sluggish system

[mickeddie]

My brand spanking new E6600 machine is as slow as a 3 toed sloth!!! I am running Windows XP Pro and the other day I downloaded something from a p2p network and think my system is infected with something. I ran my antivirus software and it got something and deleted it. I ran Ccleaner to clean up my registry and ran Giant Antispyware, Microsoft's Malware removal app, and Spybot. Spybot I ran first and it found several things. MS's tool found nothing and Giant is currently scanning and so far found nothing.

What else could be causing Windows XP to launch applications so slowly? Is there a flowchart of things to follow? Should I re-load XP? If so can I do a repair or do I have to do a full install? It'd be a real pain to back up all of my data again as I only have 1 HD on this machine. I can use this as a reason to buy a new one

Thanks!!

Eddie

 

[sluzbenik]

The least time consuming thing you can do is get an external HD, back up your data, and format and reinstall.

Otherwise you are in for it...until you can identify the spyware/virus, you are screwed. Try Windows Defender (it's free for now) or download a trial of Spy Sweeper. I run Windows Defender all the time - it is quite unobtrusive and doesn't use as many resources as Spy Sweeper (which I used on my old computer), whether it is good or not, I don't know, since it hasn't caught anything and I am careful.

I managed to get something on my wife's laptop once and it took me about 5 or 6 hours to collect the information and get it off using other people's registry hacks, spy ware cleaners, etc. I didn't have access to the recovery disks at the time, otherwise I would have just dumped her files and reformatted.

If you are commited to running pirated software from P2P, look into virtualization and get a copy of XP running on a virtual machine that you can try stuff out on without hosing your main system.

 

[woshitudou]

If it were my system I wouldn't want to backup and format cause things like backing up favorites, application data settings, my docs, custom reg settings and so forth take a long time.

I'd give installing over your current installation a shot. That way you won't lose your data. If the virus' is still there after that then download hijackthis, run a scan and paste the scan log.

If there is a virus I can help you yank it out.

 

[frankienyc123]

Was the computer running fast before you downloaded the files from the P2P? If so you most likely have a virus and spyware problem. You can download Hijackthis and do a scan and post the results someone may be able to gigve u hand solving the problem. You really should stay away from P2P like Kazaa and limewire they are full of viruses and spyware. My gurlfreind drives me crazy cuz she uses limewire and then once a month I have to do major cleanup and disinfect because her computer gets so infected and slow, even with a good realtime spyware program like Spysweeper or Spycatcher.

If that doesnt work backup ur files and do a clean install of windows and then stay away from P2P. Maybe try Bittorent instead ive found that tu get much less spyware and viruses when you DL torrent files, just scan them with ur virus/spyware scanner before u open the files. Good luck