My PC freezes all the time

[Christhemug]

Hi

 

I'm having problems with my PC and i can't seem to fix them. It seems to freeze quite frequently, nothing responds and the system light stays either constantly on or off. I happens mostly when i have bitcomet running

 

I have run check disk and run a memory test with no errors, i have recently reformatted my HDD and reinstalled windows XP Pro. The disc i have is very old and deosn't have SP! on it so have to go through quite a few updates to get it up to date.

 

I've recently discovered event viewer i disn't know it existed and found this, it's the last warning entry from the system tab right before it crashed the last time.

 

Type Date Time Source Category Event User

Warning 07/05/09 21:37:24 Tcpip None 4226 N/A

 

In the description i get...

TCP/IP has reached the security limit imposed on the number of concurrent TCP connect attempts.

 

Do you think this could be causing the problem or just a coincidence?

[Goku]

I happens mostly when i have bitcomet running

Hello Chris. I think you nailed the problem yourself.

 

Please uninstall the program and get back to us. This might explain the TCP / IP warning too. :)

 

-- Goku

[Christhemug]

What can i do to go about fixing the problem so i can have bitcomet running? Are there some bios/systems settings i could change that would sort it?

 

Would having such an old XP cd have anything to do with any settings?

[Goku]

Hello Chris. P2P programs like BitCommet are more often than not used to share illegal programs and copyrighted files. Besides, they pose a much greater security risk since you are virtually letting someone to access files from your hard drive by making exceptions in your firewall.

 

The warning in the Event Viewer is network related and so is the problem you experience. I think this should be enough evidence that the program is doing more harm than good.

 

Please uninstall it immediately as we cannot continue further while its still on. Thank you for your co-operation. :)

 

-- Goku

[Plastic Nev]

In addition to Goku's advice, please look here- http://extremetechsupport.com/forum/malware-removal-av-firewalls-etc/5533-free-pc-help-p2p-policy.html

 

Need we say any more?

[Christhemug]

Fair enough, point taken.

 

I uninstalled bitcomet the other day. I just browsing the net, watching videos on youtube etc and it froze again. Usual thing, no response from anything so i had to reset the machine.

 

With bitcomet gone it still happens. What could be the cause?

[Guest Wolfeymole]

It's quite a while since I came across a version of XP without service packs so my advice is zip off to MS and get all the updates and hot fixes you can right now.

[Christhemug]

I have all the updates etc now, but just wondered if the initial install was from an old CD that might have some effect on something that i might need to update.

[Plastic Nev]

I think it is quite likely that while you had Bitcommet still running, you may well have got something nasty on board you may not know about. The freezes could no doubt be when whatever it is kicks in, and sends messages back home to its master.

to be on the safe side follow our procedure, please, do let us know if you have any trouble following any part of it.

 

Your computer appears to be infected with Malware. Malware is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. It is a combination of the words malicious and software. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.

 

It is in your best interest to note the following:

1. Please disable your resident security applications (such as AVG, Spybot, WinPatrol, etc.) before performing the below procedure so that they do not interfere with the process.
   
2. Perform all the steps in the order listed to avoid any conflicts.
   
3. If unsure, please stop and voice your doubts.
   
4. You might be required to go offline during the disinfection process. Therefore, it is recommended to print off the instructions below for ease of reference.
   

If you stick to the above guidelines, all should go smoothly.

 

 

================================================

STEP 1

1. Download ATF-Cleaner by Atribune.
   
2. Save the file to your Desktop.
   
3. Double-click on the file to run the program.
   
4. On the Main tab, check the Select All button.
   
5. Next, click on the Firefox tab (if applicable) and check the Select All button.
    
   Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Firefox, then click No at the corresponding prompt.
   
6. Now, click on the Opera tab (if applicable) and check the Select All button.
    
   Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Opera, then click No at the corresponding prompt.
   
7. Press the Empty Selected button and click OK to acknowledge the corresponding prompt.
   
8. Click on the Exit button to quit the program.
   

================================================

STEP 2

1. Please click here to download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.
   
2. Save the file to your Desktop.
   
3. Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
   
4. At the end, make sure a check mark is placed next to:
   
   1. 
      
   2. Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
      
   3. Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
      

[*]Click Finish.

[*]The program will download and update itself if it finds the necessity to do so. Please allow this.

[*]Once the program has loaded, select Perform full scan, then click Scan.

 

 

Note: Depending on your computer specifications, the scan may take some time to complete. Please wait patiently and do not interrupt the process.

[*]When the scan is complete, click OK, and then Show Results to view the results.

[*]Make sure that every entry is selected, and click Remove Selected.

[*]Restart your computer.

================================================

STEP 3

1. Please click here to download SUPERAntiSpyware (Free Version).
   
2. Save the file to your Desktop.
   
3. Double-click SUPERAntiSpyware.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
   
4. Open SUPERAntiSpyware.
   
5. Under Configuration and Preferences, click the Preferences button.
   
6. Click the Scanning Control tab.
   
7. Under Scanner Options make sure the following fields checked:
   

    

   [*]Click the Close button to leave the control center screen.

   [*]On the main screen, under Scan for Harmful Software click Scan your computer.

   [*]On the left, make sure you check mark All the Fixed Drives.

   [*]On the right, under Complete Scan, choose Perform Complete Scan.

   [*]Click Next to start the scan. Please be patient while it scans your computer.

   [*]After the scan is complete, a Scan Summary box will appear with potentially harmful items that were detected. Click OK.

   [*]Make sure every entry has a check mark next to it and click Next.

   [*]A notification will appear that Quarantine and Removal is Complete. Click OK and then Finish to return to the main menu.

   [*]Restart your computer.

   ================================================

   STEP 4
   1. Please visit the ESET Online Scanner, using Internet Explorer to initiate the scan.
       
      Note: If you are running Windows Vista, then you will need Administrative privileges to complete the latter part of the procedure. To do so, right-click on the Internet Explorer icon in the Start Menu and select the Run As Administrator option in the shell context menu.
      
   2. Check mark the YES, I accept the Terms of Use box.
      
   3. Click the Start button.
      
   4. Click the Install button on the following screen.
      
   5. Click Start. This will will initialize and update the scanner engine.
      
   6. Check mark the box beside Remove found threats.
      
   7. Click the Scan button. This will start the scan. Please be patient while it is in progress.
      
   8. Restart your computer.
      

   ================================================

   STEP 5
   1. Click on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and select System Restore.
      
   2. Choose the radio button marked Create a Restore Point on the first screen and click Next. Give the restore point a name then click Create. The new point will be stamped with the current date and time. Keep a note of this so you can find it easily should you need to use System Restore.
      
   3. Next, click on Start > Run, type Cleanmgr and click on OK.
      
   4. Click on the More Options tab.
      
   5. Click the Clean Up button in the System Restore section to remove all previous restore points except the most recent one.
      

   This will remove any infected files that have been backed up by Windows. The files in "System Restore" are protected to prevent any programs changing those files. This is the only foolproof way to ensure the deletion of those files.

    

   Note: Do not clear restore points on a regular basis as doing so will clear all previous restore points even those that you may need. System Restore is a useful tool to revert your computer back to a working condition if something goes wrong.

    

   Re-enable all your security applications and please return here and tell us how the computer seems to be operating.

    

   Happy Safe Computing! http://extremetechsupport.com/forum/../images/additional-smilies/thumb.gif

Close browsers before scanning
Scan for tracking cookies
Terminate memory threats before quarantining

[Christhemug]

Excellent reply, thanks for all the information.

 

I tried everything on the list in the order stated. The scans didn't detect anything, i had run a couple about a week ago so was pretty clean. After i cleared the old restore points i left my PC on over night, when i came to it this morning it had frozen again. Any suggestions?

 

I have recetnly reformatted everything i had that connects to my PC, both external HDD, USB stick even my iPod just in case. I don't see how anything could still be around after that.

 

I've run check disc, memory checks, do we have many options left? Are there more diagnostics i can run?

 

I really appreciate all your help so far.

[maynardvdm]

Have you checked if your system is free from dust and that all fans are working properly?

 

This sounds like it maybe overheating.

[Christhemug]

Fans are working fine but the PC and the vents were full of dust. Seems simple now i can't believe i didn't even think of that before. I have cleared them all out and see how it goes.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Make sure the heatsink fins are totally free of dust and also the CPU heatsink fan.

[Christhemug]

PC lasted all last night no problem, seems to be running faster too. I'll give it another clean out tonight just to make sure.

 

Thanks all

[maynardvdm]

No problem Let us know if there is anything else we can help with ;)