Re: Hung applications and non response

From: Bruce J. Weiers (Bruce_J_Weiers_at_msn.com)
Date: 04/21/04 

Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 13:47:43 -0700

You probably have some combination of a virus and some nasty malware
(e.g. advertising software, which has gotten on your PC through your
inattention). This is a guess, you understand, but virus are far more
common than the other kinds of malfunctions you might be experiencing.

It can be quite difficult to remove a virus, which has so thoroughly
taken over your system.

You could bring up the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del, and then
looking at processes to see what processes are taking up so much CPU.
Right-click and End the Process Tree for anything, which is suspicious.
Sometimes just ending the viral process in this way can get you back
some control of your system. Start > Run and type
msconfig
to bring up the System Configuration Utility, which will allow you to
eliminate from startup a number of programs, which might include your
viral worm, assuming you have one.

Alternatively, you could try rebooting into "Safe Mode", to see if your
system is reasonably stable in that configuration. Many viral worms do
not operate in Safe Mode. You have to press the F8 key just before
Windows starts to boot. If you see the Windows splash screen, its too
late. Repeatedly pressing F8 beginning very soon after the machine
powers on will usually get you the screen where you can choose to enter
Safe Mode.

If Safe Mode seems to work for you, you may be able to run your
up-to-date antivirus software in Safe Mode and remove the virus
successfully. If you don't have antivirus software, or its broken, or
it is not up-to-date, this is not likely to help. If your antivirus
software is able to identify viruses, write down the names. Antivirus
software can not always completely remove a virus, once it has infected
your system, so you may need to check the website of an antivirus
software maker for further instructions/guidance/tools.

Another option may to use system restore (Start > All Programs >
Accessories > System Tools > System Restore) to go back to a time when
the system worked reasonably well. Sometimes, System Restore will have
the effect of uninstalling the virus.) Even if this works to get some
function back, you need to follow up, with virus detection and cleanup,
to get the viruses off your system. (Once you have cleaned off the
virus, you should shut System Restore off and then back on to clear the
accumulated Restore Points, so that you do not accidentally bring the
virus back with a future System Restore).

Using the Disk Cleanup tool, to empty Recycle Bin, the Temporary
Internet Files, and the Temp folders can sometimes eliminate a virus.
(In a few rare cases, this might be a really bad thing if the virus has
transferred some of your files to the Recycle Bin; most viruses don't do
any thing like that, though.)

A third option in Safe Mode would be to go to Start > Run, and type
msconfig
to bring up the System Configuration Utility.
Check "Selective Startup" and clear the checkboxes for everything
indented under "Selective Startup" (leaving use original boot.ini
alone). Then, reboot normally. Your screen will look awful, but if the
PC functioned well in Safe Mode, chances are good that it will function
acceptably now, and you can use internet resources to check your PC for
viruses and malevolent adware. Go on the internet to an antivirus site,
and use their free webtool to check your PC for viruses. Trendmicro.com
has one, which will actually remove some (but not all) viruses for you,
so I tend to favor it; click on "Personal" to find it. Symantec.com and
all the others have similar tools for identifying viruses on your
system, though most will not remove anything. Write down the names of
the viruses, which are identified. Then, go to symantec.com/security
response (or the similar resources on other antivirus company websites)
and look for instructions and/or purpose-built tools to remove your
viruses. Symantec and other antivirus companies provide free tools for
removing specific, widespread viruses.

Finally, I would recommend that you download and run either Adaware or
Spybot S&D to remove any malevolent adware you may have accumulated.
Either program is free for personal use, and if updated, quite
effective.

An alternative strategy to the rather complex bootstrapping described
above is to take the system harddrive out of your computer and put it
into another computer, which is virus-free and has up-to-date antivirus
software, as a secondary or slave drive and use the other computer's
antivirus software against the drive. You should still identify the
viruses found and consult symantec.com/security response or another site
about what, if anything else you may need to do to remove traces of the
virus from the registry or to restore files.

"Deniese" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:262b01c427d6$c1383f30$a001280a@phx.gbl...
> I am having mega problems with my pc. It does not seem to
> like shortcuts on web pages - I get totally blank page
> (all white)with just the header in blue telling me that
> xyz page/programme is not responding. I have problems
> getting into MSN hotmail, difficulties in uploading
> attachments, again not responding. I have problems with
> Works and Word again the window header reading not
> responding and gives a white page. Sometimes the windows
> stick within each other - i.e spead*** and a print
> header. Even Ctrl alt del seems to get bogged down with
> whatever is the problem giving me copys of the
> application I am trying to close. I have uninstalled
> most applications and reinstalled, and still I am no
> better off. Help! I am loosing my wits and the commy if
> not sorted soon will most certainly end up out the
> window! Can anyone help me out there?