Any idea of how to fix this glitch when accessing the internet?

I didn't realize, when I posted this, how late it is now... 12:30 am, Monday morning.
I'll be back later on this morning after a sleep.
Might give this a bounce then.

Night all!

I think if I was you I would first download and create a boot CD of Microsoft scan alone sweeper and run it.

http://connect.microsoft.com/systemsweeper


Thank you for contacting Microsoft Support. You have been directed here to download and install the beta version of Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta, a recovery tool that can help you start an infected PC and perform an offline scan to help identify and remove rootkits and other advanced malware. In addition, Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta can be used if you cannot install or start an antivirus solution on your PC, or if the installed solution can’t detect or remove malware on your PC.

Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta is not a replacement for a full antivirus solution providing ongoing protection; it is meant to be used in situations where you cannot start your PC due to a virus or other malware infection. For no-cost, real-time protection that helps guard your home or small business PCs against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, download Microsoft Security Essentials*.

To get started, please make sure that you have a blank CD, DVD, or USB drive with at least 250 MB of space. Next, download and run the tool – the tool will help you to create the bootable media required to run the software on your PC.




Should I download the 32-bit or 64-bit version?

1.Whether you download the 32-bit or the 64-bit version of the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta depends on the architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) of the Windows operating system of the computer infected with a virus or malware. See the Microsoft Help and Support article for instructions on how to determine whether a computer is running a 32-bit version or 64-bit architecture of the Windows operating system.


2.Ordinarily, the bootable media is created on a computer that is not infected. The architecture of Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta does not have to be the same as the Windows operating system of the computer used to create the bootable media. It does need to be the same architecture (32-bit or the 64-bit) as the Windows operating system of the computer infected with a virus or malware.
* Your PC must run genuine Windows to install Microsoft Security Essentials. Learn more about genuine Windows. Internet access fees may apply.

Read the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta Privacy Statement and License Agreement.

You think my computer may be "infected", Bill?

Not at all sure but if it was I in your shoes it would be the first thing I would check for before taking any other troubleshooting steps.

One nice thing is if the Microsoft's stand alone sweeper give you a clean bill of health you can check off malware as the cause of the problem and go on from there.

You may just need to do some routine maintenance on it such as clearing cache and defragging the hard drive. The symptoms you describe have all the earmarks of a hard drive in need of defragging.

If you don't already have it, you might download, install and run CrapCleaner. That will clean out the unwanted cookies and items in your registry. You can set it to run manually when you ask for it or to run automatically each time your PC is powered on.

The defragging utility can be found in your program listings by clicking Start->Programs->Accessories.->System Tools->Disk Defragmenter.

Also, make sure all your Windows files are up to date.

Butrflynet it could be any numbers of things but when a computer of mine begin to act up I tend to wish to eliminate malware as a first step.

If the computer come up with a clean bill of health in that regards then running chkdsk c: /r on the hard drive, going to the task manager and looking for processes that are taking a large amount of the cpu resources, looking at the system log for errors with special note of any pagefile problems and on and on and on.

In any case running chkdsk c: /r would be a good idea and then as this problem had just come up doing a restore to an earlier date before the problem had occur would do no harm also.

That is way beyond her computer skills, Bill.

Starting with a utility such as CrapCleaner will be more helpful to her.

You can run chkdsk c: /r by just typing it in the run window found under the start button and hitting enter and that should not be a hard task for her to do.

The restore wizard is simple to run and can be found under programs accessories tools menus.

But I have nothing again her downloading and running crapcleaner however I just question it that have a good chance to fixed the problem but at the worst it would do no harm.

What is the 'windows xp page?'

I would be deeply suspicious if I were you, Ms. Olga. The things you are describing are classic signs of a compromised box. Your antivirus software should never turn itself off, ever. I strongly recommend that you take immediate steps to ensure your system is clean, and we should probably have a discussion about the types of things you've been doing online lately that could have lead to infection.

Cycloptichorn

Agree and that is why I at once suggested that she downloaded microsoft system sweeper as it boot under it own OS from a CD so even rootkit viruses can not hid from it.

Good morning, Bill, Butrflynet & Cyclo ...
Thank you all for responding. I really appreciate it.

In a minute I will run defrag, then install & run CrapCleaner. (never heard of it before) & see how things are after that.

Interestingly, when I started my computer this morning, same Windows XP "page" (that's the usual opening "page" of Windows XP, Cyclo) but Avast was fine. (It hadn't been turned off like before ... working as normal after 4 days.)
Go figure.

I shall return.

Msolga if the software crapcleaner does not take care of the problem I will offer to burn a disk for microsoft stand alone clean sweeper if you care to give me a mailing address by private mail.

Oh I strongly suggest you might wish to go to my computer and right click on the C drive and then go to tools tab and click on the check for volume errors.

That is the same as the chkdsk c: /r that I mention before just another way to do so.

Sorry you need to click on properties first and then tools and then check for volume errors.

See why it is so must simpler to type chkdsk c: /r under the run command line?

Oh for the good old dos days.

I'm back!

I ended up ringing Avast Support (local, in Oz) for help. This was after the defrag, etc ...
And was informed, after they'd had a look at my computer (with my permission, of course) that I had a helluva lot of junk on my computer, which was why it was so slow ...

Then I was put onto tech support & spent ages talking to a fellow in India who fixed all the problems! We messaged each other backwards & forwards as he worked on the problems. My bottom is numb from sitting here for so long!

So, to cut a long story short .... my AVAST problem has been fixed. All the unnececcary junk has been removed , my computer performance has been "optimized". All while I watched what was happeing on screen. Fascinating!
Avast told me if I wanted this sort of service again, then I'd have to pay. Fair enough. They were terrific!

And now I have a speedy computer again! Yee Ha!!!!!

Thanks very much for your kind offer, Bill, but as you will have gathered, it won't be necessary.
Thanks, too, Butrflynet & Cyclo.
You guys are great!

And now, I must get up & walk ... gotta get my blood circulating again.

Kaloo kalay!

Yes, indeed, Deb.

What amazed me was that they did all that for free!

Good ol Avast!

Cyclo, if you're reading this .....

Remember (or perhaps you can't?) a few months back you helped me restore the spell-checker to my browser? After much gnashing of teeth from me & from various A2Kers who were trying to help find the solution ....

Well, with all the cleaning up of my system today, the spell-check add-on vanished. I was just about to ask for extra help here when I remembered that past episode ... AND with a bit of searching, found your directions!
Fixed it myself! Can you believe?
Was that tech-savvy or what?

So thank you again for the help you gave me months ago which I have just used again!

Now let's just hope my computer settles down a behaves for a while!

You'll be a geek in no time!

I know!