WinXP 'freezing PC' for 10 mins on connection

Hi - See Forums> Malware> Klone Virus help

I have been getting help from Chaslang in the Malware forum to check whether the problems I am experiencing may be Malware problems. After investigations carried out by above, No malware has been detected.
When I connect to the Net via ADSL (294kbps), my PC freezes up for approx 10 minutes. I am unable to open anything, even Task manager. After 10 minutes expire, I am able to surf as normal.
Desktop Dell Dimension 3100, 20gb hd, 1 yr old, Win XP, IE6 and Firefox running. I installed Firefox to see if it was an IE error.
Problems started after I downloaded IE7 a month ago, but was having a lot of errors with this so removed it with help of Kniht on these forums.
There is a process called WMIPRVSE.EXE which appears in Task manager (if i can get this on screen before connection) and it disappears when Internet goes back to normal.
Can anyone please help out?

 

Found this online, and noticed that Chaslang recommended you check this, but there was no reply! Do you know where the executable is located on your hard drive? If not, it is easy to do a search for it. Don't really expect malware since Chas has guided you through the scans, but for the sake of thoroughness....

Also, have you updated network card and chipset drivers? I've seen no indication of that, either!

I would also manage your startup programs to minimize resource consumption. Following the steps in this post will show you how to minimize background processes, which should help speed the system up.

 

Thanks for the prompt reply. I am sorry I just don't know how to search for this exe. Can you help me do this?
I have never updated my Network card or chipset drivers, mainly because I don't know about them either.
I will try to minimize resource consumption by following your guide.
Cheers

 

I have turned off the visual effects and the colours are really bland. No good for photos!
I am really not sure about disabling unneeded services. I just dont know where to start.
Used CCleaner and took out RealPlayer.exe and GooglePicasa.exe. These are the only 2 I recognise, only other one was DVDLauncher. Does this remove them permanently from PC or just the Start Up?
Thanks

 

To search for the executable, please do the following:

1. Hit windows key + f (or click Start --> Search)
2. On the 'Search Results' window, hit alt + L (or click the 'All files and folders' link)
3. Expand the drop down menu next to 'More Advanced Options' to ensure that 'Search System Folders', 'Search Hidden Files And Folders' and 'Search Subfolders' are all checked.
4. Hit alt + o (or click into the text box under 'All or part of the filename')
5. Type 'wmiprvse.exe' (without the quotes)
6. Hit enter

Windows will now search for your file. It will display any results that match, as well as the path to the file. We need to make sure that it is not in the wrong location, as per the previous post!

As for drivers, they are relatively simple to update.

The chipset drivers can be obtained from your motherboard's manufacturer. If you are unsure of the make/model of your motherboard, you can find out with a system info utility like EVEREST. The file you will download from the manufacturer will likely be an executable which you would run, and follow the wizard to install.

The network card drivers can be updated by doing the following:

1. Right-click 'My Computer'
2. Select 'Manage'
3. On the 'Computer Management' window, click 'Device Manager'
4. Expand 'Network Adapters'
5. For each item listed here, right-click, and select 'Update Driver'

Follow the prompts in the wizard to search for any updated drivers and install them.

 

I'm sorry, I don't believe visual effects will impact your photos. They will appear as normal in the application you use to view them. Also note that using the instructions I posted, you can customize visual settings to your liking, as well. However, if performance is your concern (and for many people it is), the less you have turned on the better.

CCleaner can remove them permanently from the machine if you selected the 'Uninstall' section under 'Tools'. However, if you followed the instructions carefully, this should only stop them from running at startup; you should be able to launch them when needed, and not have them tying up resources until then.

 

Thanks for instructions, I won't be able to carry out until tomorrow.
I will post back as soon as completed.
Cheers

 

I have searched and the results are as follows: 3 found =
Name: wmiprvse
In folder: C:\i386
Size: 213kb
Type: Application

Name: WMIPRVSE.EXE-0D449B4F.pf
In folder: C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch
Size: 59kb
Type: PF file

Name: wmiprvse
In folder: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wbem
Size: 213kb
Type: Application

 

This is the expected copy of wmiprvse.exe. Now worries here.

This isn't an executable. This is a file used to help speed up the launch of wmiprvse.exe. I wouldn't worry about this either.

This is the only one that's at all alarming. However, since it is in a i386 directory (commonly used as a cache of Windows system files) this likely isn't a problem, either. You can be sure by renaming the executable. My own personal preference is to add the date and a bogus file extension to disable the program. For example, I would name the file wmiprvse.exe01-11-07.old This way, I know that this program can't run (there's no program association with the .old file extension in most cases), and I'll always remember when I made this change.

 

Ok I have renamed the file for i386 from wmiprvse to wmiprvse.exe01-11-07.old , and I will now be updating network and chipset cards as per instruction.
Will post results
Cheers

 

Network Drivers are up to date. Chipset the last update was 2003 and I bought PC last year. I tried to install but it completed 90% and crashed the PC. The motherboard is Dell Dimension 3000 Intel Celeron D345, Intel Morgan Hill: 865 GV.
I downloaded to Desktop and followed all instructions, but crashed. Next for me is to try and manage un-needed start up files.
Thanks again

 

Logged on to Internet this morning and PC froze up, but this time as I had Google as my home page, I could hover over all the sites and their addresses would appear on taskbar, but that was all I could do. I always bring up Task Manager before connection so that I can watch which processes are doing what. Wmiprvse.exe appeared while the Freeze was there and disappeared as soon as things went back to normal.
Therefore problem is still there. What can I do now?

 

Can it be that the wmiprvse.exe is a worm/trojan and is hiding itself from any searches? Is that why we re-named it?
I am trying to manage start-up programmes, but it is heavy going for me to understand.

 

Update for chipset downloaded to desktop, but crashed at 90% again! PC still crashing when connected to Net.
Is my explorer.exe file okay?
Steve

 

Freezing seems to be calming down now - nothing for last 3 days, then froze up yesterday, and back to normal today.

 

Here's what happened today - switch on PC then connect to Internet; straight to this site and all well. Then I minimised the screen to check something else and the screen froze up for 5 mins. Anytime I minimise the page at connection, this is when 'freezing' occurs. What else do you suggest?

 

Okay... I'm running out of ideas here, myself.

At this point, I would be looking to the event logs for further information. Here's how:

1. Right-click 'My Computer'
2. Select 'Manage'
3. On the 'Computer Management' window, expand 'Event Viewer'

Check the 'Application' log and 'System' log for red x's or yellow exclamation marks that occur around the same time as the crashes. We're particularly interested in events with ID 1000 in the application log.

Post the event ID, the source and the exact error text, and we'll see if there's anything we can learn from it.

 

Ok will do, and thanks for getting back to me.
Cheers

 

Okay I have noted the Event files for Applications and System; there are scores of Yellow Exclamation Boxes and red x's. Only 3 for the relevant ID

The Red x's in applications with ID1000 read:
18\11\06 16:34:26 - Faulting application scrapbk.exe, version 2.0.2.0, faulting module scrapbk.exe, version 2.0.2.0, fault address 0x00048cd19

12\01\07 14:07:45 - Faulting application firefox.exe,version 1.8.20061.20418, faulting module rasadhlp.dll, version 5.1.2600.2938, faulting address 0x000011c6

21/01/07 18:01:17 - Faulting application iexplore.exe, version 6.0.2900.2180, faulting module flash.ocx, version 7.0.19.0, fault address 0x00032daa

I have saved logs in txt format but they are too big to send you. Could not upload in Event format. Approx 80 yellow and 50 reds in Application, and about the same in System Log
Cheers

 

I have found out something that may have caused these problems! My wife bought a scrapbooking package over the net and was so keen to get started, that she downloaded and installed by herself not really knowing what to do. This was done just before all my PC problems.
I have checked the errors via Win XP error logs in the Tools/Help tutorial and I have attached the list that started on 19th Dec to date. Please have a look at it
as someone of your experience may see the problem right away?
Thanks again

 

Connection to Internet is gradually getting better. One point is that if I minimize screen to work on Word/Excel for example, the PC freezes up at this point. So if I dont minimize, I can usually work away on the net alright. This is okay about 50% of the time.
Just trying to give you some more clues as to what the problem may be.
Cheers

 

the file wmprvse.exe that appears when internet connection is frozen is a Network Service; can anyone expert in Networks help?
I contacted Tiscali who are my ISP and they didnt help. What about if I terminate my contract with them and go with another ISP? Cleans out their connection and starts a new one?
Any thoughts?
Steve

 

Hi Mada, have you come up with any solution to the problems I have been having?
I could uninstall my ISP and change if that would do any good? Or try a clean install?
Steve