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Internet is using up all my CPU...

rockwool

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
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Filastin
K, so my stationary PIII has been acting weired this last few months and I suspect it's getting too old to even take walks down to the pond to feed the birds.
Last few days when I use the internet the CPU jumps up to 90% and commutes downwards just momentarilly.

I've checked it today with AdAware for spyware and I've been running Avast anti virus (for half a day now and it looks like it's going to take two or so days to check the whole computer at this pace...not kidding...) to see if it can be solved that way.

Has anybody got any ideas on what to do except toss it and get a new one?
 
literocola

literocola

Chimp
Feb 22, 2007
57
0
Littleton, CO
Try downloading Windows Washer from www.webroot.com/washer
And give your system a nice clean, the 30 day trial is free but the program is really worth the money.

Also, there is AVG virus/spywear and whatever else they have all for free on download.com. They have all sorts of stuff for free.
 
binary visions

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,101
1,153
NC
rockwool said:
Last few days when I use the internet the CPU jumps up to 90% and commutes downwards just momentarilly.
Click to expand...
Sorry, are you saying that when you launch your browser, your CPU usage is pegged at 90% for a few seconds, then goes back down to normal?
 
rockwool

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
binary visions said:
Sorry, are you saying that when you launch your browser, your CPU usage is pegged at 90% for a few seconds, then goes back down to normal?
Click to expand...
No, that is how it normaly works, now it was coasting between 70-90% of my 384MB memory and changing a web page took literaly several seconds and some times it didn't want to change due to overload.

But it seems like the anti virus program fixed it up after it removed 4 trojans... Although it was unable to scan a 5th listed file so I wonder if anybody who uses Win XP can check if he also has this file: C:WINDOWS/Driver Cache/i386/driver.cab

The Driver is a Win Rar file of 72,8MB

Mucho thanks in advance!


***As I tried to post this it refused and now the CPU is back up at 90ish%... And it's firefox.exe that does it.***

What a pain, it doesn't want to post "server couldn't be found"...

I had to close all firefox windows down and start it up again to paste this.
 
rockwool

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
literocola said:
Try downloading Windows Washer from www.webroot.com/washer
And give your system a nice clean, the 30 day trial is free but the program is really worth the money.

Also, there is AVG virus/spywear and whatever else they have all for free on download.com. They have all sorts of stuff for free.
Click to expand...
Literocola, is that a line from the movie Super Troopers? :D

What does this washer do that spyware/anti virus programs don't?
 
rockwool

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
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Filastin
Right, reinstalation is it and MMike knows the biz. Just hope that won't make me lose all the saved information I have on that hard drive, 70 or so GB's with music.
 
binary visions

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,101
1,153
NC
Um, actually reinstallation might not be the best way to do things. If any of your saved data is infected (there's about a 90% chance that these symptoms are being caused by a virus or trojan of some kind if your antivirus program picked up some trojans already) then it'll just reinfect your system when you open it again.

Search the 'net for one of the boot CDs that will allow you to run a full virus scan & clean. Knoppix, Ultimate Boot CD, etc.
 
rockwool

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
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Filastin
Kool, that sounds a whole lot easier! Strangely the computer has got better since that virus scan I did but better not stop here. Thanks again.
 
rockwool

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
DRB said:
Did you look at your task manager to see which process is eating up all your resources when it spikes like that?
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's firefox.exe that does it.

Washing it with that Webroot thing now and will scan it again later.
 
$tinkle

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
rockwool, firefox (ver 2) spikes on both my laptops (xp) & pc at home (xp) & corporate pc (w2k) more than i'm comfortable with.

additionally, i think my addons are dicking me up. my autocomplete isn't working & my history is gone, only to magically return later.

lastly, whenever firefox starts up, it asks me if i want to install the latest version of stumbleupon or accuweather, even though i just did it last time.
 
rockwool

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
Must have missed some posts..



$tinkle said:
rockwool, firefox (ver 2) spikes on both my laptops (xp) & pc at home (xp) & corporate pc (w2k) more than i'm comfortable with.

additionally, i think my addons are dicking me up. my autocomplete isn't working & my history is gone, only to magically return later.

lastly, whenever firefox starts up, it asks me if i want to install the latest version of stumbleupon or accuweather, even though i just did it last time.
Click to expand...
Sounds great. I'm trying another browser, how's netscape, or should I go with Internet Explorer?
 
rockwool

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
Never heard of it.. Googling it now. But seems like Internet Explorer is using a bit less CPU and is faster as well, I just don't like IE...
 
rockwool

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
$tinkle said:
exchange rate's a bit lop-sided?
Click to expand...
Exchange rate? Lop-sided? I don't understand this.



But the Opera, ohh man I've been using it for a day now and it is great, hasn't effed up and started using up most of my memory yet so that I have to close it down. I'll know in a couple of days if it's going to stay this way.

Thanks for the help everybody!
 
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