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Post by Warkitty on Feb 3, 2010 7:11:53 GMT -5
Ok, I am limited in what I'm allowed to do to make this computer work properly myself and don't have the time to ship it to my IT support crew to have THEM do it. So, I'm asking y'all...
I've done the ad-aware search and found nothing. I've done the virus scan and no longer find anything (I previously found, quarantined and deleted a worm and a trojan). This laptop is still running as if it's got no memory left. I'm only using half the available memory though, so that doesn't track. I've defragged, cleaned disk space... is there anything I'm not thinking of that's an easy "end user" fix that won't interfere with the OS (not allowed, company property) that I don't know about?
It's slowest at startup. It seems to take about thirty minutes before it starts responding well. It wakes up slower I do.
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Post by cadillacdude1975 on Feb 3, 2010 7:34:18 GMT -5
how many icons are in the lower right of the task bar after the machine boots? those are programs that are set to load at startup and the machine will not be free for use until those programs have loaded in to the memory. at most, there should be 3. your antivirus icon, your wireless configuration icon and the power icon. anything more than that is a waste of system resources and will slow that machine down considerably.
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Post by Warkitty on Feb 3, 2010 7:57:13 GMT -5
How do I manage those?
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Bob
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Post by Bob on Feb 3, 2010 8:21:55 GMT -5
What OS? Call me.
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Post by cadillacdude1975 on Feb 3, 2010 8:25:31 GMT -5
click start then goto run then type in msconfig and press enter. then click the startup tab. pay attention to the command. you can drag the tab over to see the command. "c programfiles blah blah antivirus.exe is something you want on startup. if you are on vista, you also want windows defender running as well.
just remember your antivirus, any wireless configuration and maybe the power and volume icons. dont worry, if you disable everything you can restart and go back to the same menu and re-enable what you disabled. you will see a big increase in your boot times.
things you do not want running on startup would be things like AOL instant messenger, photo editing software, Skype, yahoo messenger, paltalk, msn messenger, and any printer software. i use ad aware, but i do not let it load on startup. if i need it to run, i will tell it to run from the start menu.
only the basic items should be running in the task manager. if you know how, set a restore point just in case something you disable makes the PC act funny so you can revert back if needed.
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dabone
Regular
Broken links suck.
Posts: 73
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Post by dabone on Feb 3, 2010 13:06:00 GMT -5
Go get a copy of this. combofix.org/Then run it. It catches alot of what the antivirus scanners won't. Then follow it up with this. (free version) malwarebytes.org/Both are free and together will clean up 99% of the garbage out there at the moment. later, dabone |
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Post by Warkitty on Feb 3, 2010 19:07:00 GMT -5
Changing startup settings has helped a lot so far...
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JC
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Post by JC on Feb 4, 2010 0:34:30 GMT -5
Go get a copy of this. combofix.org/Then run it. It catches alot of what the antivirus scanners won't. Then follow it up with this. (free version) malwarebytes.org/Both are free and together will clean up 99% of the garbage out there at the moment. later, dabone +1 Very powerful tool, Combofix is. Make sure you pay close attention to the guides before using |
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Post by cadillacdude1975 on Feb 4, 2010 3:39:10 GMT -5
why does the combofix re enable the security center? i have that shit off because it is annoying as hell. upon a restart, it was turned back on. more annoyance. that should be an option to choose. the lack of a menu didnt make me like it anymore either.
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Post by Warkitty on Feb 4, 2010 9:47:40 GMT -5
Combofix found problems, but wants me to pay to remove them. Will malware also require money to remove the issues combofix found?
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joedog
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Post by joedog on Feb 4, 2010 12:00:22 GMT -5
NOPERS!!
Found stuff AVG and a few others missed.
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Jay
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Post by Jay on Feb 4, 2010 12:48:06 GMT -5
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dabone
Regular
Broken links suck.
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Post by dabone on Feb 4, 2010 13:19:16 GMT -5
Combofix will never ask you to pay for anything.
Thats not what is giving you that message.
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Post by Warkitty on Feb 4, 2010 14:06:50 GMT -5
It's what I got following your link.
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Post by Justin Thyme on Feb 4, 2010 14:48:48 GMT -5
There is a Google Ad on that page that has some oddly worded ads that could be mistaken for the link to get to Combofix. You should have had to download a 2MB file and then ran it.
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Jay
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Captain Cupcake
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Post by Jay on Feb 4, 2010 15:05:37 GMT -5
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Post by Warkitty on Feb 5, 2010 9:26:31 GMT -5
Well, I ran that and it did some stuff. I'll run it again and let it do the download fix it wanted to do later.
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Police Moderator
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Post by Police Moderator on Feb 6, 2010 22:46:38 GMT -5
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Post by cadillacdude1975 on Feb 7, 2010 23:08:17 GMT -5
or the easy way is backup any critical information, throw the restore CD in the drive and wipe it out. problem gone.
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Post by Conservator on Feb 7, 2010 23:40:51 GMT -5
Admittedly, I didn't read a single post after your original warcat, but if you would simply buy a Mac. You would most definitely thank me for the advise. Let me know when you're ready to leave your PC behind and move on to truly greener pastures. Granted a little more upfront cost, but no viruses, a user-friendly OS, and a far more satisfying computing experience.
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Post by Justin Thyme on Feb 8, 2010 7:05:00 GMT -5
Here's the problem with a Mac, they don't support the business apps that business uses and they aren't supported by corporate IT.
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Post by Warkitty on Feb 8, 2010 7:12:11 GMT -5
To reiterate for Conservator and Cadillacdude..... this is NOT MY COMPUTER, it's COMPANY PROPERTY.
This means I can't wipe it out. To do that I'd have to mail it to my IT department.
This means I can't trade it in for a Mac even if a Mac supported the programs I require for my job.
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Post by cadillacdude1975 on Feb 8, 2010 17:31:09 GMT -5
if it is company property, you better call the IT department to see if anything you are doing will get you in trouble. i worked for a company once that got mad as hell over me running a scan disk and a defragmentation on an employee training laptop because of the same issues. i was told that the PC running slow was not my problem, that is why the IT department is on the payroll.
even though it was totally fucking stupid for me to ship it VIA fed ex to the building downtown, that is the way they wanted it done. granted, most IT departments talk to people over the phone like they are complete and utter morons, but nevertheless, company policy pretty much laid out the rules no matter how stupid it turned out.
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Post by gridbug on Feb 9, 2010 7:44:15 GMT -5
That works until you want to buy software  |
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Jay
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Post by Jay on Feb 9, 2010 10:22:51 GMT -5
i worked for a company once that got mad as hell over me running a scan disk and a defragmentation on an employee training laptop because of the same issues. Craziness... It's not like that's going to mess anything up... The administrators just don't know any better... |
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Bob
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Post by Bob on Feb 9, 2010 12:44:16 GMT -5
i worked for a company once that got mad as hell over me running a scan disk and a defragmentation on an employee training laptop because of the same issues. Craziness... It's not like that's going to mess anything up... The administrators just don't know any better... When you're IT, there are two kinds of users. Those that have no clue, and those that think they do. If you have to keep dozens of computers running smoothly, you don't need someone installing software you know nothing about. You need to talk to the person and help them fix it if they are capable but need to "manage" what is done. |
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Jay
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Post by Jay on Feb 9, 2010 13:30:27 GMT -5
Scandisk and defrag are windows tools. He didn't install any additional software.
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Post by Justin Thyme on Feb 9, 2010 16:18:59 GMT -5
Craziness... It's not like that's going to mess anything up... The administrators just don't know any better... When you're IT, there are two kinds of users. Those that have no clue, and those that think they do. If you have to keep dozens of computers running smoothly, you don't need someone installing software you know nothing about. You need to talk to the person and help them fix it if they are capable but need to "manage" what is done. Yeah, if I was having to support all those users I'd have the exact same attitude but I've been stuck out on a project way too many times, a thousand miles from the office and a truly secure network connection and run into problems that I could have taken care of myself in a few minutes with the proper permissions but took two days and held up the project to get resolved because I had to go through proper channels. I feel for the IT guys, I really do, but that isn't going to keep me from calling them every name I can think of when I'm two days late getting home because of problems they are keeping me from resolving myself just to make their job easier. |
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Post by cadillacdude1975 on Feb 9, 2010 16:25:03 GMT -5
you are correct Jay. there was nothing installed. they threw a fit over me not taking the proper steps in notifying them there was a problem with the laptop. and the company would be unnamed, but here is a slogan they used to use. Hot. Fresh. Small. Square.
mind you, this is the same company that uses APC battery backups. now, we all know what a battery backup is supposed to do. it keeps your PC running as long as possible, or it will shut it down very quickly to save battery time.
well, for the PC to communicate to the backup, the cord must be hooked up. it is a USB end on the PC, and an ethernet clip (RJ-45) on the backup. it takes all of 2 minutes to connect the cable and install the power management software. so, if there is a power outage, all data is properly saved and not running till the battery goes dead, which is just like a power outage. improper shutdown.
go back to 2006 when the new krystal was opened on signal mountain road. i was one of the store assistant managers, so i was there about 2 weeks before the store was actually opened. we all floated between stores, but the management was there 2 weeks before the crew was.
that is when the safe was installed and all that fun stuff. i was told to go downtown to the IT section that is upstairs in the krystal building, to pickup the server for the store. they had all the equipment there, the tower, keyboard, mouse, monitor and the battery backup. all brand new. the PCs were pre imaged, so there was no need for anyone to come connect the stuff up as i know how to do that. so i get it all back to the store, get it all connected properly, and that included the communication cable for the battery backup, popped the CD in and it installed the software.
krystal being fairly large, has an adequate IT department. they can remotely take over a PC while you are sitting there doing a truck order, entering inventory, etc etc. after the system was all connected, the help desk had installed the wrong store image on the drive. so one of the techs came out to change the hard drive. different style stores run on different labor tiers, and the software that was installed on that drive was for a bigger store like the hixson store, and labor is calculated differently due to the huge difference in the layout of the kitchen vs the number of employees needed to run the shift.
blah blah, upon the tech coming out, he did his thing and left. and took the communication cable with him, leaving the PC vulnerable to running without the ability to protect itself in the event of a power outage. all of krystals credit/debit/gift cards sales are done at the touch screen registers, which are also on battery backups. the hub in the stores that tie everything to the server are done this way as well. so are the modems. so, as long as the units are powered with AC or battery backups, all transactions will process through the cable internet.
so the next day, the district supervisor came in and chewed my ass for connecting that battery cable up. i had to explain to her what it was for and showed her the documentation and instructions out of the box for the backup. so after that, she was basically on my side.
in a nut shell, i got my ass reamed for doing the right thing. that shows you that most IT departments know what is going on to begin with, but sometimes the correct way is not the way they want things done.
when they were asked by her why those cables were not used, they gave no answer. to this day, when the power goes out in one of those stores, the units run till the batteries die. i will never understand the backwards ass thinking of the moron that runs the IT department. to this day, he is a fucking moron who sucked who knows what to get the position he has.
my point to all this is that even though it will probably take them forever to fix the issue you are having, it is better to notify them and to let them make the choice as to what action you may or may not be allowed to take.
having the entire IT department mad at you is never a good thing. shit rolls downhill as i have learned, and i was usually at the bottom propped up and unable to move.
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Post by msminx811 on Feb 9, 2010 20:29:01 GMT -5
webroot window washer is da bomb to have on any machine, it clears what disk clean up leaves behind such as facebook and windows tif files and really does help. if you don't have it I recommend it alot. Especially on a heavy graphics used machine. it's one of the first things and computer shop puts on to clean up and speed up any machine, they just don't tell you that most of the time. because then they remove it and get you to come back after a while. and since this is a wrk computer you can add it and then remove it and take care of issues too,ask it about it and see what they say..
edited for not reading that it was a work comp..
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