BIG Problems..2 Antivirus 1 computer

Question

Hi all...   I have had a slow performing PC. I use Norton anti-virus, Lavasoft ad-aware and ErrorNuker as product to keep my PC running to 'optimal performance'. Needless to say they do nto worlk. I did a free Online Scan with Panda software and it found a bunch of spyware and a dialer on my system. I decided to give their product a shot. So I downloaded and installe dit. HOWEVER, I did not disable my norton A/V and now when ever my computer boots and I start my windows profile it just hangs with an hour glass. if I can even get my task manager to pop up it shows CPU utlization at 100%. I think there is a conflict between Norton and Panda, but I am not sure how to resolve it because I have another problem.   The other problem is on Boot I get a 'cannot display Video mode' error and therefore if I hold F8 or F12 down to try and reconfigure my settings or start safemode so i can remove the Panda software I cannot even see the screen. It just remains a blank black screen. What can i do here.   I have a Dell 17' flat panel monitor Dimension 2350 1 Gb memory Win XP Home edition

Steven_millner · Answer

your computer is in conflict with the two anti-virus programs.

you need to do the F8 and enable vga mode so that you can see what your doing then if you can get into safemode you need to do a system restore to before you installed panda, then reboot into normal mode and remove norton completely. follow the steps as listed here:

http://tinyurl.com/9nd3r

then reinstall panda

I would also recomend downloading several other spyware/adware removal tools which you can get from www.dsvs.org .

skarecrow1 · Answer

I bought a Gforce (PNC) video card so thats what the monitor is hooked up to now. i do have an integrated card as well. This is a new problem. I mean the video card works but from what i read it sounds like its refresh rate is not synced up with the computer which is why there is a delay before I can actually see my windows applications stuff.

Given my problems with both not being able to see the inittal boot to try F8 will switching the monitor to the integrated card help? It's not my default card so i am not sure if it will still function?? If it will then I should be able to get into safemode and uninstall either Panda/Symantec correct? Then i will have to figure out what is wrong with my other video card.

Any ideas why my computer takes 2-3 minutes just to boot and get to the log in screen? This is what brought about my search for virus/spyware removal to begin with....I cannot seem to find a resolution. In fact I keep screwing my computer up more as I try to find a fix!!!!!!

Steven_millner · Answer

do you have an additional video card? what I mean is when you ordered the computer did you get a card added to it or are you just hooked straight into the motherboard...   it could be that the additional card drivers have failed hence your inability to see the screen, try connecting the monitor to the mother board connection if this is the case. the windows settings should not come into effect untill you actual boot into windows so this may work, try it.   if your hooked directly into your mother board then it may be that a reinstall is the extreame final option

skarecrow1 · Answer

Thanks for you help. How do I get to VGA mode if I cannot see anything? By the time the monitor allows me to see what the system is doing during the boot process 'windows is already starting up' so I therefore missed my window of opportunity to use the F8 function. Right now if I use F8 all i can see is a black screen. Ideas?

Steven_millner · Answer

Your built in video card should work for what we need to do wich is get you into safemode to reinstall your video card drivers and remove panda   as to the length of the boot up time I believe that once you remove norton and do a scan removing any possible spyware you will notice a signifigant increase in speed.   Norton has the tendancy to be a resource hog wich means it runs in the background and uses alot of memory wich in turn causes the computer to slow. I compair Norton and Mcafee to a dictatorship it's into everything has almost toal control but has looked the other way on ocasion when unwanted programs load.... most of all it hates sharing its power and will lock down the computer if a rival is trying to take its power.

skarecrow1 · Answer

Interesting analogy. I would have to agree. Well here is where I stand with my issue. I went home yesterday and took out the store bought video card so that my computer would default to the Integrated card. This was the only way i was going to see anything in F8 to try and get into safemode or any of the other options. So it worked but I still have the problem. Apparently in Safe mode you cannot remove software programs???what's up with that? How am i supposed to remove either Panda or Norton? I tried rebooting using the last know good configuration and that did not work either. Lastly, i put in the reinstallation cd for XP and went throught the repair process but I still had the same issue when it was all said and done. I feel like i keep coming to a dead end. How do i get my computer to let me access the control panel so i can get rid of this software??? Again, right now when i let my computer load, I go into my username account, and click any icon whether from the start menu or on the desktop it completely freezes. i cannot even get into the task bar to stop certain processes. I am just completely stuck.   I have a Dell 17' flat panel monitor Dimension 2350 1 Gb memory Win XP Home edition

Steven_millner · Answer

I was hoping that panda was able to be removed in safe mode.   while in safe mode can you get on the internet?   if you can  then go to this website:  http://tinyurl.com/8fhjm download the symNRT program to your desktop, or if you can not get on the internet with the problem computer use a floppy disk on another computer and load the program to it then transfer it to the problem computer. Do not run it yet.   while in safemose got to start/run and type in msconfig, this will bring up the configuration utility   the tabs across the top, select 'Startup' and disable anything that has to do with norton or panda, or if your not sure what it is do a google search to find out what it is and if it is malicious disable it. then go to the 'services' tab the next one to the left and check the box that says hide all microsoft sevices, anything that is left disable for now.   Then reboot into normal mode and once your computer is up run the symNRT tool to remove norton. with all the services shut down this should not be a problem to do. then remove panda as it is more then likely that some of the files were corupted by norton.. reboot so that the registry gets updated. then reinstall panda.   you can also reinstall your video card at this time and update the drivers from their website. then we are going to rteactivate your services in MSconfig so go to start/run type in msconfig then press enter. Go to the services tab, hide all the microsoft services then enable all and press ok,then close this will prompt you to reboot, reboot and you should be good to go

skarecrow1 · Answer

Steven...

I will try those suggestions tonight. one problem is that 'tinyurl' link you have provided twice has not worked twice so i am not sure what info is on that site. Can you check it and see if it works on your end?

I am a little concerned about shutting off services as I am not MS guru, but if it's as straightforward as you make it sound below than I will give it a shot. At this point my computer is pretty shot so I figure it cannot hurt.

Steven_millner · Answer

this is the first link: http://symantec.atgnow.com/consumer/resultDisplay.do?gotoLink=101&docType=1000&contextId=153%3A101.179&clusterName=ConsumerCluster&contentId=0b989f35-4e11-440c-a958-a12427553a36&responseId=2c6fe064517bb5c1%3A1b1fbf4%3A108d38ad33f%3A1dd6&groupId=1&answerGroup=5&score=681&page=http%3A%2F%2Fservice1.symantec.com%2Fsupport%2Fcustserv.nsf%2Fpfdocs%2F2005012615473746&result=4&excerpt=Uninstalling+your+Norton+program+using+Add%2FRemove+Programs+++%26lt%3B%21--startindex--%26gt%3B&resultType=5000#   this is the second link: http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039?Open&src=&docid=2004020314035036&nsf=tsgeninfo.nsf&view=docid&dtype=&prod=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl=&seg=   Message Edited by Steven_millner on 01-17-2006 02:36 PM

skarecrow1 · Answer

Those Links worked... Thank you!

skarecrow1 · Answer

Steven..

Your steps worked perfectly. I wa able to Uninstall my Norton Anti-virus. However, i could not uninstall my Panda Software. I looked on google last night for a solution and apparently panda software is very difficult to remove. Right now when i go to add/remove programs I get a .dll error which will not allow me to remove the Panda software. I couldn't find a fix for this either.

So I also went back to my integrated video card. I thought maybe the newer 3rd party card could be causing slow boots on my machine due to some driver issue even though I am told the driver is fine and the device is working properly. It looks like this card was not the problem anyway because my computer still waits on the "windows is starting up screen" for 2-3 minutes. Any idea how I can speed up this process?? Could this be a virus issue?

Steven_millner · Answer

you could have spyware on the computer go to the www.dsvs.org site and download the lavasoft ad-aware program and let it run.

1) Search the file "SetupSil.iss" on the path "C:\Program Files\InstallShield Installation Information"
Note: this folder can be hidden, make sure that you can see all the hidden data

2) Open the folder that contain this file (example: {BB85F18B-43C6-48B5-ABA9-6A5DDA65AA1B} )

3) Here locate and open the file "Setup.ini" with Notepad and make sure that is linked to the Panda program; on the file should be written "AppName=Panda Titanium Antivirus 2004"
Attention! If is not linked to Panda, don't continue!!!!

4) If yes, delete this folder (example: {BB85F18B-43C6-48B5-ABA9-6A5DDA65AA1B} )
Then you are allowed to reinstall Panda program without uninstall it

6) Reinstall the Panda AntiVirus program

7) Restart Windows

8) Uninstall the program from Control Panel => Add/Remove Program

9) Restart Windows

10) Done, you have successfully uninstalled Panda !

you can then load AVAST from www.avast.com

then load sygate personal firewall from www.majorgeeks.com

then I recomend that you download another antispyware tool for your computer like spybot search&destroy. I would also download spywareblaster and spyware guard, both of these programs are bouncers for your computer, they stop 80% of the spyware/maleware trying to infect your computer.

skarecrow1 · Answer

Wow... Thats a lot of spyware software for my computer. Won't that slow down the performance significantly?

I have used Lavasoft ad-aware fo months now. its not stopping my slow boot problem if it is in fact spyware that is causing the problem. I will try those others.

As for the Panda I will check for that file and delete it if it is linked to panda...if it is not linked to Panda than how do I uninstall their product? Should this be done in safemode?

Steven_millner · Answer

no believe it or not  you will barely notice that it is running as far as performance goes.   and you can do all this in normal mode

skarecrow1 · Answer

Thank you!

Virus & Spyware

BIG Problems..2 Antivirus 1 computer

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