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HalfBee's Blog
Topic: Russian Rumble Grumble
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fiogf49gjkf0d Backup and restore and hope we got it right
Looks like we encountered a problem last night
Our virus check is up to date
Cleaning things until very late
Keeping up with nasty things is a constant fight
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Member Comments:
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fiogf49gjkf0d 66 processes- too many, right?
Way too many. I only have 16 running right now.
Get a hold of a free program from Microsoft called Process Explorer.
Then run it and post all of your running processes here and I will let you know which ones you can disable.
An example from my machine:
Process PID CPU Description Company Name
System Idle Process 0 98.46
Interrupts n/a Hardware Interrupts
DPCs n/a Deferred Procedure Calls
System 4
smss.exe 804 Windows NT Session Manager Microsoft Corporation
csrss.exe 844 Client Server Runtime Process Microsoft Corporation
winlogon.exe 868 Windows NT Logon Application Microsoft Corporation
services.exe 912 Services and Controller app Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1104 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1260 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1464 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
spoolsv.exe 1532 Spooler SubSystem App Microsoft Corporation
alg.exe 824 Application Layer Gateway Service Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1720 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
lsass.exe 924 LSA Shell (Export Version) Microsoft Corporation
explorer.exe 792 Windows Explorer Microsoft Corporation
firefox.exe 372 Firefox Mozilla Corporation
procexp.exe 3388 1.54 Sysinternals Process Explorer Sysinternals
LwbWheel.exe 1432 Mouse Control Application
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fiogf49gjkf0d The HP restore routine comes up with the startup screen, while the computer itself is still initializing (HP logo). That is, before the Windows install. Usually it has options listed with F key prompts. You can take a look at "My Computer" to see if there is a restore drive. HP default is "D". That has the original image files and restore program on it.
Naturally, with any restore or reformat you need to back up your important files. Unfortunately, doing the HP restore also means you're going to have to reinstall your programs... and Windows service packs. A plus side is that the bundles Norton Antivirus downloads the current configs and runs perfectly for another three month free trial. Makes it worth restoring 4 times a year.
Any other HP installed bloatware will need to be removed... but that can be avoided with a disk imaging package I mentioned on an earlier post. They don't come cheap, but they are worth the price.
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fiogf49gjkf0d My crapbox is HP also. Don't know if it has what Puppy described. What I know is my box is loaded with bloatware- 66 processes- too many, right?
The slowness problem was solved with the extra RAM I just bought and it now runs with a guarded sense of satisfaction for me.
I'm rather anal about keeping everything updated, so I've got all of those.
I think trying to reinstall after 4+ years with no XP disc (it came installed- I made a backup, though) would screw everything up royal and I'd lose all the crap I accumulated over that time. I backed it all up to an external HD, though. Reasonably sure what's important is backed up... I certainly don't remember it all or where it's located. I'd eventually wonder where the hell this or that was when it was lost.
Sensible course of action- Save up to get another box, evacuate all the valuable files to it, then either reinstall or make this an Ubuntu box. That can be done with an AMD 64 processor, right? Of course, if I could do things like that whenever I wanted, I'd be Editor and Donator.
Though if I had any sense in my head, I'd be thinking about the tripled price of heating oil and how it's going to wipe me out in a few months instead of buying a new computer. Especially with my speakers crumbling and my TV dying fast. Gotta have priorities.
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fiogf49gjkf0d Hey Stavro, if you weren't so far away, I'd come over and fix it for you.
It would be very difficult to troubleshoot your problem without actually getting into your PC. There is a feature in XP called "Remote Assistance" but that may not work for the problem you have described.
The only other option would be to reinstall your operating system, get all the latest updates, and reinstall all your applications over again.
For most users, that would be a big chore. I've done it many times on my PC's, so it's no big deal for me.
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fiogf49gjkf0d I've had troubles with the Windows restore as well. But I have an HP computer that has its own restore function that works a heck of a lot better. You can also get utilities that back up an image file of your hard drive so you can restore to that at a later date. That helps if you don't want to remove again all the extras your PC manufacturer put on your computer and reinstall your favourite software.
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fiogf49gjkf0d Norton 360 had a registry cleaner and it seemed to work all right. CCleaner recommends backing up the registry before doing anything and has a function for that. My system restore hasn't worked in the 4+ years I've had this box. Always says "Cannot be restored. No action was taken" or words to that effect.
The question is moot, anyway. I tried regedit and neither 'bounce symphony' or 'wildgames' is anywhere in there. The WildTangent spyware came with the box when I got it and I've managed to get rid of every element of it but these games. Can't access them. Can't delete them. And they eat up 1.24GB of memory. I'd sure like to know what that strange dark blue screen with the strange icons and 'install. log' highlighted is. It pops up whenever I try to get rid of any of the inaccessible WildGames.
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fiogf49gjkf0d Using Regedit is not recommended unless you're absolutely sure of what you are doing. Years ago I used to run it to fine tune my configuration, but it seems to be getting more and more complicated as Windows evolves. I think it has something to do with the decline of programs' ".ini" files. I'd say you'd be better off getting a registry cleaner you know you can trust or back up and restore your system a couple times a year. Of course, the advantage of the full restore is that you effectively get rid of anything that may be slowing you down that none of the registry cleaners, or anti virus programs catch.
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fiogf49gjkf0d "I have a Bounce Symphony game from WildGames that had a whole gig of memory tied up in it (very, very wrong) and I can't delete it."
This is how I would get rid of it:
Start > Run > Regedit > Edit > Find
You can search for either "Bounce Symphony" or "WildGames" and delete the entries associated with them.
You should backup your registry or set a restore point before you do it, just in case something gets f@#$ed up.
Just found this article on How to Remove WildTangent - www.pchell.com/support/wildtangent.shtml
Good point jman. I noticed that they have updated the msconfig program in SP3. It now has a "Tools Tab" that lets you run all kinds of things.
"Actually, I have CCleaner, but I'm afraid to turn it loose on my registry, but it does efficiently get the crap out."
It won't hurt your registry. I run it everyday on mine. It just removes things that no longer exists anymore.
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fiogf49gjkf0d Hey guys, don't forget... If you want to temporarily disable some services or startup options to test things, you can use the Microsoft Configuration utility.
Go to "Start", "Run" then type "msconfig"...
You can then un-check items in the "startup programs" and "services" tabs that you don't want running at startup, then reboot. If it breaks something, you can just check them back on and try it again.
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fiogf49gjkf0d Actually, I have CCleaner, but I'm afraid to turn it loose on my registry, but it does efficiently get the crap out. As for the services, I have to thank you for reminding me of it. I found it long ago and forgot about it. Most of the superfluous stuff had been turned off, though I don't remember when I did it.
My little problem is more insidious. I have a Bounce Symphony game from WildGames that had a whole gig of memory tied up in it (very, very wrong) and I can't delete it. I try and get this strange incomprehensible dark blue screen using old fashioned (or classic, if you prefer) icons. Won't delete no matter what I do. Didn't show up on Hijack This and even though Wild Tangent has been purged, that crap is immovable. Only Satan knows what it's doing there.
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fiogf49gjkf0d 1GB will run great if you go and disable many of the services that are running in the background that you really don't need.
Maybe this site can help you - www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm
The above is what's running on my XP machine.
The image is kind of difficult to see, so here's what's running:
Automatic
Automatic Updates
Background Intelligent Transfer Service
Computer Browser
DCOM Server Process Launcher
DHCP Client
Event Log
Logical Disk Manager
Plug and Play
Print Spooler
Protected Storage
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Security Accounts Manager
Security Center
Server
System Event Notification
System Restore Service
Windows Audio
Windows Firewall / Internet Connection Sharing
Windows Management Instrumentation
Windows Time
Workstation
Manual
Application Layer Gateway Service
COM+ Event System
Network Connections
Remote Access Connection Manager
Telephony
Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)
With the above configuration, I can even run on 512MB of RAM!
One other thing you might try, is to run this free program called "CCleaner".
Here is the URL - www.ccleaner.com/
It gets rid of all the crap that slows your system down.
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fiogf49gjkf0d 1GB. That's what I had and everything crawled. Slooooooowly. I think it's all the bloatware that I can't figure out what's what and not FireFox. I bought another gig thinking I'd have 2 and stupidly forgot that I only had 2 slots and they both had 512s in them. Could have sworn I had a gig and an empty slot. But nooooo! It turns out I'm the one with the rotten memory, so I've had to settle for 1.5GB. It runs fine now and I'm not buying any more crap for this ancient machine.
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fiogf49gjkf0d I will take out a few of them that I no longer use. To run XP properly with Firefox and the add ons, you should have 1GB of RAM installed. 512MB is just not enough anymore with all the applications running.
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fiogf49gjkf0d I had a look at mine just now and I thought 'I hardly use any of these any more'.
Adblock Plus
IE View
NoScript
Image Zoom
FoxyTunes
SmoothWheel
StumbleUpon
ForecastFox
Print Preview
Veoh Browser Plug-in
Got to clean it out a bit. Save some memory. I have 9 tabs open and FF is eating 150,000k. All in all, I'm glad I bought that RAM.
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fiogf49gjkf0d I have the following add ons installed, and only use a few of them:
AdBlock Plus
Flashblock
FoxyProxy
Html Validator
IE Tab
Image Zoom
Media Pirate
NoScript 1.7.7
Secure Password Generator
Text Adloud
Unhide Passwords
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fiogf49gjkf0d Of course, part of the fun is in the add ons. I've had NoScript for longer than I can remember and it's only now that I'm getting a lot of use out of it- my own fault for not buying the new Norton and using the cash to buy RAM. Everyone has their favorite themes & add ons. The ones I've mentioned are a must with this crap going on around here and those who comprehend such things even put Greasemonkey to good use. If all else fails, 'IE View' lets you see the page in IE without having to open the old browser.
>>I just installed Firefox and so far everything seems fine.
Terri M.
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fiogf49gjkf0d >>I'm no authority on this, but I'm using FireFox w/ Adblock Plus & NoScript and I see it ok. Don't know if that's the problem, but if you're not using FF3 as well, all this would be a good excuse to try it. I know it really chows down on memory, but it's so worth it.
I just installed Firefox and so far everything seems fine.
Terri M.
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fiogf49gjkf0d I found a way to read the code of the scripts located on the Russian websites. Part of the code called scripts from other websites that again called code again. So what you have is an endless loop slowing things down. That's likely why Terri was having trouble loading pages... cause her computer was visiting Russia.
BTW... I was using the Open Source HTTrack Website Copier. I just downloaded the Rusian websites and opened the code in Notepad. Simple but effective.
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fiogf49gjkf0d I'm no authority on this, but I'm using FireFox w/ Adblock Plus & NoScript and I see it ok. Don't know if that's the problem, but if you're not using FF3 as well, all this would be a good excuse to try it. I know it really chows down on memory, but it's so worth it.
>>I can't get the home page, forums or the songs
Terri M.
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fiogf49gjkf0d no it didn't.
I can't get the home page, forums or the songs
Terri M.
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fiogf49gjkf0d Well, they're at it again. That didn't last, did it?
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fiogf49gjkf0d All is well. Until next time...
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