Pc Slowed Down And Opening Wrong Pages

[johna]

OS WIN XP

my PC has slowed down and clicking on the back button in a story in the Thai Visa's general topics took me to the front page of the Bangkok Post, this type of thing is happening constantly.

I have ran Tune up utilities, def raged the disk etc, with no improvement.

I had a local guy take a look , he physically cleaned up the PC, but that did not improve performance

So can anyone suggest a course of action here??

[WhizBang]

I would start by running a virus/malware scanner and see if anything gets found. Also, clean out your browser cache, and I would do the same for your temp folder(s).

If none of that worked, you might try uninstalling your browser and reinstalling, or even just trying a different browser.

[ravip]

If your PC had not been reinstalled for a long time, a complete fresh clean installation would do wonders.

[Pib]

If the responsiveness of the computer improves after approx 15-30 minutes of turn on, I expect during the those initial minutes your computer may be involved in downloading automatic updates for Windows and/or other programs like antivirus definition updates....and this download action is eating up your CPU power and internet download bandwidth....leaving little CPU horsepower and little internet download bandwidth to do browsing or much of anything else. If during those 15-30 minutes browsing is VERY slow and if clicking a back button if it takes approx 30 seconds (or longer) to respond and you have clicked the back button button numerous times thinking the browser was stuck, but when the computer does have time to respond to the back clicks it ends up going to a web page that was numerous clicks previous in the browser history because the back button had been clicked numerous times.

Assuming your computer has some years under its belt and a slower CPU since you are still running XP (that's OK I'm still running XP on a 5-6 year old Toshiba laptop) such a computer can really get bogged down running new/larger software while also trying to donwload updates...and if your internet connection is not that great/slow it can magnify the slowness problem.

I use to have a similar problem with my 6 year old Toshiba laptop running XP...for the first 15 minutes or so of turn on it was really, really slow in responding to web sites or opening a second program...and I'm on a 20Mb internet plan. But after first 15 minutes or so the computer responsive picked up greating for internet browsing. But on some days that slowness would persist longer. What the problem was I had Windows Automatic Update turned on to automatically download and install updates without asking and I had Norton antivirus wanting to download virus definition updates almost daily. If you only turned the computer on every few days or maybe once a week (I was using this computer just as a backup...turned in on periodically to update software) the computer spent a lot of it its initial minutes or so just downloading/installing updates in the background. The longer I left it off, the longer it took to get running full speed since it had a bigger backlog of updates to download. Now, I have a newer, more powerfull Toshiba laptop also and it's got enough horsepower to handle multiple tasks/downloads/installs during those initial minutes while I can still use the computer as normal...like browsing smoothly within a minute of computer turn on.

I fixed the majority of this problem on my older/slower computer by changing the Windows Automatic Update setting just to notify me that updates were available---don't download or install them...just notify me....that way I could either say go ahead and download/install right now or not download/install at this time. I told myself I'll download the updates later when I can just let the computer do that only...but right now I need to use the computer. I would download/install the Windows updates at a time of my choosing. This made a BIG difference in my 4 cylinder computer's responsiveness right after turn on.

You might want to check how your computer is setup to download updates for Windows and any other program that does frequent updates like antivirus programs. I continued to allow my computer to download antivirus updates without asking me (since they were usually not that large it downloaded at least a couple times per week), but I set the computer to ask me regarding the Windows operating systems and MS program updates which can somethings be many files and large in megabytes size which can take a while to download especially on a slower internet connection....this combo of many and large files to download and install can really bog down a older, slower computer.

[brotherother]

I saw something on the BBC earlier saying the FBI has shut down lots of servers to combat cyber theft and that up to 300,000 people will be affected globally. I know my computer's running painfully slowly today (it took about 5 minutes for this page to load!) and I assume it's due to this, although I could be wrong of course.

[johna]

OK thanks every body that gives me enough to make a start, I have windows updates switched off as my understandind is the Microsoft had stopped updates for XP some time back.

Reinstalling windows is a little scary as my PC was originally formatted for Avast and though I am running on a legal version of XP it required some work to install.

I will try a virus/malware scan next and see what happens.

Thanks again for these helpfull comments.

[Sateev]

If your PC had not been reinstalled for a long time, a complete fresh clean installation would do wonders.

You must work for TOT. Whenever there is a problem (which invariably end up being theirs), their first suggestion is to format the hard drive and re-install Windows.

Daft.

[Pib]

Microsoft still provides XP updates; but they are suppose to stop in July 2013 for Service Pack 2 or earlier...updates for Service Pack 3 will continue to Apr 2014. Link. Maybe your problem is some outdated XP files...highly recommend you get the updates.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Pib

[yiiim2]

If the browser is opening the wrong pages it looks like you have some malware on your computer.

Suggest you try these free programs - they have worked well for me many times:

HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/downloads - this seems to get rid of a lot of malware that other anti-virus programs miss and is free for the first 30 days. After 30 days it will still detect malware but if it finds anything you need to remove it manually.

Spybot: http://www.safer-net...rg/en/download/ (you need to download Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2) - this is totally free and you can immunise your browser against known attacks and it also scans and removes malware.

[sirchai]

Try AVG tune up, plus free full AVG Anti Virus 2012. I'm running my XP for many years without problems now, using these programs, With AVG tune up you can clean your registry, defragment all drives etc...

The Anti Virus, once updated, will find more viruses and Trojans than any other program will.

I'd never suggest to sail on Pirate's bay, but who knows?

Good luck!

Edited July 10, 2012 by sirchai

[canuckamuck]

Read this link

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/what-the-internet-doomsday-virus-is-and-how-to-fix-it/2012/07/05/gJQA67vhPW_story.html

[JakeBKK]

there are a lot of dns <deleted>*k ups out there. dont reinstall windows. there is a piece of software called combofix out there. download it from bleeping computers and NOT combofix.org, run it and try again.

Edited July 14, 2012 by JakeBKK

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Does this PC have a make and model?

Hit the Flying Windows key and whilst holding it down, the Pause Break key. Report everything under System and Computer.

[MAJIC]

If the responsiveness of the computer improves after approx 15-30 minutes of turn on, I expect during the those initial minutes your computer may be involved in downloading automatic updates for Windows and/or other programs like antivirus definition updates....and this download action is eating up your CPU power and internet download bandwidth....leaving little CPU horsepower and little internet download bandwidth to do browsing or much of anything else. If during those 15-30 minutes browsing is VERY slow and if clicking a back button if it takes approx 30 seconds (or longer) to respond and you have clicked the back button button numerous times thinking the browser was stuck, but when the computer does have time to respond to the back clicks it ends up going to a web page that was numerous clicks previous in the browser history because the back button had been clicked numerous times.

Assuming your computer has some years under its belt and a slower CPU since you are still running XP (that's OK I'm still running XP on a 5-6 year old Toshiba laptop) such a computer can really get bogged down running new/larger software while also trying to donwload updates...and if your internet connection is not that great/slow it can magnify the slowness problem.

I use to have a similar problem with my 6 year old Toshiba laptop running XP...for the first 15 minutes or so of turn on it was really, really slow in responding to web sites or opening a second program...and I'm on a 20Mb internet plan. But after first 15 minutes or so the computer responsive picked up greating for internet browsing. But on some days that slowness would persist longer. What the problem was I had Windows Automatic Update turned on to automatically download and install updates without asking and I had Norton antivirus wanting to download virus definition updates almost daily. If you only turned the computer on every few days or maybe once a week (I was using this computer just as a backup...turned in on periodically to update software) the computer spent a lot of it its initial minutes or so just downloading/installing updates in the background. The longer I left it off, the longer it took to get running full speed since it had a bigger backlog of updates to download. Now, I have a newer, more powerfull Toshiba laptop also and it's got enough horsepower to handle multiple tasks/downloads/installs during those initial minutes while I can still use the computer as normal...like browsing smoothly within a minute of computer turn on.

I fixed the majority of this problem on my older/slower computer by changing the Windows Automatic Update setting just to notify me that updates were available---don't download or install them...just notify me....that way I could either say go ahead and download/install right now or not download/install at this time. I told myself I'll download the updates later when I can just let the computer do that only...but right now I need to use the computer. I would download/install the Windows updates at a time of my choosing. This made a BIG difference in my 4 cylinder computer's responsiveness right after turn on.

You might want to check how your computer is setup to download updates for Windows and any other program that does frequent updates like antivirus programs. I continued to allow my computer to download antivirus updates without asking me (since they were usually not that large it downloaded at least a couple times per week), but I set the computer to ask me regarding the Windows operating systems and MS program updates which can somethings be many files and large in megabytes size which can take a while to download especially on a slower internet connection....this combo of many and large files to download and install can really bog down a older, slower computer.

I agree with you,Norton Anti Virus is a very intrusive Program,and whatever the benefits may or not be as far as a Anti Virus Program,IMHO it is not worth this program virtually taking over your system,I deleted it a long time ago,and the speed up was very noticeable,especially from boot up,to Desktop Programs up and running.

Another useful (free) Program is CCleaner,clears out Temps and much more crap,and also you can download another (free) Defrag program called Smart Defrag,I will be surprised if you don't have a fair turnaround of speed,after using these two programs.

Edited July 14, 2012 by MAJIC

[JSixpack]

If the responsiveness of the computer improves after approx 15-30 minutes of turn on, I expect during the those initial minutes your computer may be involved in downloading automatic updates for Windows and/or other programs like antivirus definition updates....and this download action is eating up your CPU power and internet download bandwidth....leaving little CPU horsepower and little internet download bandwidth to do browsing or much of anything else. If during those 15-30 minutes browsing is VERY slow and if clicking a back button if it takes approx 30 seconds (or longer) to respond and you have clicked the back button button numerous times thinking the browser was stuck, but when the computer does have time to respond to the back clicks it ends up going to a web page that was numerous clicks previous in the browser history because the back button had been clicked numerous times.

Assuming your computer has some years under its belt and a slower CPU since you are still running XP (that's OK I'm still running XP on a 5-6 year old Toshiba laptop) such a computer can really get bogged down running new/larger software while also trying to donwload updates...and if your internet connection is not that great/slow it can magnify the slowness problem.

I use to have a similar problem with my 6 year old Toshiba laptop running XP...for the first 15 minutes or so of turn on it was really, really slow in responding to web sites or opening a second program...and I'm on a 20Mb internet plan. But after first 15 minutes or so the computer responsive picked up greating for internet browsing. But on some days that slowness would persist longer. What the problem was I had Windows Automatic Update turned on to automatically download and install updates without asking and I had Norton antivirus wanting to download virus definition updates almost daily. If you only turned the computer on every few days or maybe once a week (I was using this computer just as a backup...turned in on periodically to update software) the computer spent a lot of it its initial minutes or so just downloading/installing updates in the background. The longer I left it off, the longer it took to get running full speed since it had a bigger backlog of updates to download. Now, I have a newer, more powerfull Toshiba laptop also and it's got enough horsepower to handle multiple tasks/downloads/installs during those initial minutes while I can still use the computer as normal...like browsing smoothly within a minute of computer turn on.

I fixed the majority of this problem on my older/slower computer by changing the Windows Automatic Update setting just to notify me that updates were available---don't download or install them...just notify me....that way I could either say go ahead and download/install right now or not download/install at this time. I told myself I'll download the updates later when I can just let the computer do that only...but right now I need to use the computer. I would download/install the Windows updates at a time of my choosing. This made a BIG difference in my 4 cylinder computer's responsiveness right after turn on.

You might want to check how your computer is setup to download updates for Windows and any other program that does frequent updates like antivirus programs. I continued to allow my computer to download antivirus updates without asking me (since they were usually not that large it downloaded at least a couple times per week), but I set the computer to ask me regarding the Windows operating systems and MS program updates which can somethings be many files and large in megabytes size which can take a while to download especially on a slower internet connection....this combo of many and large files to download and install can really bog down a older, slower computer.

I agree with you,Norton Anti Virus is a very intrusive Program,and whatever the benefits may or not be as far as a Anti Virus Program,IMHO it is not worth this program virtually taking over your system,I deleted it a long time ago,and the speed up was very noticeable,especially from boot up,to Desktop Programs up and running.

Another useful (free) Program is CCleaner,clears out Temps and much more crap,and also you can download another (free) Defrag program called Smart Defrag,I will be surprised if you don't have a fair turnaround of speed,after using these two programs.

Any defrag is better than none, but the best free defrag program out there now is MyDefrag.

[astral]

Check out your dns settings and consider using Open DNS

or even their DNS crypt programme