avast found trojans-delete? or what?-in chest

[DavidR]

I'm not really surprised things are sluggish with 256MB of RAM, there will be a huge auge amount of hard disk access to the swapfile. Even with only your OS XP on its owb would be slow with only 256MB add to that other applications and that is where the sluggishness comes from.

So your best performance upgrade would be at least another 256MB of RAM or better still 1GB would improve over system response. RAM is relatively cheap at present and not a difficult job to upgrade yourself.

[bball142023]

will factory restore delete everything and restore my whole comp including my registry to the way i first got it even things i may have deleted from it, and how much work is it, beacuse i dont have alot of software, just wondering

[Mocked]

Hi bball.

         A format/reinstall should be a last ditch effort, or used when the infection is so time consuming as to be more time efficient. I would recommend following DavidR's suggestion and installing more ram, it really is very cheap right now, as that will help the speed of your computer. It is also an easy solution.

[DavidR]

will factory restore delete everything and restore my whole comp including my registry to the way i first got it even things i may have deleted from it, and how much work is it, beacuse i dont have alot of software, just wondering

I can't answer that as I don't know what your systems manufacturer's recovery partition or policy is. Many set the hard disk back to what it was when it left the factory gates. So you could lose a lot of your data unless you have a separate partition for your data files, or have a back-up strategy so as not to lose data, etc.

[Lisandro]

So you could lose a lot of your data unless you have a separate partition for your data files, or have a back-up strategy so as not to lose data, etc.

It's worse than that... restore partition could change all your partitioning and make you lose everything restoring to ground zero... It's the latest resource... better a partition copy/backup.

[DavidR]

That is what I mean it is effectively a format and reinstall.

[bball142023]

``do you mean delet system components or downloaded software because i just have software i can just install again- i dont have much, do not need any files really-not that im saying i want to do this- but opening my options-i

[DavidR]

We simply don't know as I said before we don't know your system builders recovery policy. The worst case scenario is you would lose everything on your C:\ drive to be replace by what is on the recovery function (the stuff on your recovery partition). You need to contact their customer support to find out exactly how to do it and what happens when you do.

However, as I also said before, this will solve nothing as I don't believe that will resolve what I feel is the true reason fro the sluggishness, your lack of RAM.

[YoKenny]

Belarc Advisor gives a better display of system configuration:
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

RAM is the best investment you can make and Crucial will recommend what is best:
http://www.crucial.com

[bball142023]

i intend to install more ram soon. Question- is avg a better scanner than avast and does it have a better on acess protection?

[wyrmrider]

Avast has better on access protection
more and better shields
better tech support
better forum
no comparison really
scanner depends on what you scan!
luck of the draw really
on any given day one scanner will find things that all the others will not
As Dirty Harry Said  "Do you feel lucky today?"
key is prevention

[bball142023]

is it ok to lwave only the avast shield running by itself or do i need the shields of superantispyware and spybot?
also is it ok to delete all my system restores?
and startup is shitty, can i do anything other than install ram.
tks

[wyrmrider]

superantispyware free is ON Demand- it has no free shield
in General Spybot is the same -  a scanner
With Spybot I update my Host File every wednasday and then update Spybot and re-immunize with spybot
(My host updater wipes out Spybot's hosts enteries- so they get added back- I also could use Hoster but not worth the effort)

SPybot has two prevention aids besides immunization

the first is SD-Helper which helps protect Internet Explorer

The Second is Spybot T-timer which protects the registry and recently loads a list of baddies (which takes some time when first accessed) to check against
There is NO FREE LUNCH however T-Timer is one of the very few free anti-spyware real time tools

T-timer has a new (beta) update for low memory systems

I also run Win-Patrol

To answer your question
I run whatever Avast Shields are available
Standard, E-Mail, Web  I do not use P2P so it's off as is Outlook etc

your other question
you can go to BlackVipers website and use his XP configuration tool to slim down xp and also do not let Anything start at start up that you do not need at startup-like adobe, office blah blah blah
some of these things can really chew up your memory
load them when you need them- a little longer load then vs a slower system all the time
what's not to like?

your other question
once you are clean I'd run CCleaner, Dfrag and delete and set new restore points

[bball142023]

i also have registry mechanic, which shields beside avast's should i run?

[YoKenny]

With Spybot I update my Host File every wednasday and then update Spybot and re-immunize with spybot
(My host updater wipes out Spybot's hosts enteries- so they get added back- I also could use Hoster but not worth the effort)

Spybot S&D's HOSTS file is hopelessly out of date and not varified for currency.

What is the host updater ?

HOSTS files I use:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://hosts-file.net/?s=Download

Managed with HostsMan and I use its HostsServer proxy to speed up browsing:
http://www.abelhadigital.com

The Second is Spybot T-timer which protects the registry and recently loads a list of baddies (which takes some time when first accessed) to check against
There is NO FREE LUNCH however T-Timer is one of the very few free anti-spyware real time tools

That's not true.

WinPatrol is free only the added PLUS feature costs:
http://www.winpatrol.com