Slow internet download and system restore issue (Windows XP)

fancydude

I did read some of the other posts, so perhaps that Hirens Boot CD will address this - (will someone let me know please?)

I had AT & T DSL and there was something going on weekly with the wires so I gave up after 18 months and got cable internet. However, I'm not getting anywhere near the 1.5 mb/s that I'm supposed to. The cable company did a ping test with the computer hooked up and without; without was normal so they concluded there is something in my computer eating up band width.

I cleaned the temp files, browsing history, ran C Cleaner (also did the registry), ran the free version of malware bytes which didn't find anything. C cleaner raised my DL from 0.19 to 0.8 mb/s but when I tried to install Microsoft Security essentials (never hurts to run scans with more than one process), it said "no internet connection detected" which I do have - I'm on it every day. For at least a month now, I've been trying to figure out why system restore doesn't work either. It says my computer is not protected, restart computer and run again. (which gets me the same message). Almost every item on the internet is really old, like years and I did try a couple things which did nothing to help. The cable company also provides Norton free (supposedly a $160 value) but that won't install either due to Windows finding multiple anti-virus programs - which is why it is so important for me to get system restore working. I can't find these supposed programs and yes I checked hidden files/folders.

If I take my computer to the store, they will save some files, but mostly just wipe it clean (plus charge $75!) and I have to start over with everything esp. torrent files…... :cry2: If they can find the viruses, why can't I?

MANY MANY thanks to whomever has any suggestions.

MrMazda

It is most likely that you may have a deeper rooted system issue. There is an easy way in which to correct this. My suggestion would be to try the following steps to clear any potential lingering issue that may be hidden within your system:

Open a command prompt window. This can be done either by going to Start > Run and telling it to run cmd, or by going Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt
Run the following 3 commands:
1) ipconfig /flushdns
2) netsh int ip reset ipreset.txt
3) netsh winsock reset resetlog.txt
Unplug the power to your cable modem and router (if any).
Shut down your computer.
Plug in the power to your cable modem and wait for it to fully boot up.
Plug in your router (if any) and wait for it to fully boot up.
Turn your computer back on.

This generally solves a wide range of system issues. In other cases, it may be a matter of verifying that you have the correct network protocols installed on your computer, which does get a little more advanced.

As for your system restore, is there a particular error message (particularly a stop/error code) that you receive when attempting to use this feature? If so, I may require additional information from your System Event Viewer to more precisely narrow down the cause of the backlog in your internet connectivity as well as the exact reason for your system restore not working properly.

Once this is done, try running your speed tests again. If this does not resolve the issue, there may be another underlying problem with the hardware configuration, which would make it necessary to know how your hardware is configured.

twinkletoes

Yes, it sounds like your computer is seriously infected.
It's probably best to reformat your drive(s) and re-install your OS

But why can't you do this yourself (and save $75) ?
First get an external (USB) hard drive and copy the files you want to save from your desktop/laptop to the external HD.
It is safe to keep videos, pictures, text files, torrent files - they can't get infected
(BUT don't save any program files, system files or script files)

In the interim, why don't you try booting from a Linux LiveCD to check that the problem really is your Windows installation
I'd suggest that you try the Puppy Linux CD

MrMazda

Although reformatting is an option, I don't think it's going to be necessary in this case. I can likely save you the frustration of having to restore everything after having reformatted and re-installed… ESPECIALLY if you don't have a secondary hard drive (or at least partition) in which to store your content on, separate from the hard drive/partition that you keep your data on.

If you need further assistance, you have my number. If you don't know where you've put it, PM me and I can send it to you again, or I can call you... I still have your number saved in my phone