Getting -annoyed-. Help me, please!

[Travis English]

This computer is only three weeks old, so I can vouch for
the integrity of its hardware. I am running Windows XP on
an Athlon AMD 2.4gig with 256 megs of RAM.

Recently, after I dealt with a Trojan, my computer has
begun acting erratically. My CPU usage is spiking up and
down from the usual 2-10% at idle up to as high as 40%
and back again several times a second. The result is a
lot of skipping and stuttering from the mouse, video,
audio, games, in ANYTHING I'm using at the time.

The following link is to an image of my CPU Usage "EKG"
chart. This accurately represents the performance of my
computer, with each "peak" representing a brief "hang."
http://kks.ayenee.org/images/ecg

Notes:

1. Sophos and Spybot confirm that I have no more viruses,
Trojans, or spy/adware on my computer. I also know
through RAM Booster that I am not low on memory. Finally,
Device Manager does not find any hardware or IRQ
conflicts.

2. Heat may be an issue. When I shut down the computer
for some time (about an hour or so), the machine will
boot and behave normally for a while. This can not be
confirmed, though. Suggestions welcome.

3. Uninstalling unused programs, removing large and
useless files, and defragmenting my hard drive do not
have any positive effect. In fact, the skipping even
occurs in Safe Mode.

 

[Guest]

Hi,

If you click on the 'Processes' tab and sort by the CPU
tab (to order processes by CPU use)

Which process is taking up the CPU ?

Regards,

Tim

 

[Quaoar]

This computer is only three weeks old, so I can vouch for
the integrity of its hardware. I am running Windows XP on
an Athlon AMD 2.4gig with 256 megs of RAM.

Recently, after I dealt with a Trojan, my computer has
begun acting erratically. My CPU usage is spiking up and
down from the usual 2-10% at idle up to as high as 40%
and back again several times a second. The result is a
lot of skipping and stuttering from the mouse, video,
audio, games, in ANYTHING I'm using at the time.

The following link is to an image of my CPU Usage "EKG"
chart. This accurately represents the performance of my
computer, with each "peak" representing a brief "hang."
http://kks.ayenee.org/images/ecg

Notes:

1. Sophos and Spybot confirm that I have no more viruses,
Trojans, or spy/adware on my computer. I also know
through RAM Booster that I am not low on memory. Finally,
Device Manager does not find any hardware or IRQ
conflicts.

2. Heat may be an issue. When I shut down the computer
for some time (about an hour or so), the machine will
boot and behave normally for a while. This can not be
confirmed, though. Suggestions welcome.

3. Uninstalling unused programs, removing large and
useless files, and defragmenting my hard drive do not
have any positive effect. In fact, the skipping even
occurs in Safe Mode.

With a computer this new to you and having suffered the infection, I
recommend you reinstall the OS clean or use the restore disk set.

Q

 

[cquirke (MVP Win9x)]

On Sun, 8 Feb 2004 22:27:51 -0800, "Travis English"

This computer is only three weeks old, so I can vouch for
the integrity of its hardware.

;-)

Three weeks is long enough to leave the manufactured-defect side of
the wished-for "bathtub curve" of solid-state failures over time.

OTOH if you told me the PC had always been a PITA, I'd have been
quicker to suggest doing the prelim (MemTest86 etc.)

I am running Windows XP on
an Athlon AMD 2.4gig with 256 megs of RAM.

That you tell us the processor and not the mobo chipset suggests you

Recently, after I dealt with a Trojan, my computer has
begun acting erratically. My CPU usage is spiking up and
down from the usual 2-10% at idle up to as high as 40%
and back again several times a second. The result is a
lot of skipping and stuttering from the mouse, video,
audio, games, in ANYTHING I'm using at the time.

Does this go away when you are offline?

Else if HD LD is always on, with either no HD sound or a cyclical
clicking, I'd want to chck the HD for physical errors. HD access
retries can act as you describe; sticky mouse is charactaristic.

What does a formal malware scan show? What trojan was it, and was it
a RAT? As RATs allow humans to get involved (by pulling the RAT's
tail), behaviour could be unbounded by the description of the malware
itself. Th human could upload either off-the-peg viruses that drill
within files (needing av to detect) or less-detectable tools that have
to more crudely integrated if they are to auto-run - so check the
usual suspects; startup axis, file associations, shell= etc.

The following link is to an image of my CPU Usage "EKG"
http://kks.ayenee.org/images/ecg

1. Sophos and Spybot confirm that I have no more viruses,
Trojans, or spy/adware on my computer.

Sophos do Windows-based plus DOS-based scanners, the latter of which
would be capable of formal scanning if NTFS is avoided.

Which did you use?

I also know through RAM Booster that I am not low on memory.

Oh for heaven's sake, get rid of that (i.e. disable at least) as your
*first* troubleshooting step!

Device Manager does not find any hardware or IRQ conflicts.
OK

2. Heat may be an issue.

Yes, in two ways. Firstly, a hot processor may retreat into thermal
protection mode, which may be a smooth slowdown or a total halt for a
second or few to cool off. Secondly, HDs dont like being too hot, and
may start failing and thus requiring multiple retries.

When I shut down the computer for some time (about an
hour or so), the machine will boot and behave normally for
a while. This can not be confirmed, though.

Could be heat, could be the delay until your RAT-grabbing human
realizes you are back online and comes to play (assuming bband). If
b(road)band, does mileage improve when offline?

3. Uninstalling unused programs, removing large and
useless files, and defragmenting my hard drive do not
have any positive effect. In fact, the skipping even
occurs in Safe Mode.

OK. Safe Mode suppresses the startup axis and fancy drivers, but
doesn't suppress several other malware integration opportunities, and
while it may run a bit cooler, you could still overheat.

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