Computer gurus have suggestions?

[Amelia G]

So the deities of irony are basically mocking me with the computer problems I just started having.

My FireFox will crash itself when I am not even in the room.

Pages will take forever to load. Saving a Photoshop JPEG will take like ten minutes when it should be pretty much instant.

Everything I type lags way behind how fast I am typing it and sometimes drops letters or portions of sentences.

All MicroSoft Office products flicker unbearbably whenever I use them.

I prefer to write in Word, so this sucks a lot.

Task Manager does not appear to be working when I call it up. It just displays all funky and won't let me use it to close much.

I keep having to hard boot and, when I do, on restart, SpyBot Search and Destroy keeps trying to delete a MicroSoft Office file called ctfmon.exe

Yes, I am fully aware or the irony in this happening right after I wrote an article praising MicroSoft.

Anyone have any ideas of what is wrong or how I can fix it?

So far, SpyBot, AdAware, Panda, and Malwarebytes have been unable to deal with it and Housecall refuses to load for some reason, claiming it does not work with my OS, when it has cleaned this specific machine with the same setup in the past. My computer is also claiming to feel MicroSoft support is a security risk.

[Bikerpunk]

Amelia, what does Task Manager say is going on? Can you see what processes are running?

[Bikerpunk]

You're probably not using it anyway: here's how to get rid of it

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...is-it-running/

[Amelia G]

Amelia, what does Task Manager say is going on? Can you see what processes are running?

The thing the Task Manager has been doing is it will take like five to ten minutes after I call it to actually display info, but the info displayed is all the usual stuff I'd expect to see running.

I have been having the language toolbar popping into my bottom nav, though, when I really don't think I need that. So I went ahead and did the Windows XP style disable described on that link you provided. I also disabled a couple other random useless things from like file-sending programs and such, which I can invoke as needed, but do not require on startup.

Can't figure out where my Uniblue Registry Booster has got to.

Unfortunately, I am still getting the insane flashing flickering screen thing in MicroSoft Word. I think it happens in Excel too, but I suck at Excel and usually only use it for viewing data in files other people created. I use an old version of Word, but writing is such alchemy that changing any portion of that process could really decrease my output

Frustrated and sad Amelia.

I feel like part of the problem is some sort of memory thing which takes a while to cycle up because I'm typing this post no problem, but, once my comp has been on for a while, typing seems to really lag in a location like this and stuff regularly freezes for a while and then comes back to life five to ten minutes later. Not very conducive to productivity.

Thoughts?

[jonny.illuminati]

are you using vista?

[Amelia G]

are you using vista?

Windows XP 64 Professional. Selected it for maximum speed on processing photos, but it has some compatibility issues for other uses.

I use stone age word processing. I prefer to write in MicroSoft Word 97.

I might add that my CPU Usage in Task Mager for System Idle Process seems higher than what I'd normally see.

[Head Wreck]

somethings definatly not right there.

a really daft question. have you scanned the computer?

[Bikerpunk]

The thing the Task Manager has been doing is it will take like five to ten minutes after I call it to actually display info, but the info displayed is all the usual stuff I'd expect to see running.

I'd look for a process taking up an unusual amount of CPU space.

What I think is happening is something you're running has a memory leak.
In other words, the application asks for memory, and only gives back 80% of it. Over time, the OS tries to find more memory, which takes longer, and longer...

[Amelia G]

I'd look for a process taking up an unusual amount of CPU space.

What I think is happening is something you're running has a memory leak.
In other words, the application asks for memory, and only gives back 80% of it. Over time, the OS tries to find more memory, which takes longer, and longer...

The process seems to be system idle. Which seems oxymoronic.

[a_small_death]

Have you been loading alot of windows updates whenever it comes up. It has been documented after a while that too many windows updates will cause enough conflict the os starts to became flakey and a bit unstable.

[Rockwulf]

Okay, some questions:

1. How long ago did this start?
2. Have you installed/deleted/changed/upgraded anyhardware or software before this started?
3. Have you tried booting in safe mode before running your scans?
4. Have you tried a full system restore?

[jonny.illuminati]

Windows XP 64 Professional. Selected it for maximum speed on processing photos, but it has some compatibility issues for other uses.

I use stone age word processing. I prefer to write in MicroSoft Word 97.

I might add that my CPU Usage in Task Mager for System Idle Process seems higher than what I'd normally see.

what photo software are you using that supports 64 bit? (yes its a segway, but Adobe isn't supporting 64 until CS4...)

[Amelia G]

Okay, some questions:

1. How long ago did this start?
2. Have you installed/deleted/changed/upgraded anyhardware or software before this started?
3. Have you tried booting in safe mode before running your scans?
4. Have you tried a full system restore?

Started like two days ago. FireFox upgraded itself like half a dozen times inexplicably over a one day or so time period. I have Windows set to update automatically on this comp, but it doesn't appear to have done anything new.

CPU seems to be overloading and not memory. Memory seems fine. It is not FireFox appearing to eat the CPU though; it appears to be idle.

I upgraded my SpyBot after this started to try to ferret it out. It only found like one thing and seemed to have fixed it. AdAware scan found zilch. Malwarebytes scan found zilch. Housecall claims to be incompatible with my OS, even though I've used it on here successfully before, so have not scanned with that. Ditto other Trend Micro stuff. VundoFix found no evidence of Vundo.

I should probably try those again booting in safe mode, as I've just been doing them with normal boot. Well, as normal as a hard boot can be.

Ironically, my Safari appears to be working better than my totally hosed FireFox and kinda hosed Internet Explorer.

[Amelia G]

Edit: Actually Safari stops working after a few page views too.

[Rockwulf]

Yeah, try the scans in safe mode. If that doesn't work, try system restore to a week or so ago.

[a_small_death]

Do you have a heat monitor??? Something like motherboard monitor or speedfan?? I seen this happen in system having heat problems.

[Amelia G]

Do you have a heat monitor??? Something like motherboard monitor or speedfan?? I seen this happen in system having heat problems.

I kinda overkilled the cooling options on this box with heatsinks and uberfans, so I don't think it is a heat prob. (I once had a comp with too many peripherals catch fire, so I'm paranoid about heat now.)

[Mr Karl]

rams gone bad?

[Amelia G]

rams gone bad?

I'm not sure what bad RAM would look like, but I don't think so. The memory is not filling up, just the CPU. Like I'm using only maybe a GB of memory right now, but my CPU usage is at 63%. All I have open is four tabs in FireFox, Task Manager, and a little app to post to my LJ from.

I should add that this machine is spec'd for editing photos at magazine size, so having that little open should be (and normally is) nothing on here.

[Rockwulf]

Did you try System Restore?

[Pull~My~Hair]

This is a post from Bryan, Chanelle's babys daddy. This is what I do for a living. It sounds like you have a version of XP anti-spy 2008 or 2009. Do you get any popups or programs loading that you don't remember installing (i.e. claiming you have infections?)

1. Go to www.superantispyware.com get the free version.
2. Install it and let it run for the first time. This should include updating and asking if you want it to protect your home page (select yes, protect it)
3. Go to start > all programs > superantispyware and select bootsafe.
4. When it opens choose, safe mode with networking, hit ok and let it reboot.
5. Select the administrator account upon reboot.
6. Say yes you're sure you want to use safemode to the little window that opens after logging in.
7. Wait about 3 mins even if everything looks loaded and ready. Anything that opens in memory and protects itself there needs time to start.
8. go to start > All Programs > super anti spyware > run super anti spyware. This could take a while so make some tea and relax.
9. It should find something.
10. Make sure there is a check on all the results.
11. Hit next to remove them
12. Close super anti spyware
13. If it doesn't find a single thing I would suggest taking it to someone. At least for a diagnostic on the hard drive and memory.

Good luck! Post back with any questions.

[Mr Karl]

I dont know what bad ram looks like, but I had all kinds of problems with my one computer and after trying everything else I took out all but the minimum memory and no more problems

you could just back up everything important and just reinstall the os, and the drivers...........that way you'll know if it's software or hardware

[Bacchus88]

www.malwarebytes.org its really good program for spyware and it is free

[a_small_death]

Well this version of XP is know to be very flaky. I had good success with the x86 versions of xp pro. If there is bad ram use this to test it http://www.docmemory.com/. Is there any other weirdness the machine is doing since posting???

[GnArKiLL]

backup your shit, reinstall, start fresh. works every time.

[Senior_Diablo]

never trust a computer you cant throw out a window..

[helcyon]

backup your shit, reinstall, start fresh. works every time.

unless your hard drive is dying

[Rockwulf]

For the love of fucking christ, did you try System Restore?

It takes less than 3 minutes and has solved 90% of my problems in the past. Before you go tearing your RAM out or burning your HD's to the ground, try a simple system restore.

[Amelia G]

For the love of fucking christ, did you try System Restore?

It takes less than 3 minutes and has solved 90% of my problems in the past. Before you go tearing your RAM out or burning your HD's to the ground, try a simple system restore.

System Restore is next on my list o' stuff to attempt, I promise, Rockwulf.

I've just never done one before, so I was planning on googling it. If you have an instruction link, that would be splendid.

I know it is a kinda basic thing. Just never came up for me before.

I feel like I have the Vacation Virus. My FireFox and Safari work decently for online stuff. But I can't run any word processing or photo processing software and my explorer is a lil special with how it is handling files.

Really, I think it is some kind of automatic OS update that confused my comp and a System Restore seems like a good possible fix.

[Rockwulf]

Go to the Start Menu, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. Select a date from before you started noticing the problem and follow the prompts. It'll restart your comp and when it reboots it should ask you if you want to keep it. Just say yes and let it finish booting. It should be fine.

[Razerbug]

Have you tried rolling back to a restore point from before this started happening?

[Rockwulf]

Uh Razer, try reading the 3 posts just above yours......noob fail.

[Mr Karl]

system restore's never done it for me

[Amelia G]

Go to the Start Menu, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. Select a date from before you started noticing the problem and follow the prompts. It'll restart your comp and when it reboots it should ask you if you want to keep it. Just say yes and let it finish booting. It should be fine.

Do I need to back up all data first or should system restore not impact non-system stuff?

[Mr Karl]

always a good idea

[Rockwulf]

You can just do it. It's never had any effect on my stored data, just registry files and whatnot.

[Amelia G]

And it's Rockwulf for the win!

[Morning Glory]

go to givemeallyourmoney.com that should solve all your problems.

[Amelia G]

go to givemeallyourmoney.com that should solve all your problems.

Did you just register that or is it a Lehman Bros holding?

[OliX]

I dont know what bad ram looks like....