In past few weeks, one computer has become very slow in its internet interaction for downloads, mail, or other signed activity and secure sites. In fact, while I had run multiple internet windows (IE7), now only one window can operate to completely open (any second window will be "waiting to load" for prolonged periods, or not open at all). The connection speed still says 100 Mbps.

I ran new spyware programs downloaded to another computer (PCTools with antivirus first which did find numerous problems and Desktop Maestro), then CCleaner, and finally Norton 360, which found only a few additional low risk problems. I was unable to update these programs due to the download problem (efforts always failed), but presumably these are not too out of date, since they were run the same day they were downloaded.

I also tried reinstalling IE7, but that had no effect. I don't think it is the browser in any case since I tried a new installation of Firefox, and it behaves the same way.

I'm concerned about a hijacking program or other malware causing this issue, but it does not seem to be detected as above.

Suggestions?
Thanks.

Below is a copy of the process during an effort to download a file. As you can see there is 95 mb in the system idle process. My untutored eye does not see anything unusual (the registry program & backup program were programs that were added well after the problems began a few weeks ago).

I should also say that the clean up of the disk, registry, spyware, and startup programs did speed up the processing of other programs, as well as starting up. While the download was frozen after I took this snapshot, I ran loaded and ran MS Word without any holdup or delays to open the text file of the snapshot so I could paste it below.

Process PID CPU Description Company Name
System Idle Process 0 95.38
Interrupts n/a Hardware Interrupts
DPCs n/a Deferred Procedure Calls
System 4
smss.exe 776 Windows NT Session Manager Microsoft Corporation
csrss.exe 872 Client Server Runtime Process Microsoft Corporation
winlogon.exe 896 Windows NT Logon Application Microsoft Corporation
services.exe 940 1.54 Services and Controller app Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1124 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
hptskmgr.exe 2540 HP Task Management Component Hewlett-Packard Company
svchost.exe 1192 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1332 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1416 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1572 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
ccSvcHst.exe 1700 Symantec Service Framework Symantec Corporation
spoolsv.exe 304 Spooler SubSystem App Microsoft Corporation
AluSchedulerSvc.exe 800 Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler Service Symantec Corporation
mdm.exe 1628 Machine Debug Manager Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1560 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
hpzipm12.exe 2680 PML Driver HP
alg.exe 2852 Application Layer Gateway Service Microsoft Corporation
lsass.exe 952 LSA Shell (Export Version) Microsoft Corporation
explorer.exe 536 Windows Explorer Microsoft Corporation
hpwuSchd2.exe 608 Hewlett-Packard Product Assistant Hewlett-Packard Co.
hpcmpmgr.exe 444 HP Framework Component Manager Service Hewlett-Packard Company
ctfmon.exe 1360 CTF Loader Microsoft Corporation
RegistryBooster.exe 1428 Uniblue Registry Booster Uniblue Software
inihid.exe 1992
hpqtra08.exe 172 HP Digital Imaging Monitor (CUE) Hewlett-Packard Co.
uBBMonitor.exe 1020 BBMonitor ArcSoft, Inc.
iexplore.exe 2860 3.08 Internet Explorer Microsoft Corporation
procexp.exe 3876 Sysinternals Process Explorer Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com
ccSvcHst.exe 1024 Symantec Service Framework Symantec Corporation

What next?

Thanks,
F

Actually, I do very little downloading (updates, word and excel files for research, science paper pdfs and so on). Only occasionally do I do any large photofiles and so on. I had absolutely no problem doing any of this until 3 weeks ago when the slow down began. It now affects even yahoo mail. So I don't think it is a problem of just setting optimization.

Still, I'll see about speedguide. Thanks.

Perhaps we are getting somewhere. The problem is not resolved, but I cannot go to openDNS past the selection of what to set window (I tried both the computer and the router options). Right now the computer option has been trying to load for the past 5 minutes while I opened a new window, signed in to how to geek forms and entered this reply. Other computers connected to the router directly are unaffected, and the wireless signal is also unaffected. I tried connecting to different ports, but this was unsuccessful.

So there is some block on getting to the DNS, downloading, opening email (sometimes), but not signing in to howtogeek or to yahoo in general. Does this help in the diagnosis?

Thanks, F

Does anyone have further suggestions for this, or do I have to reformat the hard drive?

The problem seems to be most prominent with image downloads and with sign in memory. For example, I could not get to this post from a remembered sign in. I tried to sign out, but it would not complete. Then I closed IE7 and this signed me out. Resigning in to howtogeek worked and this is the posting.

Other sites do load, though somewhat slow (yahoo, msn) and I can go to various links, but have difficulty signing in to email and so on.

I did get to OpenDNS and use their ID codes which now do not seem to have made any difference at all. I have been unable to look at the dashboard stats due to the slow loading (thus far).

Any suggestions welcomed.
F