i am a bit slow on the computer stuff. when you say type it in google, do you mean exactly as it is in the profile list or the system it is operating for....ie...avg.spyware.exe or type into google avg spyware? again this is only a half brain diag as to my concern. i have yet to do a ping plotter due to lack of time from a christmas maniac wife and 4mo old that has more appts than i ever hope to have, but will soon hope to sit down and try these things....again thanks for the time everyone...you guys have a great community.
For example if you use the tool I suggested, Trend Micro HiJack This, you will want to use Google to figure out what to keep and what to dump.
When you run HJT I am willing to bet you will see dozens (possibly hundreds) of things pull up. The vast majority of which are "garbage" and should be gotten rid of. I talked to my sister Sunday and had her d/l and run HJT with me on the phone and for her HJT pulled up 100+ things going on in the background, of which we turned off 80+ (and prob. could have done more, but it was late, over the phone, yadda yadda).
For example.
Just now I ran HiJack This and one of the things that pulled up on my computer looked like the following.
04 - HKLM\...\Run: [NvCplDaemon]RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NvCpl.dll, NVStartupYou would google NvCpl.dll to figure out what that line "does" and if I want it running all the time.
023 - Service: Kerio Personal Firewall 4 (KPF4) - Kerio Technologies - C:\ProgramFiles\Kerio\Personal Firewall 4/kpf4ss.exeI would google kpf4ss.exe to see what it "does" and if I want it runnign all the time.
You want to google what is on the END of the line (usually), and it is typically a .dll, or .exe etc.
You then look it up (Google), decide if you want it ALWAYS running on your computer at all times in the background, and then either check it to be turned off by HJT or leave it unchecked and HJT will leave it alone.
Many programs load "kinda" in the background when your computer starts. So if you actually DO launch Word it will pull up a 1/2 second faster. You do NOT need all this garbage running at all times in the background. That is what slows/screws up systems.
You could have a dual core 3.0 ghz system with 4 gigs of ram and it wil run slow and cruddy with 100+ things all firing off in the background at all times.
What you want to do is find all the unecessary programs and eliminate them from launching untill you click them. (Real Player, Adobe, Office, and a plethora of others you will find are actually "running" (kinda) right now on your system, even if you are just looking at the desktop and have not launched any program)
Once you have eliminated those programs from clogging up your system, you will then want to pare down all the unneeded Services.
That is what Blackviper.com is great for.
Click RUN then type Services.msc (or RIGHT click MyComputer and select MANAGE and then Services and Applications, then click SERVICES same thing) and look at all the Services running on your system.
Look at the list, read what BlackViper.com says about each service and if you need to have it running all the time, set to Manual, or Disabled.
I run a very "Clean" system and I have 13 Services Running. You should shoot for 18-20 max.
So what I would do is...
Run HiJack This and spend the 45 min to an hour sitting there Googling everything and seeing if you need it running or not.
THEN hit BlackViper.com and read what Services you can turn off.
By doing those two things you will be AMAZED at the results.
(edit: and dedalos, you are indeed correct that pretty much ALL of it can be turned off when you fly AH. That is why FSAutoStart (AlacrityPC) is a wonderfull program, as it will shut down all the garbage for you when you wanna fly, and then start it all back up when you exit AH. Baby steps. Let's get 'em comfortable with the subject matter THEN we wil help 'em turn their system into a lean, mean, flying machine)