My same old berserk computer is at it again...

They're quite possibly both fine old chap - go to Control Panel> Administrative Tools > System to check whats running and why.

svchost is just a generic term for a collection of process running in tandem.

As for background processes you're not sure about - jot down the name of anything you think is suspect. Go to Search and track down exactly where on your system it is (mostly the sorts of things you're after lurk in Windows> Pre-Fetch). Check the properties of the file, see where it originates from. If you're still unsure, zip the driver or .exe you're unsure about first then delete the original.

Setting a Restore Point first is always a good idea.

This way, if something conks out because of the deletion you can always reinstall from the zip file and have it ready for re-deletion should it transpire to be a thing you don't want.

As for unwanted active X controls - Open IE, Tools> Manage add-ons. Can't remember if this is a feature pre-SP2, so forgive if it isn't, but you'll find all registered active X controls and browser extensions, both current and pending, logged here. Disable whatever you're not sure of.

Check Windows Firewall - if your using Broadband y'do need to pick up a copy of Zone Alarm asap, but for now just check the exceptions tab, see whats listed as being allowed to connect out.

Anything y'don't recognise/don't want/aren't sure about - un-tick the box or delete from the exceptions list.

You're locked down reasonably well until you can get something better.

Download SpyBot Search & Destroy 1.4 and Ad-Aware SE from www.download.com asap - SpyBot is now very, very good and comes with a resident shield, as well as a browser plug-in to stop nasties attaching themselves to IE when on line.

If you can't find a copy of SP2 with a PC magazine at your local news agents, order on on CD direct from Microsoft - details at Microsoft.com.

The real question everyone wants to know is: is your system staying up now, or is it still conking out after a spell?

PS: http://www.theeldergeek.com/ Go, now, read.

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It's going fine now, quite a relief *phew*

As for what you say about those evil stuffs lurking in Prefetch folder, yep, I found that out when doing a file search (along with Anti Virus and Symantec's specific worm removals.... gosh...). Looks like I'm more destined on doing things manually XD (yep.. I do file search, googlings, registry checking... everything...)

Anyway, thanks a lot for the helps you've been giving to me. Let's all hope this will be the last time I ask for help about these mishaps.... I myself feel rather bad about all these

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Please don't take this as an offence, none is intended,
but would you consider trying Linux?
You'll have no problems with virii and adware,
besides there is a large community ready to help you with everything.
Maybe try Knoppix from a cd first, then if you like the concept you could try Mandriva Linux on dual boot, i.e., it would still be possible to boot Windows.

It all runs down for what you use your pc really. If you play games, then Linux is not for you.
I'm no Linux zealot, just trying to help, because with Linux I have found such peace and stability as never before, I rarely even notice my computer, it's become a home appliance.

 

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Don't worry, it's not a bad suggestion. But like you 'feared', I'm a gamer.... though I wonder if when Blizzard made Warcraft, they already intended it for Win and Mac (yep, one of my Mac pal has WC3), aka, Mac is more common than Linux here. But Thanks for suggesting anyway, let's see how my bro and pals say about Linuxes....

PS: Just telling: There are 3 OSes I've ever seen in use in my Uni: XP (duh), Mac OS, and RedHat (forgot the version though, and it's only used inlabs either...)

 

Just for knowing: it is possible to get WoW and W3 working quite nicely on Linux. Still it's not for you.
Good luck with Windowze.

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Awwwwww *greedy mode*
Ok ok, jk

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Well yay for workery at least -

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And not to worry about asking questions old man, often times its the smartest thing one can possibly do - after all, what's the point in belonging to forum full to the gunnel's of big, squishy brained peeps if one isn't prepared to draw upon it.

Congratulations though, you've got a computer that works at least. Do download SpyBot though, save you a heck of time and worry and will also take care of the registry keys you're lurking freeloaders have made for themselves in the bargain - they need a good killing too and not to be undertaken by pot luck.

All the best with it, pleasure to have been some use for a change.

A

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Well, I may get Spybot, though I already have AdAware, which doesn't seem to help much lately.... and I've been dl ing specific worms removal tools (like McAfee's Stinger), which unfortunately no longer works well after a few days (My anti virus found an SdBot which isn't detected by Stinger, for example.... geez)....
My PC still get infections every now and then, and I deal with all of em almost manually..... task manager, search, regedit and sorts ^_^ Ah well..... it does keep me busy, but in the wrong way XD but I'm still grateful it can startup and work.....

 

From where do you get all those virii from?!!
Back in my windows days up to 1.5 years ago I didn't get infected by any virus,
and was still using p2p (emule,dc++) networks.
Agnitum or Sygate firewall, AVG virus scanner, Adware, a few disabled windows services seem to do the trick.
You are not using IE, are you? :bugeye:

 

Im using IE, run no anti-spyware, no anti-virus, and this install is 2 years old.

I have 0 spyware/virus/anything problems.

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ah, safe-walking throught the net then

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Well, I visit a total of 4 sites regularly, dont look at porn, and limit my google searches to 'cached'

 

WHAT? Guess my uni's network must've sucked then.... or I access wrong sites....

Obviously now I'm using Firefox, seems like I can't let go even though for my use, Firefox isn't all that special without its extentions (but I do have Adblock)...... well...

 

It might be that your computer got std's from other lameasses on the network that had them

 

A question, people (sorry, another disaster... -.-):
Have any of you, who are running XP, ever had the problem of Windows starting up, logging you on but immediately logging you off before you can do anything at all?

That's my case right now (and no, I'm not interested in googling or sorts, I immediately reinstalled my XP).... perhaps after misdeleting a few 'suspicious' files in System32 folder (yep, I'm that crazy, but problem is, everytime I startup, there's always a ton of unwanted programs in that folder, like gnome.exe, UpService.exe, iexplorer.exe (IE is iexplore, by the link I see), userinit.exe etc).... and I went as mad as deleting logoff.exe, and it doesn't fix the problem at all...

Like I said, I'm reinstalling, so I only ask if anyone knows what makes this problem. Thanks


PS: oh godammit. I've just reinstalled my system, and now it's running like slug -_- Task Manager says that the CPU usage is 100%, even though I'm running no programs at all...... whatever the hell happens?

 

Have you thought of maybe using some other operating system? Maybe get a copy of 2k, 98, or switch to linux?

 

no, not yet.... And with all these craziness going on I don't know what more to do.... my computer run sluggish with 100% CPU usage with no programs run at all..... Insane, I tell ya, insane.....

PS: I found another characteristic of this current problem of mine:
The program which eats up my CPU usage turns out to be one of my SVCHost (whoa)..... and it's the critical one, that is, I kill it and my PC immediately restarts........ *sigh* I'm googling a worm removal tool again, I wonder if this can help......

 

Hello again old man, long time no see...

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When you say you've re-installed, do you mean that you've first - reformatted the drive and then made a clean installation on a clean, wiped hard drive - there are no pre-existing folders, you haven't re-installed anything backed up on CD, you've just wiped the drive and re-installed clean.

Correct?

If yes, have to ask, are you using a legitimate copy of XP, or is it hooky?

If no - re-format, re-install clean. Don't do anything else, just see how the system runs. That should mean you have only one user account, your's, nothing else except the operating system. Don't hook it up to the net, just see what happens when it's in a clean, fresh off the disk state with nothing else.

Then hook up to your internet connection, boot her down, start her back up again, see what happens.

If it's pissing you about before you connect to any kind of external network, it means you've got a hooky installation disk.

If it's fine before you connect to anything else and pissing you about afterwards that narrows it down a bit...

Frankly, what you're describing here sounds like someones set up an administration account and is bouncing you out for fun. Either that, or you're computer's developed sentience.

 

Okay, that could be the problem....... MY HD has 2 partitions, and I only reformatted and reinstalled on one of them (aka C), the other (D, which I solely use for storage) remains untouched...

If no - re-format, re-install clean. Don't do anything else, just see how the system runs. That should mean you have only one user account, your's, nothing else except the operating system. Don't hook it up to the net, just see what happens when it's in a clean, fresh off the disk state with nothing else.[/quote]
If by that I'll need to fully clean up my HD, okay, I'll try it later...

If it's fine before you connect to anything else and pissing you about afterwards that narrows it down a bit...[/quote]
Last night after my last reinstallation, nothing went wrong after 4 hours.... does it mean it's okay? But the again, I think I'll let you know later tonight or tomorrow about how my PC works... one night may not be enough.

*sigh* Well..... trouble loves me -_-

Oh, by the way, I found something odd last night:
Perhaps if you remember how XP sets up itself, and during one time it asks you about self-adjusting the monitor resolution? Usually, if I say yes to the adjustment, I immediately logon with a password-less account, but somehow, I chose to Cancel that single process, and guess what..... XP asks me to logon as Admin (w/ the pw too)....... eh?

PS: Think I found the problem of my PC slugging down like hell.......... Uncle Gates forces a Windows Update on my PC I guess, because last time I remember, when MY PC slugged down, I say a Win Update file in my Add/Remove Program list.......
PS#2: Ignore the above paragraph. I've set the manual update to be off, and yet the svchost eating my resource problem remains..... help?

 

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... Mmmmmm, does rather seem that way old man.

Mmmmm... As long as you personally know the source of the copy you have, i.e. that it's a straight copy of a legitimate edition of XP, when you wipe that hard drive of yours clean as a babies whatsit the only subsequent source of readable data you will be finding on that hard drive are those files and folders installed by XP Set-up.

You've got to do a bit of detective work here and narrow down whats what and where everything starts, so start with a clean slate first and then add the complexity later.

Often times, if you run into trouble and only have the one user identity, even though you have Administration rights perfectly well enabled XP will create an Administrator Account solely to make sure everything responds by the Microsoft book.

Go to My Computer> C:\ Documents & Settings and see how many accounts you have set up. The Administrator Account won't show up under Accounts, it's all in Documents and Settings.

If there's your own and an Administrator, turf the latter account, boot her down and back up again and check to see if that svchost you're concerned about is actually still there.

If it isn't, you know what it was. If it is, you're non the wiser but some degree of resources better off for pruning back on the user settings.

Now, if you're dealing with a clean drive with no previous stored data anywhere on the machine you should be fine and frisky as a lamb and it should stay that way, there's no physical reason for anything to the contrary unless XP itself has installed something which by rights really shouldn't be there - and that sort of thing only comes from a version which has been tampered with and made available for download via the internet.

If that[/] fits your description of you're version of XP - don't use it, get your mitts on another copy from someone else and install that instead, or use a previous or else alternate operating system for the time being until you can.

If you do do that though, I must give you fair warning. Subsequent to the release of SP2 XP Update now insists on downloading and installing a version verification tool before it'll let you update anything. So if you're using a hooky key, at least make sure it's a good quality hooky key generator which produces a multilicience installation key-code -

Whilst we're on this subject, how exactly are you currently getting around XP Activation?