[TheQuij]

Essentially what keeps happening is: I choose any user name and click to login - the login window disappears, and I am left with a cursor - my background loads - after about 15 minutes the task bar and desktop icons may load, though I can't click on anything, lest the computer were to lock up entirely. In other words, it's going really, really slowly, and I have no idea why.
Based upon my current knowledge, I haven't made any majors changes to the computer or installed any new programs recently.

I've already been reviewed for viruses by the malware forums with no improvement, so any suggestion as to the cause of my trouble would be thoroughly appreciated.

Thanks,
thequij

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Hi TheQuij. Please post a Startup list from HijackThis.

• Start HijackThis v2.02
• Click on Open the Misc Tools section
• Check List all minor sections (full) then click the Generate Startuplist Log button
• Click Yes to continue

Save the Notepad data to your hard drive, then use the Browse and Upload buttons to upload it here. Once it's uploaded, it will appear in the "Manage Current Attachments"(n) drop-down box above the Browse and Upload buttons.

Click on the drop-down box and select the file you uploaded then click on the icon to the left that looks like a piece of paper with a green cross on it. That will place an attachment= entry in your post.

[Ztruker]

Hi TheQuij. Please post a Startup list from HijackThis.

• Start HijackThis v2.02
• Click on Open the Misc Tools section
• Check List all minor sections (full) then click the Generate Startuplist Log button
• Click Yes to continue

Save the Notepad data to your hard drive, then use the Browse and Upload buttons to upload it here. Once it's uploaded, it will appear in the "Manage Current Attachments"(n) drop-down box above the Browse and Upload buttons.

Click on the drop-down box and select the file you uploaded then click on the icon to the left that looks like a piece of paper with a green cross on it. That will place an attachment= entry in your post.

[TheQuij]

 startuplist.txt   13.83KB   113 downloads

[Ztruker]

What are these programs:

C:\Program Files\CleanUp!\Cleanup.exe /WindowsRestart
C:\Program Files\MorpheusBar\

Why do you have IPX/SPX/NetBIOS installed?

What is this service: pmem: \??\C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\pmemnt.sys

Try making this change:

Control Panel
Folder Options
View
Uncheck "Automatically search for network folders and printers"

[TheQuij]

Here's the updated startup list:

 startuplist.txt   13.33KB   269 downloads

The first file you listed is part of Windows Cleanup!, while \morpheusbar is the leftover from when Morpheus was uninstalled.

IPX/SPX/NetBIOS is purely extraneous; I just don't know how to remove it. There doesn't appear to be an option in Add/Remove Programs.
Pmem is the process for the Physical Memory Driver which came packaged with the IBM laptop. I looked it up, and apparently it is also unneeded after a recent update.

Edited by TheQuij, 26 March 2008 - 03:36 PM.

[Mr Freeze]

run a chkdsk /r
notice the space between the / and the r

start/run/ chkdsk /r click ok

type in Y
another volume is using it
just restart your computer for chkdsk to run
it make take awhile but let it run
do not disturb it

[TheQuij]

Alright, so I set it to run chkdsk upon restart.
Minor problem: I restarted the computer in both safe mode and normal mode, but in neither case does scandisk appear to run nor does windows appear to load. The screen simply remains black. An A for effort, but running chkdsk has proven to be a VERY BAD IDEA.
I have regressed into not being able to startup Windows whatsoever. Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks,
thequij

[Mr Freeze]

chkdsk has certainly failed
can you get to safemode and choose last known good configuration
or do you have windows cd and boot up from there

[TheQuij]

"Last known configuration" worked just fine. Now what should be my next step to take?

-TheQuij

Edited by TheQuij, 04 May 2008 - 11:23 AM.

[Mr Freeze]

download process explorer
open and run the program
see what process is the highest
right click on it
click on properties
click on threads tab
you should be able too see whats running the highest
you can post it here
or kill the process
before you decide to kill the process
its good to what it is
it maybe crucial to your system

http://technet.micro...s/bb896653.aspx

[Ztruker]

How does it behave if you boot to Safe Mode with Networking? If better then something is starting at boot that is causing the problem. Try the following:

First, physically disconnect from the Internet to prevent a malware infection while your Anti-virus and/or Firewall are disabled in the following steps, then do a normal boot:

Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter.
Click on the Startup tab and disable everything (I mean everything).
Do a regular boot, see if it runs normal.
If yes then use msconfig to enable several items at a time till you find the culprit.

If no, click on the Services tab. Check the Hide All Microsoft Services box then click the Disable All button.
Again, do a regular boot, see if it runs normal.
If yes then use msconfig to enable services till you find the culprit.

Once you've found the culprit, uninstall it or find out how to eliminate it from your system. Simply disabling it in msconfig is a temporary fix at best.

Reconnect to the Internet when your AV and firewall are active again.

[TheQuij]

Ztruker,

Thanks for all the help! Disabling all processes looks like it may have worked, as you can probably tell by now.
Only, it seems I'm beginning to encounter a long line of separate issues stemming from the system changes. For instance, the Windows splash screen no longer displays at startup, and increasingly often I find myself unable to startup in normal mode at all. Any ideas?

-thequij

[Ztruker]

Sorry for the delay, I missed the notification of your last post some how. Saw your post in The Waiting Room though.

Do you have an XP CD? I still think you need to get chkdsk to run cleanly.

Boot your XP CD. If you don't have one download either of these and create a bootable CD from the .iso file

XP Recovery Console
Another XP Recovery Console

You don't burn the iso file itself to CD., you create a CD from the iso file using your CD burning software. There is a good freeware burner called DeepBurner which will do this. Another called ISO Recorder is also very easy to use.

Boot the CD and at the first opportunity, enter R to start the Recovery Console.
Next, choose which XP installation you want to login to. Normally this will be 1.
Lastly you will be asked for the Administrator password. Just press the Enter key as the Administrator does not have a password (unless you gave it one, then you would enter it).

From the command prompt, enter: chkdsk c: /r

Allow it to complete undisturbed.

Post back with the results please.

If that doesn't help then it's time to try a Repair Install. This will leave your data and most installed programs alone, but you will have to reinstall some, like firewall and anti-virus and you will have to download and install all the Windows Updates again or install SP3 which was just released (better than downooading and installing 90+ updates).

Also read through the info here on doing a Repair Install: http://www.michaelst...pairinstall.htm

[TheQuij]

Ztruker,

Thanks for all the help you've given, but the problem seems to have solved itself... after nearly a month. As it turns out, the splash screen was disabled some time while I was shutting down some processes in an attempt to get the computer to run smoothly. I accidentally pressed /NOGUIBOOT in the boot options of msconfig and forgot to de-select it when the initial issue was resolved .

I guess a recovery won't be necessary (nor will it be possible--the system locks up entirely whenever I try to choose which XP installation to log on to), though I still have yet to run chkdsk. I'll try to do so now. I'll provide any updates as to whether or not I have any luck.

Thanks Again,
TheQuij