Recently, my computer works well for about 30 min. after I turn it on, but then it gets sloooooow. I do remove spyware and adware regularly, but still that is not much help. I scan for viruses, but none are found.

[But I have noticed an unusual amount of spyware/adware on my computer recently - which seems odd since I have a firewall].

It almost seems as though a malicious program has gotten into the computer. I went to the add/remove program area, but there does not seem to be anything weird there. Checks for memory leaks [in the run>task manager area] seem normal via watching the numbers and bit/byte usage.

Does anyone know how to find a malicious program in a PC easily?

Thanks.



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Seems that every fews years or so you need to reformat your harddrive and reinstall the software, just clear out a lot of crap the gets put on your drive either deliberately or through spyware. Also some programs may get corrupted over time.

Alway good to have a backup drive on your system to make this easier.

Another cause can be that the computer isn't cooled enough.

Seems that every fews years or so you need to reformat your harddrive and reinstall the software, just clear out a lot of crap the gets put on your drive either deliberately or through spyware.....
I have to agree with Jim on this one. I'm on my third computer and like clockwork it will start slowing down after about a year of web surfing and nothing seems to help until you erase everything and start over.

Is your computer low on system resources or memory? Do you defrag often? How many programs are running on your taskbar and on your startup? If something isn't necessary to run try turning it off. Did you try rebooting to see if that helps? A few other spyware programs to check out are HiJackThis and CWShredder. Make sure your dat files are up-to-date on your adaware and virus scanners and if nothing helps I'd backup your important files to CD-R and reinstall Windows.

Could be that your computer is just old now for the programs that are on the market nowadays. Mine definately runs slower than it did when I bought. Yes, besides scanning for spyware and viruses and defraging, reinstalling the OS is not a bad thing to do. You would be surprised how much that can help. I reinstalled Windows XP about a month ago and that definately helped things up. Cleared up my HD (obviously) of crap that was piled up over the years and never removed by Windows.

Consider doing some of these things also. Run Disk cleanup on your system. It will basically remove a bunch of temporary and cache files your computer doesnt need. Go to Start, Programs or All Programs depending on your Windows, Accessories, System Tools, then Disk Cleanup. Make sure each of the boxes is selected and hit OK to have it delete stuff you dont need.

I dont really know if this will help at all but try running CHKDSK on your comp. It'll check your harddrive for errors and fix them. Right click My Computer and click on Manage. Click on Disk Management. Click on drive inside of there and then right click on it and hit Properties. Go to the Tools tab and click on the Check Now button in the Error checking section. Select both buttons (Automatically fix errors and the Fix bad sectors) and hit okay. If this is a secondary drive of yours itll check it in real time. If its your primary one, you will have to restart your computer and it will check it during startup.

Depending on the size of your drive it may take a little while to check.

Thats all I can really think of at the moment. Hate typing up stuff makes it hard to describe anything heh.

Great. Many thanks to all.



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How many programs are running on your taskbar and on your startup? If something isn't necessary to run try turning it off. Did you try rebooting to see if that helps? A few other spyware programs to check out are HiJackThis and CWShredder. Make sure your dat files are up-to-date on your adaware and virus scanners and if nothing helps I'd backup your important files to CD-R and reinstall Windows.

Yep, go to Start-Run- then type in "msconfig" (no quotes)-then click startup and view all the things you have checked and uncheck some that aren't necessary as Himmler suggests.

Also, I suggest buying System Mechanic.

"Whether you are looking to fix stubborn computer errors, clean-up your registry, defragment your hard drive and memory, speed-up Windows and the Internet, eliminate spyware, secure your PC, or perform a variety of critical system maintenance tasks, the System Mechanic Product Family has the right tools for the job".

http://www.iolo.com/sm/

Yep, go to Start-Run- then type in "msconfig" (no quotes)-then click startup and view all the things you have checked and uncheck some that aren't necessary as Himmler suggests.

Also, I suggest buying System Mechanic.

"Whether you are looking to fix stubborn computer errors, clean-up your registry, defragment your hard drive and memory, speed-up Windows and the Internet, eliminate spyware, secure your PC, or perform a variety of critical system maintenance tasks, the System Mechanic Product Family has the right tools for the job".

http://www.iolo.com/sm/

Of course before you decide to uncheck something that wont be started up in MSCONFIG, looking it up in a search engine. Just type the name as it appears in Google or Yahoo and itll bring up pages that tell you what that process does. Last thing you want to do is stop a process from running that you NEED to run. ;)

I got something on my computer from VNNF, and I know that somewhere on this site is where it came from.

It was called bargains, and it caused pop-ups and slowed my computer. I found it and went to add/remove programs and removed it and my computer is working fine now.

Control alt delete and see if there is something called bargains running, if so delete the program.

If you are using Microshitz info products, check out this site which will give you a little info on Windows minutae. LOL, running Windoze XP Pro on this laptop has caused me untold grief with hackers including the uniquely info-age humiliation of having the porn collection stored on my D drive raided (;p) by the obnoxious script kiddies on my cable network. Little bastards took some of my best shit and screwed with my Windoze settings to let me know they were there, well they weren’t all that slick ‘cause I was able to see in the log who connected to my peecee …and y’all know one of my favorites is ‘payback is a medevac’ …wahahahaha! :p

Anyway, kiddie ‘black viper’ has some info you might want to read about Windoze.
Cheers


http://www.blackviper.com/index.html

If you are using Microshitz info products, check out this site which will give you a little info on Windows minutae. LOL, running Windoze XP Pro on this laptop has caused me untold grief with hackers including the uniquely info-age humiliation of having the porn collection stored on my D drive raided (;p) by the obnoxious script kiddies on my cable network. Little bastards took some of my best shit and screwed with my Windoze settings to let me know they were there, well they weren’t all that slick ‘cause I was able to see in the log who connected to my peecee …and y’all know one of my favorites is ‘payback is a medevac’ …wahahahaha! :p

Anyway, kiddie ‘black viper’ has some info you might want to read about Windoze.
Cheers


http://www.blackviper.com/index.html

Only reason I use Windows is because its where the games are at. I suppose you could get some of them working in Linux by recompiling the kernel or getting an emulator...but I suck at that stuff lol.

......caused me untold grief with hackers including the uniquely info-age humiliation of having the porn collection stored on my D drive raided (;p) by the obnoxious script kiddies on my cable network. Little bastards took some of my best shit and screwed .....

http://www.blackviper.com/index.html
A cyber turd-burglary on a lap-top can ruin a day. I have the advantage of not owning one

Recently, my computer works well for about 30 min. after I turn it on, but then it gets sloooooow. I do remove spyware and adware regularly, but still that is not much help. I scan for viruses, but none are found.

[But I have noticed an unusual amount of spyware/adware on my computer recently - which seems odd since I have a firewall].

It almost seems as though a malicious program has gotten into the computer. I went to the add/remove program area, but there does not seem to be anything weird there. Checks for memory leaks [in the run>task manager area] seem normal via watching the numbers and bit/byte usage.

Does anyone know how to find a malicious program in a PC easily?

Thanks.



---------------


I was having the same problem with my computer for about a month. My computer would work fine when I first turned it on for about 20 minutes and then it would get real slow. I also started getting messages saying my virtual memory was to low. Then my computer started shutting off all the time. I finally brought it in to get repaired about 3 days ago. And I had numerous viruses and spyware. Some of the infected files could not be removed and they had to do a system recovery and I lost all of my files and it cost me about $100.00. Before I brought the computer in, I tried downloading all the spyware removal programs and none of them worked.

Btw, unless you know at least a little something about computers, do not attempt to do a system recovery by yourself. I did that a while ago, and I did something wrong and had to reinstall my operating system and I messed up my computer. It had no sound and many missing programs.

Btw, unless you know at least a little something about computers, do not attempt to do a system recovery by yourself. I did that a while ago, and I did something wrong and had to reinstall my operating system and I messed up my computer. It had no sound and many missing programs.

Hmm! Could it be...perhaps...yer a dumbshit!

Maybe it's just me and I think people who own computers might actually know how to use them!

How could I have been so stupid!

Forget the whole thing! "Reinstall" yer operating system and try to fix yer sound card and those o' so missing programs you "messed up"!

Argg! Stupid people piss me off!

Hmm! Could it be...perhaps...yer a dumbshit!

Maybe it's just me and I think people who own computers might actually know how to use them!

How could I have been so stupid!

Forget the whole thing! "Reinstall" yer operating system and try to fix yer sound card and those o' so missing programs you "messed up"!

Argg! Stupid people piss me off!



Sorry, I am not a computer tech, jerk. I guess that alone would prove I am not as bright as you :rolleyes:

Its a Jew planted bug.
I have had a hell of a time with internet optimizer
time to go to their sites,and pay them back for this shit

Sorry, I am not a computer tech. I really don't see the connection between not being able to fix your computer and being stupid. I guess that alone would prove I am not as bright as you :rolleyes:
Uhh ok, it's not yer fault. In all honesty there is nobody on the face of this earth that is as bright as I am!

I won't go into the fact that I am the most fabulous human White male specimen to ever inhabit the planet, but that of course goes without saying.

Did I also mention modesty.. well we will save that for chapter 2 of the book of Steve B.

Hmm! Could it be...perhaps...yer a dumbshit!

Maybe it's just me and I think people who own computers might actually know how to use them!

How could I have been so stupid!

Forget the whole thing! "Reinstall" yer operating system and try to fix yer sound card and those o' so missing programs you "messed up"!

Argg! Stupid people piss me off!

LOL I guess you aren't the only one that found her post to be a bit painful to read. Made it sound like a major crisis. Really its just some basic computer stuff you can learn and you wont look at it like a catastrophe again, like she does.

LOL that was a funny post though.

LOL I guess you aren't the only one that found her post to be a bit painful to read. Made it sound like a major crisis. Really its just some basic computer stuff you can learn and you wont look at it like a catastrophe again, like she does.

LOL that was a funny post though.


Ok, so I am not as computer savy as a couple of you pretend to be, so shoot me :rolleyes:

Ok, so I am not as computer savy as a couple of you pretend to be, so shoot me :rolleyes:

Just joking babe. I just remember the days where I used to be scared of doing anything to my computer.

If the firewall on my computer is working, and it seems to be, why do I still get adware and spyware when I surf the web?





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If the firewall on my computer is working, and it seems to be, why do I still get adware and spyware when I surf the web?





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A firewall (usually) won't stop adware/spyware. That stuff usually comes bundled in other software or by you accidently clicking "yes" to something.


Solution? Adaware (http://www.majorgeeks.com/download506.html)



...

Spyware comes from bad software and you also get it from just surfing the net. It's like a virus that finds your pc and installs itself. Firewall and anti-virus programs aren't designed to block spyware. I hear there is a browser called Fire Fox that blocks most spyware.

Btw, unless you know at least a little something about computers, do not attempt to do a system recovery by yourself. I did that a while ago, and I did something wrong and had to reinstall my operating system and I messed up my computer. It had no sound and many missing programs.
Windows CDs come with generic drivers and few useless programs. You have to have the drivers for your graphic & sound cards to get them to work and/or work at their best. Most new computers come with system restore type CDs which have the drivers you need on them otherwise you have to know which company made your cards and visit their site to find drivers. I got my audio & display drivers from the Microsoft website when I did Windows update. :cool:

Windows CDs come with generic drivers and few useless programs. You have to have the drivers for your graphic & sound cards to get them to work and/or work at their best. Most new computers come with system restore type CDs which have the drivers you need on them otherwise you have to know which company made your cards and visit their site to find drivers. I got my audio & display drivers from the Microsoft website when I did Windows update. :cool:


Due to viruses, again. I recently had to do another system recovery and reinstalation of my operating system, and I got it right this time and everything is working properly again. I guess, I might be getting a little better :o

Spyware comes from bad software and you also get it from just surfing the net. It's like a virus that finds your pc and installs itself. Firewall and anti-virus programs aren't designed to block spyware. I hear there is a browser called Fire Fox that blocks most spyware.

Firefox doesn't support the Windows Browser Helper Objects, a massive backdoor for software installation, and allows you to block popups.

http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

I recommend it.

Another option (costs money) is the Nordic-coded browser Opera:

http://www.opera.com/download/

I recommend that all people running Windows install this firewall:

http://www.kerio.com/kpf_home.html

You can make a living these days simply de-virusing windows machines and installing the above software, at $50-$75/hour.