serious system faults...please help

I am having several problems with my laptop, and don't know what to do next. I have run a variety of virus checkers, anti-spyware, and defragmenters. They always find problems, but I'm guessing the root of it all is much deeper.

I've run all the recommended searches and checks from the 'read and run me first' instructions and now put the question out to all of you: what the hell is happening?

The problems started about a month ago with my Internet Explorer window taking an increasingly long time closing when I clicked the 'close' button.

Now, in the past few days, the Windows XP black startup screen takes about five minutes with just that little blue progress bar spinning its wheels. Then as windows opens, the musical chime sounds all clipped and overly digitized. It also takes approx. 10 minutes to finish cycling through its Start menu programs that load in the lower right corner. On top of all this, the CPU usage in the processes (when you look in the Windows Task Manager) hovers at approx 90% for about 1/2 an hour.

Obviously, there's something wrong...I just don't know what. Please help.

(I will attach all necessary logs to this and a reply post)

Thanks so much in advance,
s1mpl1fy

 

the other log files are attached below...

again, thanks

s1mpl1fy

 

So, first off, thank you for the tips. I have done the suggested repairs in HijackThis and removed the old Java installs. Also, I have removed AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5 (only installed it to do the step-by-step instructions from the 'read and run me first' instructions), SpywareGuard 2.2, and NoAdware 5.0. The only stuff that actively runs on my system is BitDefender v10 and ZoneAlarm. The other stuff doesn't get used unless I have a problem.

1st question: do I still need to remove more of the antispy stuff?

2nd thing: Although i did everything you suggested, my system is still running strangely. All of the problems from the original post are still occuring and (which I didn't mention before), the overall performance of the PC is incredibly slow compared to just a few days ago...

when I move the pointer around the screen, it's clipped and jumps around, the CPU usage in the Task Manager still shows the capacity running between 75-100% for the first 30minutes the computer is on, sound and video is all clipped and choppy.

Even after the CPU has seemed to calm down, if I start to open any program, it starts to bog down to the point where, when I open 'My Computer', the damn flashlight pops up, searching for files, when it never did this before.

I've gone onto the Windows update and added new patches... I've done everything I can think of. I honestly don't know if there's a malware problem, or if something else is affecting my system, but it's beginning to drive me crazy.

I have attached new runkey, newfiles, and hijackthis files after applying your suggestions... is there anything else I can do, or am I stuck going to Geek Squad and forking over cash to figure out this problem?

Again, any help is greatly appreciated!
s1mpl1fy

 

OK...

So, I followed your suggestions...CWShredder didn't find anything.

I reran the HJT fix after I disabled all web access and scanning/protection programs. I believe it cleared them from the system this time. Attached is the NEW NEW HJT log file.

I'm concerned that this may be a serious core problem, as the black Windows XP screen continues to take between 5-7minutes to get through before ever loading anything other than core Windows files. Is it possible that some basic operating system files have been infected and are causing the slowdown?

s1mpl1fy

 

I don't know if this will help or hurt, but last weekend when I started having trouble, I got suckered into buying a different antispyware program as it was finding a bunch of things nothing else could. It's Uniblue SpyEraser...

I just ran a scan with it of my system, and again it found a bunch of crap. I've attached a transcripted log of what it found in a .txt file.

Is this a scam program dropping new stuff onto my system just so that it has viruses to find, or is it a legitimate antispyware product that's finding things all my other programs seem inept at detecting?

If it's legit, where is all this stuff coming from/hiding?

thanks in advance,

s1mpl1fy

 

I'll work with your suggestions...

CounterSpy seemed to be taking forever as I was downloading it and thought I may have done it and then gotten rid of it in July '06 so I went with AVG instead...

What did you mean a 'repair installation'?

s1mpl1fy

 

So, Windows Defender is gone.

I'll try downloading CounterSpy again, although with all the various scans I've done, I'm not sure it'll find anything all the others didn't... but I'll give it a shot.

I was a little confused about you saying 'SpyEraser is pretty dubious ....you'll note that it doesn't display where it finds these items.' In the txt file I attached a few posts ago, it listed where the infections were...am I not reading that correctly?

I downloaded the Startup Manager you suggested, although I think I have the capability to do what it does in other programs (CCleaner, etc)...I've attached a txt file of the log it created of all my start up files. Any suggestions as to what doesn't need to be there?...(BTW: I forgot to adjust the startup option on SpyEraser so, that's why it's showing up in the log...it isn't there now.)

A friend of mine suggested that something like a connection for the motherboard or the RAM or even the CPU may be loose...would this cause the slow loading times... I'm incredibly hesitant to start unscrewing things on the base of my laptop to check if everything is seated properly...could this be the cause?

And again I've jumped ahead in your suggestions... what are we talking about with a 'repair installation'?

thanks again for all your help...looking forward to having all this sorted out!

s1mpl1fy

 

Unfortunately, disabling all those programs/items actually caused the system to start up SLOWER!

I appreciate your efforts, but I have taken my laptop into the Geek Squad for service...it was covered under warranty so no cash outta my pocket. They won't know until tomorrow, but their feeling is the hard drive is taking a crap (my words, not theirs) and after doing some various system diagnostics, their thought is either the hard disk is failing, or possibly the motherboard...I'll know tomorrow.

Again, thanks for the help, and when I get it back, I'll absolutely be back to tweak it out and get it running even quicker with the help of you guys.

I'll post again when I know what the verdict is and when I may be getting it back.

take care,
s1mpl1fy

 

Sorry for the delay in reposting.

After taking my laptop to the geek squad, they informed me my hard drive had tripped over into PIO mode, however they did not have a particularly concise explanation as to why it would do that on it's own.

Anyway, after resolving this, I've rerun all my tests from the 'read and run me first' instructions... notably absent is the CounterSpy scan; I ran it in safe mode and it never gave me an option of saving a log file. However, it did not discover anything when it ran its scan.

I've attached everything else in this post and the next...please let me know if there's anything I need to clean up/disable/etc.

thanks,
s1mpl1fy

 

I'm having trouble posting the activescan file as your system is telling me I've already posted it. I even tried renaming it, but it won't let me post it. Let me know if you still need it, and how to get it posted if you do.

thanks,
s1mpl1fy