Need Computer Help ASAP

[GenericBox]

My computer CPU has been running at like 100% for the last few days in Windows. It doesn't even "load" up Windows before going slow. Right from the black scroll screen / Windows login screen it slows to a crawl.

I have Ubuntu installed at the same time and it runs fine. But I prefer Windows. How do I find out what the problem is let alone how to fix it?

I ran Windows in safemode and although it still took forever to start, once it was in safe mode it ran fine.

I have that many processes running I don't know which to determine is possibly fake or real.

Any help would be appreciated. I need Windows to finish my assignments. When I open the documents up in Ubuntu the formatting is lost in OpenOffice and it just looks ugly. (design is a key component).

[robertkd]

with windows running right click on the menu bar and select task manager.

when task manager starts select the tab to display processes and click in the % column until it shows the task using all the cpu cycles.

It is posible there is an issue with some process, have you added/updated any software recently??

[GenericBox]

Yeah I'm not that computer dumb lol. There is nothing that jumps out.

System Idle Process is always at around 80-100 (28k Mem usage) and perhaps sporadically the next highest is searchindexer.exe or related at about 04-08. Otherwise Norton is at about 02 and the other 30 or so processes at 00.

The only thing I can think of is that it has started since I downloaded 200 new songs for my birthday party - I think one of them might have been suspect. Norton didn't/hasn't said anything though.

I tried to run scans on Norton and use Ccleaner at work today - but in 6 hours it had only scanned 6000 files -- that slow.

[robertkd]

so how come you reckon you have 100% cpu utilisation?

[GenericBox]

Task Manager says it is - and the computer is going slow as if 100% of the CPU is in usage.

Althought the processes don't seem to add up - done the bottom of Task Manager, where it summarises.

Processes: 30ish || CPU Usage: 100% || Mem Usage: 500ish/2450M

[Mark]

Try running "msconfig" and disabling all of the Startup items.

If after a reboot, things improve, it's just a case of trial and error to find which startup item is causing the problem.

If that doesn't fix the problem, I'd say that it's likely to be either a virus or your anti-virus software - unfortunately some anti-virus programs are a cure worse than the disease :mad: Try temporarily disabling your anti-virus software and see if that fixes it - if not, then you might have something nasty on your system.

Also, try disconnecting all of your USB devices from the system - I have a vague recollection that a faulty USB device can cause this type of problem as well - perhaps try this first...

[GenericBox]

I thought it might have been Norton. Because when it first started going slow, at my party onn the weekend, the music played fine and then at about midnight - well into the party -a little box come up sayin norton was performing background tasks and it used so much CPU that the music was coming out in slow motion and all choppy - before the computer would just shut it off. Reboot, fine for 10 minutes, then norton bg tasks, slow mo, crash.

I'll try your suggestions when I get home. Thanks. And thanks Robert for trying a least :)

Would there be a reason a program like norton would just sudenyl start going to shit though?

[Mark]

Would there be a reason a program like norton would just sudenyl start going to shit though?

Because it's a poorly written piece of steaming you know what?

That and McAfee - they're both junk in my experience...

[Logic]

I vote norton is the problem....any computer problems I've had in the past have been a norton problem. I now run e-set smart security and have had no troubles.

[GenericBox]

What should I use then? AVG isn't free anymore isn't it?

[common pirate]

Norton are the slugs of antivirus, at the same time run ads about how the latest version is lightning fast and wont slow you down on the radio.

similar how windows vista offers a smoother more productive windows experence?

does anybody ever investigate said clams?

You do know you can run microsoft word Using ubuntu right?
try looking up an linux application called "PlayOnLinux"
its basicly a frontend for wine that uses pre configured set-up scripts.

[common pirate]

What should I use then? AVG isn't free anymore isn't it?

when using windows (work) i use McAfee, but it does slow you down, not as much as norton though.

other options:

Limit the use of windows os to offline activities.

Virtual Machine a windows Image. (refreshes to 'clean install' every boot)

Use Clamwin (free antivirus), but it offers no active protection. so you need to manually scan files.

[Mark]

What should I use then? AVG isn't free anymore isn't it?

Looks like it's still available as a free edition:

http://free.avg.com/au-en/download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition

[Logic]

I use this http://www.eset.com.au/ but it's not free

[GenericBox]

I don't mind it not being "free" - it's just that I paid 100 bucks for Norton in the first place and another hundred a month or so ago to renew the subscription. So I'd rather not have that waste of money :(

It was working fine up until a few days ago - never any problems...

Should I just uninstall/reinstall it?

PS. At work at the moment so any suggestions will have to wait for feedback until I get home tonight at around 7pm :)

PSS. That IS if Norton is even the problem in the first place...

[Mark]

If it is Norton that is causing the problem - you could try hitting them up for a refund.

They'll probably refuse, but could be worth a try.

[KeithW]

An earlier post suggested editing the start up in msconfig and unchecking all the items. This is not a good thing to do, there are necessary items in there that windows requires.

Norton could be your problem, but so can a lot of other programs. Adobe likes to hog resources as well.

First thing I would try is to run in Safe Mode hold the F8 key during the boot up and chose the safe mode option. Then check the CPU. If its running normal then it is either a start up program or a driver causing the problem.

Norton is a good start, it has for a long time been a massive system burden and I would not let it near any of my computers, same goes for Macfee.

Another option is to do a system restore to an earlier time where you think your computer was running OK.

Worse case scenario though is you could have some malware floating around.

If you are using Windows XP it is also a good idea to completely re-format and reload it every 12 months or so. It works wonders.

As hard drives are very cheap these days I have a spare drive that has a new install of XP and my essential programs, I swap the drives over and then re-clone the old one, takes about 5 minutes.

[GenericBox]

Yeah thanks Keith.

Harddrives are indeed getting "cheap" - but they are still an unnecessary expense I can't afford.

As to re-installing Windows, I do do that quite often, well, around 6 months to a year, but I need my computer working right "now" so to speak - I have assignments due very soon and although wiping takes little time, reinstallation of everything I have, finding discs, downloading all those bloody Service Packs and Updates will take time I can't waste.

If all else fails I might have to see how to use Office in Linux.

I also thought it might be a partition thing that has caused Norton / Windows to freak out. It has also generally been happening since I split my harddrive and have been running Ubuntu at the same time. So tonight I am going to destroy Ubuntu and see if that helps.

I am not sure how to get to the safe boot menu anymore, I am familiar with the screen you suggest but with Linux came the GRUB boot system and the first screen I see is the GRUB Select OS screen. It is just Ubuntu or Windows and I don't know how to get to boot options from within it.

Anyway, more things to consider. The most annoying thing is just waiting for it to start up - it takes nearly 20 minutes to go from power button to completely loaded in Windows.

Very frustrating.

[Mark]

An earlier post suggested editing the start up in msconfig and unchecking all the items. This is not a good thing to do, there are necessary items in there that windows requires.

Such as?

There shouldn't be anything under the Startup tab that is absolutely required.

Items under the Services tab are a different story though - some of those are required.

Norton could be your problem, but so can a lot of other programs. Adobe likes to hog resources as well.Yep - far too many programs configure themselves to start automatically with Windows which is completely unnecessary and just ends up slowing the system down.

On systems that I'm fixing for friends, I usually disable most of the startup items using msconfig - helps quite a lot.

First thing I would try is to run in Safe Mode hold the F8 key during the boot up and chose the safe mode option. Then check the CPU. If its running normal then it is either a start up program or a driver causing the problem.He's already tried that if you read the original post...

Norton is a good start, it has for a long time been a massive system burden and I would not let it near any of my computers, same goes for Macfee.Agreed!

Another option is to do a system restore to an earlier time where you think your computer was running OK.Could certainly be worth trying!

Worse case scenario though is you could have some malware floating around.Unfortunately, that's always a possibility.

If you are using Windows XP it is also a good idea to completely re-format and reload it every 12 months or so. It works wonders.As long as you know how to keep the crud off your system, it's not really necessary to do that - my laptop has been running for a bit over 3 years since the last reinstall of Windows XP and it's still fine.

As hard drives are very cheap these days I have a spare drive that has a new install of XP and my essential programs, I swap the drives over and then re-clone the old one, takes about 5 minutes.Another option is to create an image on DVD - depending on how much you have installed, you might need multiple discs though.

[Loki]

Option B
95

[GenericBox]

I did a System Restore back to December 5 - which should of been made "before" my party when I first remember it pissing me off... But it said it changed nothing and alas nothing changed.

The only other checkpoint I have before that is a month ago when I removed Google Earth - so I guess unless Google got pissed off I uninstalled its program and decided to virus me I don't think much will change from then either.

And yeah, as in the OP I have ran Safe Mode - I do remember it being sporadic, and at some times higher - it was generally fine. Not a problem. But I can't remember for sure now so I am not sure.

Get ready for a lot of frustrated posts tonight when I try all these things ;)

[Mark]

The most annoying thing is just waiting for it to start up - it takes nearly 20 minutes to go from power button to completely loaded in Windows.

Very frustrating.

That is very slow...

If it's taking that long before it even gets to the Windows logon screen, that would seem to indicate either a hardware problem or that there's a driver being loaded early on that's causing the problem.

The fact that Ubuntu is working fine and that it works OK once it's booted in safe mode would seem to indicate that it's not a hardware problem, but it's difficult to say for sure.

Booting into Safe mode is normally a slower process than booting normally.

[GenericBox]

Yeah I know - I am not sure if I articulated it good enough, but the computer/CPU "appears" to be running at 100% right from the black "Windows XP" [scrolling load bar] boot screen. It takes longer on that screen, then the screen goes black for 30 seconds, then it goes "Windows XP Blue" before loading in the "background image" and "Welcome" etc. Then the Windows XP login sound plays - but it too comes out in slow motion and choppy... "Slow mo" meaning think of the Matrix sound effects when they go in and out of the system.... Like that p.e.i.c.e. .b.y. .p.e.i.c.e. sound.

Then it goes back to "Windows XP Blue" before loading in my desktop picture (a "custom" background of a photo off my harddrive), loads the Task Bar and Desktop items, and then proceeds to take another 10 minutes with a "Sand Timer" pointer on the Task Bar while it loads my system tray programs, which - if I can remember (all going off memory) - is... Touchpad, Battery Miser, On Screen Display, MSN Messenger, ATI something something, Something else, and then Norton 360.

Safe mode booted in around 30 seconds... if that.

[Mark]

Yeah I know - I am not sure if I articulated it good enough, but the computer/CPU "appears" to be running at 100% right from the black "Windows XP" [scrolling load bar] boot screen. It takes longer on that screen

So how long would you say that it spends on that screen?

[GenericBox]

Maybe a minute, probably longer - I don't know exactly I am just trying to estimate from memories.

A minute might not seem like long - but it used to just pretty much go [][][][] scroll scroll over.

Now it continues scrolling for that minute or two... And it's a slow two minutes when it's just a loading screen lol.

As for tImB - It's kind of sad they have to make a seperate program just to completely remove their own product...

But that sounds like solid advice if/when I get it fixed.

[Mark]

Maybe a minute, probably longer - I don't know exactly I am just trying to estimate from memories.

That is pretty slow.

Try unplugging all of your USB devices first and then see if that makes a difference - it may not be the cause, but it'd be a pretty quick test...

[GenericBox]

Alrighty I'm home. And I timed the startup - I couldn't believe it actually was this long...

Windows boot screen [scroll bar] = ~ 1 min
Blank Black Screen = 1:14.3
Welcome/Desktop completed loaded = 12:50.5

I have just disabled all Startup items and am now restarting... Let's see how this goes.

Right now I have [End Program - ccSvcHost.exe] and [End Program - explorer.exe] then slow motion shutdown sound effect.

[GenericBox]

If it bloody restarts at all -- It's spent the last 29 minutes on the "Windows is installing Updates (1 of 1)"

From the time I last posted (8:23) until now (8:53) --- grr.

[GenericBox]

Didn't change a thing... :( Okay - Next step I am going to reboot in Safemode, uninstall Norton and go from there.

[GenericBox]

I am removing Ubuntu first... See if that makes a difference. It seems to have started since having that too.

[GenericBox]

Well that's handy... I downloaded Partition Wizard to remove Ubuntu and it won't let me open it...

"Partition Wizard failed to load disk access driver. Please try to launch Partition Wizard again."

Could this be related to my problems?

[GenericBox]

Things are looking up - I System Restored back to the Google Earth uninstall and it's restarted now just as fast as normal, on the summary screen it showed that more than 10 files in System locations had been restored - which is scary - why the hell / how the hell were they removed :S

Anyway Norton has completely reset - I've lost my Virus Definitions and its rebooted itself / bought up the Norton recovery mode. But all is looking good....

For now. Once Norton has recovered itself and downloaded the updates I'll check what the CPU is at.

[GenericBox]

Ooo I never knew I had that many icons in my system tray lol. It's like getting the computer new again - it's all lighting up again I love it.

[atuanui]

You would be better deleting windows and using ubuntu. This is just the sort of problem that you will get using windows.:)

[KeithW]

Sorry Mark, I was getting muddled up with the services tab in msconfig. There are a few ways to ensure that XP is tuned up and if you look after it there should not be too many issues.

A lot of people though are constantly installing and uninstalling programs and many of these have crappy programming that leave behind some bits all over your system, the standard windows uninstaller and the actual program uninstaller leave a lot to be desired.

While you can use a DVD image as a back up it also requires some sort of back up utility to restore, these can be disabled by malware. My other worry about using DVD's is how do you know it is really going to work.

Using a spare hard drive (around $60) and free software is my preferred solution as it can be very easily tested and very quick to get up and running.

This also has its limitations as does any "back up". You email and address book and document data need to be backed up regularly, I do this anyway on an external USB hard drive(s). My music library is all held externally.

Over the years I have like many others experienced data loss of some sort, I'm now more diligent almost to the point of obsessive. Our photos, music and other important stuff is on three external drives. The photos are the most important to us and I also regularly burn up to date DVD's (3) and keep at least one of them at our daughters house. If we lost our photos in a fire my wife would die, they are her most precious possession.

A lot of people including me now heavily rely on our computers for all sorts of things, I really don't know what I would do without one. They are like any other mechanical device, they have to be maintained, sadly though it is not always easy including for experienced users.

[Mark]

Sorry Mark, I was getting muddled up with the services tab in msconfig.

No worries - it's good that this was brought up just in case others were also confused and ended up making their systems unbootable.

While you can use a DVD image as a back up it also requires some sort of back up utility to restore, these can be disabled by malware. My other worry about using DVD's is how do you know it is really going to work.Fair points. A good backup/recovery program will make the backup discs bootable so that you don't need to worry about what is already on the drive. Of course, the cost of a good program is often more than the cost of just getting a spare drive!

Over the years I have like many others experienced data loss of some sort, I'm now more diligent almost to the point of obsessive. Our photos, music and other important stuff is on three external drives. The photos are the most important to us and I also regularly burn up to date DVD's (3) and keep at least one of them at our daughters house. If we lost our photos in a fire my wife would die, they are her most precious possession.Multiple and off site backups are always a good idea for anything important!

[atuanui]

maybe you could try this:

Malware Removal (Includes Virus, Spyware and Crimeware)
• Boot into safe mode (with networking), remove all temp files, turn off system restore
• Delete System restore files (Hidden, on root boot drive, “System Volume information” folder
• Install good known Malware removal tools. You can run multiple applications
Rouge Remover (Very Fast, good when onsite, from Malwarebytes)
Malwarebytes Ant-Malware (www.malwarebytes.org) The Best!
Super Antispyware (Alternate to Malwarebytes, sometimes need to update reboot sometimes. Still very good. Need to remember to remove before giving back computer)
• Run CCleaner, delete any temp files, check start-up items, clean junk from registry
• Run
Dial-a-Fix, also can use to check for any Policies added by infections.
• Reboot to normal Mode. Check left over. Make sure everything works.
• Some infections hide folders and files in “Documents and Settings” Folders. Will affect Start Menu and Desktop items.
• Check Time Format. You may need to run regedit. Can change from “hh:mm” to “hh:mm: VIRUS ALERT!” Easy way to scare people. Also can be missed by some Technicians.
• Time to decide on Customers Security Software. Remove all old Products that are old and useless. Big offender is Adware SE. If it worked or was in use, customer may not need to come into shop. Also old Spybot Search and Destroy. This can be useful software, but remove older versions. Also Tea Timer is not good. If it worked for the customer, Malware would not be there.
• Security Software. Never recommend Software that does not work. Norton’s, TREND, McAfee, Bit Defender, AntiVer, AVG FREE, and Bullguard. All seem to fail or have major faults.
• Kaspersky and AVG PAID Version (Has real time Spyware prevention) have worked the best. Sell and install to remove further infections
• Make sure you can run all Windows Updates
• RULE NUMBER ONE: DO NOT SPEND MORE TIME THAN NESSESARY. NOT OUR FAULT THE WAY CLIENT USED THEIR COMPUTER. NEVER FEAL GUILTY!
• Remember rule one, in really bad case, clone hard disk. Format and re-install. In the meantime, Scan infected Cloned disk, and remove infections. Re-install Programs, updates and security software. Manually copy customer data after hard disk scanned. May be a hassle for the customer, but they will protect themselves in the future. Plus System not going to come back if attempted removal fails.
• Check for offending Software. Most damage comes from Bittorent and Limewire apps. NOTHING IS FOR FREE! They will think twice after they pay us to fix their PC.

http://www.hijackthis.de/ [To post the log]


http://www.malwarebytes.org/

A combination of Malwarebytes, Dr Web Cureit, Avira and

This comes from someone who repairs for money, no not I.

cheers
at*

[GenericBox]

Hey guys, thanks for all the help...

Eventually I think it was dual-boot / Ubuntu that screwed it up - when I resized the partitions first time.

I uninstalled Ubuntu, but had to run a chkdsk and had many errors to fix before I could continue.

Something about boot tables or something... Wasn't paying attention.

But its all fixed now :D