[amiyu]

okay... I bought a new laptop about a month ago with windows vista premium... and everything has been fantastic and smooth sailing until now. Everytime I open up ANY program... the program freezes not long after opening (from solitare to media player to antivirus programs.. they ALL freeze) and nothing responds and it's really starting to annoy me. Sometimes I get some of the programs to work... however if I try to exit them... the program will freeze. Ctrl alt delete does nothing and the only thing i can do is restart it. Is there anyway to fix this? *begs*

[mori]

oh u're using 'vista'? well there's ur problem





okay, i'll give u a better response. try starting up windows on safe mode
try using solitaire and other applications besides internet related programs such as iE / firefox / msn etc.
if you notice that NOTHING is crashing / freezing, then you most likely have a virus/spyware.

i have gone away from vista and moved back to XP since there were some things that were annoying the popcicle out of me. but you can try doing this (although it's more an XP method but hopefully it should work):

try this (AT YOUR OWN RISK! - so don't be coming back to me and kicking me in the nuts 'cause i gave you advice that somehow led to blowing your whole computer)don't be alarmed though. basically what i'm telling you to do is to restore the start up back to normal and take off that annoying thing you've got:

It may appear that you've got an annoying spyware rather than a virus, since a virus does more damage rather than just giving you pop up's, slow your computer down or annoy the crap out of you.

simple way:

firstly if you haven't done so, clear ALL private internet content data (by doing on iE and holding ctrl_shift+del) and do the same thing with ALL your other web browsers.

- start windows (best to start on safe mode/non network) open your task manager (ctrl+alt+del) - then check for any unknown components that pop up on the 'PROCESSES' tab
- check for any huge 3rd party memory usage that you know (ie: apple, googletoolbar) and 'end' them - DON'T end any windows process such as 'services'
- CHECK to find out the NAME of the UNKNOWN image name on the IMAGE PROCESS tab. Try to END this process: it's a 80% chance that THIS process will be your problem since :
1. it CANNOT be turned off for NO reason on SAFE MODE or
2. it DOES turn OFF, only to be turned back ON automatically

-NOTE the NAME of that process eg "annoyingspyware.exe" ; you could either search on GOOGLE for a concrete solution from someone who use to have the same problem only to be fixed, or just listen what I have to say below, your choice.

1. Note the name of the process
2. do a 'search' of ALL drives (it would most likely be located in the my documents folder or the WINDOWS folder)
3. if you fail to find the process name go to step 4 . If you DO find that process name continue to step 5
4. Go to > START > RUN > (type in the box) MSCONFIG > click OK
- look for any unknown services running on the services tab and/or start up tab
- search the name and go to step 5.
- if you still can't find any unknown processes, go to step 8.

5. Go to the folder that contain the spyware and delete that file or that folder
- if it's on the WINDOWS folder (obviously you DON'T del the windows folder, but del the processes that the search tool has found (MAKE SURE IT'S the EXACT FILE NAME before deleting).
6. If you manage to delete the following files, reboot your computer and start on normal mode. See if it's gone, and if it is, then my job here is done - no more looking up porn =P. If you CANNOT delete the file, go to STEP 7. If You can Delete it but the annoying spyware is still there, go to step 8.
7. Download a program called 'UNLOCKER' (plz google it)- what this program does is FORCE DELETES a running process when windows acts all SISSY about it and can't. Try deleting the process folders, and files now with 'unlocker'.

8. The annoying bug is hidden, and could be a trojan virus. But no biggie (so I say =\) download a trial 90 day version of 'WINDOWS LIVE CARE' - trust me, it's better than bit defender. Start up windows and Do a full virus scan. when you're done, do a QUICK SCAN - then DELETE all found spyware+viruses - don't QUARANTINE them. Afterwards, leave windows live care to monitor your comp, so go out and play for an hour or two, and when you come back, live care would either have FOUND a bunch of unwanted material so delete them (don't quarantine) OR found nothing and that there should be NO virus/spyware on your comp whatsoever.... try AGAIN and reboot.


Okay, this is the SIMPLE part of removing spyware and most times it usually works (well on my side). But if it doesn't work, well I really don't want to write another essay or the more technically part, so i suggest you google your problem =P

good luck!

[boka]

are you crashing only when opening and closing programs? or are you also crashing in the middle of using a program, or even while not doing anything?

it could be worthwhile checking your RAM... in your system32 folder (for most people it should be c:\windows\system32), find a file called mdsched.exe - run it and get your system to restart and check memory