Laptop at times almost frozen

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Is it just my imagination, or is this laptop suddenly running faster? Still not sure.
Click to expand...
Ain't that what we were working for?....lol

OK, what issues are remaining?
 
This laptop does now seem much, much better. Thanks!!!

Back up the line, you asked: "Do you use AVG Secure VPN for your work? Do you need this application?"
I looked and found it's been installed since February, but I don't recall installing it and don't even know what it is. May/should I just uninstall it?

Along the same line, I'd like to ask you about AVG. The first time I ever heard of AVG was at the conclusion of my first troubleshooting session with a helper on this forum. The helper (don't remember who it was) noted an antivirus software I was then using (I think it was Norton) and said that most of the times when a computer showed the problems we had just cleaned up, it had been due to that particular antivirus package. The helper said there was free stuff available that was more effective and suggested AVG Free, which I switched to immediately, and which I've been running ever since. Only lately have I started seeing what I will call "sales pitches" from AVG. Are these legitimate? Are they offering stuff that's really necessary? Did the "sales pitches" start showing up because of an AVG update, or is something else pretending to be AVG?
 
gin_jammer said:
This laptop does now seem much, much better. Thanks!!!

Back up the line, you asked: "Do you use AVG Secure VPN for your work? Do you need this application?"
I looked and found it's been installed since February, but I don't recall installing it and don't even know what it is. May/should I just uninstall it?

Along the same line, I'd like to ask you about AVG. The first time I ever heard of AVG was at the conclusion of my first troubleshooting session with a helper on this forum. The helper (don't remember who it was) noted an antivirus software I was then using (I think it was Norton) and said that most of the times when a computer showed the problems we had just cleaned up, it had been due to that particular antivirus package. The helper said there was free stuff available that was more effective and suggested AVG Free, which I switched to immediately, and which I've been running ever since. Only lately have I started seeing what I will call "sales pitches" from AVG. Are these legitimate? Are they offering stuff that's really necessary? Did the "sales pitches" start showing up because of an AVG update, or is something else pretending to be AVG?
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Glad to hear the laptop is better.

=>VPN<=
If you didn't install it or use it for 'work from home', I would uninstall it. It can be used as an avenue to interact with your computer.

AVG free antivirus is used by many, It's not unusual for them to ask you to upgrade to the paid for security suite. Some people do, as many don't.
Without seeing the pop up for AVG, I'm going to say it's probably legit. Just X out the little window and continue on with whatever your doing.

Note: The programs listed below are all free to use or they have some sort of trial. Some of them have a paid version that provides more features, while a lot of other good programs only have a paid version but aren't listed there (such as Kaspersky and ESET Antivirus products).

Anti-Virus
  • sZQBUGE.png
    Sophos Home
  • GCZb0TR.png
    Bitdefender Free Antivirus
  • 1lXc99W.png
    Emsisoft Anti-Malware - Free 30 day trial. Once it expires, EAM enters into a freeware mode where it is still considered an Antivirus program, but without real-time protection
  • szLrBjg.png
    Avira Free Antivirus
  • 90ChiEw.png
    avast! Free Antivirus

~~~~

Let's remove tools and quarantine folders.

DelFix

  • Please download DelFix or from Here and save the file to your Desktop.
  • Double-click DelFix.exe to run the programme.
  • Place a checkmark next to the following items:
  • Activate UAC
  • Remove disinfection tools
  • Click the Run button.
  • -- This will remove the specialized tools we used to disinfect your system.
    Any leftover logs, files, folders or tools remaining on your Desktop which were not removed can be deleted manually (right-click the file + delete    ).
************************************
 
Downloaded and ran DelFix. Afterward, I was unable to remove all of the Desktop leftovers, few of them won't delete.

Here's what DelFix reported:

# DelFix v1.010 - Logfile created 14/11/2018 at 08:11:53
# Updated 26/04/2015 by Xplode
# Username : Ed - ED-PC
# Operating System : Windows 7 Home Premium Service Pack 1 (32 bits)

~ Activating UAC ... OK

~ Removing disinfection tools ...

Deleted : C:\FRST
Deleted : C:\AdwCleaner
Deleted : C:\RegBackup
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\FRST-OlderVersion
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\Addition.txt
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\AdwCleaner.exe
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\aswMBR.exe
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\Fixlog.txt
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\FRST.exe
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\FRST.txt
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\HijackThis.exe
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\hijackthis.log
Deleted : C:\Users\Ed\Desktop\RogueKiller_portable32.exe
Deleted : HKLM\SOFTWARE\TrendMicro\Hijackthis
Deleted : HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWMBR

########## - EOF - ##########
 
I did a restart after which those tools no longer show on Desktop.

After I uninstalled AVG Secure VPN, I got a popup saying (more or less): "Couldn't remove all elements. These can be removed manually." Can you tell me how to find those "elements," and whether they need to be removed?
 
After I uninstalled AVG Secure VPN, I got a popup saying (more or less): "Couldn't remove all elements. These can be removed manually." Can you tell me how to find those "elements," and whether they need to be removed?
Click to expand...
When you downloaded AVG this package was in the bundle.
If you uninstalled AVG VPN, thats probably all you have to do cause it wont work without the whole deal.

All I can find is associated files/folders.

C:\Program Files\AVG\Secure VPN\Vpn.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\Secure VPN\VpnSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\Secure VPN\VpnUpdate.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\Secure VPN\libcef.dll
C:\Windows\System32\DRIVERS\avgTap.sys

Those would be the files to look for and delete because I have no way of knowing what is left.
 
Uh oh! Maybe I screwed the pooch...removed everything in Secure VPN folder and afterward my browser (Firefox) was slower (MUCH slower) than Christmas to launch. I restored the Secure VPN stuff, one item at a time, but now Firefox won't launch at all. Task Monitor says it's running, but it is NOT.

I was able to launch MSN, which I don't ever use, and used it to search for this forum to post this message.

Unsure how you can communicate with me unless I can get back to this Forum again. While I wait, I'll try to get Firefox working. Would you recommend System Restore?
 
Okay, Firefox launched. It struggled and was minimized once it opened, but it did launch. Once open, operation seemed almost normal.
 
Maybe I just irritated Firefox removing the Secure VPN stuff (none of which, by the way, was the stuff you named), and then it got over it. It's now opening, running, and closing normally.
 
phew!

Let's dont poke the bear.

Give it a day or two and let me know if things have returned back to normal. :)
 
Laptop is operating near normally, running all apps, etc. but from time to time it seems to pause and take a while before it resumes. Each time I think "here we go again," but suddenly the screen shows what I was expecting. No error messages have displayed. Although I have no way to prove it, I suspect there is some background activity. I've looked at Task Manager, but I don't know how to spot activity related to scripts, etc. Attached is a screenshot of typical Task Manager status.

At that point, I left my browser running and minimized it. I opened Photoshop and cropped the Task Manager image.

When I attempted to return to browser and this Forum, laptop did a restart on its own. However it didn't restart in the usual way, rather it stopped on a screen that said Start Normally (I think). I pressed Enter and Windows appeared to restart. Soon after I entered my logon code, the screen went black and everything appeared to stop. I let the laptop run untouched for a while.

Eventually, I typed Ctrl-Alt-Del to start Task Manager. I selected "Log off" and when I saw the Start button and the Task Bar appear, I moved the cursor to Start and clicked it. I wound up with screen displaying another instance of the Task Manager on a black screen. I made a second screenshot.

Then, I restarted laptop. It opened with this Forum, me already logged on, and the beginning of this message displayed (I never saw THAT before).

Before I log out, I am going to attempt to submit this reply attaching both screenshots, which are very similar except the Memory Usage History on Task Manager 2 is considerably lower. I did not crop the Task Manager 2 image so you could see the black screen.

Needless to say, I think my laptop is operating strangely.
 

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I'm not so good nor trained on the tech end of a computer system but, what you described kinda sounds like something updated?
Firefox, Google Chrome, Windows, Antivirus?

Screen shots show very low CPU usage, when you see or notice such a slow down again, with task manager open, click on the
Applications or processes tab and monitor from there exe = cpu
from that I hope to see what is pulling and slowing the computer down.
 
The image attached is to ask: is this the Task Manager info you want to see in the case of another slowdown?

I opened Task Manager, clicked on Processes tab, then clicked on CPU. "CPU" was replaced by a "down arrow"

I don't understand: "...and monitor from there exe = cpu" Please explain...
 

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    Task Manager 3.jpg
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with the window you had open click on 'show proccesses from all users'

No need to click on a CPU button I don't think any of the information I was looking for would be there.


~~~
 
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Understood.

I'll be traveling from now until early next week and will have laptop with me, so I'll be looking for it to act up and will report what I see.

Hope you have a nice Thanksgiving!
 
Laptop performed well. No problem caused by using another WIFI.

I am back at home and still seeing some occasional sluggish response. Often after I log off from Facebook I notice the laptop is very slow to respond. Not always but sometimes it displays a banner at the top of the screen saying there is a script running that I'm not quick enough to stop before the STOP button disappears from the screen. Even when I am able to click on the STOP SCRIPT button, the slowness doesn't disappear immediately. And then, for no apparent reason, the laptop will run great for a few days...
 
I typed in: "htpps://www.facebook.com" and immediately wondered...do I need to include the "/shopify..." business, too? How much of what shows up when Facebook is opened counts as its URL?
 
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