Internet Explorer 6 gone slow

eirebhoy

I connected to the internet today using IE6 and I noticed that when I scroll down the page it takes longer. Thats not all, when I right click the page, highlight a passage or even typing it takes a few seconds to respond.

This has never happened before and I tried the same tasks on Microsoft Word and there was no problem.

Any idea whats wrong?
Thanks.

joto

sounds like you've picked up some spyware.

joto

sorry, couldn't finish last message had to go.
Have you got
[URL=http://]Spybot 1.2 Search and Destroy[/URL]
&

[URL=http://]AdAware 6.0 [/URL]
as discussed here


[URL=http://]http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=113443[/URL]

If not, strongly suggest you get them.
I had same prob u describe.

moridin

I'd agree with the posts above on spyware. It might be worth checking out the option in IE Advanced Options to "disable 3rd party browser extensions" and see if that makes a difference... there could be something latching onto your IE

Capt'n Midnight

eye-candy takes processor time - turning off the junk can help - but check for malware too...

cf: http://toastytech.com/files/throboff.html

Also right click - My Computer - Advanced - Performance - Visual Effects...

Mutant_Fruit

alternatively download a better browser. get mozilla firebird (google it). I give that three thumbs up

Cabaal

Following Links
Mozilla Firebird 0.6.1 Just a browser

Mozilla 1.4 Bundled Mail/IRC/Browser etc

More info found at Mozilla.org
Have fun

eirebhoy

Thanks very much all for the help but unfortunately I still have the problem. Thanks to Cabaal and Mutant_Fruit for providing me info on Mozilla but I really would prefer to use IE and solve the problem.

I have a feeling that it was my brother that has caused the problem because it has only occured since he was using the internet. I have used Ad-Aware and Spybot and it didn't solve the problem but one big clue that it is spyware is that when I reboot and go back onto Internet Explorer the Homepage is set to a different page even though I put it back to the original one all the time.

I have downloaded a program called wintop which shows all the programs that are running on the computer and I have attached a screenshot. Also the problem seems to be the exact same problem that the person had in THIS link but to solve his problem he had to buy a new processor which I am not going to do.

If anyone has anymore ideas what could be wrong I would really appreciate the help.

Thanks!
[I have tried to attach the screenshot but for some reason it hasn't been attached]

tomED

I dunno if this is a coincendence - but are you running windows XP?

The last couple of days on my home pc - everytime i connect to the web with IE, it freezes for and the processor usage shoots up to 100% - for about 40 seconds or so, then it seems to release and it works fine then after???

Is this similar to what you are experiencing?

This only started last week sometime !!!!
Let me know if its similar to your experience!

eirebhoy

Originally posted by tomED
I dunno if this is a coincendence - but are you running windows XP?

The last couple of days on my home pc - everytime i connect to the web with IE, it freezes for and the processor usage shoots up to 100% - for about 40 seconds or so, then it seems to release and it works fine then after???

Is this similar to what you are experiencing?

This only started last week sometime !!!!
Let me know if its similar to your experience!

I am using Windows ME and this problem is consistant.

Also, I noticed that I don't have this problem with certain websites. I was on one or two sites and I can scroll down the page at normal speed.

kaimera

eb, I had the very same prob with IE6 on 98se.
posted here a week or two ago.

same deal, home page changing, scrolling slow etc.

d/led Mozilla turned out much quicker.

since I got back home this weekend..IE seems to be its self all of a sudden.

dunno wtf caused it

Capt'n Midnight

ie. do you have anything running in the background

Try ZoneAlarm to track outgoing traffice

Is IE slow on cached files or just on web sites ?

If you have 2K or XP check if Automatic Updates is running in the background ...

If you have 98 then try 98lite ....

Originally posted by eireboy
but one big clue that it is spyware is that when I reboot and go back onto Internet Explorer the Homepage is set to a different page even though I put it back to the original one all the time.

Ah yes Browser hacking, thats what that is.
Your Brother was being naughty and visiting certain prun sites methinks.
A lot of them now a days have browser hacking exe's which seem to by pass your authority to down load them and run.

You may have noticed an increase in spam traffic also, as your e-mail address if you use outlook will also have been compromised.

Mcafee or Norton's latest virus software will find these programmes and give you the option to delete them

Mcafee's personal firewall plus is a good tool which when configured to do so, will tell you what on your p.c is asking for internet access.
You are then asked to either give it permission or block it.
If your browser has been hacked than, it will find loads of these, and you can give them the boot!

mm


please note I wasn't looking at prun honest, but somebody was...

Mutant_Fruit

I'd suggest kerio as a great free firewall, and make sure you have a new anti-virus checker installed. Kerio will catch any nasty spyware type stuff accessing your net.

eirebhoy

I was using Adaware 5 all the time but I downloaded adaware 6 yesterday and that solved that problem but I got on again this morning and it was back to its usual slow self but a lot slower. Also, the home page which I have set at u.tv was set to http://globe-finder.com/101 and the loading status at the end of the page said connecting to http://out.true-counter.com . Every time I connect to IE in the morning it is set back to this page but it only happens when I get on in the morning after the computer has been off for a while.

I had to use Mozilla Firebird the last couple of weeks but I really want to go back to using IE.

Any help?

thanks.

tomED

I actually figured out what was wrong with my PC - It's MSN 4.07 when it trys to connect it uses all the system resources for some strange reason, maybe microsofts way of getting me to upgrade

Eurorunner

I had to use Mozilla Firebird the last couple of weeks but I really want to go back to using IE.

??


Go to tools options- change the homepage back to what it should be.
Press control -alt-delete -> task manager -> look for processes with names that clearly suggest they are related to malware - right click on them -> stop process tree.
Throw the .exe's that you see in the processes list into google and research them - it they're malware related, you will find info on how best to remove them.
-> run adaware again - making sure that its adaware running the latest definitions.

hth

Chad ghostal

i have the exact same problem and using ME.. #

a good few people use the cmputer and the Iiidiots keep going to sites with these exes..

the reason it keeps coming back is because when you reboot the program starts up again...
if you go to RUN and type regedit..
and the go to find
and ThEn search for "Run" (without quotes), click the box that says match exact string..

you should find two results..
they show all the files that start from registry,
there should be one called bootconf
delete it
..ahh to be continued..

eirebhoy

I'm no expert on computers but it looks like i have a hacker. I ran ad-aware just there and IE is back to normal after deleting 14 files with ad-aware. I'll attach the info of what ad-aware found.

The first thing that was found was:

Possible browser hijack attempt : SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles "c:\windows\web\oslogo.bmp"

CoolWebSearch Object recognized!
Type : CSS Hijack
Data : c:\windows\web\oslogo.bmp
CSS Hijack : SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles\c:\windows\web\oslogo.bmp

Possible browser hijack attempt : SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles "c:\windows\web\oslogo.bmp"

Then there was 12 tracking cookies found and last of all it found an "other object".

Weird. What should I do because every time I run ad-aware after a while it finds something?

Frank Grimes

You don't "have a hacker" they're just cookies from sites.

eirebhoy

Then whats a browser hijack attempt?

Frank Grimes

Seriously, try using google.ie, even once. You might even like it.
http://www.google.ie/search?q=browser+hijack+attempt&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

moridin

Watch out, it's a HACK ATTACK! *runs around screaming*

eirebhoy

I told you I wasn't an expert. Leave me alone:(

Anyway so this browser hijacker thing is what is chang ing my home page and slowing IE?

moridin

*grin* http://www.google.com/search?q=browser+hijacking&sourceid=opera&num=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

From the first link:

There is a despicable trend that is becoming more and more common where the browser settings of web surfers are being forcibly hijacked by malicious web sites and software which modifies your default start and search pages.

Sometimes internet shortcuts will be added to your favorites folder without asking you. The purpose of this is force you to visit a web site of the hijacker's choice so that they can artificially inflate their web site's traffic for higher advertising revenues. In some cases, these changes are reversible simply by going into internet options and switching them back. Not always, however. Sometimes it's necessary to edit the windows registry (gasp!) to undo the changes made. Sometimes there is even a combination of registry setting and files clandestinely placed on your hard drive that redo your settings every time you reboot the computer.

No matter how often you change your settings back, they are changed again the next time you restart. There have even been cases where internet options have been removed from the tools menu by registry hacking to prevent you from controlling your own computer!

Chad ghostal

i have the exact same problem and using ME.. #

a good few people use the cmputer and the Iiidiots keep going to sites with these exes..

the reason it keeps coming back is because when you reboot the program starts up again...
if you go to RUN and type regedit..
and the go to find
and ThEn search for "Run" (without quotes), click the box that says match exact string..

you should find two results..
they show all the files that start from registry,
there should be one called bootconf
delete it

..ahh to be continued..
got kicked..

just at least try and look for "bootconf.exe" in the system folder
and if you find it delete it..

the "Run" files in registry are where i often find these programs..
the global-finder web page one had a file named "bootconf.exe"
in the system folder and was starting it everytime i rebooted..

eirebhoy

Just downloaded a program called IE-Spyad. It is brilliant. all you have to do is install a .reg file and no more spyware. When the program has detected Spyware an icon comes up on the browser and you can click to see what it was. There's a few very popular sites like BBC that spyware was detected on.

Here's the program:
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/res/ie-spyad.exe

kaimera

Chad ghostal, I disabled bootconf via the msconfig menu yet IE6 is still slow.

might run a search and delete it when I get home from college this weekend.
Might also get some spyware protection...

eirebhoy

Ge the Spyad program i was talking about. Once you have this you never need to use Ad-Aware or Spybot again.

kaimera

hah...got that SpyAd prog you said eireboy but it made no diference.

IE still runs like a overburden ass.

eirebhoy

SpyAd is only a program that protects your computer from ads. You will have to run adaware to delete the files first.