Slow Computer

Hi,
I have just finished the "read & run me" guide to remove some malware i had on my computer, and I was recommended to post in this forum by the "malware removal" forum, because my computer is running slow. It's slow at start up, and it takes forever to open a program, or do anything. I can hear the computer just working and working. Sometimes it works faster but most of the time it's really slow.
The malware guys recommended I download a start up manager, so I did. But I don't know exactly which services to disable, except for some obvious ones. So if I could get some help that would be nice.
Thank you

 

HI there. What we usually do here is ask you to upload some screenshots for us and someone will take a look through and be able to let you know which start-up items are safe to disable. Using MSCONFIG to control start ups is not advisable and neither is using Ccleaner, that is why the malware experts suggest downloading a start up manager which you have done so.

What start up manager are you using there? For instance I use start-upCPL and would be able to easily take screenshots of the various start up tabs within the program to upload here.

Failing that we can use Ccleaner if you have that installed, (which more than likely you do if you have just been thru the R&R) not to control the startups but to go to its "Tools" menu > click on startup > and screenshot what appears for upload to the forum.

 

Hi. I downloaded a program from this site that the malware guys recommended. It's called StartUp (it think). Is that the one you're talking about? Anyway, I don't know where to find it now, so I took the screenshot using CCleaner. Here it is.

 

if you are using what I am using (startupCPL) then you will be able to locate it's applet in the control panel, it has a little icon of a computer with "start up" written underneath.

Looking at your CCleaner screenshot now

Alcxmntr.exe <-- you can disable this for starters

Realtek AC97 Audio - Event Monitor. Sypware file used surreptitiously monitor one's actions. It is not a sinister one, like remote control programs, but is being used by Realtek to gather data about customers

*I would rather someone else come along and assist you with the rest of your start-up items

 

The start up manager is called StartUp Tool. I downloaded it from here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/StartUp_d4436.html

Maybe I'm stupid but I really can't find it anywhere on my computer...

 

OK one minute I will download it and see what's what...

 

from what I can see you have to start the program from the executable itself..there was no installation process.

Up to you whether you want to continue using this or go for StartupCPL instead. Or you could just stick with what you already have. Wait for someone to advise you about all start up items that you could disable safely

 

still don't understand how to find that program, so i just downloaded the one you recommended instead.
so now i'll wait for someone else to tell me what else to disable.
anything else i can do to improve the speed of the computer?

 

You said you'd recently been thru the "Read and Run me first" here for malware removal...did you follow the prelimenary "house cleaning " and defrag your HD and disk clean? Did you uninstall old programs you no longer need?

 

Applications/processes you can disable from start up from the list you gave include:

Adobe Gamma Loader
Adobe Reader Speed Launch
HP Digital Imaging Monitor
Microsoft Office
AGRSMMSG
ALCXMonitor
HP Component Manager
HPDJ Task Utility
HPHmon06
HPHUPD06
VTtimer
Acme.PCHButton

There are others you could lose from start-up depending on how you use your PC. For instance, do you ever use the multimedia buttons of your keyboard?

 

Yes i did.

 

No i don't. I don't even know what they are.

 

In my own prospective the speed of your system is defined by many things.
that include hardware as well as software configuration of the system and how you are using you resources.

Sorry for the long introduction.
I would begine tackling this issue by bringing up task manager\Processes

If your are running XP OS number of processes on start up should be less than 32 in W2K OS it should be around 29 if your system is running any higher number if your past 35 processes that's my cut off sign right there to know that there is a lot of processes running in the back ground on startup and after. they are using up all the memory resources you need to delete their trace files in your registry as well as all your temp prefetch minidump
also uninstalling some of the unused software from the control panel works also
if your are running norton antivirus or mckfee youll have issues since it uses alot of resources already to protect your system plus all the others.

hope you the best of luck it normally take me 3-4 hours to gut the system all out
ncskytech

 

I disabled all but theese:
Recguard
hpsysdrv
I don't know what they are. And when following directions on how to disable ctfmon.exe there were instructions to disable the Swedish keyboard, but I use it more than the English keyboard so I didn't do it. I did follow all the other steps though.

Also all I use the Creative Live cam for is when I use skype. But when I installed it a bunch of other stuff was installed with it. I don't know if I need them. Maybe I can uninstall a bunch of stuff? I just need the camera to work when I skype.
They are:
Creative Live! Cam Doodling
Creative Live! Cam FX creator
Creative Live! Cam Manager
Creative Live! Cam User's guide
Creative Live! Cam Video IM Pro (VF0410) (1.00.06.00)
Creative photo Manager
Creative Software Autoupdate
Creative System Information

I think these are part of it too:
Live! Cam Avatar Creator
Live! Cam Avatar v1.0
muveeNow 2.0 -Creative
SightSpeed

I also have a program called "Python 2.2 combined Win32 extensions" and "Python 2.2.1". I have no idea what these are. Can I delete them?

I did not understand what ncskytech wanted me to do, but I have 46 processes running. I have no idea of how and what to delete.

Please try to explain as thouroughly as possible when replying, since I'm inexperienced with this kind of stuff.

Thanks so much!

 

Here are my screenshots.
Computer is still slow...
But I guess not as slow as it was.
Also I did a scan with super anti spyware today, and it said I had one trojan...sigh! Should I post in the malware forum again? or should I trust it removed it? (it said it did, and i ran the scan again and it found nothing).

 

I took the screenshot right after restart without opening any programs, so I don't know why those are showing. I was not using the programs.

sigh...ok, I will do it again.