've G-got Mmmma-a-a-ail"...so unless that guy developed a stutter, it's still an overall slowdown issue).

HOWEVER: I'm going to remove the last 2 XP updates, remove codecs and WMP an reinstall...and once I do that, I'll report back.

'Kay?

p.s. and, thank you, I'm very proud of that alias!

 

In the immortal words of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, the effects were sadly temporary.

I've rolled back WMP to 10, removed the next couple 12/19 udpates (the newest ones from before the slowdown). Everything seemed to work OK, until the next restart.

That's making me think I might very well still have some Malware...

Auggie, Mark, whomever, could you take a look at my posting where I list the 7 questions re: the process library and let me know how I can tell which ones are ACTUAL processes and which ones may be trojans?

Thanks, guys!

 

Seriously? I've already been through the Malware forum, they gave me a clean bill of health. It's your and AUggie's suggestions here, and the work you've done with me, that's making it seem it MUST still be Malware.

I can't get some advice on something YOU brought up here from YOU?

 

Hey Phlegmbot,

Just out of curiosity, you don't have a usb key connected by any chance, do you? I'm asking this because when I plug my Sandisk key, my computer slows down enought to slow down playing videos. Just figured I'd check with ya.

 

Crap, and here I thought we were getting somewhere.:banghead I took a look but nothing jumped out at me but that doesn't mean much coming from me as I'm no expert. I'm at the end of my abilities here, you're options are very thin and it will come down to your decision as to how you want to proceed and how much more time you're willing to devote to this, sometimes there's just no recovery possible.

Oh just for the heck of it, install VLC media player and play your stuff through there, if that still skips then you're in big doodoo and may point to other issues.

 

Heya. Nope, I've got nothing that's regularly plugged into the computer. It's a laptop, so nothing stays permanently...and, these days, I'm using everything more sparingly.