Help with XP unexplained crashing

[aradon]

Hi y'all,

i have a teeny problem with my machine, sometimes when i starup it will crash before getting to desktop, and sometimes it will crash at desktop, normally i need to reset about 15 times to get to desktop.  But once i am at desktop, if i do anything within windows, say, surf the net or use note pad, go on msn, play solitaire, it will crash, but it actually doesnt crash properly, the mouse just incurs a 4 - 5 sec delay when i move it, also after an hour or two i will be able to do stuff again only for it "crash" again, funny thing is tho, i can run games and full-screen programs all day long without a problem.

Im tearing my hair out, can anybody help?

Thanx

[cak46]

Could be an adware/spyware prtoblem.  Download and run adaware from lavasoft:

www.lavasoft.de

[aradon]

Sorry i forgot to mention that i use Norton, Adaware SE and Spybot S&D, i have also run numerous different on-line adware/spyware and virus scans all of which have found nothing that could be causing this nuisance.

If i can manage to run HiJackThis is there anyone here that can analyse it for me?

Thnx cak46.

[peepnklown]

Can you get into SAFE MODE?

[aradon]

No, i tried that too, it just halts at the procedure screen (where it lists all the things it is closing) i also tried using my restore disk but that wont work because the only thing left from my original system is the hard-drive and i cant install a copy of windows that i have onto it because the copy on my drive is more up to date (damn you SP2  )

[Azag]

Sounds like a trojan or really mean spyware. I think something is creating a process at startup or is embedded into a common process in memory (if not starting it's own process). Scan all running processes that u see in task manager (if u see something u don't recognize there that might be the thing that infected u).

Use START--> Search-->Search-->For Files or Folders...--> "any name of process in task manager"

Scan them all online here: http://virusscan.jotti.org/

or

http://www.virustotal.com/flash/index_en.html

(Best to try both...)

If that finds nothing and u still are stumped try Microsoft AntiSpyware v1.0Beta or a better Anti-Virus manufacturer such as Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal Pro v4.9.095 (really v4.9.094 but after updates number changes) or ESET NOD32 Anti-Virus (do all updates for whatever alternate AV engine you choose... for Kaspersky use upadates_x [see site for details if u don't know about special bases]).

When/if u find something in a scan backup in quarentine if possible DON'T DELETE WINDOWS system processes or anything critical to operations and before u go to fix/clean a vx or malware turn off system restore (if on) then clean/fix in SAFE MODE then reboot then rescan and if your clean turn back on System Restore maybe reboot again if u want...and then ur in the clear for now

Also if u installed some software recently just before this problem ocurred might wanna  try uninstalling it (if u found no infect or spyware problems.)  Here is my sight if u need to try some other anti-spyware or Anti-Virus just scroll through and find what u might need or try manufacturers sites if u wish.

url snipped by swimmer

Hope this helps and yes a HijackThis log cut and paste here might help too, but do scans with other tools or online av's if u can it's highly recommended IMHO .

Peace and good luck,,

Azag

My site:http://vxchaos.no-ip.org

[Azag]

Almost forgot if u try installing another Anti-Virus solution with active monitoring then you will need to uninstall Norton AV  1st as it has issue with other AV's especially with active monitoring turned on be warned this is an issue they point out whenever u try to install thenm with another AV already there (to opposite is also true) they by design or on purpose will f*ck up ppls systems stablitiy as well as worse results as I have been witness to see Symantec Norton's release notes about issues or their web site.  This is very much an ongoing problem and a particular reason (though I can name many others lol), that I loathe Norton AV (also they need more virus defintions). The bottom line is they don't play nice with others and they don't care  what u or I think    but that's another story.

Azag

[aradon]

Okay well thnx a ton for everybody's input really appreciate it but i cant do anything within windows now, if i run a program that isnt full screen it simply crashes, i am sure that XP is corrupt and so will buy a new hard drive, put another copy of XP on it, run the new drive as a master and the old drive as slave, that will do me

Thanx again

[aradon]

Hi all, just thought id let you know that i have gotten to the bottom of it, after buying a new harddrive, with a new copy of XP, i found it to be crashing still, so i went through a process of elimination, the cpu, ram, board, when i finally found the graphics card to be the cause.  Not so long ago my power pack went and it would appear that a surge of some kind has knackered the card, so this has now been rectified and a surge protector has been bought

So there we have it