pc is soo slow even after full virus and adware scan !

Hi Guys,
superb site,
I'm having trouble with the speed, or lack of it, of my pc.
I've recentely doubled my ram from 512 to 1024,
installed all new microsoft updates,
upgraded to norton 2006 and done a full system scan
and updated lavasoft adaware

but still my pc is a lot slower than normal.

Even when i turn on the windows music crackles like it's too much strain to even boot up.

If i'm playing a music file and open up another programme it also crackles for about 30 seconds !

ANy ideas / suggestions would be very much welcomed, i really don't know what else to do ?

Thank you all

Dan

 

try downloading a program called FreeRAM XP Pro (freeware) it will monitor you RAM in your system tray and free as necessary, if this helps then the ram was your problem, try opening up task manager and ordering the processes by memory usage and find out which ones are causing the most memory loss (if that is the problem)


hope this helps...

 

First off, I totally disagree with Phantom. Memory "clearing" programs such as that, take up memory to run...and "defragging" RAM gives you about a .01% increase in performance, if any at all...


What kind of new memory did you add to your system?

It is also unfortunate for me to add, that Norton is notorious for causing all kinds of different system problems. From slow boots, to lockups....you name it, it's done it. It is possible though, that Norton is now set to scan the system during startup...might want to check into that if you plan on keeping the program. (uninstall it completely to find out if there's a difference)

Clear up all your startup programs you don't need running. Start, Run, msconfig and uncheck all unnecessary programs like update managers (qttask, office update etc), Adobe or Office startup files, system tray icons from programs ya don't need quick access too...all ya really need running is your firewall, video graphix, sound, AV (if you're using one) theme software. Note: apps like Yahoo/MSN/Windows Messenger's startup options must be unchecked inside their perspective programs. Unchecking them in msconfig may not always work.

 

You may still have spyware that norton and adware are not detecting. I had the same problem before and ended having to get spy sweeper. It found stuff that the others didn't. Have you tried ctrl+alt+delete and click on processes to see what running. Norton is also known to be a resource hog.

 

Morph416 i do believe that what i said was in some ways correct because it works for me...

but like i say in all conflicts of interests, to each is own...

 

Thanks for all your thoughts.
to Phantom, i have hd my win task manager open since all started slowing down, there is a load of processes i know nothing about, but i'm no genius here you understand, it's just things like explorer using 46,092
k svchost.exe using 28,308
ccApp.exe (which is down to norton) using 22,800 k
and
iexplore.exe using 32,036 k

all seem higher than before.

With this in mind shall i still get FreeRam XP pro ?

To Morph 416,
Yes i've definately noticed my whole pc being a lot slower since installing norton, not great news really is it ! but no it doesn't carry out full scan on start up.

Done msconfig and got rid of a whole heap of crap i know i don't need and even some stuff i thought i'd unistalled !
But again there is tons of stuff in there i know nothing about so i left it, but i probably unchecked a good third of the start up's.

To AE27,

I'm currently finding spt sweeper and will let you know the outcome.

So thanks again guys,

I really appreciate it.

Dan

 

yes either get that program or find anotehr alternative..

use any of these:
http://www.bysoft.com/freeram.php
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/foptimizer.html
http://www.yourwaresolutions.com/software.html#framxpro

any of these will do just fine...

the processe you listed are using extremely high amounts of memory..
explorer usually uses below 20MB sometimes rarely above..

so try these and tell me what happens...

 

I am new to afterdawn, and don't know nearly half of what most of the members know. I have battled with system slowness for months also. I have tried all the Ram cleaners and such but with no luck. I am totally against norton because it is the only program that i know of that makes your system run even worse after installing! I would reccomend Panda Platinum Internet Security 2006 I have been running for 7 months or so, and it runs just as fast as it did when i reformatted. Like i said I am new to this, but it has worked wonders for me

 

thank you for that suggestion.. (not sarcastic)
i personally use norton internet security 2005 and it only takes my computer about 40 seconds to start and i still have plenty of ram...
however i would still like to switch...
but when we post responses we try to save the monetary alternatives for last so taht if we find a simple FREE fix everybody is happy...

 

ok here's the latest

downloaded spy sweeper and done a full scan, 48 infections, all of them cookies, which have now been deleted, but no change to pc performance

downloaded bysoft FreeRam, not quite sure what i'm doing with it just yet, but the results are
free ram 50% (521mb)
memory load index 49%
and cpu, which is going up and down as it pleases, from 5% up to 90% or 100%

Whilst running these checks i have norton, spy sweeper and by soft running.

any views?

 

Just tried playing a single music track on windows media player

Ram steady at 52%

Memory Load index steady at 42%

CPU up to 100% jumping from 90% back to 100% with the records distorting when it hits 100%

?????

 

Hi ddp,

spent the afternoon carrying out your suggestions,

ccclean wiped almost 2 gig of crap !

the others all found something also,

one virus from the last scan,

but things still ain't right i'm afraid.

free ram is up to 64%
memory load index is down to 35%

but cpu usage is still jumping about,

when i start up the windows music distorts still,
as if it's too much effort,

during the spy bot scan, there's 26 problems it can't fix, all called smitfraud, i've gone to location and tried to manually delete but it won't let me

do you need to see the scan results from spy bot to help any further?

 

Hi,i got an idea. I think u should try NOD32 antivirus system. Sometimes Norton make me in trouble......

 

@Spurs,

Could you post your system specs for us please?

 

Yes Morph 416 sorry i should have given this at the start shouldn't i

Windows XP Home Edition
Version 2002 SP2
Hewlett-Packard Pavilion
Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.80GHz
2.80GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM

I have an exact same pc at my office except this one is used to download loads of crap from the internet and convert my movies etc and the office one is just for work,

The office one still has the regular RAM of 512, but i was using it today and it's so quicker than this one, i had the windows task manager up today and the cpu usage is half of what itis on this system for basic tasks such as ripping cd's or playing music.

I'm beginning to think i have to format and start from scratch ?

 

DDP

used your instructions and got rid of smit fraud thanks for that, and all the other rubbish i was able to lose whilst following your instructions,

it hasn't made much of a change to my cpu usage and so the speed of my pc, but there was certainly a lot of luggage i was hanging onto which needed to go so thanks

 

i've already unchecked a lot of files but here's the rest which i wasn't sure about and so left as they were

hpsysdrv
hkcmd
KBD
RECGUARD
Ati2mdxx
rundll32
atiptaxx
Dragdiag (this one is for my isp)
WkUFind
DVD Tray
ccApp (this one i know is down to Norton)
ALCXMNTR
Microsoft office
PowerReg Scheduler V3


Thats all that are still checked.