OMG! I really need help! Something's wrong with my laptop!

[lonely_boy]

Ok something's wrong with my computer but I don't know what. My dad and I began to notice the slowness it gets everyday. My dad thought it might be Yahoo messenger's fault but I didn't believe it at first. Then after I updated Yahoo messenger, this laptop got ridiclously slow. I mean it takes 2-5 minutes just to adjust the volume and 1-3 minutes to resume to normal desktop from screensaver. I knew something's wrong. I just received some music files from a friend in Taiwan before that happened to. But after thinking for a while, I thought my friend wouldn't do that and beside, since did his English become that good? Anyway those music files are Jay's music and when I opened them, they refused to play after playing 13 seconds on both tracks! Regardless of that, I'm currently trying to clean up my YIM list of unknown contacts (350!). I did ran a scan with Norton Antivirus and Spy Sweeper however they just refused to scan on when they were about to scan my disk drive. I'll give you more updates later...

[orangeman]

Run some spyware applications. Don't trust Norton as a anti-virus, try nod32,kaspersky,abg,antivir. Most of them are free or trial-based.

If you can, open Task Manager(ctrl+alt+del) and try to pinpoint what process takes up a lot of memory and cpu. If there's something not normally there, then search it up online. Most processes should have a definition and if it's bad, a fix.

I doubt it's Yahoo IM, since everyone usually has a IM client running. Shouldn't take much from the cpu/memory.

[chineseguyjl]

oh boy, i have no doubt that you have spyware/adware, and possibly a virus or a worm. the reason its slow is becuase someone is tracking you and makes ur computer only use about 20 of ur original memory. in this situation i would result to reformating the computer. even if u find the virus, it will automatically create a new one right before you delete it. reformating is the best and safest way to go.

[cowboy]

I'll repeat the last posters advise. If you can access your hard drive, save what files oyu can on protable storage and then restore your laptop. It's the only way. I once battled for a week with a similar problem trying to uninstall, find , and delete some adware/spyware/virus I got somewhere, but it was to no avail. I had to wipe it anyway because it kept popping up after I would get rid of it. Sorry, mate, that's the only way to get it back to normal. Let this be a lesson to you to be careful where you download from.

[lonely_boy]

Well I guess I'll follow the last two poster's two tips. But will all my programs be reset?

[cowboy]

After you restore you will have nothing more than what you first started with when you first turned on your laptop. Hope you kept all of the software and drivers you need. This is the kind of thing you need to expect will happen if you run a windows machine and you surf the internet. Good luck, my wife just went through the same thing.

[lonely_boy]

Well this is strange. After I typed up that message about reformating my laptop, it suddenly went to normal speed. But I'm still reformatting.

I asked my pop about this but he said I might lost the sound abilty in my laptop, or w/e it's called. Will that happened if I reformat?

[chineseguyjl]

reformating usually occurs without any applications running (including the virus), sort of like a safe mode. but once you start formating you shouldn't be able to stop it or pause it. to make sure your doing this right the way you start a format is this. 1. have the format disc ready in the cdrom, 2. start the computer, 3. wait for a message that says something like "press any button to launch disc" something like that. 4. press any key nd follow the instructions. if it asks you for permission to delete something, such as a partion, delete it, since the virus might have traveled in there. I suspect you were reformating with windows already launched, that is only restoring the WINXP, you need everything reformated.

if you reformat with the original disc that came with the the computer than your safe, it should include all the manufacturing software. it will just be exactly like the first time you turned on your computer.

the "sound ability" is only the driver and possibly (not always) the program that comes with the sound card. this you shouldnt worry about, it should come in with a cd when you purchased your computer. if that is lost, the driver can most likely be found on windowsupdate.com or better yet the manufacturing website (then locate the files you need) it should have it even if your sound card is obsolete. if you sepcifically want this to be perfect search for DRIVER, and the PROGRAM/APPLICATION of the model. that is all u need.

[lonely_boy]

Well I don't have the CD of the sound card...:(

[chineseguyjl]

the driver and program should be included in the restore cd, only if your computer was pre-configured (like a purchased computer ready from a store, like circuit city) and not custom configured.

[lonely_boy]

Ok I reformatted my computer already. However it's going slow like before. What's really disturbing me is many alerts popped up on me everyday, telling me to load things from a strange website, saying not doing so cause system failure. Here's one I copyed down:
http://www.win32win.com
It told me to pay for it to load btw...

[josh_yth]

Ok I reformatted my computer already. However it's going slow like before. What's really disturbing me is many alerts popped up on me everyday, telling me to load things from a strange website, saying not doing so cause system failure. Here's one I copyed down:
http://www.win32win.com
It told me to pay for it to load btw...

hmm... it seem like that you have adware on your pc, or u have a demo version of that program which will always ask u to buy it. THere's also possiblity that there's something wrong with your HD, which i had have the same problem couple months ago, and ending up upgrading my HD.

[orangeman]

It's adware. I'd clean it before more appear. And try not to click them.

I'm not much on recommending programs because they don't work great for me. I usually have to track down the bastards myself.

[lonely_boy]

Well besides from pop-ups, adware won't do much to my computer, right?

[josh_yth]

Well besides from pop-ups, adware won't do much to my computer, right?

well, adware could sometime collect your private info without u knowing it, or make it easier for someone to attack your pc. So, it's in your best interest to remove the adware.

[lonely_boy]

looks like adware is just another name for viruses, spyware, etc...any way to remove it beside reformatting?

[gifted1]

Hm, I think I'll help you with this one. PM sent. I'll help ya with the deletion of viruses and trojans.

[lonely_boy]

Thanks for the big help, gifted! And everybody too of course.