apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

Can anyone tell me if they know of something that might cause applications to use up all my cpu. A friend has suggested using ad-aware and cwshredder, but the problem is any attempt to run or install such software of course runs an application and my cpu freezes. Cwshredder for example claims when running that it is only 45% but it takes the total from 0 to 100. Luckily for the moment it still allows SE4 and my internet conncetion to work, so I can do turns. I am supposed to have an up to date virus detector, but ever since i upgraded the software Last week I have had nothing but trouble. Any help would be appreciated. If I need to take it to the shop then thats a day or two I can't do my turns.

edit: bit more info. I can run Internet explorer, msn messenger and word, as well as se4. But realdownload, cwshredder, and installing windows patches causes a freeze. Also when I start my system something called OSP is filling the CPU, and theres a number of processes called PCC that might be my pc-cillin but I'm not sure.

[ March 12, 2004, 11:55: Message edited by: Randallw ]

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING
Use my advice at your own risk.
WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING

What I do:

Go to START | Run.

Type in regedit.

Go to HKeyLocalMachine - Software - Microsoft -Windows - Current Version - Run.

This is where programs start themselves if they are trying to hide from you. There are legitimate programs here too. You need to determine which is legitimate and which is not and remove the ones you dont want.

To do that, go to www.google.com and type in the .exe file name. You will find websites that will tell you what the .exe does. If its spyware, or a virus, delete it from the registry.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

you coukld also do a ctrl-alt-delete and click the process tab. Not sure if this work in windows 98. It will list all running apps in 2000 and XP. Just close the un-needed programs

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

In 98 it doesn't tell you how much CPU time each process is taking, but you can still shut down all the ones you don't recognize.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

It sounds like the 'upgrade' to your virus software might be the source of the trouble. How did you acquire this 'upgrade'? Did you download it directly from the company site? Are you sure you connected to the right site? If you got some sort of 'email notification' about the upgrade and clicked a link in that you might have been spoofed to download a trojan, you know.

First thing to try is to go into 'Add/Remove Programs' under control panel and see if you can uninstall that recent 'upgrade' of your AV software.

After that, removing any suspicious program from the 'run' list like Iron Giant suggests is a good step. Many contemporary viruses install themselves there and watch for 'anti-virus' and 'ad-buster' software, and will reinstall themselves after being removed! Once you've removed anything that doesn't belong from the run list you can reboot and see if Ad-aware can be run. You might also want to try something called Spybot S&D which is much more comprehensive than Ad-aware.

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

http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

You can also in the Run box type MSCONFIG and shut down those autostarted programs that seems guilty.
Or shutdown all autostart programs and then start them one at a time, timeconsuming but you'll find the culprit.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

www.pestpatrol.com

This works far better than manually editing the registry. This program has been a part of my system for four years now and aside from detecting all my MP3 as having baligerant ware, (RIAA Spy ware) and recommending they be removed, it has saved my computer from thousands of spy ware, adware, trojans, and other pests.

I do recommmend buying it and using it if you are worried about such things as listed above.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

Programs like that will also/instead of start themselves fron the HKCurrentUser-Software-Microsoft-Windows-CurrentVersion-Run hive of the registry.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

I had something similar a few days ago, check your windows directory for an EXE file starting with "V9Z9" or "RCBO".

I had to rename them in DOS in order to stop them from bringing down my system. I'm waiting to hear if its a virus or not.

Also search your registry for entries that start with those two.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

First off, thanks for all the advice.

I have been looking at the register and nothing seems out of place. I am beginning to think the only possible problem is pc-cillin. I know I got it from the distributors. I am suspecting it was corrupt or something. I should get the disk in a week or so.
The only way to stop my computer freezing is to keep task manager open and stop any processes that as soon as they start freeze the cpu.
I can't remove/change programs as that is one of the applications that freezes the cpu.
I have tried to download some applications such as ad-aware, but once they download and start to install it freezes up.
edit: also something called dumprep, or similar, keeps appearing in processes. Also when I turn off It keeps saying msnmsgr is unable to end, even if i close it forst.

[ March 13, 2004, 03:39: Message edited by: Randallw ]

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Have you tried this?
(Shutting down all autostarts and restarting?)
It means that you just don't start them, the register entries don't get deleted.
You can check the box for the programs the next time you start the computer.
This way you'll see if it indeed is a program that autostarts that gives you the problem.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

Have you tried installing Ad-aware in Safe Mode? Does your computer freezes anyway?

Safe mode loads only the most necessary proceses.Installing programs/virus upgrades in safe mode helped me several times while fighting viruses.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

This propbably won't help but I notice you run word. On my computer at work I have a problem where even though I close Word it seems to keep running in the background sucking up all my CPU. I have to Crl-alt-del then find 'windword.exe' and End Task on it.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

I tried msconfig. disabled all the startups one by one. Still have problem.
I keep task manager open and close the processes that say they are using 99% of the cpu.
I have tried safe mode, still have the problem.
In regedit there is a default whose value is not set. I assume thats a default setting so I havn't touched it, could it be the problem.
I can still get outlook express to open, and it downloads my mail. But If I try to read my mail then it freezes.
So far things that cause the freeze are, reading mail in outlook express, OSA.exe, and pc-cillin programs, although sometimes pccillin keeps running because I don't have to close all its processes. Also cwshredder, which ran once when I downloaded it, freezes the cpu.
Its more of an annoyance than anything else. I can access my day to day stuff (apart from my IP mail, which at least is being stored so I'm not losing it)

[ March 14, 2004, 02:39: Message edited by: Randallw ]

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

Unplug all the USB devices you can and see what that does, I talked to my friends across the street, they had a problem where thier CPU was getting drained by USB devices.

I suspect it wouldn't hurt to uninstall any software relating to your USB devices - if you can reinstall it later.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

I unplugged my scanner and modem. It didn't make a difference.
I don't know if its relevant but I tried opening a word document and got,

Word document is locked for editing by "another user"

might this have something to do with my problem?.

edit: also the "normel" template is missing and when I try to save it, it says document being used elsewhere.

[ March 14, 2004, 10:19: Message edited by: Randallw ]

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

For anyone interested. I got the computer fixed. My friend had to reinstall windows but at least everything works now. Including the national telecom IP which insists it aint installed properly, which I just ignore.

Re: apparent cpu filling virus?.
 

Windows is just plain evil. Nuff said.