[PCTech]

I have a customer who is having a strange problem... well more of a nuisance really than a problem. The Windows XP Pro system blinks and hourglass next to the curser every 30 seconds or so, though only for a split second. It's a P4 3GHz system with plenty of memory so I am confused as to what is causing this. I was able to monitor the Processes running and noticed that when the hourglass blinked, one of the svchost.exe (Network Service) and svchost.exe (System) changed momentarily from 0 usage to around 5% usage so I assume that it has something to do with this particular service, but I'm not sure how to narrow it down to exactly what is causing it, and if there may be cure. I did try to shut this service down, but apparently it is a critical service because it had to restart the computer. There are several instances of svchost.exe running, which is normal, but for some reason this particular service is causing the hourglass to flash. I ran AdAware and Norton and neither found anything, and the system still seems to be plenty fast, it's just a nuisance. I also closed all the the programs running in the taskbar one at a time to see if any of them made a difference: norton, printer software, etc.

The customer did state that the old system did this as well, and the new one didn't until someone transferred files from the old system to the new system. As far as the setup, it is an XP Pro system. There is a DSL modem and a router/firewall with one other system on the router.

Any ideas on this? I'm pretty stumped, and I don't get stumped very often

Thanks!

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Download a free evaluation copy of Spy Sweeper, update the definitions and run it. I think that spy sweeper is better than adaware and spybot....

[macten]

Download a free evaluation copy of Spy Sweeper, update the definitions and run it. I think that spy sweeper is better than adaware and spybot....

[PCTech]

So it does sound to you like some sort of spyware, as opposed to a normal Windows service that is causing this?

[macten]

I'm really not sure what's going on here. I would think that the starting point would be to completely sweep the machine of virus's, trojans and spyware.

[weightmn]

Would love some help with this problem as well. My PC is doing this. I run McAfee and also Spysweeper and Adaware. I have no idea why this is happening. I have had some weird problems for about a week and a half when McAfee made an update to it's software-not sure if this is related.


Thanks
Diane

[macten]

Download free 30 day trials of Trojan Hunter and Spysweeper. They are among the best. Run HiJack this and post it in the Hijack forum. You'll find the directions for Hijack This somewhere on this website....

[weightmn]

Thank you I have downloaded HijackThis and will post the log and helpfully someone will know what is wrong.

Thank you!!!
Diane

[weightmn]

Just a note to say that I got the blinking hourglass fixed. It was my McAfee Security Suite 7.0. Took it off and it works fine. Reinstalled and works fine as well.

ONE problem though-- I downloaded the HijackThis as instructed in the help forum--do this first before seeking help...

I caught the W32/Generic.worm!p2p as a result.

Watch out for that program or that fix.