I , in true newbie fashion, posted this to the incorrect forum (Windows), so here is the break down from a couple threads:
OS: XP Home
version '02 SP3
Compaq Presario
AMD Athlon XP 2600+
2.13 GHz, 224 MD RAM
Browser: Firefox latest version
Windows security setting on High.
Skill level: I am a computer 'user', not a programmer or thoroughly understanding of a computers ins and outs. No DOS experience really. So moderate navigational ability.
After my system BOSD'd, a friend lent me his system he has had in storage for awhile. He apparently maxed most of his hard drive memory space with music programs and files mostly. It had been operating between just under a 100 MB at times(I know, this is dangerous) to just above 400. When it was around 200 I consulted with my friend on what programs I could possibly remove to free up space. We removed what should have been about 200 to 300 MB, but when I looked there was just over 300 MB.
Well, it was operating okay and staying above 300(I clear the cache and temporary files after every internet session), but then there was a small Windows security update(regarding 'remote access' threat) and shortly after that I noticed it was up over 600 MB!
Yesterday, it took a long time for the system to start up and for the user profile to get started as well, then my Windows firewall alerts me it was inactive. AVG has had the email scanner mysteriously disabled a couple times recently, but 'righted themselves'. One time about 4 of the AVG scanners were inoperative, but I restarted and it was fine.
Also, recently AVG has isolated a couple potential 'hack tools':
10/22 - C:\hp\bin\Terminator.exe
10/24 - C:\System Volume Information\_restore{long line of numbers and letters}\RP8\A0000685.exe
This second one seems to possibly be relevant to my problem:
Sometimes it will be moving along just fine and then other times super slow. After the Windows security update it seemed to be moving along great, but I am on Facebook, Youtube, Tribe.net, Myspace which seems to drag it down and fill up space even after clearing internet files. Today though, I changed some settings in the System's Performance Advanced options to see if that could help with memory usage and I was on Tribe for awhile, clicked some links to Youtube and one to the ACLU's site, and after this I check my MB and it's down a bit even after I clear things, so I decide to restart the computer because it seems that helps sometimes.
Now, usually when it is starting it goes to the screen where you have two options of what to start up in and it is set to wait only 3 seconds and loads up in what it has highlighted to begin with, and that has been Windows XP Home edition, but this time it says System Recovery Console first and WinXP H ed. second and I didn't catch it before it advanced. It gave me 3 options (2 from D:\, 1 from C:\Win XP), I was able to hit enter to have it restart and then move the bar down one to highlight WIN XP HOME and then start, it worked, but when I enter my user account both the AVG and Windows firewalls have been disabled!
I enable them and restart, but it is still wanting to start in System Recovery Console.
What is going on?!
It occurred to me that possibly this computer had been 'zombied'(not really sure how that works, but I get the gist), after the Win sec. update freed up so much space and it was moving faster, like it had disconnected something that was on here taking up space and operating time, but I really don't know.
I came to this site to post to forum, clicked on the Support graphic on the main page first, then the 'Display your system information and plugins and saw that it was recommended to update things because they have necessary security updates as well. I did Java first, odd things with Java had been happening(it was interfering with my accessing Hushmail.com) so I was hoping this would help, but after installing the Java site has a test graphic that didn't work and gave me this:
Java Plug-in 1.6.0_10
Using JRE version 1.6.0_10 Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM
User home directory = C:\Documents and Settings\S&S
----------------------------------------------------
c: clear console window
f: finalize objects on finalization queue
g: garbage collect
h: display this help message
l: dump classloader list
m: print memory usage
o: trigger logging
q: hide console
r: reload policy configuration
s: dump system and deployment properties
t: dump thread list
v: dump thread stack
x: clear classloader cache
0-5: set trace level to <n>
----------------------------------------------------
TestVM 8.18 sc
Copyright (c) 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Current JRE version set in file:
java.lang.NumberFormatException: For input string: " "
at java.lang.NumberFormatException.forInpu tString(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Integer.parseInt(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Integer.<init>(Unknown Source)
at testvmDynamicJavaComPopUp819.init(testvmDynamicJavaComPopUp819.java:269)
at sun.plugin2.applet.Plugin2Manager$AppletExecutionRunnable.run(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
Exception: java.lang.NumberFormatException: For input string: " "
Exception in thread "Thread-13" java.lang.NullPointerException
at testvmDynamicJavaComPopUp819.run(testvmDynamicJavaComPopUp819.java:440)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
~~~~~~~~~~
Computer seems to be operating okay right now, not too slow, but I still want to know what is going on when it is booting up.
Thanks for any consideration.
P.S.: I forgot to mention that I ran an AVG full system scan last night as I went to bed, got up in the morning, woke it up out of 'sleep' and AVG said it didn't find anything.
8:03pm Update: Just restarted the computer and noticed that it says Microsoft Windows Recovery Console, in case that makes a difference, and now AVG says the E-mail scanner is inactive again.
~~~~~~~~~~
Monday 10/27 1:24pm update: Tried a system restore(check point 10/24) and now the boot directories are switched back to normal, with Windows XP Home first and Win Recovery Console second, boots like normal, but when I entered my user account the first time it said System Restore renamed files to preserve integrity:
Cache -----> Cache(2)
location: C:\Documents and Settings\S&S\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\57nrewse.default
winspamcatcher.dll -----> winspamcatcher(2).dll
location: C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8
netapi32.dll -----> netapi(3).dll
location: C:\WINDOWS\system32
AVG had 4 components off again(Firewall, Email scanner, Web Shield and Update manager). It was at the restore point where I had to do the Windows security update installation(regarding 'remote access' threat), so reinstalled and restarted. It booted okay still and the AVG Update manager was on, other 3 still off.
Did restore again(10/21), booted okay and system restore says: Restoration Incomplete. Tried this for 3 more dates back, no more before the 17th due to low disk space I believe. So at this point it is booting okay, but AVG is still messed up and it is back to loading real slowly.
I tried to do a System Restore Undo, but wouldn't do that either.
As it stands: boots okay for now....AVG8 Firewall, Email scanner, Web Shield are inactive and cannot activate. HD space real low again(was at around 600MB, but now almost 200), otherwise navigation is okay, slow but not too slow.
Thanks!
