LapTop suddenly going slow.

[Gibbo]

Hi there.

I have been in the HJT section of this forum as my laptop had suddenly (literally overnight) gone painfully slow. It would "stick" on every click and keystroke. Eventually i found this forum. registered. posted and Ried has done a great job to rid of the laptop of all the malware that was infesting it. The machine is performing better (slightly) and all processes work (eventually) without a problem. IE is now popup free and clean. But basically the problem that sent me to this forum in the first place has not been resolved. ried suggested i try this forum. Maybe the malware has adjusted some system setting (memory caching etc) which i cant find?

The laptop
is an IBM Thinkpad with Pentiim processor 1400mz,
has 256mb RAM (567 mhz)
and is running XP SP2 Professional.
40 gb HD with approx 13 gb free

Since my mind has only recently turned away from it being a malware problem all i have done so far is run a defrag (tho it said it didnt need it) in the vague hope that may have had some effect. it didnt.

Hoping you can help.

Thanks
gibbo

[chauffeur2]

Hello Gibbo,
First up, lets try this....

Click Start > Run> type in 'sfc /scannow' [minus the quotes..and please note the space between the C and / ].

You will need your XP CD inserted.

This is the System File Checker, that ensures that the protected Windows® files are intact and in their correct places.

It may ask for you to insert the CD during this process, just click 'retry', and let it continue.

The process will take on average about 15 minutes to complete; once its finished reboot your computer and report back here.

Regards,
Dave T.

[Gibbo]

Hi chauffeur2,

Thanks for your response. However Ried and GreyKnight17 are continuing to assist me in my original "HJT" thread.


http://www.techsupportforum.com/showthread.php?p=558634#post558634

They have asked me to take the same action you have done so i am continuing in that thread to try and get this problem resolved.

I may well be back here of course if that process fails.....

Thanks Again
Gibbo

[chauffeur2]

Hi Gibbo,
Thanks for the progress report.
I have been in to the thread and read all the comments....Is it possible for you to beg, buy, or borrow [I won't say steal, as that's illegal ] a Windows Xp CD?
It won't matter, as you will not be ruining the integrity of the borrowed CD, it would be preferable for it to be a Windows disk that has Sp2 on board too, and it won't matter if its Pro or Home either.
If you can't get hold of a CD, may I suggest that you either buy new floppy disks, as the Windows download can be very fickle when it comes to loading onto floppy disks....or alternatively, format the floppies that you have twice to ensure that they are 'clean', and also do the formatting on another computer so as to ensure the integrity of them.
But before I jump in ahead of the HJT guys, finish the line of attack that they are conducting with you at the moment, and when they 'release' you back here let me know, as I have a couple of ideas that might help resolve this nagging issue you have.
I'll keep watching your progress, and will wait for your next report.
Good Luck!!

Kind Regards,
Dave T.

[Gibbo]

Thanks Dave T.

Success!. As i report in my original thread good old chkdsk seems to have fixed a problem with the hard disk that was obiviously causing the terrible performance. Wether this was just coincindental with all the malware your HJT colleagues assisted me in removing from the PC i dont know.

Anyway thanks for your help. I have tried the six floppies and they seem to work in that they all run thru when i am concentrating properly but cant seem to do anything but reboot without that CD.

In a semi related issue a Windows update appeared this week on both my computers. 'Windows Geniuine Advantage". on this PC no problem as home purchase i guess. on the troublesome laptop, which as i said is leased from my wifes employers the Victorian Education Department. there must be thousands of these laptops with identical setup out there. I think they load XP etc. by connecting to the vicOne network available to all schools

Anyway on the laptop it is saying that it is not a genuine XP installation and comes up with all these annoying messages every time you login. It is a genuine XP installation. The victorian Education department pays a fortune to Bill Gates to make them a microsoft shop. What is more likely? that this is not reconigised as genuine as it is a "corporate" install or because the malware may have done something to the XP files?

Is the only way i can get of the annoying messages to uninstall this update? Or should i let my wife back back to her employers IT dept for them to fix it? Last time i did that it was away for 2 weeks (much to my 3 teenage daughters disgust) and came back worse than b4 it went!!

Hope you can help with this but not really important. More importantly i appreciate your assistance with the original "slow" laptop problem. Great teamwork!

Regards
Gibbo

[chauffeur2]

G'Day Gibbo,

That's Great News to read.
I'm glad that we got that one sorted.....now with regards to this....

Anyway on the laptop it is saying that it is not a genuine XP installation and comes up with all these annoying messages every time you login. It is a genuine XP installation. The victorian Education department pays a fortune to Bill Gates to make them a microsoft shop. What is more likely? that this is not reconigised as genuine as it is a "corporate" install or because the malware may have done something to the XP files?

This validation business is very fickle in that if Xp has been reinstalled too many times then it'll get 'bounced' by the WGA Tool.

What I recommend you do is contact Microsoft® on 13 20 58 during their office hours [0800 -2000 EST Monday to Friday] and explain to them what has happened, and make a point of the fact the computer belongs to Vic Ed. and they'll surely sort it for you.
More than likely, I'd say that the new WGA can't recognise the fact that its a corporate installation....I recently [ about six weeks ago] had the very same problem, but this was with a brand new OEM CD!
The boys and girls at Lane Cove were very apologetic after I explained it to them, and they told me then that this new WGA tool had created a 'tin of worms' with brand new CD's and corporate installations not being recognised for validation, and they got me to to do a couple of things that fixed the problem.
Unfortunately, I can't for the life of me remember what it was though...must be "age" creeping up on me!
One word of warning though, you might need the corporate CD at hand, as they could ask you questions about the numbers/letters that are on the centre spindle.
Give it a go, as they are very obliging and helpful, and I'm sure that they'll sort it for you.
Let's know the result.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Dave T.

P.S: I just noticed that they have an office in Melbourne too..it's...
Level 9
Como Office Tower
644 Chapel Street
South Yarra VIC 3141
[with the same phone number.]

http://www.microsoft.com/australia/c...s/default.mspx