BleepingComputer.com: Computer slow and freezes with 2.4gig CPU/2gb RAM

I have a 2.4 gig processor and 2 gb of RAM. I am running XP pro. My computer sometimes is extremely slow and freezes. I am running Norton 360 and A Squared. I also have Super Antispyware, Spybot, Malwarebytes, IObit Security 360, and Registry Booster that I run on a regular basis, but are not active all the time. My system shows up clean. I'm wondering if there's something running in the background that's slowing down my computer and causing it to freeze from 5 to 20 seconds at a time. I have Belarc Advisor, so someone can see what my system has installed on it.
My wife and I are the only ones using the computer. I am fairly computer literate, but I can't figure out what is going on.
I need some help!

Having more than one anti-virus program installed can cause problems such as this.

I do not think IOBit is a good piece of software after this happened: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic268858.html

Any registry cleaning software such as Registry Booster is more likely to do harm than good.

The first thing you should do is uninstall either Norton or A-Squared so you only have one anti-virus.

This post has been edited by Budapest: 14 February 2010 - 10:23 PM

In light of the fact no anti-virus software has a 100% detection rate, added protection is a necessity as opposed to and option. However, with all the protection software you have, you are giving a whole new meaning to the layered approach....lol. Seriously though, as stated by Budapest, having two anti-virus programs is a major no no. It's like putting two horned rams in a small room. They will surely fight for space. This is likely the cause of your problem. My personal approach to safety is Firefox 3.6, MyWOT site advisor, AdBlock Plus, a good anit-virus program with real-time safety and the free version of Malwarebytes which I update and use a quick scan of before every shutdown. The lack of routine maintenance is also a major cause of many issues. Follow the instructions on the link below if you are not already performing these procedures. Degramenting, for the average user is only recommended once a month or even less depending on the amount of usage. If you need further assistance I will be happy to help you. Good luck!!

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/s...mproveperf.mspx

This post has been edited by joelj1964: 15 February 2010 - 09:34 AM

Since no anti-virus program is 100% effective, what about using using ASquared only on-demand? It has detected things that Norton hasn't, and visa-versa. Do you agree with Budapest about IObit and registry cleaners? Should they be uninstalled, or just disabled? I do perform regular maintenance on my system, as you said about, once a month; defrag, disc cleanup, and check disc. Which defrag program do you recommend? There are a lot of claims that Windows defrag doesn't do a good enough job. What about programs that claim to defrag the registry?
I really appreciate all the help.

I would not have two antivirus applications installed on my computer, even if you are only using one as an on-demand scanner. It would be better to just have one installed and then use free on-line scanners such as ESET to run on-demand scans.

Two good free defrag programs are MyDefrag and Auslogics.

Keep in mind this is only my opinion. I would recommend you get rid of ASquared and all the rest of the infection tools you have except Norton (since you probably paid for that) and download Malwarebytes. If you can splurge for the paid version it would be great. If not simply update it prior to each scan. As for the registry cleaners, Budapest is correct that many of them do more harm than good. The only one I truly trust for the average user is CCleaner and Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare online clean-up tool. You are correct that there is alot of controversy over the effectiveness of windows system defrag. However, it really all depends on the amount of time you spend on your computer and the number of files you download and/or create. The system defrag is sufficient for the average home user. While defragmenting helps improve system performance, it can be detrimental to your hard drive if performed too often. I use defragler. I appears to be easy on the drive and has a fairly simple user interface. I have no experience with the ones noted by Budapest so I cannot comment on them. Like I said, if you're just the average user stick with something simple.

http://www.ccleaner.com/
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/cleanup.htm

Thanks guys. I'll give these suggestions a try and let you know how it goes.

I want to thank you guys for the advice. My system is running much better now! Only when I have a couple of tabs open in Firefox does it hang up for a few seconds, up to about 5 or 6 seconds.

This post has been edited by trucol: 20 February 2010 - 05:52 PM

trucol, on Feb 20 2010, 10:48 PM, said:

Your machine shouldn't be hanging for that long on FF when having multiple tabs open. What all you do have running, and do you have any toolbars?