[capamando]

Hello,

I have a Dell laptop (Inspiron 5150) RAM: 256.... probably considered to be very old by now. Well, I installed Avast, SuperAntiSpy, Spyware Blaster, SpyBot and CCleaner as suggested by a self-prescribed expert. This caused my computer to take an eternal time to start, low virtual memory, in general very slow performance. Once I removed all of these programs, its performance improved significantly but now I have no safeguard against whatever is out there! Please can someone suggest a site or program(s) that will not cause so many problems without upgrading my laptop.

Thank You

[Phantom010]

First of all, 256 Mb of RAM is not enough. You'll always run into trouble and applications will lag a lot.

Keep you Startup list to a minimum and only run your antivirus and firewall in real-time protection.

If you want a faster and more effective security alternative, I would recommend ESET Smart Security. It's fast, light and uses less system resources than most of the other security programs out there.

If you want, you can post a HijackThis log and we can help you trim down your Startup list and running processes.

Please click here to download and install the HijackThis installer.

Run it and select Do a system scan and save a logfile.

The log will be saved in Notepad. Copy and paste the log in your next post.

Do not fix anything

[capamando]

Phantom,

Thanks for the info. Here is my HijackThis Log:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 1:44:50 PM, on 5/29/2009
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP3 (6.00.2900.5512)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\IOGEAR\Bluetooth Software\bin\btwdins.exe
C:\Program Files\IDriveE\IDriveE Service.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wltrysvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\bcmwltry.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wscntfy.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Dell\QuickSet\quickset.exe
C:\WINDOWS\BCMSMMSG.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\WDBtnMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliPoint\ipoint.exe
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\Program Files\IOGEAR\Bluetooth Software\BTTray.exe
C:\Program Files\IDriveE\IDriveEBackground.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\HiJackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://my.msn.com/
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = about:blank
R3 - URLSearchHook: &Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Skype add-on (mastermind) - {22BF413B-C6D2-4d91-82A9-A0F997BA588C} - C:\Program Files\Skype\Toolbars\Internet Explorer\SkypeIEPlugin.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /installquiet
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Dell QuickSet] C:\Program Files\Dell\QuickSet\quickset.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [BCMSMMSG] BCMSMMSG.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WD Button Manager] WDBtnMgr.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IntelliPoint] "c:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliPoint\ipoint.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [IDriveE Startup] "C:\Program Files\IDriveE\IDrvieEStartup.exe" Hide
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Synchronizer.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\AdobeCollabSync.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Bluetooth.lnk = ?
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: QuickBooks Update Agent.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Intuit\QuickBooks\QBUpdate\qbupdate.exe
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
O8 - Extra context menu item: Send to &Bluetooth Device... - C:\Program Files\IOGEAR\Bluetooth Software\btsendto_ie_ctx.htm
O9 - Extra button: Skype - {77BF5300-1474-4EC7-9980-D32B190E9B07} - C:\Program Files\Skype\Toolbars\Internet Explorer\SkypeIEPlugin.dll
O9 - Extra button: @btrez.dll,-4015 - {CCA281CA-C863-46ef-9331-5C8D4460577F} - C:\Program Files\IOGEAR\Bluetooth Software\btsendto_ie.htm
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @btrez.dll,-12650 - {CCA281CA-C863-46ef-9331-5C8D4460577F} - C:\Program Files\IOGEAR\Bluetooth Software\btsendto_ie.htm
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra button: Cool Hand Poker - {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} - C:\MicroGaming\Poker\coolhandMPP\MPPoker.exe (file missing) (HKCU)
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://forums.babypips.com
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://*.turbotax.com
O16 - DPF: {17492023-C23A-453E-A040-C7C580BBF700} (Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool) - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=39204
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/windowsu...?1171126239203
O16 - DPF: {A90A5822-F108-45AD-8482-9BC8B12DD539} (Crucial cpcScan) - http://www.crucial.com/controls/cpcScanner.cab
O16 - DPF: {D8089245-3211-40F6-819B-9E5E92CD61A2} (FlashXControl Object) - https://signin9.valueactive.eu/Regis...CX/flashax.cab
O16 - DPF: {E856B973-45FD-4559-8F82-EAB539144667} (Dell PC Checkup Installer Control) - http://pccheckup.dellfix.com/rel/41/...l/gtdownde.cab
O18 - Protocol: skype4com - {FFC8B962-9B40-4DFF-9458-1830C7DD7F5D} - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\Skype\SKYPE4~1.DLL
O23 - Service: Bluetooth Service (btwdins) - Broadcom Corporation. - C:\Program Files\IOGEAR\Bluetooth Software\bin\btwdins.exe
O23 - Service: IDriveE Service - Pro Softnet Corporation - C:\Program Files\IDriveE\IDriveE Service.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Driver Helper Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: WLTRYSVC - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\System32\wltrysvc.exe

--
End of file - 6434 bytes

[Phantom010]

Click on Start, Run, type msconfig.

Under the Startup tab, locate and uncheck the following entries, you don't need them at startup nor running in the background to slow things down:

NvCplDaemon

nwiz

Dell QuickSet

WD Button Manager (can be kept if really needed)

IntelliPoint (can be kept if really needed)

TkBellExe

SunJavaUpdateSched (jusched)

MSMSGS

Adobe Reader

Microsoft Office

QuickBooks Update Agent

QuickTime Task

iTunesHelper


You can also uninstall your IE6 toolbars.

[capamando]

Phantom,

Thank you very much.

[Phantom010]

Let me know how it goes.