strange problem

I just reformatted my XP machine because it was getting overrun with adware (which seemed to show up right after I tried doing the Windows Update. Interesting...) Anyway, with my hd wiped and XP reinstalled, certain programs kept freezing (usually installs, sometimes Internet Explorer. System restore and "System" in the control panel do nothing when I try to run them), and my internet ran slow. I tried reformatting again, and a third time, but the same things keep happening.

At this point I'm going crazy because I've never seen a software problem that reformatting doesn't fix. So I'm wondering if its a hardware thing. I tried taking the ram out and putting it back in, but no improvement.

I just tried running Windows Update again today, in case it is a software thing that theres a fix for. That install froze, and I now have more popup crap on my computer. I swear, I'm about ready to change over to Linux...

So if anyone knows what could cause every other program to hang like that - hardware or software problem, I have no clue which - let me know.

 

Well, Everest downloaded fine but it froze every time I tried to install it. I found another one, WinAudit, that seems to do the same sort of thing. The report is attached...

 

I don't think this will solve all your problems, but I used to have lots of problems with IE crashing, and got fed up, and started using Mozilla. Now browser crashes are extremely rare, and popups are pretty much non-exsistent as well. Just my 2¢

 

Ok I definitly have viruses or adware or both. I ran a virus scan (Network Associates VirusScan Enterprise 7.0.0) and a scan with Ad-aware and they both found stuff and cleaned it. It keeps comming back though. I guess I need a firewall to prevent it from getting through in the first place.

Another thing that is probably related to programs freezing - almost every time I reboot, I get the message that rundll32.exe is not responding. I'm guessing thats whats creating all the trouble since DLLs are kinda important. Any idea how to fix this?

 

did you install all the patches for winxp?

 

so you wiped your hard drive and reinstalled windows did you install the drivers for all your hardware...yes windows has its own drivers for most hardware but there is no substitute for the drivers written by the hardware's manufacturer...some hardware needs specific drivers or it will crash ...make sure your not using generic windows drivers for your hardware.