Start Up Programs

Do AVG, SpywareGuard and/or Sygate firewall need to be in start up programs to function properly? (OS is XP Pro)

 

YES!

A firewall protects in realtime, therefore it needs to run when the computer is started.

The same applies to AVG if you want to use the on-access scanner (which you do)

 

The reason I ask, Matt.Chugg, is that my new XP Pro system is on the slowside and I'm trying to speed it up. I believe it is actually slower than my Win 98 that I replaced. I ran a thread yesterday but was unable to get anything resolved. The Dell system has a 3.06 GHZ processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 160 GB hard drive. I uninstalled Mcafee firewall/AV, etc. and deleted as many of the Mc files as I could without going into the registry. I also cleaned up my start up programs. I'm running Sygate firewall, AVG, Spybot, (you helped me with that yesterday), Ad-Aware, SpywareGuard, and Spyblaster.
Perhaps you have some ideas.

 

Have you tried defraging or running ccleaner on it?

 

I've ran CCleaner but have not done a defrag. My system is only about 2 weeks old and has very little on it so I didn't think about the defrag but I'll try it. Thanks!

 

Defrag didn't seem to help.

 

Open up task manager and sort it by memory, then look for anything suspicious hogging up memory.

 

There is only 1 main item running, System Idle Process (98 CPU's). A couple of others come in and out at around 2 or 3 CPU's. My system seems particularlly slow when opening a page within a site, if that means anything.

 

System Idle Process is the percentage of your CPU that is not being used. Your CPU is being used for only 2%. The memory column is the last one, sort it by that.

 

They are as follows:

IEXPLORE.EXE 31,000 K
sychost.exe 25,000
explorer.exe 21,000
VPROSvc.exe 17,000
avgcc.exe 7,000

These are the larger items, 32 total.
Thanks!

 

IEXPLORER.exe is a good sign of either spyware, a virus, or windows updates.

 

IEXPLORER.exe probably would be spyware but it says IEXPLORE.exe Thats internet explorer and 31mb isn't very much at all.

You also shouldn't rely on what task manager says about Memory Usage and CPU usage too much as it isn't particularily accurate.

 

I ran AVG and a Panda scan for virus and both came up with nothing. I run Spybot and Ad-Ware, the later of which comes up with a few items. What about Windows updates? I'm up-to-date with them. Could there be a problem here?

 

I talked with Dell and my DSL provider and both seem to agree it's a software problem. Dell wants me to do a system restore back to day 1 (actually 1 week ago) to see if that solves the problem. They say maybe Sygate, AVG, or Ad-Aware, Spybot, SpywareGuard, or SpywareBlaster might be the problem as I haven't loaded much else except a stand alone program from my Fidelity stockbroker. Dell also talked about my talking with their software people at a rate of $100/day or so to solve the problem. This is after spending $800 for this system.

 

Well, at Dell's request, I went back to the original imaged hard drive programs (before adding/removing any programs by me) and that fixed the problem. I guess one of the programs I installed was causing the slow response. Before I reinstall anything, I wanted to tell you what programs I did install as perhaps someone could shed some light on this problem. The programs are as follows:
Sygate firewall (I did turn off Mcafee's FW while using Sygate), AVG, Ad-Aware, Spybot, SpywareBlaster, SpywareGuard, CCleaner, & Windows Registry Repair Pro (3B Software). The remaining software I installed was what I received originally with my Win 98 sys, which is quite old. Those programs are MS Word '97, MS Works, and Quicken 99. Two other programs I almost forgot were my printer, Cannon Pixma, MP170, and Fidelity Active Trader Pro from Fidelity Investments. The printer is okay as I just hooked it up and all is fine.
I guess I'll try to reinstall the above one at a time to try to find the culprit. I'll keep you posted.

 

None of them are bad but I think I see what the problem is.

Make sure mcafee is entirely uninstalled before you instal sygate and avg. You have no need for mcafee AV and mcafee Firewall as sygate and avg will replace them and are less of a resource hog and probably better.

Also dell ships with a lot of other stuff that you might not need. Uninstall anything you don't use before continuing.

 

I did uninstall Mcafee (originally) as much as I could without going into the registry. When you say "entirely" uninstall, what exactly do you mean? I uninstalled Mcafee with the uninstall program and then went to "search" to delete what ever was there. However, there was still a bunch of Mcafee items in the registry. Would yuou suggest going in there to delete them?

 

Just use CCleaner as described in your thread before, I didn't realise you'd asked about removeing it before, sorry

 

That is pretty much what I did with my original Mcafee software, but I'm affraid if I do the same things program wise, I'll be back where I was with a slow system. I guess the best way is to install each program and see how the system responds prior to installing another.
Thanks for the help!