Slow machine , fluctuating CPU

[flying_suser]

Hello,

Recently my comp. has slowed a lot. It is taking a lot of time to open firefox, which freezes often, particularly while editing the address bar. Same with Acrobat reader and other softwares in general.


CPU usage is showing a fluctuating pattern betwenn 0-30% when idle, which I never encountered. Apparently there's no malware. I checked with Malwarebyte, Gmer, Combofix etc. the usual stuff.

here's the screenshot of the task manager:

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/1749/fluctuating.jpg

I have an XP Pro with SP2.

Soliciting the helps of experts here.

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 10:19:55 PM, on 3/28/2009
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\EvtEng.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\S24EvMon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\AcPrfMgrSvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\PMSveH.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\RegSrvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\PMHandler.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\AcSvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wscntfy.exe
C:\WINDOWS\AGRSMMSG.exe
C:\Program Files\Lenovo\HOTKEY\TPHKMGR.exe
C:\Program Files\Lenovo\HOTKEY\TpWAudAp.exe
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\ACTray.exe
C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\ACWLIcon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskmgr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = Google
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = MSN.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = Live Search
R3 - URLSearchHook: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn0\yt.dll
O2 - BHO: &Yahoo! Toolbar Helper - {02478D38-C3F9-4EFB-9B51-7695ECA05670} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn0\yt.dll
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Skype add-on (mastermind) - {22BF413B-C6D2-4d91-82A9-A0F997BA588C} - C:\Program Files\Skype\Toolbars\Internet Explorer\SkypeIEPlugin.dll
O2 - BHO: Yahoo! IE Services Button - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\yiesrvc.dll
O2 - BHO: Groove GFS Browser Helper - {72853161-30C5-4D22-B7F9-0BBC1D38A37E} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\GRA8E1~1.DLL
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In SSV Helper - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - C:\Program Files\Google\Google Toolbar\GoogleToolbar.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Notifier BHO - {AF69DE43-7D58-4638-B6FA-CE66B5AD205D} - C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\5.1.1309.3572\swg.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Dictionary Compression sdch - {C84D72FE-E17D-4195-BB24-76C02E2E7C4E} - C:\Program Files\Google\Google Toolbar\Component\fastsearch_219B3E1547538286.dll
O2 - BHO: FDMIECookiesBHO Class - {CC59E0F9-7E43-44FA-9FAA-8377850BF205} - C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\iefdm2.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O2 - BHO: HttpWatch Basic - {F1F69322-008F-4895-B2BF-AD194219825A} - C:\Program Files\HttpWatch\httpwatchsc.dll
O2 - BHO: SingleInstance Class - {FDAD4DA1-61A2-4FD8-9C17-86F7AC245081} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn0\YTSingleInstance.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn0\yt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Google Toolbar - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - C:\Program Files\Google\Google Toolbar\GoogleToolbar.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AGRSMMSG] AGRSMMSG.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TPHOTKEY] C:\Program Files\Lenovo\HOTKEY\TPHKMGR.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TPWAUDAP] C:\Program Files\Lenovo\HOTKEY\TpWAudAp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PMHandler] C:\WINDOWS\system32\PMHandler.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SynTPEnh] C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ACTray] C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\ACTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ACWLIcon] C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\ACWLIcon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Yahoo! Search - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycsrch.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download all with Free Download Manager - file://C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\dlall.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download selected with Free Download Manager - file://C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\dlselected.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download video with Free Download Manager - file://C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\dlfvideo.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download with Free Download Manager - file://C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\dllink.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O8 - Extra context menu item: Locate Spot on Map by GPS - C:\Program Files\Opanda\IExif 2.3\IExifMap.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Send to &Bluetooth Device... - C:\Program Files\Lenovo\Bluetooth Software\btsendto_ie_ctx.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: View Exif/GPS/IPTC with IExif - C:\Program Files\Opanda\IExif 2.3\IExifCom.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Yahoo! &Dictionary - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycdict.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Yahoo! &Maps - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycmap.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Yahoo! &SMS - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycsms.htm
O9 - Extra button: Send to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: S&end to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra button: Yahoo! Services - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\yiesrvc.dll
O9 - Extra button: Skype - {77BF5300-1474-4EC7-9980-D32B190E9B07} - C:\Program Files\Skype\Toolbars\Internet Explorer\SkypeIEPlugin.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: HttpWatch Basic - {D103E85B-5D67-42c1-8C83-F01079DBAB26} - C:\Program Files\HttpWatch\httpwatch.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: HttpWatch Basic - {D103E85B-5D67-42c1-8C83-F01079DBAB26} - C:\Program Files\HttpWatch\httpwatch.dll
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O11 - Options group: [JAVA_IBM] Java (IBM)
O18 - Protocol: grooveLocalGWS - {88FED34C-F0CA-4636-A375-3CB6248B04CD} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\GR99D3~1.DLL
O18 - Protocol: skype4com - {FFC8B962-9B40-4DFF-9458-1830C7DD7F5D} - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\Skype\SKYPE4~1.DLL
O23 - Service: Ac Profile Manager Service (AcPrfMgrSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\AcPrfMgrSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Access Connections Main Service (AcSvc) - Lenovo - C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities\AcSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Bluetooth Service (btwdins) - Broadcom Corporation. - C:\Program Files\Lenovo\Bluetooth Software\bin\btwdins.exe
O23 - Service: Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Event Log (EvtEng) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\EvtEng.exe
O23 - Service: PMSveH - Lenovo - C:\WINDOWS\system32\PMSveH.exe
O23 - Service: Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Registry Service (RegSrvc) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\RegSrvc.exe
O23 - Service: Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless Service (S24EventMonitor) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\S24EvMon.exe

--
End of file - 8099 bytes

 

[Osiris]

Well the log looks fine.

Run Malwarebytes and post its log. It can be found in my guide below

 

[flying_suser]

Here's the malwarebyte log:

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.35
Database version: 1911
Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2

3/28/2009 11:45:26 PM
mbam-log-2009-03-28 (23-45-26).txt

Scan type: Quick Scan
Objects scanned: 72625
Time elapsed: 13 minute(s), 23 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 0
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 0
Registry Values Infected: 0
Registry Data Items Infected: 0
Folders Infected: 0
Files Infected: 0

Memory Processes Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data Items Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Folders Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Files Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

 

[Osiris]

Well the system looks clean of spyware...hhhmm...


When did this start?

 

[flying_suser]

I can't pinpoint any particular event after which the problem started, but somedays ago I installed Cygwin, though I've used cygwin earlier without any problem. Moreover It looks like that one of the processors remain more busy over the other.

I've a number of firefox plug-ins installed. Will they affect the speed of firefox in a signicant way?

 

[KSoD]

It depends on the plugins installed. They can cause Firefox to perform slower than normal. But you shouldnt see a massive decline in performance.

 

[Osiris]

So whats going on with this?