[Broni]

I can see, that you got clean bill from malware people, but I still can see one service, and one startup from AVG running:
- O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG8_TRAY] C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
- O23 - Service: AVG Free8 WatchDog (avg8wd) - Unknown owner - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe (file missing)
These must be "fixed".
They may be only registry entry leftovers, but you don't need them.
Also, make sure, that a whole AVG folder is gone from C:\Program Files

When done with the above...
Download, and install CCleaner: http://www.ccleaner....download/builds. Get "Slim" version.
Read CCleaner instruction here: http://www.jahewi.nl...r/ccleaner.html, and run CCleaner.

Lastly, when done with everything, let me know how much of a free space on your hard drive you'll have now.

[Advertisements]

Broni,

We do NOT yet know if I'm clean. A couple of days ago Avast! found the Win32 virus, and I've not been given any info about what to do about that. That is, Avast quarantined a couple of files, but I know there are a number of anti-Win32 programs out there, and need to know if (and which) I should run one.

I will run CCleaner (already have it, ran it last week...will run it again).

BTW, I have a bunch of folders under the Windows folder that look something like this: $NTUninstallKB883203
I can delete all of those udpate folders, yes? (And what about the $hf_mig$ folder?)

Will keep you up-to-date.

THX!!

Edited by Phlegmbot, 12 January 2009 - 11:16 PM.

[Phlegmbot]

Broni,

We do NOT yet know if I'm clean. A couple of days ago Avast! found the Win32 virus, and I've not been given any info about what to do about that. That is, Avast quarantined a couple of files, but I know there are a number of anti-Win32 programs out there, and need to know if (and which) I should run one.

I will run CCleaner (already have it, ran it last week...will run it again).

BTW, I have a bunch of folders under the Windows folder that look something like this: $NTUninstallKB883203
I can delete all of those udpate folders, yes? (And what about the $hf_mig$ folder?)

Will keep you up-to-date.

THX!!

Edited by Phlegmbot, 12 January 2009 - 11:16 PM.

[Broni]

You can skip registry part, but run regular cleaning part.
I guess, you'll need to reopen your thread in malware forum.

[Phlegmbot]

Broni, you're fast!...I edited my earlier post, thinking you wouldn't get to replying so quickly.

Let me know what do to do next.

BTW, I ran the cleaner on both registry and the "Regular cleaning part." Haven't restarted yet tho'/

Edited by Phlegmbot, 12 January 2009 - 11:19 PM.

[Broni]

$NTUninstallKB883203 folders are needed, if you want to uninstall any M$ update.
However, if the space is at stake, you may remove some older ones. Keep those from last couple of months.

$hf_mig$ folders are update folders. Leave them alone.

[Phlegmbot]

Heya, Broni!

16.6 Gigs of space open...and still no change.

Thx again for the continued help...let me know next steps.

[Broni]

We're slowly running out options, but...

Go Start>Run, type in:
sfc /scannow
Click OK.
Have Windows CD handy.
If System File Checker (sfc) will find any errors, it may ask you for the CD.
If sfc won't find any errors in Windows XP, it'll simply quit, without any message.

[Phlegmbot]

My system didn't come w/a Window CD, but I did make a BartPE disc. Can I still do the scan you're requesting?

And another thanks BTW!

P.S. would it behoove me to undo recent XP updates? Could that be the cause in part? And, if so, how DO I undo them?

Edited by Phlegmbot, 13 January 2009 - 07:50 PM.

[Broni]

Bart CD won't do. You need Windows CD. It may be borrowed one, though.
It must have Home Edition, and whatever SP you have installed on your computer, on it.

I'm not sure what to tell you about Windows updates. If uninstalling them will help. I doubt.

[Phlegmbot]

OK, can you explain what this scan does? Is it a sort of repair/fix kind of thing? That is, is it scanning for errors in the operating system then looking for the files to fix on the CD? Just so I know what I'm doing assuming I can find a CD to borrow (not likely -- most people I know also did not get a CD w/their system or they have Macs).

And what woudl happen withOUT the CD? That is, if it finds no errors, will the scan run OK?

Edited by Phlegmbot, 13 January 2009 - 08:07 PM.

[Broni]

That is, is it scanning for errors in the operating system then looking for the files to fix on the CD?

Exactly.

That is, if it finds no errors, will the scan run OK?

No. It won't proceed until you feed it with the CD.

[Phlegmbot]

Heya, Broni!

Still looking for a CD, but in the meantime, I wanted to pose a question:

Is it possible that a movie site could have corrupted something?

While watching the movie on this site:
http://slackeruprising.com/download/

After confirming your location, a page opens to watch the video. I had paused the movie at one point and opened IE (without Add-Ons), and I believe THAT's how I got the IEDefender virus...but could the above movie itself have done something too? It was while watching the movie later on that same night that I began noticing these slow-down problems (and soon found the IE Defender virus).

Please let me know...I'm hoping to get a WinXP CD from a friend this weekend.

THANKS!!!!

[Broni]

It's highly unlikely, the movie did anything. BTW, I watched it myself

[Phlegmbot]

Heya, Broni!

OK, so I recalled that I DO have an XP disc -- one a friend made for me after my LAST malware issue (about 3 years ago!)...I dug it out and did the scan you recommended; it took an hour or 2, and when I restarted, it seems that that slowdown issue...got WORSE! Or, rather, it seems to have sort of reset to how it was before I did all these scans and CCleaner and Tune-Up and so on.

Mind you, I've never had this issue before.

I've attached an audio file of a random vid from YouTube (I held the mic to my computer speakers), so you can hear how audio is playing. This slow-down is also reflected in program launches and the movement of the mouse and so on...

 Bad_Audio.mp3   11.53KB   10 downloads

[Broni]

Did "sfc" ever asked for the CD?
Also, did you:

I can see, that you got clean bill from malware people, but I still can see one service, and one startup from AVG running:
- O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG8_TRAY] C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
- O23 - Service: AVG Free8 WatchDog (avg8wd) - Unknown owner - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe (file missing)
These must be "fixed".
They may be only registry entry leftovers, but you don't need them.
Also, make sure, that a whole AVG folder is gone from C:\Program Files