Internet Explorer browser keeps closing !(Clicking Sound!!)

When I start the computer, I hear some clicking sounds & when I attempt to open the IE browser, it keeps closing ! This goes for about 3 to 4 minutes after I start the computer, then the clicking noise stops & I am able to open the IE browser & it stays open.
Strange.
I ran Norton AntiVirus, AVG AntiSpyware, AdAware 2007, Spybot Search & Destroy and VundoFix --- they detected nothing.

I don't know what the "clicking noise" is : we usually hear such a sound when say we go to www.nytimes.com & when it refreshes its page every say 20 minutes, we hear a similar clicking sound.

The following is the HijackThis v2.0.2 logfile :

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 7:43:23 PM, on 4/5/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16608)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\AppCore\AppSvc32.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware 2007\aawservice.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\eMachines Bay Reader\shwiconem.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
C:\WINDOWS\SOUNDMAN.EXE
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTTask.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUSchedulerSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\guard.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\SVchOst.Exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\inetsrv\inetinfo.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7Debug\mdm.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\MI6841~1\MSSQL\binn\sqlservr.exe
c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlwriter.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Symantec\LIVEUP~1\LUCOMS~1.EXE
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = about:blank
N2 - Netscape 6: user_pref("browser.search.defaultengine", "engine://C%3A%5CProgram%20Files%5CNetscape%5CNetscape%206%5Csearchplugins%5CSBWeb_01.src"); (C:\Documents and Settings\GAURANG GANDHI\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\7jt8wdpp.slt\prefs.js)
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Spybot-S&D IE Protection - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunKistEM] "C:\Program Files\eMachines Bay Reader\shwiconem.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMan] SOUNDMAN.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTTask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [osCheck] "C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\osCheck.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Symantec PIF AlertEng] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\PIFSvc.exe" /a /m "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\AlertEng.dll"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [updateMgr] C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AdobeUpdateManager.exe AcRdB7_0_9
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [DWQueuedReporting] "C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\MICROS~1\DW\dwtrig20.exe" -t (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [DWQueuedReporting] "C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\MICROS~1\DW\dwtrig20.exe" -t (User 'Default user')
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~4\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~4\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {DFB852A3-47F8-48C4-A200-58CAB36FD2A2} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Spybot - Search & Destroy Configuration - {DFB852A3-47F8-48C4-A200-58CAB36FD2A2} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O16 - DPF: {02BCC737-B171-4746-94C9-0D8A0B2C0089} (Microsoft Office Template and Media Control) - http://officeint.microsoft.com/templates/ieawsdc.cab
O16 - DPF: {4EFA317A-8569-4788-B175-5BAF9731A549} (Microsoft Virtual Server VMRC Advanced Control) - https://www.microsoft.com/resources/virtuallabs/ActiveX/VMRCActiveXClient1.cab
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/wuweb_site.cab?1157744749359
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/muweb_site.cab?1178553940234
O23 - Service: Ad-Aware 2007 Service (aawservice) - Lavasoft - C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware 2007\aawservice.exe
O23 - Service: Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUSchedulerSvc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Anti-Spyware Guard - GRISOFT s.r.o. - C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\guard.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Settings Manager (ccSetMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Lic NetConnect service (CLTNetCnService) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: Report Application Server (CrystalReportApplicationServer) - Crystal Decisions - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Crystal Decisions\2.0\bin\querysrv.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec IS Password Validation (ISPwdSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\isPwdSvc.exe
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate - Symantec Corporation - C:\PROGRA~1\Symantec\LIVEUP~1\LUCOMS~1.EXE
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate Notice Service Ex (LiveUpdate Notice Ex) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate Notice Service - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\PIF\{B8E1DD85-8582-4c61-B58F-2F227FCA9A08}\PIFSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Core LC - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec AppCore Service (SymAppCore) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\AppCore\AppSvc32.exe

--
End of file - 6649 bytes

 

Try this:

Press Alt+Ctrl+Del to bring up Task Manager.

Click on the Applications tab and end all running programmes (don't worry about the messages threatening dire consequences)

If your noises persist click on the Processes tab then click twice on the CPU column. This will promote the processes using the most CPU time to the top of the list.

Now watch carefully to see if any process coincides with your noise.

If it does try and identify what that process belongs to, it may be glaringly obvious by it's name, or it may not...!

 

dear QuikDraw,
i tried what you said,
when i start the computer,
2 processes :

System Idle Process
iexplore.exe

show up in the CPU top list.
Even when I have not opened IE browser, the process iexplore.exe
shows up & every time when it goes up to the top of the CPU list i
hear the clicking sound

Does that mean my IE version 7.0 is infected ?? It works fine
2 to 3 minutes after those clicking sounds go away ( just after
I start the computer ) : i do not want to download a new copy
of the IE, is there an easy fix to this "clicking sound problem"
which happens every time i start my computer & causes the IE browser
to close ??