"...is not responding" AGHHHH! How do I get rid of it?

jenniewb

aliEnRIK wrote: »

Obvious things to check for are nasties and what you have running in the background ~
Download MALWAREBYTES (Make sure you click 'DOWNLOAD LATEST VERSION')
http://www.filehippo.com/download_malwarebytes_anti_malware/
Open malwarebytes and goto UPDATE and click 'check for updates'. After its updated goto SCANNER and click PERFORM FULL SCAN then click SCAN
Post the log COMPLETE here AFTER youve deleted everything it finds


reboot

Will post the next step when I get back later and have rebooted. Here is the malware scan (no infections found btw)

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.42
Database version: 3345
Windows 6.0.6002 Service Pack 2
Internet Explorer 7.0.6002.18005

11/12/2009 16:35:11
mbam-log-2009-12-11 (16-35-11).txt

Scan type: Full Scan (C:\|D:\|)
Objects scanned: 265128
Time elapsed: 2 hour(s), 8 minute(s), 22 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 0
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 0
Registry Values Infected: 0
Registry Data Items Infected: 0
Folders Infected: 0
Files Infected: 0

Memory Processes Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data Items Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Folders Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Files Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

jenniewb

edgex wrote: »

only 1GB of memory? thats an issue right there
i have a 2yr old laptop that was 2GB of memory as standard


what have you got running on startup?
12 programmes is a lot, can you provide a list of them?

I thought it was low! My mothers partner says its "more then enough" yet the computer is about 3 years old and I put music on it every day. He says I have loads of memory, defragged my computer, said I had about 60% left. I do get messages telling me I only have 5% left but not sure what to do with that. I don't even have a clue what to look for to replace or add to any memory- or how to out it in. Dell wanted to charge me about £60 for additional memory but were not sure that it would solve the problem and said it would be a good idea to pay £40 for them to scan my computer and £50 to deal with the problems it threw up with additional charges for any new software...then it all began to look like a con. I didn't buy anything, went with my mums partner doing a scan and him telling me I had enough memory left!

The programmes I have starting up are:

• I.E
• Google Chrome
• Napster
• AVG
• The wireless keyboard and software (Logitec if its any help)
• Digital line detection (which I assume is my modem)
• Java (graphic card?)
• Adobe (more graphics cards?)
• Common SDK, Sonic Solutions, ROXWatchTray9.exe (something to do with itunes?)
• Sigma Tel, C-Major Audio (is this my sound?)
• Macrovision FLEXnet issch.exe(not a clue what this is but it seems to have been installed before I even turned the computer on when I bought it! Maybe something by Dell?)
• Windows media (consists of grooveMonitor Utility, Microsoft Media Center Tray Applet, Microsoft Userinit Logon Application, Windows explorer, Windows Host process RUNDLL32, Windows Media
  

Basil1234

right here goes vista uses twice as much memory to than compared to xp for example i had a system that was on xp used about 256mb just to run standing alone, then i changed over to vista which took 512mb just to run standing alone. your memory is too low imho you really need to 2gb these days truely to run a machine with an sort of reasonable order. I would recommend you get some as a matter of urgency. have a look here http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/prods/Components/MemoryRAM/
reckon you looking at about £30 for 1gb strip but you need to know you computers clock speed give them a ring they will help you out for that quite helpful

firstly i would check you have dumped all you internet temp files most people never do this and is one of the greatest slow downs of a machine and most people miss. http://pcsupport.about.com/od/maintenance/ht/manualtempvista.htm

next i would do a defrag of your harddrive best to do this and leave it running overnight to give it a fighting chance as this will take some hours depending on how bad it is.

next i would get some registry cleaning software and run it to clean out the rubbish in the registry and then once that is done then defrag the registry with the same software. remember a clean registry helps the machine run properly. i would suggest something like http://www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic/

my sister did something similar to you basically did not know all the info above and computer was locking up something rotten took about 2 days to sort as hard drive was in a right mess, when i finished with it she said its running like when i first got it! amazing what a bit of basic maintenance can do

hope this helps you out

for what it is worth vista is rubbish i would say get windows 7 you will not be dissappionted is uses less resources and is what vista was meant to be in the first place except they got to charge everyone twice.

closed

Ram memory is completely different to hard disk space, and vista does work fine with 1GB - provided you don't pile bloated startup apps on it, and it won't be related to your problem. Defragging won't make a blind bit of difference, never did, never will (it happens automatically with Vista anyway).

If you want to cure it, backup (which you should be doing anyway), restore to factory settings, and try a better virus scanner, MSE, avast or Avira. Be aware that Dells come prebloated, so you will have to redo the stuff below if you go down this route.

The only stuff i'd have running at startup out of that list would a virus scanner (not avg), and possibly you might needs the sigmatel sound stuff which sometimes provides the volume slider, and maybe the wireless keyboard stuff, but i doubt it. If you have IE, you may have loads of toolbars, actvivex apps installed, which all add to the bloat - why have you got 2 browsers running at startup?

If it continues after removing the bloat - multiple apps are having the same problem, it's likely to be something else that causing the os to be sluggish. you need to look at process monitor or task manager when it's happening to diagnose. Try a different AV, neither AVG or malwarebytes find everything.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/startuplite.php

registry cleaners do nothing of import either, they often cause more trouble than they purport to fix.

ccleaner tidies temp files up a bit, so worth running, but won't fix your problem.

Is the 5% left on the d drive, 60% left on c:?

You need to run a proper startup prog monitor, hijackthis or autoruns to get a complete list of startup apps, chrome installs an updater for a start.

aliEnRIK

Id have to disagree with Vista working fine with 1gig. 1.5 gig makes quite a difference

closed

I upgraded a laptop similar to the op's from 1GB-2GB, did benchmarking and timings before and after, the only difference afterwards was a slight improvement in boot time, 5 secs, but I have no unnecessary apps loading at startup, don't game, even with lots of stuff running, it runs within 756MB, leaving the rest for cacheing. The important point I was trying to make is, it won't fix a not responding issue.

Getting rid of defender and mcafee made far more difference than upgrading the ram

jenniewb

aliEnRIK wrote: »

Download HIJACK THIS (Make sure you click 'DOWNLOAD LATEST VERSION')
http://www.filehippo.com/download_hijackthis/
Click DO A SCAN AND SAVE A LOGFILE (Takes seconds) then post the log so we can see whats running
(do NOT do anything else with Hijack but scan and post the FULL log)

OK, installed fine, then get this message prewarning me, saying something like
For some reason your system denied to write access to the hosts file. If any hijacked domains are in this file, Hijack this may NOT be able to fix this.

File its talking about is notepad C:\Windows\systems32\drivers\etc\hosts ....or left click and run as administrator.

(Hope that all makes sense- its edited)

I was unable to get a log! I tried but when I did, the notepad screen came up- with nothing on it! I did a search for information- nothing there! The most recent file was the malware one- the hijack one is not showing at all. I tried this about 10 times (yes really) various variations just to see if I missed anything, still no different.
I then tried the "Administration" option, except I cannot see the "administration" option when I left click.

Not sure what to do

jenniewb

closed wrote: »

Is the 5% left on the d drive, 60% left on c:?

Its changed since I started properly defragging (about a year ago)

I now have 60% free of both the D and C drives together (6.35GB of 9.99GB free on the D-drive and 86.7GB of 138GB free of the C-drive)

I have two browsers as one normally fails (gets the "not responding" message) TBH it didn't make it any worse to have Chrome installed but I prefer to use IE as I know where everything is! I use Chrome at the same time but it has only a few bits on such as the I player and E bay which I find works a little faster on Chrome.
I flick to Chrome when I get "not responding" from IE. By the time I have scoured ebay for something I want but don't need, I'll flick back to IE and its working again. It seems to be that if I wait, things can pick up. But I get board of waiting every day!

jenniewb

closed wrote: »

I upgraded a laptop similar to the op's from 1GB-2GB, did benchmarking and timings before and after, the only difference afterwards was a slight improvement in boot time, 5 secs, but I have no unnecessary apps loading at startup, don't game, even with lots of stuff running, it runs within 756MB, leaving the rest for cacheing. The important point I was trying to make is, it won't fix a not responding issue.

Getting rid of defender and mcafee made far more difference than upgrading the ram

Got rid of McAfee as soon as I was told by dell I needed to wipe the memory and start again. (They did this within 6 months of purchase as the computer was not recognising my then sony ericsson mobile). I think Dell seem to have the attitude that if its not working, scrap everything, wipe everything and start again from scratch, I never did reinstall McAlfee as I wasn't happy with the constant warnings I was getting for trivial things.
I no longer use Defender. (It messes with Napster and various other programmes).

So memory wont deal with the "not responding" issue, is this then a Microsoft or PC issue? is there no way out other then a Mac? (which on my budget means never ever a way out!) what gets me is that I have been using computers for one thing or another for the past 20 years- 8 of them in internet cafes and 15 of them in schools, colleges and Uni and 3years using heavily graphic/video based programmes (still confused by them!) Yet its only on my computer I've had this problem!
Am suprized others out there are also in the same boat and that Microsoft have not done anything to address the problem as yet.

But then they do seem to creatively be on a downwards slope and to be creating programmes, each with more hiccups then before....

aliEnRIK

jenniewb wrote: »

OK, installed fine, then get this message prewarning me, saying something like
For some reason your system denied to write access to the hosts file. If any hijacked domains are in this file, Hijack this may NOT be able to fix this.

File its talking about is notepad C:\Windows\systems32\drivers\etc\hosts ....or left click and run as administrator.

(Hope that all makes sense- its edited)

I was unable to get a log! I tried but when I did, the notepad screen came up- with nothing on it! I did a search for information- nothing there! The most recent file was the malware one- the hijack one is not showing at all. I tried this about 10 times (yes really) various variations just to see if I missed anything, still no different.
I then tried the "Administration" option, except I cannot see the "administration" option when I left click.

Not sure what to do

Shut down all security programs and try again