[g3n0cide]

Hey Guys and Girls,

First off, I'd like to give you my laptop specs before describing my physical problem to help elimnate the need to point at computer specs for the cause.

HP Pavilion dv5000
Microsoft Windows XP Pro Service Pack 3
AMD Turion 64 Mobile ML-37 @ 2.0GHz
2GB DDR
ATi Xpress 200 Mobile

Okay, I understand that my laptop isn't dual core or it doesn't have ddr2 ram, however it has been working fine before this issue. It also has XP Pro instead of the memory hungry vista.

So just recently, my boot up takes around 5 minutes on a good day, and when the windows music plays it skips violently as it boots up. Music on my computer played through vlc media player also skips along with youtube videos. Beside the music skipping left and right, my overall computer performance is very very slow. In efforts to fix the problem, I have done the following.

CCleaner - Found about 800MB of temp files and useless files. All of which I deleted. Also found 102 registry errors, which I backed up my registry before fixing all of them.

Spybot Search and Destroy - Update definitions and found nothing after a full search.

Sound Driver - Reinstalled and yet the probelm remains.

Useless Programs - I went and unistalled multiple programs that have no purpose to me.

MSCONFIG - Set my startup to only start one windows command, sound controller. Yet the boot takes at least 5 minutes.

AVG Free Scan - Set the scan to slow and let it go overnight, found nothing besides harmless tracking cookies.

CheckDisk - Scanned at restart, went through the stages and found nothing.

HiJackThisLog - Here is the log

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\svcadmin.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrA.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrB.exe
C:\Program Files\Alcohol Soft\Alcohol 120\StarWind\StarWindServiceAE.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgrsx.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgnsx.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\AIM6\aim6.exe
C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Shared\hpqwmiex.exe
C:\Program Files\AIM6\aolsoftware.exe
C:\Program Files\Opera\opera.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = *.local
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: WormRadar.com IESiteBlocker.NavFilter - {3CA2F312-6F6E-4B53-A66E-4E65E497C8C0} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgssie.dll
O2 - BHO: Groove GFS Browser Helper - {72853161-30C5-4D22-B7F9-0BBC1D38A37E} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\GRA8E1~1.DLL
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In SSV Helper - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MSConfig] C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\MSConfig.exe /auto
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: Send to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: S&end to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O18 - Protocol: grooveLocalGWS - {88FED34C-F0CA-4636-A375-3CB6248B04CD} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\GR99D3~1.DLL
O18 - Protocol: linkscanner - {F274614C-63F8-47D5-A4D1-FBDDE494F8D1} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgpp.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: avgrsstarter - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\avgrsstx.dll
O23 - Service: Anyplace Control Security - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\svcadmin.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Free8 WatchDog (avg8wd) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
O23 - Service: ##Id_String1.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B879762## (Bonjour Service) - Apple Computer, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
O23 - Service: FLEXnet Licensing Service - Macrovision Europe Ltd. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher\FNPLicensingService.exe
O23 - Service: hpqwmiex - Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Shared\hpqwmiex.exe
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
O23 - Service: nProtect GameGuard Service (npggsvc) - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\GameMon.des.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: PnkBstrA - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrA.exe
O23 - Service: PnkBstrB - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrB.exe
O23 - Service: Remote Packet Capture Protocol v.0 (experimental) (rpcapd) - CACE Technologies - C:\Program Files\WinPcap\rpcapd.exe
O23 - Service: StarWind AE Service (StarWindServiceAE) - Rocket Division Software - C:\Program Files\Alcohol Soft\Alcohol 120\StarWind\StarWindServiceAE.exe

If anyone else has any ideas, I would really appreciate the help.

P.S

System Restore and ReFormat are last ditch efforts.

 

[speedster123]

post your log here-
http://www.techsupportforum.com/f50...-posting-for-malware-removal-help-305963.html

 

[GetOutOfBox]

The slow windows boot is a natually occuring with windows xp. Windows xp just degrades over time. Though slow performance may be caused by damaged hardware or overheating. Is the laptop really hot? If it is by some compressed air at a tech store or staples store and put a good spray into all vents and fans on your computer. If your daring enough, open it up and spray the the internals.

If your laptop is not really hot, first check for strange noises. If there are some strange noises (e.g clunking, clanking, banging, rattleing, the kind of noises you'd expect from a broken car) than the harddrive might need replacing. If your computers over 5 or 7 years than it might just be "dying" of old age.

 

[Lydokane]

This is probably not a miracle cure but have you run a disk defrag?

Another option would be to post your hijackthis log to the Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help forum.

If you can't resolve the issue there then another thing to consider would be failing hardware (either hard drive or RAM). You could run Memtest86 for the RAM. HP might have some kind of HDD diagnostic tool.

How long have you been running SP3? If you have made recent updates you could have had a bad install. Do you have System Restore turned on? Maybe you could go back to a point prior to when your problems started.

When you went into msconfig did you change any of the startup services? I guessing from your hijackthis log that you haven't If you haven't done so yet, I would turn off all services except Microsoft services.

Are you running MS Office 2007? When I first installed MSO2007 I was having problems with some of the programs that were running in the background at startup (one was Groove but I can't remember what the other was). Once I removed them a lot of my problems were resolved.

Well, that's about it. I pretty much blew my wad here. Keep in touch and let us know how things are working.

Lydokane

 

[hal8000]

Looking through your hijack list you have a few unneccesary startup programs.
Bonjour/ mNDS responder from itunes.

MSmessenger

groveloacal ? Part of MS office ?

If you absolutely must use these then dont disable them.
Some unknown services in section 23
PnkBstrA
PnkBstrB
GameMon.des.exe

You need to spend time on google finding where these are started from. They maybe a windows service, registry call or an ry in msconfig.

This page may help:-

http://www.zen22142.zen.co.uk/Media/man_virus.htm

I'd also suggest running something like Startup Inspector which should allow you to disable startup programs (and also giving the option to remove completely).

The day I installed windows it booted in 50 secs, after some tweaking got it down to 30 seconds, today 5 years later it still starts in 30 seconds because I control what starts on my system not microsoft.

 

[g3n0cide]

Okay well, I got a utility for my hdd and ran a quick 3 min scan to check for any faults. There was another option, extended scan but didnt have the 2hrs to spare for it.

So I decided to go with the System Restore, however I don't like using it because it doesn't give me any satisfaction of knowing what exactly was wrong. Regardless of my complaining, it did fix my problem and now my computer is back to running smoothly.

Does anyone know a way in which I can look to see what was causing the problem via system restore. I'd like to know in case this happens again, cause it has in the past, which I did a reformat to fix it.

Thanks for all the help people, I love this forum because I can always get a second opinion.

 

[hal8000]

So I decided to go with the System Restore, however I don't like using it because it doesn't give me any satisfaction of knowing what exactly was wrong. Regardless of my complaining, it did fix my problem and now my computer is back to running smoothly.

Does anyone know a way in which I can look to see what was causing the problem via system restore. I'd like to know in case this happens again, cause it has in the past, which I did a reformat to fix it.

System restore doesn't always fix things, this time you got lucky. By using system restore you have replaced some of your running services and processes with an earlier snapshot.

To find out the possible cause, re-run a scan with hijack this, (print it out if necessary) and go over it line by line. Compare it with the san you first posted and then you will see the different processes that you are running (or not).
Something in the list made the difference so if there are many changes you wont know for sure the real cause.
Hope that helps.