Computer Help... and I mean help!!!!

[trumad]

OK..About a week ago one of my kids was messing with my desktop and changed my desktop homepage... I asked if they downloaded anything and they assured me they did not... I changed the homepage back to google and thought everything was normal... I run Microsoft 6.0 as my browser... Anyway..since then, when I click on pretty much any thing on the web my scrolling has been about 75 percent slower... The performance level during my surfing has diminished almost to a crawl... I run a router and my wife's laptop and mine are working fine... It's just my desktop. I have deleted my temp files and cookies plus have run McAfee twice... McAfee is updated and indicates that there is no virus.

any suggestions... What the hell is going on with my computer?

Thanks

[TrogL]

1. You have a defective operating system

Install linux.

[Nlighten1]

2. McAfee is your problem.

It is a piece of shit AV product. It may have downloaded some updates that slowed your computer down. Anyway, this sort of thing is typical with Windows. Format and re-install and don't put McAfee back on get Norton.

Are you using XP or what?

[La_Serpiente]

3. Have you ever considered that the spyware is slowing the computer down?

My computer became a lot faster when I got rid of my spyware on my computer.

What do you all think?

I know of a great program to get rid of it.

[La_Serpiente]

4. PS...don't blame your kids

Changing the homepage does nothing at all. It just changes the homepage and that's it.

[criticalmass]

5. Might have a parasite - different from a virus

Try here for some info on what spyware is and how to get rid of it:

Adware, Spyware and Other Unwanted "Malware"

[trumad]

8. I use adaware quite often

when the above poster up above mentioned formatting were you talking about the operating system or 6.0?

Easier said than done about ridding myself of Microsoft... I've got about 20,000 jpegs I'm trying to save...

[tridim]

6. Some possibilities...

RAM went bad (It does happen)

Spyware is taking over (Download and run Ad-aware)

A trojan was installed (McAffee doesn't always find everything)

Look for odd processes in your task manager. If you have anything in there that looks wierd or is taking lots of ram or processor, type the filename into google and find out what it does.

Do you have Kazaa or similar installed? If so, that could be your problem.

Do you run a firewall? If not, you might be getting hit hard from the outside.

[trumad]

11. I believe a trojan was installed because I've never seen anything like

this... My kids changed my homepage but I think they accidentally did some more damage.... Immediatly after they did this I ran McAfee and it did pick up a virus,,,,, It said it deleted it so I let the scan finish...Whenm I came back the computer monitor would not come back on so I rebooted to get it back up... It's been goofy ever since... SO...how do I get rid of a trojan if McAfee's not finding it?

[leftyandproud]

7. Try a good old fashioned...

DEFRAG

Reset the computer...

close every non-essential program by going through the control alt delete menu...find the "maintenance wizard" and set it up to do a standard scandisk followed by a defrag. This usually works for me. It corrects most errors on the drive and cleans up all of your files so the programs run faster. You should do it at least once a month in my opinion.

[La_Serpiente]

9. Yes, Ad Aware is a Great Product

I highly reccommend Ad Aware. Just type it in on a search engine and you'll easily find it.

[La_Serpiente]

10. Kazaa is a prime location for spyware to infiltrate your computer

Spyware can come acros easily on Kazaa...try to only use it when you really need to...and then shut it off and don't leave your compute ron all day.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

12. OK...Here's the straight skinny:

Goto http://www.majorgeeks.com Download and install jv16 Power Tools 1.3 and KMCS System Suite. Also grab and install Spybot Search&Destroy.

KMCS System Suite: Run the drive cleaner. Generate scripts for cleaning. Clean Drive. Leave running.

jv16 Power Tools: Run. Registry Tools. menu item "Clean Registry". When done, go to menu item "edit>special select>all items safe to delete". Hit clean registry. Then, goto "Edit>select all". Run "Try to fix". Quit.

Then, goto "Registry Compressor" in KMCS. Run. Reboot.

Defrag.

Before you do all this, you might want to run Spybot, so you get all the slack registry items that will be left by Spybot.

Also, at http://www.webattack.com get "Diskeeper Lite". Free and the BEST damn Windows defragger out there. Free, as in free and beer.

Also on Webattack: SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard. get them, Install them. Guards against new spyware, and is regularly updatable. Free. Works well.

[GoodSpud]

13. If adaware doesn't work for you try..

Spybot search and destroy.

Available at:
http://www.safer-networking.org/

Stupid name but it works really well.

TDP

[notadmblnd]

14. McCaffee could very well be your problem

It sounds like something is running in your background slowing things down. You can click on

Start

then ckick on

Run

then type

Msconfig

in the window and click ok

click on the startup tab and it will bring up a window that will have a list of programs running in your background. You can dis-able these programs from running and should speed up your machine. You'll have to reboot after performing this.

[KoKo]

15. FIRST STEP! With Kids. Unplug your Monitor/Hard Drive....let sit for 5

Minutes. Plug hard drive back in first, then monitor, then "START UP." If all isn't corrected by doing that, then do what the other DU'ers told you to do. But, UNPLUG/REBOOT, does seem to cure a multitude of "Kid" or "Adult" problems before one has to get into that "heavy duty tech stuff."

Let me know if this works. :-)'s If it doesn't, then I don't want to hear curses!

[Deja Q]

16. SpyBot Search And Destroy, Swat-it, Ad-Aware, Norton Internet Security 04

Use all of those, in that order, and you'll be right as rain again!

Norton Internet Security 2004 has product activation ( :eyes: ) but otherwise has enough new features to get me to upgrade. Especially the feature in their Pro version which assists in keeping dial-up sessions running and automatically cleaning up after you end your internet session *and, yes, you DO want a firewall if you use a 56k modem for internet access!)