Computer messed up - im a fool.

Joseph

Hey,

I am an intermediate->advanced computer user. I've known my fair share of problems have got over them etc. Until recently my computer has been going "useable" but within the last 4 weeks it has gotten unplayable, especially on BF2 it just freezes up on the lowest of low settings, I have updated drivers and all that rig-mer-role.

So, I decided to investigate furthur - not accepting that it was my computer(see specs below) that was cracking up (2 years old-custombuild)

Specs;
Manufacturer:
TBD
Processor:
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 2800+, MMX, 3DNow, ~1.8GHz
Memory:
512MB RAM
Hard Drive:
160 GB
Video Card:
RADEON 9800 XT
Monitor:
SAMTRON 96P/97P(T)
Sound Card:
C-Media Wave Device
Speakers/Headphones:
Logitech 5.1 Surround Sound
Keyboard:
USB Root Hub
Mouse:
USB Root Hub
Mouse Surface:
Blue Mat
Operating System:
Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)

Okay so, I went into Task Manager and well just realised that I had WAYYY to many processes (30!!!). So I did spyware checks with spybot and adware (lavasoft) and downloaded a program that showed you in detail what programs your running and what boot up. I only found 1 that I identified as definate spyware and removed+deleted it immediatly. It was on my schedule manager (ye i know, bad) and was running every few seconds I must imagine.

My question is, is their anything you reccommend me to do, install, use, etc. Im very open to suggestions and yes I know I am a fool for letting them get on in the first place from sites.


Kind regards,
Deaddude.

garthv

Yeh,
Click Start > Run and type msconfig.
Then click the startup tab and unclick any of the programs you dont want to start up as your machine starts up.
All the programs in that startup tab are all user configurated to startup with windows so you can stop any of them that you would like.
Restart your machine in safe mode and then run a virus scan, the majority of virus scanners out there at the mo cannot pick up viruses that are already running.

If this doesnt sort yer stuff, let me know!

Stephen

About 30 processes is normal enough for Windows XP without any big applications running. Your computer really doesn't have enough RAM for BF2 - it even chugs on 1GB.

When it freezes up, what exactly happens?

Ruu_Old

Run memtest if you haven't already. There are a few processes you can stop but I have a similar amount of Windows processes running. Grab a copy of AVG Anti-Spyware to use with Spybot-Search and Destroy.

Services Guide for XP.

Joseph

Firstly thanks for the extremely promt replies especailly on Christmas Day. Thanks you Garth, I've done that and elimated all the programs there except for 2 which I want to start up and one which is an ATI CLI program. I will do that Scan in a couple of minutes, thanks for the tip!!

Stephen, my friend who is a XP user runs 15 processes with a lower spec computer and his machine runs faster hehe. The thing with BF2 is it used to be playable on a slightly higher setting, now at the LOWEST of all settings its unplayable.
I'll give an example of what happens. BF2 loads, connect to server. Game loads and I join when i select character and spawn (everything going fine) then i start to move. I notice say im holding down W for walk foward if i take my finger off it it takes about 1-2 seconds to respond and stop walking. This didnt always happen. Then everything goes fine for about 10-20 seconds until it suddendly freezes up and you can hear noises repeating, then eventually it starts to move but never goes back to normal or anywhere near there. At that stage you can wait for 5 minutes to open the menu and quit or manually restart the machine.

Skittle

Deaddude,
Just a comment about running BF2. You'll need on average 2Gb or RAM to run it really well. Also you video card is very old and you are running the risk that the latests drivers won't properly support your card.

For Spyware detection and removal, I'd use a combination of Ad-aware from Lavasoft and Spybot: Search & Destroy

These are fairly reliable and I've found them quite good.

Skittle

Revalco

Any chance your settings were changed? Sounds more like lag or a Hard drive problem.

I would love to have 30 processes, currently at 50 lol and play COH no problem.

Fanny Cradock

First off, it would be worth upgrading. €300 would buy you a new chip (3700), Ram (512mb) and graphics card (7600 GT). You would see a massive improvement in how BF2 preforms. The system you have now will struggle to play the game - spyware or no.

30 processes inst a great deal, I think. I've freshly reinstalled windows (along with the appropriate AV software etc.) and I run nearly 40. What you should be looking out for is how much ram they use in totality. Hence my point suggestion about getting another stick of RAM.

There are many antispyware programmes out there - AVG antispyware, Defender, Spybot, Adaware. It's worth running them in conjunction with each other, but there is little point in doing this when they will consume the little RAM you have.

*Splash out a bit of cash on the above components.
*Download the free programmes I mentioned - Defender, AVG Antispyware and Spybot come recommended. Adaware hasn't picked anything up in nearly a year for me.
*Switch to FireFox and install extensions like no-script.
*Reinstall windows if possible.
*Download CCleaner and do a reg clean.
*Defrag your HDD.

Problem sorted.

Joseph

Fanny,

Currently already done:
*defrag
*CCleander
*firefox scripts
*spybot etc

I will be buying a new computer next july so I dont really want to spend money on this computer tbh.

Ruu, im making that disc now

DonkeyStyle \o/

Deaddude wrote:

My question is, is their anything you reccommend me to do, install, use, etc. Im very open to suggestions and yes I know I am a fool for letting them get on in the first place from those sites.

Reformat and reinstall Windows... once you're compromised you're compromised that's it as far as I'm concerned... I don't trust any software to be able to pick up 100% of anything else that might be lurking on the system thanks to the first asshole bit of spyware that got in.

Don't use IE ever again (except for windows update).
Sort yourself out with a software firewall of some description... even better if you're behind a NAT router.
Don't install anything from any source you don't 100% trust... when in doubt ask yourself what that site would have to lose if reports of spyware/malware were to surface about them... if the answer is little or nothing, you might want to avoid it. (eg. warez or some fly-by-night free screensaver site)

I think keeping yourself safe from this crap is more about what you don't do/use/install than anything else.
Keeping windows patched up is a good idea, but I think the above is more important.

It's fine running every kind of detection tool under the sun, but what you should be aiming for is keeping these fúckers out in the first place.

I'd agree that your system is a bit on the crap side by todays standards, but if it's gotten a lot worse lately I think "why?" is a perfectly valid question.
It's probably something completely unrelated to spyware, but if it were me I'd reformat simply because I'd feel "unclean" until I did.

TerrorFirmer

Skittle wrote:

You'll need on average 2Gb or RAM to run it really well. Also you video card is very old and you are running the risk that the latests drivers won't properly support your card.

That's a little extreme, I used to run it on high settings on 1Gb, sure it was a bit stuttery initially but after a few seconds it was perfectly fine, 1.5Gb was really the sweet spot and it ran flawlessly at maxed out settings, 2gb is hardly necessary not to mention very expensive.

Although still I can't imagine trying to run it on 512mb of ram mainly, the 2800+ or 9800XT are old adequate enough, personally I'd rather upgrade the ram then any of the other components if I had to choose just one. Even a mere extra 256mb of ram would make a big difference.

I'd say it's as simple as just needing to run spybot and or/anti-virus, normally it's the spyware that clogs up 90% of systems that experience this kind of problem.

Joseph

Okay I've decided to spend the few bob and buy a gig of ram. My question to you lovely folks is what type of RAM should I get?

Specs:
Manufacturer:
TBD
Processor:
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 2800+, MMX, 3DNow, ~1.8GHz
Memory:
512MB RAM
Hard Drive:
160 GB
Video Card:
RADEON 9800 XT
Monitor:
SAMTRON 96P/97P(T)
Sound Card:
C-Media Wave Device
Speakers/Headphones:
Logitech 5.1 Surround Sound
Keyboard:
USB Root Hub
Mouse:
USB Root Hub
Mouse Surface:
Blue Mat
Operating System:
Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)

Joseph

That is my motherboard so I was going to go for this 1gb of ram seeing as I have a 512 stick of RAM a 1gig would be nice?
Any thoughts ?

TerrorFirmer

The 9800XT isn't too bad for BF2, so maybe add the other gig of ram and slightly overclock your 2800+, and you'll be grand. No point spending too much money on another cpu and graphics card really because you might as well start building a new machine if you did.

Revalco

Would agreed with Havok, you still have the guts of a decent system, just upgrade the ram and enjoy BF2

Joseph

Havok, fyi ive already ready overclocked to a reasonable ammount.

What do you think of that ram?

Fanny Cradock

I believe I have exactly the same RAM (2x512MB). For budget purposes it will do just fine. You will notice a huge difference when playing the game with the extra GB

weeder

i used to run bf2 on a P4 2.4GHz with 512Mb ramand a radeon 9250 on medium and low settings

no lag

DaSilva

Mate slow down, before you go taking their advice and splash the cash.

Your telling us that your pc ran this game fine up until recently, then it probably still can.


Can you remeber a history of changes you have done to the computer around the time of this problem starting?
Installed some software?
Changed some settings?


Heres a checklist of things to go through too see where the problem might be comming from..

During this lag/slowness you suffer, is your HD light flickering alot?
If it is, it could be due to the 30odd proccesses you have running, my XP machine has about 15 at very max ever running, you don't need half this shít running.

Have you messed with any settings related to a Cache, or Precaching?
I dont know the details of the game you are playing, but perhaps it has some precaching option that you may have turned off, which is causing the game to load textures and the like during gameplay, which is slowing your pc down.

Has your PC gotten a knock, started making wierd noises or is the room very dusty or hot?
Something could have happened and your PC is overheating and slowing down to stop itself causing permanent damage.

Has your harddrive got under 50% freespace, and it usen't too?

Is this the only software that is running slow that used to be fine?


The symptoms your describing sound like its either a pagefile / harddrive seek / game setting / over heating problem.

The more info you can give the better.

Joseph

Hey DaSilva,

Thank you for your detailed reply, I'll try to address each point.

There was no major change at the time of the Game slowing, it had been running playable up till then @ mostly low settings with one or two on medium.

Checklist:
-I havent noticed it flicering alot, it just makes the normal ammount of noise which isnt alot. I do realise that 30 is alot, I have gotten it down to 23 and am expermenting with what else to turn off, if you had a few tips as to what could be turned off that would be great

-I dont think I've touched those settings, I havent seen them in-game settings anyway. Is there anywhere I should check? Actually now that I think of it I installed a tuning Program TuneXP and changed settings on it that were advised. Just looking at it now and I dont see anything about Cache or Precaching.

-No Im careful with my PC and it is sounding normal

-Yes this is the only software, also a new expansion I got for the game and thats why Im inclinded to pay the 100€ and get it over with.

Hope that helps in understanding what could be the problem.

Kind regards,
Deaddude.

Joseph

PS: The expansion is the same requirements.