Computer Problems

[feral chile]

Hi,

I'm suddenly having lots of problems with my PC CPU usage spikes often up to 100% usage, it's usually iexplore.exe pretty much the only thing showing up under processes. I've run full scans with Norton. I've also received Norton notifications of High Disk Usage, high Memory usage, so everything's screwed.

I don't know how to trace what's wrong with it, 2 things come to mind. A few weeks ago, my cat sat on my printer and it went ballistic, and when I tried to cancel its operations my computer went crazy, for a while I couldn't even start Windows. Then Windows run a diagnostic and repaired itself. When I go into Control Panel, my printer's showing at the top in a toolbar type thing. Is that normal? I can't do a screenprint, don't know how.

The other thing I've done recently is updated Adobe but I've already disabled the tool bar add on to Flashplayer to no avail.

When Norton sends me a notification of a problem, it won't let me click on details, as it gives me an error message telling me there's no internet connection, when I know there is because I'm browsing it.

How can I work out what's causing the problem so I can eradicate the bloody thing?

Thanks (and please recognise you're dealing with an idiot regarding technology, so in baby speak please )

[Spindles]

Sadly this sounds like one of those things that is very hard to diagnose without being hands on, usually something relatively simple, but only a tinker will turn it up.

The only thing I would say is that I hate Norton products, if I got my hands on your pc I'd probably uninstall that bugger and just stick AVG free on as basic, unobtrusive antivirus (I don't use any antivirus at all, personally, but on machines where I have in the past I've always gone with AVG). I have had a bad experience personally with Norton antivirus many years back and it is, in my opinion, unnecessary bloatware on the whole which can be replaced with free, much more efficient programs.

Sorry I can't be more help. I'd recommend downloading google chrome or Mozilla firefox just to see if the same sort of behaviour occurs when using a different browser (as you mention IE). If you have the source disk for your norton software I'd also recommend an uninstall of that, see how it behaves without it and if you feel that it is a necessary tool for your pc, a reinstall afterwards.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Hi,

I'm suddenly having lots of problems with my PC CPU usage spikes often up to 100% usage, it's usually iexplore.exe pretty much the only thing showing up under processes. I've run full scans with Norton. I've also received Norton notifications of High Disk Usage, high Memory usage, so everything's screwed.

I don't know how to trace what's wrong with it, 2 things come to mind. A few weeks ago, my cat sat on my printer and it went ballistic, and when I tried to cancel its operations my computer went crazy, for a while I couldn't even start Windows. Then Windows run a diagnostic and repaired itself. When I go into Control Panel, my printer's showing at the top in a toolbar type thing. Is that normal? I can't do a screenprint, don't know how.

The other thing I've done recently is updated Adobe but I've already disabled the tool bar add on to Flashplayer to no avail.

When Norton sends me a notification of a problem, it won't let me click on details, as it gives me an error message telling me there's no internet connection, when I know there is because I'm browsing it.

How can I work out what's causing the problem so I can eradicate the bloody thing?

Thanks (and please recognise you're dealing with an idiot regarding technology, so in baby speak please )

What was wrong with the cat? I hope it did not die as a result. :-(

[kaosmark2]

Doing a screenprint is really easy. Just press the "print Screen" button in the top right of the keyboard (usually above either the number pad or the home and arrow keys), and then open Paint and paste it in there.

Sadly this sounds like one of those things that is very hard to diagnose without being hands on, usually something relatively simple, but only a tinker will turn it up.

The only thing I would say is that I hate Norton products, if I got my hands on your pc I'd probably uninstall that bugger and just stick AVG free on as basic, unobtrusive antivirus (I don't use any antivirus at all, personally, but on machines where I have in the past I've always gone with AVG). I have had a bad experience personally with Norton antivirus many years back and it is, in my opinion, unnecessary bloatware on the whole which can be replaced with free, much more efficient programs.

Sorry I can't be more help. I'd recommend downloading google chrome or Mozilla firefox just to see if the same sort of behaviour occurs when using a different browser (as you mention IE). If you have the source disk for your norton software I'd also recommend an uninstall of that, see how it behaves without it and if you feel that it is a necessary tool for your pc, a reinstall afterwards.

I second all of this. It imagine it will be quite hard to diagnose without access to your machine and tinkering, but I completely agree that Norton is really awful software and I recommend uninstalling it. I get away without an anti-virus, but if you do want one AVG is probably the best. Norton does eat up a lot of processing power.

If IE is mentioned as one of the things causing the problem, try downloading and installing Google Chrome instead (Firefox is slightly bloated nowadays, at least compared to Chrome), but I suspect that won't help.

Your cat sitting on your printer shouldn't really cause any problems with the computer itself. You could try uninstalling the printer drivers (there should be an obvious option for that in the printers section of control panel). Even just unplugging it should stop the computer trying to do anything through it.

If none of those work, I'd recommend making sure you've got everything important backed up, and doing a format and fresh windows install. As you use a computer a lot of background programs accumulate and run, there's other ways to get rid of them, but a fresh install really does help.

How old is your computer? If you're using modern software on a fairly old processor with less RAM, it might just not have enough power to run the programs you want. Although if it's just for web browsing, e-mails and word docs you shouldn't have a problem.

Hopefully something in there might help.

[Spartacus Mars]

Flash can be a CPU hog.

I disable it in Chrome for the most part as I was bored of the 100% cpu spikes - I turn it back on for youtube sessions.

[eFestivals]

The only thing I would say is that I hate Norton products, if I got my hands on your pc I'd probably uninstall that bugger and just stick AVG free on as basic, unobtrusive antivirus (I don't use any antivirus at all, personally, but on machines where I have in the past I've always gone with AVG). I have had a bad experience personally with Norton antivirus many years back and it is, in my opinion, unnecessary bloatware on the whole which can be replaced with free, much more efficient programs.

I ran Norton for years. People on here were continually saying Norton was crap and AVG runs much faster.

Having now been using AVG on the exact same PC for nearly 3 years I can say with all authority that if anyone thinks they can notice a difference in speed they need to get their marbles checked and their fantasies need to subside.

Edited October 2, 2012 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

How people can use Norton is beyond me. Awful software.

if it's awful then AVG is no less awful, despite being the most recommended 'not-awful' alternative.

ESET is the only thing I will use these days. It is simply fantastic.

there's really only one way to scan a file for virus', so if something is significantly faster it's pretty likely that it's doing less scanning and is a lesser product.

[eFestivals]

OMG... You really are a know nothing

yeah? So please tell me how a virus scan which doesn't do a byte scan and then a comparison with a virus definitions table is actually checking for virus'.

[eFestivals]

I improved my point to correctly call you the dingbat you are and explain exactly the point you are either missing or are too stupid to compute

so c'mon then, enlighten me about what I know nothing about, by you telling me how I've got that wrong.

Or is it that you can't tell me anything? Your expanded answer above certainly does not.

Using your terrible logic a virus checker would be checking every file all of the time to be deemed a better product

not at all - it only needs to check a file when written to disk or into memory (for a file new to that computer), and when read from disk (tho there's ways to lessen the processing load of this, via use of checksums and a reference table [i've no idea if any work like this, but presume someone has at least tried this method]).

So c'mon then smart arse, what don't I know?

(just to be clear, I'm not believing that I know everything, so wouldn't be hugely surprised if you told me something useful. Then again, going by your now-expanded answer above, I think I might be waiting a while ).

[eFestivals]

But we shall defer our judgement to you AVG... LMAO

care to show me anywhere where i've suggested it's good?

I've merely said it has no noticeable benefit over Norton, because it has no noticeable benefit over Norton (and yet countless people posting on here [not you as far as I recall] have said it's far faster than Norton - it's not).

Edited October 2, 2012 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

PMSL - yuour silence is deafening Barry.

Why not just admit that you've dug yourself into a hole and now can't work out what bullshit to deliver to try and (fail to) scramble out again?

[philipsteak]

all very helpful for feral

[The Nal]

Sounds like it could be a virus Feral, masking itself as Windows. You reckon these Windows updates are legit?

I (should say my friend) clicked on loads of those "you have won a million" and "your computer is at risk - click here!" ads and my PC got infected. Started acting very strange. Couldn't access control panels etc.

Were you using Internet Explorer?

[eFestivals]

Hardly... I do have a job you know... Do some googling for your answers... Its not hard But some of your presumptions here are wrong... Some of the things you have said are short sighted...

so you're telling me I'm wrong, but you're not able to say how or why, and now you're running away.

Hmmmm, OK. Yeah, you know what's what. :lol:

all very helpful for feral

well, it's cleared up Norton as being anything of the problem (as Spindles had suggested) - because his alternative suggestion certainly gives no advantage over Norton.

[eFestivals]

I told you how you was wrong... There was no running away other than you wanting me now to provide you with something resembling a white paper which you know I won't do...

no need for anything like a white paper, just a line or two of what's different to what I said - which you've failed to be able to deliver, showing that you can't deliver.

Hey ho... Play whichever way you want but the conception that more checking is better is flawed.... and the idea that you have to check every file going into memory is flawed...

If every file is not checked when accessed then the whole concept of what you're saying is a virus checker is what is flawed.

A person can decide to cut corners and not check every file, but that merely opens the door for people to exploit with virus'.

[Essex_George]

Could be virus or malware. Download malwarebytes (its free!) and run update and make sure your antivirus is up to date. Restart pc in safe mode (tap F8 key after re-booting) then run scans with Norton and Malwarebytes.

[eFestivals]

I'd say it sounds like Flash is stalling for some reason - probably that the flash files your PC is trying to load are more than it can cope with.

It's worth checking that you have the latest version of Flash Player (www.adobe.com), as some versions can be quite ropey compared to others.

It's also worth checking that you have the latest version of Java installed - again it's something which can gobble resources, particularly if there's an old ropey version installed.

[eFestivals]

just a few days ago, whenever I went on efestivals website, my laptop, and the PC at work would freeze, with explorer showing 50% usage. I'd have to end the process (of explorer) and start again. My Desktop was always fine, possibly because it's newer with more ram available..

it seems to have stopped now

yup - that was an issue being caused by particular Flash ads, which were resource hungry.

Because it was an issue action was taken to stop it happening, which is why it's now stopped.

Edited October 2, 2012 by eFestivals

[The Nal]

My Dad does that all the time... No matter how much I try to educate him not to do it he does it... Beyond help some people

A lot more annoying when someone does it on your computer!

".......but, a window popped up saying the computer may be at risk and to install and to click here immediately".

To make it even worse, he was looking for the 2 girls 1 cup video at the time to show a few people who were there so there were dodgy pop ups everywhere. All of which I think he clicked on. The stupidity of it annoys me more than the virus the PC got.

Feral - Usually when a PC starts acting up like that - not obeying commands, hiding folders and messing with system folders and generally being really weird, its usually a virus. Barry is right. Plug out the internet cable (these viruses can update in the background otherwise) and copy all of your files to a safe place asap. Also, delete all of your internet history, forms, searches, passwords, etc to be safe and then reinstall Windows.

Edited October 2, 2012 by The Nal

[windy_miller]

there's really only one way to scan a file for virus', so if something is significantly faster it's pretty likely that it's doing less scanning and is a lesser product.

yeah? So please tell me how a virus scan which doesn't do a byte scan and then a comparison with a virus definitions table is actually checking for virus'.

There's more than one way to implement it though. You can have two programs that do the same thing, one badly written and one well written. In my experience, Norton is a badly written resource hungry piece of crap.

I recently uninstalled Avast and started using the free Microsoft virus scanner. It seems to use less resources than Avast, and I have seen some good reports on it too

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/security/pc-security/mse.aspx

[eFestivals]

There's more than one way to implement it though. You can have two programs that do the same thing, one badly written and one well written. In my experience, Norton is a badly written resource hungry piece of crap.

oh, absolutely - there's more than one way to write a program.

And people endlessly say Norton is a resource hog, but most of the people who've said that have said AVG is better - when it's not, it's just not. There's absolutely no noticeable difference at all in resources or computer speed.

Which only gets to prove that most of the people going around saying "XYZ is less resource hungry" are talking out of their arse. And you might be here too (I've no idea either way) - cos this Norton myth runs and runs (it's been going since the 80s), but remains as just a myth.

In fact, lots of the people who used to slag off Norton back then used to say "ABC is better" (I wish I could remember what 'ABC' was) ... and yet both were identical products with just different branding (Norton had bought that 'ABC' company).

edit: I have a feeling that 'ABC' was Dr Watson, but I could be mistaken.

Edited October 2, 2012 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

edit: I have a feeling that 'ABC' was Dr Watson, but I could be mistaken.

no it wasn't, it was Dr Solomans.

[TalkShow Bob]

Could be virus or malware. Download malwarebytes (its free!) and run update and make sure your antivirus is up to date. Restart pc in safe mode (tap F8 key after re-booting) then run scans with Norton and Malwarebytes.

What he says. Malwarebytes is amazing. One of my old flatemates used to regulalry get malware downloading stuff and it would allways say there was no internet connection when he was trying to get to pages of antiviruses and anti malware. Try going on the malwarebytes site, if you get the same thing then youll need to get someone to an up to date copy on a memory stick. A full scan takes for ever but will sort it out.

Also try CC clean, helps fix registry issues and generally keep your computer in a better shape.

[eFestivals]

Norton is an awful piece of software... It does make your computer run like a bag of spanners and its terrible software to use.

last time I rebuilt my PC when I was still using Norton, I couldn't notice any difference in speed after installing Norton.

There's many more 'standard' programs on any PC which drags perdormance down far more -and no one calls those a bag of shit.

I wouldn't touch AVG or any of the other "free" offerings either... Not as something to count on day to day...

I'm actually quite happy using no virus software - because in my 20+ years of professional computing, the only times I've had a PC infected is when I've known prior to taking a particular action (such as clicking on a dodgy link) that taking that action is likely to infect the PC.

I use AVG because people said it would make my PC run better than Norton would. It doesn't.

I use AV software just as an extra safeguard against my own possible stupidity. I know I don't really need it, but there's no measurable downside in having it installed just in case.

[The Nal]

Trend Micro ain't bad. Problem with viruses though is that they're always a step ahead.

I've only ever got one virus in 15 years of having computers, both PC and Apple. And that was the one above, my mate being a twat.

What sites are people visiting?!