[UnderSiege]

Hi JSntgRvr,

Good morning - it's good news that you can't find any malware

Yes - I can run Task Manager from the run command box. As you say, it does seem that it's more likely to be a hardware or software corruption issue. I am wondering whether I should take the laptop back to a system restore point where it functions ok?

Any advice gratefully received.

UnderSiege

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Hi JSntgRvr,

Good morning - it's good news that you can't find any malware

Yes - I can run Task Manager from the run command box. As you say, it does seem that it's more likely to be a hardware or software corruption issue. I am wondering whether I should take the laptop back to a system restore point where it functions ok?

Any advice gratefully received.

UnderSiege

It wont do any good. Try top reload the keyboard's drives if any.

[JSntgRvr]

Hi JSntgRvr,

Good morning - it's good news that you can't find any malware

Yes - I can run Task Manager from the run command box. As you say, it does seem that it's more likely to be a hardware or software corruption issue. I am wondering whether I should take the laptop back to a system restore point where it functions ok?

Any advice gratefully received.

UnderSiege

It wont do any good. Try top reload the keyboard's drives if any.

[JSntgRvr]

In addition:

Open a command prompt (Start-> Run, type CMD and click OK). At the prompt copy and Paste the following command ad press Enter:

NBTSTAT -R

That should (Reload) Purges and reloads the remote cache name table. Type Exit to return to Windows.

Restart the computer. Run the Test.bat previously dowanloaded and post its report.

[UnderSiege]

Hi JSntgRvr

Good evening I ran the command NBTSTAT -R

Restarted the laptop and ran the test.bat - here is the report


Wireless Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []



No names in cache


Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []



No names in cache



Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : AlasdairSnow

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-CE-16-62-74



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/100 VE Network Connection

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-01-4A-61-96-04

Ping request could not find host Yahoo.com. Please check the name and try again.

Ping request could not find host Google.com. Please check the name and try again.

These Windows services are started:

Ad-Aware 2007 Service
Application Layer Gateway Service
Automatic Updates
Background Intelligent Transfer Service
COM+ Event System
Computer Browser
DCOM Server Process Launcher
DHCP Client
Distributed Link Tracking Client
DNS Client
Error Reporting Service
Event Log
Fast User Switching Compatibility
Help and Support
HID Input Service
IPSEC Services
MSSQL$VAIO_VEDB
Network Connections
Network Location Awareness (NLA)
Plug and Play
Print Spooler
Protected Storage
Remote Access Connection Manager
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Secondary Logon
Security Accounts Manager
Security Center
Server
Shell Hardware Detection
SSDP Discovery Service
System Event Notification
System Restore Service
Task Scheduler
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telephony
Terminal Services
Themes
WebClient
Windows Audio
Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)
Windows Management Instrumentation
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration
Workstation

The command completed successfully.

[JSntgRvr]

Hi, UnderSiege

I have consulted with a colleague expert in Networking. He has checked this thread as well as the diagnostics done. Your Node Ip Address is all zeros([0.0.0.0])

IP addresses of all zeros are normally caused by one of the following.

Diagnosis:

1. DHCP Service not running.
2. Duplicate IP address on the network.
3. Bad NIC card drivers.
4. Defective NIC hardware.


Resolution:

1. Check Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services. The DHCP Client service should be Started and its Startup Type should be Automatic.
2. Turn off ALL of the computers and other network connected devices, restart (power cycle) the router, then restart all the computers and other network devices.
3. Check for upgraded drivers and/or reload the Network drivers.
4. Replace the Network Interface Card.

Many thanks to John Will.

[UnderSiege]

Success !!!

Many thanks to you, and to John Will for his clear, logical anlaysis and solutions. Internet connectivity was re-established by updating the NIC drivers from Intel's website.

However, the laptop does remain painfully slow and I am not sure how best to attack this. Perhaps I could disable all the services in task manager ,and then re-introduce them one by one? But it wasn't that much better in SAFE mode, so I'm not confident about this. Perhaps - some of the other system files are also corrupted and would benefit from updating/re-installing?

I also appreciate that you are a malware expert and I don't want to tie you down outside your area. If you wanted to close this thread then I would be happy - I could seek help elsewhere.

Let me know what you think.

warm regards
UnderSiege

P.S. I have to go away for a few days now - I won't be able to respond to any posts until Monday evening

[JSntgRvr]

Hi, UnderSiege

Glad to learn the computer is back online.

In regard to the lagging, I would suggest that you remove programs you no longer use. That would allow Windows to reach files more effectively. Also, trim your startup programs.

Run Msconfig. Select the startup tab. Deselect all programs from the list, except for:

AVG7_CC

Click Ok, then on close. Start the computer when prompted.

Upon restart you will be confronted with a dialogue box warning about running in selective startup. Just ignore that message and put a check in the box by "Don't show me this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts" and click "OK". You will not be bothered by the message again.

Let me knw how it goes.

[JSntgRvr]

Since this issue appears to be resolved ... this Topic has been closed. Glad we could help.

If you're the topic starter, and need this topic reopened, please contact a staff member with the address of the thread.

Everyone else please begin a New Topic.

[JSntgRvr]

Re-Opened at the request of the user.

Hi, UnderSiege

I understand you have not been able to run CHKDSK.

Do you have the XP Installation CD, or the Recovery Console installed?

If the answer is negative on both questions, please search for the following file in your computer:

Explorer.EX_ (It isn't an error. the file ends with an underscore)

Let me know its location.

In Windows XP the search feature is a little different. When you click on 'All files and folders' on the left pane, click on the 'More advanced options' at the bottom. Make sure that Search system folders, Search hidden files and folders, and Search subfolders are checked.

[UnderSiege]

Hi JSntgRvr,

Thank you for re-opening this topic

I neither have the XP installation CD, nor the Recovery Console installed, though I found a Sony program in the Start button called "VAIO Recovery Tool" but I have never lauched this.

The location of Explorer.EX_ is C\WINDOWS\i386

UnderSiege

[JSntgRvr]

Please follow this tutorial:

http://www.bleepingc...utorial117.html

They refer to the location of the i386 folder in the Windows Installation CD as d:\i386\ but in your case is C:\WINDOWS\i386\. Thus the command to install the Recovery Console is as follows:

C:\WINDOWS\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons

Go to Start->Run, copy and paste the above command and click OK.

Follow the prompts as explained in the tutorial. Once the console is installed, you will have a menu at startup with two options, the Operating System and the Recovery Console.

The Recovery Console is nowadays very important as viruses sooner or later may affect your boot sector and this is the only way we may be able to deal with this.

Once done launch the Recovery Console. If no Administrator Password is established, just press Enter.

At the prompt type the following and press Enter:

CHKDSK /R

It will take a considerable amount of time (An hour, depending upon the size of your disk.)

Once done, type Exit and press Enter to restart the computer. At the menu select your Operating System.

Keep me posted.

Edited by JSntgRvr, 11 March 2008 - 05:25 PM.

[UnderSiege]

Hi JSntgRvr

Bleepingcomputer.com is a very interesting and useful website. I sucessfully intalled the Recovery Console, though I was presented with dialogue box during installation that said:

"The option to upgrade will not be available at this time because SETUP was unable to load the file C:\WINDOWS\I386\WINNTUPG\NETUPGRD.DLL

The system cannot find the file specified".

Otherwise, it all seemed ok. I am running CHKDSK now and will let you know the results later.

UnderSiege

[UnderSiege]

CHKDSK completed - it reports:

" CHKDSK found and fixed one or more errors on the volume"

However, the laptop remains excruciatingly slow. For example, to populate the list of programs in Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel takes my desktop about 15 seconds; it takes the laptop 4 mins 5 secs -nearly 16 times longer.

I am backing up all the data in preparation for something more drastic - I am tempted to try and restore the factory settings using Sony's recovery utility but would gladly try anything else first.

UnderSiege

[JSntgRvr]

Hi, UnderSiege

Using the Quick Restore disks will definitely make you computer faster, but once you start installing programs you will notice the difference, as the computer will become slow again. That is because Explorer is too busy keeping those programs in the background.

Go to Start->Run, type Msconfig and click OK. Select the Startup tab. Deselect all programs in that list, axcept for AVG7_CC as it is your Antivirus protection. Click on Apply, then on Close. Restart the computer when prompted.

Upon restart you will be confronted with a dialogue box warning about running in selective startup. Just ignore that message and put a check in the box by "Don't show me this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts" and click "OK". You will not be bothered by the message again.


Restart the computer once again and let Windows learn.

Test and let me know the outcome.

[UnderSiege]

Hi JSntgRvr

No improvement I'm afraid

We trimmed the Start-up programs in post #22. The only start program that had been added since is "ctfmon"

Am I looking at a factory reset?

UnderSiege