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Post by chris on Dec 17, 2011 9:16:03 GMT -5
I seem to be experiencing some behavior that to me is not the norm and wondering if it is because I still have WinXP and everything else is updated to more newer versions of programs and so my version is affecting these.
All my updates are current. I use Google search but lately AVG took over when I allowed it to install their toolbar. Now when I go to use Google I don't get their start page but a request to use Chrome. I am running IE8. Occasionally I will have a page with a block of text that says IE cannot find this information and it is blank.
When I am viewing pages on a website many times i get a AVG pop up stating that I am using a lot of resource and to close the page and reopen. These are all new things that I have never had experienced in my days of owning a computer.
Any ideas??? (PC is not running slow so I don' think it might be any malware or virus)
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Post by firstamendment on Dec 17, 2011 9:40:23 GMT -5
almost sounds like a virus that is made to look like an anti-virus program. one of the computers was stricken with something like that but not looking like AVG. very nasty thing to get rid of.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2011 10:55:47 GMT -5
I use windows xp and have not had any of those problems. My laptop uses window 7 which I still can't figure out.
Try uninstalling the AVG toolbar-- but you might want to ask Ralph the magician and computer expert.
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Post by dgriffin on Dec 17, 2011 13:14:02 GMT -5
For XP, any legitimate program that utilizes Windows resources (as opposed to old DOS programs that some of us still use) will be visible in the list of software you'll see when you .....
Start>
Control Panel>
Add or Remove Programs>
Your AVG Toolbar should be there and you can easily remove it. If it asks "do you want to remove ALL files for the program," say yes, or it may leave the part that kicks you from Google to AVG Search. If you don't find AVG Toolbar in the list, it may be a virus.
I don't depend upon a single virus finder, even though they supposedly use similar search and destroy techniques. Try to run a free one-shot virus finder like Spybot Search & Destroy or AdAware.
Here I'm using two pay-for programs, while I eventually move from one to the other, from Prevx to Kaspersky, if the latter works out. So far it has found more viri than Prevx, a real surprise to me.
By the way, you probably got the toolbar when you installed AVG by skipping by a panel preset with a check mark for "Yes,I want the AVG Toolbar." I've even seen some of these panels where the language is purposefully tricky so the user winds up saying Yes.
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Post by dgriffin on Dec 17, 2011 13:20:32 GMT -5
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Post by chris on Dec 17, 2011 14:53:02 GMT -5
I disabled AVG Search and made Google my default. Seems to appear better but the Google page looks different to me than what I am used to. Not sure if its because they may have updated their pages. I use Superantispyware and Malwarebytes for spyware and AVG for Virus protection on my PC and usually run them quite often and if I feel I am having a problem will run them before schedule.
I have Windows 7 starter on my little netbook and don't find running it a problem. ...so far. Mattter of fact there are a few features I like that are not on WinXP. Maybe haven't had any problems cause mostly the small one is used for browsing and Skype only. I use the big one to do any work and it has all my main programs loaded on it. (Word, Excel, Photo Editing Programs etc). Technology moves so fast it is hard to keep up with it. I can't afford to get evrything. Now with FB, iPhones, mobile phones, more video I'm being left in the dust.
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Post by Ralph on Dec 17, 2011 14:58:48 GMT -5
Any toolbar is a resource sucker! AVG was great until a few years ago, I dumped it for the very issues you are having. It started being as intrusive as Norton and sucked up more resources than my Photoshop program.
I would uninstall their toolbar and see what that gets you. A lot of utility programs are now dragging the Chrome option along with them, so getting rid of the toolbar may solve the Chrome pop up as well.
As Dave pointed out, you have to be very careful when upgr5ading or installing new programs as they often carry along a whole hoard of add-ons that you have to scrutinize before hitting the “yes” button.
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Post by firstamendment on Dec 17, 2011 15:26:49 GMT -5
Anybody use Avast like I do?
Gotta be careful when installing anything these days, even the updates for Java and such have additional crap piggy backed onto that you have to uncheck so they aren't also installed. Usually it is a toolbar or a search engine. I've seen the google toolbar and the bing toolbar mainly as add ons for other installs.
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Post by dgriffin on Dec 17, 2011 17:09:35 GMT -5
FA, yes, I used Avast for a couple of years after AVG. I liked it. But for fifty bucks a year I find the the paid-for better functioning. By that I mean, when I had a virus and it eluded capture by AVG, Avast, etc., Prevx or Kaspersky found it.
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Post by firstamendment on Dec 17, 2011 17:16:51 GMT -5
I had tried AVG once but it seems to bog my machine down a bit. Haven't really had that problem with Avast.
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Post by chris on Dec 17, 2011 18:40:13 GMT -5
I hate those add ons. I like my PC nice and neat. I don't need all the bells and whistles. Just let me get to wher eI'm going and find what I need when I need it. Even my iTunes wants to add mobile and and some other add on. I just do the updates. If I find out I really need the others then I'll check the box.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Dec 17, 2011 21:00:17 GMT -5
Until about 24 hours ago I was fat, dumb & happy about the way my old XP was chugging along, well fat & happy anyway. As I stated in our other computer virus thread, I switched from AVG to Avast a couple years ago & things have gone pretty well since.
I have had some issues with my computer slowing to a crawl recently. When I went to Task Manager (Ctrl/Alt Del) and checked processes, it was an Apple Mobile program using up 95+% of my CPU resources. This did not show up as a program running. Not a big problem, just another Apple annoyance, hopefully they will fix it in their next update without ever admitting to a problem.
Thursday night my computer quit responding to the mouse. I dug out a USB mouse (for the netbook) & it seemed OK. Decided to figure it out in the morning. Friday morning while posting the Bad Pun I realized the keyboard wasn't talking to the computer either. Did an emergency work around, it helps to have 3 computers on line.
Later using the mouse, I uninstalled the keyboard & used add/remove hardware to re-install it. This got my keyboard working & also my normal mouse.
I then tried to run Malwarebytes & got a message that a file was missing. Uninstalled Malwarebytes then reinstalled, then ran a quick scan. It found 6 problems to delete. Deleted those, restarted & ran a full scan overnight (it takes 3-4 hours). Found 2 more things to delete.
Seems OK now. Conclusion: there is some nasty stuff circulating.
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Post by dgriffin on Dec 17, 2011 23:11:44 GMT -5
CB, Re your Apple Mobile problem where it stole cpu resources: I mentioned elsewhere I had my HP printer on wifi until I discovered that every few minutes, the HP wifi program would go looking for the printer with a piece of software that must have been larger than all the code written for a space launch! MY pc would gasp and hold its breath (hang up) for a full twenty seconds each time the routine launched. Bye bye Wi Fi, I can tell you.
Checking my virus notes, when I have a rough one cooking and the standard stuff can't find or eat it, the virus killers I use are SmithFraudFix, and if I'm feeling brave, Hijack This.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Dec 18, 2011 7:03:26 GMT -5
My older son uses Hijack This; it always seemed somewhat complex to me. I suppose at some point I should take the time to figure it out.
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Post by dgriffin on Dec 18, 2011 7:52:23 GMT -5
Hijack This gives you a list of suspect registry items and software. All you do is go down the list and delete those you don't like. If you delete a necessary system item, you're dead. It's like Russian Roulette. I don't know much about what's legitimate, so I have to be feeling brave ... or desperate ... to try it and it's usually a last resort.
SmithFraudFix is quite easy to use and has so far proved harmless, but it has fixed a lot of problems for me. It throws some people because of it's "DOS interface," but you'd find the "command prompt" form familiar.
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