Free Disc Defragmenter recommendations please

closed

commit charge, physical ram total?

would run better if

you ditch comodo and zonealarm

delete the google update task from c:\windows\tasks

disable these services using services.msc

O23 - Service: Adobe LM Service - Adobe Systems - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe Systems Shared\Service\Adobelmsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Adobe Active File Monitor V5 (AdobeActiveFileMonitor5.0) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 5.0\PhotoshopElementsFileAgent.exe
O23 - Service: Adobe Flash Player Update Service (AdobeFlashPlayerUpdateSvc) - Adobe Systems Incorporated - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpda teService.exe
O23 - Service: Google Update Service (gupdate) (gupdate) - Google Inc. - C:\Program Files\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe
O23 - Service: Google Update Service (gupdatem) (gupdatem) - Google Inc. - C:\Program Files\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe
O23 - Service: Google Software Updater (gusvc) - Google - C:\Program Files\Google\Common\Google Updater\GoogleUpdaterService.exe

disable these using msconfig, startup tab


O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LanguageShortcut] "C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDVD\Language\Language.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [COMODO Internet Security] "C:\Program Files\COMODO\COMODO Internet Security\cfp.exe" -h
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RIMBBLaunchAgent.exe] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\USB Drivers\RIMBBLaunchAgent.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Photo Downloader] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 5.0\apdproxy.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [WMPNSCFG] C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\WMPNSCFG.exe
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [Picasa Media Detector] C:\Program Files\Picasa2\PicasaMediaDetector.exe (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'Default user')
O4 - Startup: Adobe Gamma.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Windows Search.lnk = C:\Program Files\Windows Desktop Search\WindowsSearch.exe

tick and fix these using hijackthis

O16 - DPF: {2DAD3559-2923-4935-AD49-B673D2539944} (IASRunner Class) - http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/acpir.cab
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://www.update.microsoft.com/wind...?1229830188430
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://www.update.microsoft.com/micr...?1353055802281

and use imgburn instead of cdburnerxp (which is running as a service, therefore using resources all the time)

VanMan2007

Thanks Closed, that's interesting.

Firstly: Commit charge
Total: 458624
Limit: 7670344
Peak: 560426

Physical memory:
Total: 3134188
Av: 2804204
System Cache: 764540

(This was with only the forum page opened. Nothing else running.)

I was running Zone Alarm, but then changed to Comodo. Obviously some ZA crap was not deleted when the program was. I would prefer extra security over 'out and out' speed, so may hang on to Comodo for now.

Do I get rid of the Zone Alarm crap by fixing with Hijack this? If not, how?

Will get to deleting all the other crap you've listed. Thanks very much for your time, Closed.

(Everything now done. I've left the Comodo as is for now. Just waiting on your advice re the Zone Alarm stuff, then all done.)

Splott

Forget bothering with a firewall altogether other than the built in Windows one. Your router uses NAT so nothing can initiate an inbound connection without you manually setting the port configuration in the router so it knows which computer to send the data to.

Don't bother with the defrag tools either. The XP defrag is a stripped down version of Speed Disk so just use that. Just keep CCleaner on hand to remove the crud and delete old System Restore points. They take up the most space.

VanMan2007

Splott wrote: »

Forget bothering with a firewall altogether other than the built in Windows one. Your router uses NAT so nothing can initiate an inbound connection without you manually setting the port configuration in the router so it knows which computer to send the data to.

Don't bother with the defrag tools either. The XP defrag is a stripped down version of Speed Disk so just use that. Just keep CCleaner on hand to remove the crud and delete old System Restore points. They take up the most space.

I do have a good spec router, top of the range TP-Link when I bought it, which you got from the Hijack file I assume?

I guess it's just not having the computer knowledge to let go of old preconceived ideas re the necessity of firewalls, etc. Especially when people universally slam the XP firewall!

Thanks for the post.

closed

the main use of a firewall is to stop people from outside attacking your ports to infect or access your files if file sharing is set up. Nowadays most people have routers which automatically prevent this with nat (which gives you a local 192.168 ip address, so this problem is solved by the router, and the software firewall will not get bothered with inbound attacks at all. using xp firewall as well gives an added layer if the router has been misconfigured, or another pc on the local network has been compromised, but it's not really essential.

3rd party software firewalls also detect outbound connections and prompt you if xxx is trying to talk to the net, the main difference between the windows firewall and 3rd party - unless someone knows that xxx is bad, they will probably say allow anyway, which defeats the object completely, and if they block xx, they could stop things working - which can cause all sorts of problems. ie xxx could be legit, or not legit, all the user has to go on is a filename, which could be anything

my view is, the virus scanner is best placed to detect rogue programs, not the user or the firewall, and if the machine is infected, then xx will just override the firewall anyway, ie it's too late. The best prevention is resident virus scanner, ocassional secondary scan with an alternative ie malwarebytes, and regular disk image backups in case anything gets through.

you have plenty of ram, so the machine shouldn't run like treacle, though it's not clear what you mean by this? ie what is actually going on when it slows down, or are you just meaning the download takes a long time? if it's still slow after the changes suggest trying without comodo just to check if it's related.

VanMan2007

Removed Comodo. Deleted the ZoneAlarm data with Hijack. Removed 3rd party defragmenter.

New figures: Commit charge
Total - 396948
Limit - 7670440
Peak - 416832

: Phys Memory
Total - 3134188
Avail - 2852088
Cache - 860608

New Hijack file:
Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 16:33:45, on 20/01/2013
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.6001.18702)
Boot mode: Normal
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\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastSvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\SKDAEMON.EXE
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\avastUI.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\CyberLink\Shared Files\RichVideo.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\SearchIndexer.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Admin\Desktop\HijackThis.exe
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: avast! WebRep - {8E5E2654-AD2D-48bf-AC2D-D17F00898D06} - C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\aswWebRepIE.dll
O3 - Toolbar: avast! WebRep - {8E5E2654-AD2D-48bf-AC2D-D17F00898D06} - C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\aswWebRepIE.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Hot Key Kbd Daemon] SKDAEMON.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SynTPLpr] C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPLpr.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SynTPEnh] C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast] "C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\avastUI.exe" /nogui
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [Picasa Media Detector] C:\Program Files\Picasa2\PicasaMediaDetector.exe (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'Default user')
O8 - Extra context menu item: Add to Google Photos Screensa&ver - res://C:\WINDOWS\system32\GPhotos.scr/200
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.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
O11 - Options group: [JAVA_IBM] Java (IBM)
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{1F0C6767-4485-442F-B6D3-22E95FC98534}: NameServer = 8.26.56.26,156.154.70.22
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - AVAST Software - C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastSvc.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\1050\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: Cyberlink RichVideo Service(CRVS) (RichVideo) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\CyberLink\Shared Files\RichVideo.exe
--
End of file - 4245 bytes

Pc working very nicely now guys. Thanks to all for the help.