Background process almost brings computer to a halt

[SuperDave]

Could you please try to run ESET again?

[Dronfieldman]

Would it be OK for me to stop the process wuauclt.exe when it runs, as this seems to be the process that brings the computer almost to a halt - or would that do more harm than good?

ESET ran and said there were no threats.

[Dronfieldman]

ESET log:

ESETSmartInstaller@High as CAB hook log:
OnlineScanner.ocx - registred OK
# version=7
# iexplore.exe=8.00.6001.18702 (longhorn_ie8_rtm(wmbla).090308-0339)
# OnlineScanner.ocx=1.0.0.6427
# api_version=3.0.2
# EOSSerial=43fa88dd6e114e4a953ecf35227219d2
# end=finished
# remove_checked=true
# archives_checked=true
# unwanted_checked=true
# unsafe_checked=false
# antistealth_checked=true
# utc_time=2011-04-16 09:11:44
# local_time=2011-04-16 10:11:44 (+0000, GMT Daylight Time)
# country="United Kingdom"
# lang=1033
# osver=5.1.2600 NT Service Pack 3
# compatibility_mode=512 16777215 100 0 6058035 6058035 0 0
# compatibility_mode=3584 16777175 100 0 0 0 0 0
# compatibility_mode=8192 67108863 100 0 2352769 2352769 0 0
# compatibility_mode=9217 16777214 100 70 4357047 25685842 0 0
# scanned=152208
# found=0
# cleaned=0
# scan_time=6543

[SuperDave]

Good. How's your computer running?

[Dronfieldman]

A spurious process is still running each day.  It appears to be wuauclt.exe.

[SuperDave]

A spurious process is still running each day.  It appears to be wuauclt.exe.

Are you getting a warning about this file?

Wuauclt.exe is the AutoUpdate Client of Windows Update and is used to check for available updates (for the various versions of the MS Windows platform) from Microsoft Update. The wuauclt.exe file is included in the Task Manager’s list of active processes when it is waiting for a response or an action to be performed by the user.

[Dronfieldman]

When the spurious process runs, it is sometimes accompanied by a warning message produced by (I think) Norton AV, saying "Win32 Services high memory usage".

[SuperDave]

Please download SystemLook from one of the links below and save it to your desktop.

Link # 1
Link # 2

Temporarily disable your antivirus and any antispyware real time protection before performing a scan. Click this link to see a list of security programs that should be disabled and how to disable them.

Double-click SystemLook.exe to run it.

Copy the contents of the following codebox into the main textfield.

Code: [Select]

:filefind
wuauclt.exe
Click the Look button to start the scan.

Note: The scan may take some time so please just let it do its work and be patient (or do something else unrelated to the computer).

When finished, a notepad window will open with the results of the scan. Please post the log. The log can also be found on your desktop entitled SystemLook.txt
 

[Dronfieldman]

SystemLook log:-
*********************************************************************************
SystemLook 04.09.10 by jpshortstuff
Log created at 10:21 on 04/06/2011 by Administrator
Administrator - Elevation successful

========== filefind ==========

Searching for "wuauclt.exe"
C:\WINDOWS\ERDNT\cache\wuauclt.exe   --a---- 53472 bytes   [11:39 18/02/2011]   [18:24 06/08/2009] 62BB79160F86CD962F312C68C6239BFD
C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\wuauclt.exe   ------- 111104 bytes   [20:18 18/09/2008]   [00:12 14/04/2008] ED7262E52C31CF1625B65039102BC16C
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe   --a---- 53472 bytes   [08:00 04/08/2004]   [18:24 06/08/2009] 62BB79160F86CD962F312C68C6239BFD
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\wuauclt.exe   --a---- 53472 bytes   [08:00 04/08/2004]   [18:24 06/08/2009] 62BB79160F86CD962F312C68C6239BFD

-= EOF =-
*************************************************************************

In the course of clicking on the Link in your post to find out how to temporarily disable my AV software, I noticed information on that website about how to fix corruptions of SVCHOST;  so I bought that software (Paretologic PC Health Advisor) and ran it.   It lets you do a scan without paying but I had to pay for the software to run the fix.   Anyway, as one of the messages I was getting referred to high memory usage by SVCHOST, I thought this might fix the problem.   In fact, it does seem to have gone quite a long way to fixing it, as SVCHOST now runs quickly and hardly slows the PC down while it's running.   There is still one outstanding problem, which gives a 'Generic host process for Win 32 Services - high memory usage' message, which I think is the wuauclt.exe - but this seems to only occur only once every few days.   So I think there were 2 problems, one of which has now been fixed and the other of which only happens every so often, rather than every day.   I think we might be able to put up with this, unless you have a simple solution to it.   If you think we have gone as far as is sensible with this, I would like to thank you for your efforts in dealing with this.   Your involvement is appreciated.

[SuperDave]

In fact, it does seem to have gone quite a long way to fixing it, as SVCHOST now runs quickly and hardly slows the PC down while it's running.   There is still one outstanding problem, which gives a 'Generic host process for Win 32 Services - high memory usage' message, which I think is the wuauclt.exe - but this seems to only occur only once every few days.   So I think there were 2 problems, one of which has now been fixed and the other of which only happens every so often, rather than every day.   I think we might be able to put up with this, unless you have a simple solution to it.   If you think we have gone as far as is sensible with this, I would like to thank you for your efforts in dealing with this.   Your involvement is appreciated.

I don't feel that this is a malware issue. Very little showed up in all the scans we've run on this computer. You could start a new thread in the appropriate software forum, if you wish.
We should do some cleanup.

To uninstall ComboFix

• Click the Start button. Click Run. For Vista: type in Run in the Start search, and click on Run in the results pane.
  
• In the field, type in ComboFix /uninstall
  

(Note: Make sure there's a space between the word ComboFix and the forward-slash.)

• Then, press Enter, or click OK.
  
• This will uninstall ComboFix, delete its folders and files, hides System files and folders, and resets System Restore.
  

****************************************************
To remove all of the tools we used and the files and folders they created do the following:
Double click OTL.exe.

• Click the CleanUp button.
  
• Select Yes when the "Begin cleanup Process?" prompt appears.
  
• If you are prompted to Reboot during the cleanup, select Yes.
  
• The tool will delete itself once it finishes.

Note: If any tool, file or folder (belonging to the program we have used) hasn't been deleted, please delete it manually.
****************************************************
Clean out your temporary internet files and temp files.

Download TFC by OldTimer to your desktop.

Double-click TFC.exe to run it.

Note: If you are running on Vista, right-click on the file and choose Run As Administrator

TFC will close all programs when run, so make sure you have saved all your work before you begin.

* Click the Start button to begin the cleaning process.
* Depending on how often you clean temp files, execution time should be anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or two.
* Please let TFC run uninterrupted until it is finished.

Once TFC is finished it should restart your computer. If it does not, please manually restart the computer yourself to ensure a complete cleaning.
******************************************************
Use the Secunia Software Inspector to check for out of date software.

•Click Start Now

•Check the box next to Enable thorough system inspection.

•Click Start

•Allow the scan to finish and scroll down to see if any updates are needed.
•Update anything listed.
.
----------

Go to Microsoft Windows Update and get all critical updates.

----------

I suggest using WOT - Web of Trust. WOT is a free Internet security addon for your browser. It will keep you safe from online scams, identity theft, spyware, spam, viruses and unreliable shopping sites. WOT warns you before you interact with a risky website. It's easy and it's free.

SpywareBlaster- Secure your Internet Explorer to make it harder for ActiveX programs to run on your computer. Also stop certain cookies from being added to your computer when running Mozilla based browsers like Firefox.
* Using SpywareBlaster to protect your computer from Spyware and Malware
* If you don't know what ActiveX controls are, see here

Protect yourself against spyware using the Immunize feature in Spybot - Search & Destroy. Guide: Use Spybot's Immunize Feature to prevent spyware infection in real-time. Note: To ensure you have the latest Immunizations always update Spybot - Search & Destroy before Immunizing. Spybot - Search & Destroy FAQ

Check out Keeping Yourself Safe On The Web for tips and free tools to help keep you safe in the future.

Also see Slow Computer? It may not be Malware for free cleaning/maintenance tools to help keep your computer running smoothly.
Safe Surfing!

[Dronfieldman]

OK - done that.   Thanks for your help.

[SuperDave]

You're welcome. I will lock this thread. If you need it re-opened, please send me a pm or start a new thread.