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Question

Clean Machine, But Runs Slow

Today, after running my antivirus, I first noticed that all my links in SeaMonkey 2.10, my default email client, would open up slow loading pages. Then, my Firefox 13.0 behaved slow while browsing, though both programs have reasonable start times. SeaMonkey is fine for viewing email as long as I do not browse. I had to use Task Manager to close them both. I am beginning to suspect some other underlying problem. These problems only occurred today but on this system, running Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, they have both been reliable beforehand. Right now I had to use IE8 to post this message. I have tried to disable addons, but afterward both programs remain slow. Is there some issue with Mozilla; or is the problem somewhere else in my system?

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Running slow
Jun 11, 2012 10:30PM PDT

SeaMonkey is a browser but I see it also has it's own email client software. From what you say they are both combined into one application. Is that the case?

Tell us more about this performance loss.

What make and model computer?

How much RAM and how much hard drive space remaining?

Which anti-virus and is it a paid version of free? If paid, have you had to renew the license recently? (Some AVs cause problems when the license has expired and not been renewed).

What other security software do you use, eg Firewall, and do you use Spybot, AdAware, or Malwarebytes' Anti-malware or SPERAntispyware?

You said you tried to disable add-ons. Was this in Firefox, if so how did you do that? Did you try the Firefox button > Help > "Restart with disable Add-ons"?

Do you see this running slow with any other applications besides browsers?

Mark

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Clean Machine, But Runs Slow

Mark, Mozilla could probably tell you more about SeaMonkey; but yes, it is a combined email client and browser. To describe the behavior, each page in these two browsers freezes. My computer manufacturer is MSI, of which mine is one of their first laptops, model A6200. It has 4.0 RAM and 228GB free space. My antivirus is Panda Internet Security 2012 and the license is up for renewal in November. I use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and SuperAntiSpyware. As I stated originally, both browsers have the option of disabling addons, which I did and which rendered no improvement in performance. I did not notice a change in performance of other programs; however, the last change I made to the system was an update of Flash Player.

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Answer
(NT) Since it's recent, did you restore to yesterday?
Jun 12, 2012 4:52AM PDT
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Clean Machine, But Runs Slow

No, that update would have been Sunday. Since then, Microsoft issued about 16 updates. It seems that I would create a worse problem.

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Not really
Jun 12, 2012 8:24AM PDT

A System Restore is a quick process in general and it can be undone if the restore fails to fix the problem

As it is, it's the only clue we have, a Flash update.

Mark

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Clean Machine, But Runs Slow

Gentlemen, yesterday, I ran Panda and Malwarebytes, which ran clean. Today I ran SuperAntiSpyware, which also ran clean. However, for about the last two weeks, there has been in my lower right corner, a popup. Some vender managed to place something in my system which has been undetected but pops up in order to flash an advertisement to upgrade some program I do not recognize. The popup is both rectangular and colorful. My first thought is that it is some photographic service. Anyway, I disclosed my security software. As of now, all have run with a passing grade, but they did not pick up the source of this popup.

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We need to know more
Jun 12, 2012 8:26PM PDT

There is malware that will attempt to take over your machine and demand money from you to release it, and malware that looks like some "Windows Security 2012" utility that pretends to scan your system and tells you you have thousands of viruses.

The method of removing those is detailed, but long and difficult and the malware cannot be detected or removed by today's anti-virus or anti-malware without assistance.

Or we have advertising.

Which is it?

If it is advertising then this is some add-on or toolbar in your browsers. If so, the best method is to disable all add-ons and plugins, disable all toolbars, disable all Search engines in all browsers, (except IE which needs at least one so I recommend Google or Bing), and test by adding them back in, one at a time.

There is also something else. Have you recently installed the Bing Desktop?

Mark

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Clean Machine, But Runs Slow

No, I do not have Bing Desktop. Today I opened Firefox, going to the imdb.com. As usual lately it froze. I reopened it without add-ons, making the change permanent and its performance improved. I did the same yesterday with SeaMonkey which now works better. This morning the popup appeared and I clicked on it this time. It is a link to Panda, which is running a promotion to renew.