PC almost halts after booting & loading startup programs

Hello from Thailand.

I'm using Win XP Pro with SP3 and IE 8.0 (fully updated). I have 2.0 GB of RAM installed.

My problem is, after system booted and all startup programs loaded, the PC became very sluggish, slow and non-responsive. It takes another 15-20 min till everything is settled and I can operate my computer (open programs, surf Internet and so on).

Other than this, it looks that everything is OK.
Needless to mention that I think that the system is virus free. To keep it clean, I use NOD32 v.4 Antivirus, Comodo Firewall, Ad-Aware with Ad-Watch Live! v. 8.1, Spybot S&D, and several other antispyware programs. I also frequently use CCleaner and registry cleaners, as well as Diskeeper 2008.

Thank you for your help in solving my problem.

when the pc is sluggish, are you able to look in Task Manager to see which processes are active?

I'd take a look at startups, using AutoRuns for Windows - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinte...s/bb963902.aspx . The Logon tab is what you want to examine.

Louis

Here is what in my Logon tab:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\Wds\rdpwd\StartupPrograms			
rdpclip	RDP Clip Monitor	Microsoft Corporation 	c:\windows\system32\rdpclip.exe

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit
C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe	Userinit Logon Application	Microsoft Corporation	c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell			
Explorer.exe	Windows Explorer	Microsoft Corporation	c:\windows\explorer.exe	

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run			
COMODO Firewall Pro	COMODO Internet Security	COMODO	d:\program files\comodo\firewall\cfp.exe
COMODO Internet Security	COMODO Internet Security	COMODO	d:\program files\comodo\firewall\cfp.exe
CookieWall			d:\program files\analogx\cookiewall\cookie.exe
egui	ESET GUI	ESET	d:\program files\eset\eset nod32 antivirus\egui.exe	
nTrayFw	Firewall Tray Application	NVIDIA Corporation	c:\program files\nvidia corporation\networkaccessmanager\bin\ntrayfw.exe
NvCplDaemon	NVIDIA Display Properties Extension	NVIDIA Corporation	c:\windows\system32\nvcpl.dll	
NvMediaCenter	NVIDIA Media Center Library	NVIDIA Corporation	c:\windows\system32\nvmctray.dll
nwiz	NVIDIA nView Wizard, Version 125.24 	NVIDIA Corporation	c:\program files\nvidia corporation\nview\nwiz.exe
SoundMan	Realtek Sound Manager	Realtek Semiconductor Corp.	c:\windows\soundman.exe
UnlockerAssistant			d:\program files\unlocker\unlockerassistant.exe
WinBackup Scheduler			d:\program files\liutilities\winbackup\wbsched.exe

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup			
Bitmeter2.lnk	 	 	d:\program files\codebox\bitmeter\bitmeter2.exe
PhraseExpress.lnk	PhraseExpress	Bartels Media	d:\program files\phraseexpress\phraseexpress.exe
WordWeb.lnk	WordWeb thesaurus/dictionary	Antony Lewis	d:\program files\wordweb\wweb32.exe

C:\Documents and Settings\Mike\Start Menu\Programs\Startup			
ShutDown.lnk			d:\program files\shutdown\shutdown.exe

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run			
Advanced SystemCare 3	Advanced SystemCare 3	IObit	d:\program files\iobit\advanced systemcare 3\awc.exe
Ditto	Ditto		d:\program files\ditto\ditto.exe
Free Download Manager	Free Download Manager	FreeDownloadManager.ORG	d:\program files\free download manager\fdm.exe
Home Typist	Add sound effect to keyboard buttons	Invention Pilot, Inc	d:\program files\invention pilot\home typist\htypist.exe
Rainlendar2	Rainlendar2		d:\program files\rainlendar2\rainlendar2.exe
Skype	Skype 	Skype Technologies S.A.	d:\program files\skype\phone\skype.exe
SpybotSD TeaTimer	System settings protector	Safer Networking Limited	d:\program files\spybot - search & destroy\teatimer.exe
SUPERAntiSpyware	SUPERAntiSpyware Application	SUPERAntiSpyware.com	d:\program files\superantispyware\superantispyware.exe
TBC.exe			d:\program files\titlebarclock\tbc.exe
tinySpell	tinySpell spell checker	KEDMI Scientific Computing	d:\program files\tinyspell\tinyspell.exe

I don't see nothing wrong rather than Comodo showing twice:

1. COMODO Firewall Pro	COMODO Internet Security	COMODO	d:\program files\comodo\firewall\cfp.exe
cfp.exe			size: 1,757 K
Comodo Internet Security		   time: 9/18/2009 3:55 PM
Comodo									version:  3.12.46209.560 
"d:\program files\comodo\firewall\cfp.exe" -h

2. COMODO Internet Security	COMODO Internet Security	COMODO	d:\program files\comodo\firewall\cfp.exe
cfp.exe			size: 1,757 K
Comodo Internet Security		   time: 9/18/2009 3:55 PM
Comodo									version:  3.12.46209.560 
"d:\program files\comodo\firewall\cfp.exe" -h

Edited by th4u, 15 October 2009 - 12:49 PM.

when the pc is sluggish, are you able to look in Task Manager to see which processes are active?

How do you define "active"?

Typically, it takes quite a long time for the Task Manager to show up, if at all.

My thoughts from what you posted...

I see two AV programs installed, running...Comodo and Eset. Any program I have seen which is tagged "Internet Security" and is from a reliable, reputed vendor...provides both firewall and AV protection with 1 application.

That's a good way to have unnecessary system problems.

Why is the nVidia Firewall Tray app running? What is it? I have an nVidia chipset and I don't have a folder for nVidia among my programs installed.

Ditto for Unlocker Assistant and Win Backup Scheduler?

Ditto for the three program under Docs & Settings/All Users.

Ditto for shutdown.exe.

Our views of what''s essential are definitely different. Out of that next group of items...Spybot and and SUPERAntiSpyware are the only entries that do anything of value by running at boot.

In general...if it doesn't protect the system in some (1 firewall, 1 AV program, other programs like SAS and Spybot)...if it's not a driver (nothing you listed is)...if it's not a Windows/Microsoft file...I see no value gained by having it run at boot.

Louis

What Firewall would you recommend?

My experience is that...all firewalls I've tried (Comodo, NIS, Trend Micro, etc.)...they all work and do the job.

The only variability I find is that same variability which creates individual preferences in friends, foods, recreational pursuits, etc. The Windows firewall works well but doesn't provide some of the details that some users would like to see...on the other hand, many users are not interested in detail and various controls that might be on 3d-party firewall...and feel that such are a nuisance. As I said, they all work and do the basic job of protecting the system.

I like Sunbelt's free firewall, but I've tried a number of others and feel that it's what I want.

Actually, on my other system (I have two systems)...I just use the Windows firewall .

But...you need to eliminate one of those antivirus programs...remove it from your system.

Louis

I'm not sure how to remove Comodo antivirus. I have only Comodo Firewall Pro installed and showing in my Add-Remove. In the meantime, I just unchecked Comodo Internet Security in the system startup.
I think that antivirus was installed during one of Comodo updates.

That's the reason I'm asking for alternative to Comodo. Some time ago I tried Sunbelt's free firewall. The problem was that it had been heavy on resources.

Comodo has three different programs.

One is an AV program as a single program, one is a firewall as a single program...the third is Comodo Internet Security (which combines the first two functions into 1 program).

No update would install either...users have to elect to install each program.

http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/

In any case...disabling the startup item should take care of it, if it's not reflected in Add/Remove Programs or your Start/All Porgrams list. If it is in the All Programs list, then it's possible that it's installed and active. You can use msinfo32 to see all programs which are installed in your system at any time, under the Software Environment/Program Groups list.

Louis

Following your link, I found only "Comodo Firewall + AntiVirus".

Comodo Internet Security is no longer listed on my system.

I want to stress the point that ~20 min after booting, my system acts normally. The problem is during the first 20 min or so.

I don't know of anything that runs during the first 20 minutes of a system boot...that would get better with time.

If it were a hardware problem, it should possibly worsen with usage.

If it's an O/S problem, there is nothing that I'm aware of that occurs regarding system functioning that is time-related (other than scheduled tasks).

That only leaves programs and malware as possibilities, IMO.

Have you checked Event Viewer for possible clues?

How To Use Event Viewer - http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/40108/how-to-use-event-viewer/

Louis

Sorry for the late reply.

Louis, you were right stating that "That only leaves programs and malware as possibilities, IMO."

In my case it was COMODO - System-Cleaner. As soon as I removed it from my system, the problem disappears.

The system is behaving much better now, although I had BSOD 0x7F a few times.

Thank you.

Thank you for the feedback, glad to know that you solved it.

Happy computing .

Louis