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Vista has gone nuts: [Major] Help please?

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wreckedcarzz:
Alright, I got a bunch of issues and I believe that they may all be interconnected. I'm hoping that someone here can help me out :)

In order to simplify this, I'm just going to break it down problem by problem...

Problem 1: File downloads take 3-15 seconds to "unfreeze" the browser (FF particularly)
FF will halt for a matter of several seconds when I hit Save File. No idea why. IE kinda of lags a bit too.
Possible relation: Problem 2 (because it saves to the Desktop)
Steps taken to fix: Reinstalled FF, safe mode FF, no addons/themes

Problem 2: The Desktop folder takes a LONG time to load, Right Clicking in the Desktop (folder or the actual Desktop) takes 3-30 seconds to open the context menu, Desktop does not auto organize (even though it is on), refreshing takes anywhere from 5-30 seconds
Yea, tons of issues. No clue whats causing em
Possible relation: Problem 1 (causing problem 1)
Steps taken to fix: Cleaning, defragging, registry cleaning, registry compation, IOBit Advanced WindowsCare, everything Windows has as far as diagnostics

Problem 3: Task Scheduler is broken... completely
The Task Scheduler WILL NOT WORK! The service is running and Automatic, but I can't schedule tasks!!!
Possible relation: Problem 4 (causing problem 4)
Steps taken to fix: Cleaning, defragging, registry cleaning, registry compation, IOBit Advanced WindowsCare, everything Windows has as far as diagnostics

Problem 4: Windows Backup will not work
It won't let me schedule the backup (see Problem 3)
Possible relation: Problem 3
Steps taken to fix: Cleaning, defragging, registry cleaning, registry compation, IOBit Advanced WindowsCare, everything Windows has as far as diagnostics

I also had previous issues with Start Search not working, along with some other problems (since resolved). These are driving me NUTS and I simply cannot find solutions ANYWHERE. Spyware/virus scans come up clean, but this computer WAS infected a month or so ago. Also tried to repair Vista via the DVD's "Startup Repair" - no dice.

I can't really figure out what is going on, and I need help before I go nuts!!!

Help? Anyone? Please?

-Brandon

EDIT: As far as problems 3/4, I have the EXACT problem as this person: http://forum.soft32.com/win4/Task-Scheduler-Error-message-run-ftopict170481.html

wreckedcarzz:
I may have found the problem for Problem 1/2...

I moved all desktop contents but the Recycle Bin and an ISO that I am burning to a temp folder on my HD. When testing the download speed on ScreenshotCaptor it started the download as usual (1/2 second delay, to be expected as Download Statusbar fires up).

I'll wait it out and see if it still happens, or whether it is something on my desktop screwing it up

The context menu for the Recycle Bin still takes about 20 seconds, but downloads are much faster. Grr...

Carol Haynes:
What AV are you using? Some AVs seem to take a long time to release the FF download manager when they scan incoming files.

Re. slow context menus - have you tried disabling some shell extensions to see if they are causing the problem (I haven't tried ShellEx from NirSoft in Vista but I assume there is a version that works by now).

Kamel:
I concur with the AV, the first 2 problems actually seem to be AV related, but just a guess.

Let me explain myself a little deeper, since knowing the source of the problem will sometimes provide helpful clues as to what is happening.

The menu's freezing up the way they are (problems 1/2)  appear to be access problems. The menu freezes likely because of 1 of 2 things happening. 1) it could be a physical limitation, like lets say windows needs to access a network drive that is mapped over a VPN which travels at 5-10KB/s, this would slow down your computer immensely. The second reason could be a hardware/software limiting access to such a thing. A common example in that case would be an anti-virus, scanning your computer before allowing you to access it. Anything that needs to scan it before releasing it would apply though. If you have some malicious software it could very well be doing the same thing.

I don't know if this is the case or not, but I will warn you that your symptoms all seem to point to a still present spyware/virus infestation. The problem is, once a computer has been compromised, spyware/viruses can cover themselves up using rootkit technology. I would do some rootkit scanning if you can. If you have an anti-virus software that lets you boot from a disk, boot your system from that disk then do the scanning. Fair warning, if you do find something it may not always be best to simply select clean in a situation like this. You should look up the particular infection and learn how it can best be removed, since sometimes simply deleting the files can cause your system not to boot. If that's a desired effect though, by all means.

Good luck, I hope this advice has given you a direction to take on it. It definitely sounds access related though; atleast the first 2. The second 2 just sound like off the wall broken windows (normally due to malicious software).

wreckedcarzz:
I have only 3 network drives that are currently offline (show up in Computer, nowhere else) and no other cross-network shortcuts or other references (I checked into that right after posting, and should have edited to say so :-[)

Also, I am using Spyware Terminator - however the "Real Time Shield Mode" is set to Disabled, and my other security is as well (only thing running is Windows Firewall).

Even if I shut down EVERYTHING under my user name but Desktop Window Manager and Explorer (via Task Manager), the "lag"/slowness remains. I also went over and enabled the "real" Administrator account, and the same issues are on that account as well.

Last second edit: ST shows all clear for any infections... :huh:, but I'll look into some Live-CD scanning :Thmbsup:

Last second edit 2: Everything else works great n the machine, though, and at the same speed before the infection. With no changes to how I work/play, no programs are any slower and games don't lag any more than they did already.

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