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XP SP3 - Seizing badly

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  • 11-06-2010 7:55pm
    #1
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 82,166 ✭✭✭✭


    Its at the point of frustrating - like when you go to shut it down, it takes 20 minutes, and frequently when you go to move the mouse, the entire system freezes out for a moment. Programs are slow and non-responsive when launching, the wireless connection keeps dropping, etc.

    Even safe mode seems affected. Its been loading up from the login screen for a good 5 minutes now.

    Any ideas what might be causing these symptoms? At this point its faster for me to ask online than it is to poke around the actual system. :mad:


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    #2
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 82,166 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    I suspect its msmpeng.exe , which is apparently windows defender, and it apparently tries to scan its own executable - like a vaccum sucking up its own cord.

    Problem though. On This XP machine Im troubleshooting from, Ive managed to go in and Shut Down windows defender no problem..... From the Problem Machine, msmpeng.exe is running, but Windows Defender cannot be found in any of the system's directories.


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    #3
    JonathanAnon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,718 ✭✭✭✭JonathanAnon


    Start off with the basics Overheal... Do you have Anti Virus software installed? Have you tried disabling Windows Defender as a test?

    Have you installed any applications that you have installed that you think may have caused this behaviour? You could run MSCONFIG (Start | Programs | Run.. type MSCONFIG) and see what programs are running that may be causing trouble...

    Also, make sure that your C: drive has at least 1 Gb of space free. Had a PC during the week displaying similar behaviour during the week due to lack of hard disk space...


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    #4
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 82,166 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    It seems stable again for the moment.

    Previously it has already been slimmed down with ccleaner's startup menu. The biggest change recently was Microsoft Security Essentials. Finally occured to me to checked in that directory and sure enough thats where the executable was. I've since told MSE to exclude its own directory from malware scans. Gonna see if it holds.

    Im hoping this is also the reason why the internet connection kept dropping too - if the computer seized up long enough, the linksys seemed to be forgetting it was there.


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