Windows 7 Please help - slow system with Windows 7 Ultimate

[haddonfield04]

I just don't understand as an advanced user, why my system is running so slow with Windows 7.
I've updated all my drivers, cleared out the caches, cleaned the registry, tweeked the registry,
closed down all background programs running, ran virus scan with AVG and Avast anti virus
programs, defragged, and also used System Mechanic 8 (which is pretty reliable in times with a
sluggish system). After checking with Pcpitstop.com, I received fairly high ratings on my system
and how my hardware was running. So I'm scratching my head this time. Here are my system specs:
Any ideas are welcome. Thanks a bunch for any advice. ~Devin

Intel Core 2 E7400
Geforce 8600 GT
Creative X-Fi Titanium Xtreme Gamer card
750GB drive
4GB Memory
32 Bit

 

[Radenight]

Hmm.. Did this just start or has it been slow since you first installed?... It's definitely not the system specs.. those are well over what is needed..

Are you using the 32bit or 64bit? When you say it's running slow what exactly do you mean? Like slow to open menus or slow to do anything and everything..?

 

[haddonfield04]

This has been going on since I installed Windows 7 about 3 weeks ago. I'm running a 32 bit
system. It happens mainly with the internet. I generally wait 30-40 seconds for a site to open,
whereas before it was about 2 seconds. Sometimes it even says connection lost. But the modem
is still running fine when that happens. I updated the modem driver with the correct one and
still nothing. Now I thought perhaps this could be a modem problem.
I reset the modem, which is a cable modem with Comcast Cable. Now I thought about calling them.
But I've never had a problem in the past with that, so because this problem started with the new installation,
I tend to think it's related to Windows 7 somehow. But I'm stumped on this one. It could be any of a dozen
issues. But I'm getting closer to calling Comcast, thinking that maybe there's a problem with there outside
line. But if I know Comcast, they'll tell me its not them, even if it is. So thats why I'm trying to look at every
alternative before I contact them.

 

[Radenight]

I'm wondering if it's your browser.. are you using IE8 or Firefox? If your using IE8 check the add-ons to make sure they aren't hogging bandwidth by checking for updates.. This was an issue in the Beta as well but could easily be resolved by not allowing the add-ons to automatically check for updates.. Hopefully this helps.. If not it's back to the drawing board..

 

[cmn]

This has been going on since I installed Windows 7 about 3 weeks ago. I'm running a 32 bit
system. It happens mainly with the internet. I generally wait 30-40 seconds for a site to open,
whereas before it was about 2 seconds. Sometimes it even says connection lost. But the modem
is still running fine when that happens. I updated the modem driver with the correct one and
still nothing. Now I thought perhaps this could be a modem problem.
I reset the modem, which is a cable modem with Comcast Cable. Now I thought about calling them.
But I've never had a problem in the past with that, so because this problem started with the new installation,
I tend to think it's related to Windows 7 somehow. But I'm stumped on this one. It could be any of a dozen
issues. But I'm getting closer to calling Comcast, thinking that maybe there's a problem with there outside
line. But if I know Comcast, they'll tell me its not them, even if it is. So thats why I'm trying to look at every
alternative before I contact them.

I have 3 suggestions before calling the Cable ISP

• If you have a Router see if it needs any Firmware
• I know you have run 2 antivirus programs. But make sure to run a Malware remover like Malwarebyte [Freeware]
• Some of the so -called Browser enhancement Add-Ons automatically or deceptively or clandestinely installed by 3rd party software without your knowledge or electively by you often slows down Browsing instead of making it faster as one would hope. Try to disable all the Add-ons and test and see how things are and then add one by one and eliminate the really bad ones by this process.

IE==> Tools-> Manage Add-ons ->Rt click- >Disable->Close

 

[haddonfield04]

Ok I appreciate it. It's IE8. This might seem like a bit of a dumb question. But what do you mean
by ad ons and where would I locate that on IE8? In the meantime, I'll see if I can figure it out myself.
Thanks.

 

[cmn]

Ok I appreciate it. It's IE8. This might seem like a bit of a dumb question. But what do you mean
by ad ons and where would I locate that on IE8? In the meantime, I'll see if I can figure it out myself.
Thanks.

I should have made clearer
Open IE8==> Tools-> Manage Add-ons ->Rt click- >Disable->Close

 

[haddonfield04]

Well I found the ad ons and disabled at least 10 of them. Its too early to tell. But I've already
noticed a signifigant difference in speed. Wow, I would have never thought of that. Nice job.
Many thanks. I'm not sure if thats the entire solution. But it definately helped. Thanks again.
~Devin

 

[Radenight]

Well I found the ad ons and disabled at least 10 of them. Its too early to tell. But I've already
noticed a signifigant difference in speed. Wow, I would have never thought of that. Nice job.
Many thanks. I'm not sure if thats the entire solution. But it definately helped. Thanks again.
~Devin

Not a problem at all.. Now that you've disabled them I would suggest cleaning out all Internet History, cache, cookies, etc within INTERNET OPTIONS than close IE8 and re-open it just to make sure all the garbage the add-ons downloaded is gone from your broswer's history..

 

[haddonfield04]

You know, even though disabling the ad ons helped, I don't think thats the problem. I think I know
whats going on. I did run two virus scans and it turned up nothing. I'm thinking now that this is a hikacking
or spyware. Because I tried installing 3-4 different programs this morning and nothing would install.
I also tried running updates and they wouldn't install. Then I tried running SuperAnti spyware and it wouldn't
allow me to update the definitions on it. So I tried to install ad-aware and spybot and neither of those
would work. So this must be a 3rd party interfering with my system. I'm stuck now, because none of the anti
spyware software is working. I might try safe mode next. This is the most stubborn thing I've seen in 7 years.
It's fortunate I have the week off.

 

[haddonfield04]

Bingo! I went through about 7 anti spyware programs until I finally found it. I used Malwarebytes
Anti-Malware program. It found 16 trojan horses called "Trojan.DNSChanger." Tough sucker!
It took over my entire system. Everything runs great now.

Bingo! I finally found it, after going through 7 spyware programs. It was a Trojan called Trojan.DNSChanger.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is the program that found it. There were 16 altogether. Tough sucker! But
everything runs great now. Thanks again.

 

[owenspal]

Per cmn , Malwarebytes is a jewel of a program to fret out bad stuff. You can get it free at malwarebytes.org. I have salvaged several friends' pc's with this product.

 

[haddonfield04]

I never heard of that program until now. I've always been a fan of Super AntiSpyware and often had luck with
SpyBot. But now that I know about it, I'll use it. My internet is still running fairly slow, so I'm really getting frustrated at this point. I just redid my entire system 3 weeks ago. I had XP before, along with a 300GB drive and a Core 2 1.6Mhz CPU. Now I have Windows 7 with a 750GB drive and a Core 2 2.8Mhz CPU. But ever since I put in Windows 7, the internet has really slowed down. Before I moved to Delaware from northern NJ, I had Optimum Online, which was much faster for a cable modem. Now I have Comcast and even though its a cable modem, its similar to DSL. The results were much slower speeds. I'm not happy with it. Is there a particular defrag program you prefer? I've always liked VOPT and O&O defrag. But neither have responded well with Windows 7.

 

[cmn]

I never heard of that program until now. I've always been a fan of Super AntiSpyware and often had luck with
SpyBot. But now that I know about it, I'll use it. My internet is still running fairly slow, so I'm really getting frustrated at this point. I just redid my entire system 3 weeks ago. I had XP before, along with a 300GB drive and a Core 2 1.6Mhz CPU. Now I have Windows 7 with a 750GB drive and a Core 2 2.8Mhz CPU. But ever since I put in Windows 7, the internet has really slowed down. Before I moved to Delaware from northern NJ, I had Optimum Online, which was much faster for a cable modem. Now I have Comcast and even though its a cable modem, its similar to DSL. The results were much slower speeds. I'm not happy with it. Is there a particular defrag program you prefer? I've always liked VOPT and O&O defrag. But neither have responded well with Windows 7.

Hi haddonfield,
Glad you you finally got your IE speed back to normal after getting rid of the vermin hiding in the system and sucking its juice. Good for you. For Defrag my choice is Auslogic Defrag . I use their Freeware It has a visually pleasing display while on its job and is quite fast at it in my comparison study of several Programs. I run CCleaner first to make its job easier by getting rid of all unnecessary Temp files created and stuffed all over the Hard disk.

It coexists nicely in Windows 7
One more thing: Please remember the most common mechansims for transmission of DNSChanger Trojan are:
FTP , IRC channels, peertopeer ( P2P ) file sharing networks. Now that we all got our Win 7 7100 RC , we can shut down some of those pipelines