New PC is not performing as it should....

Hi there everyone

I was recently (just before Xmas) treated to a new PC (See specs below). It runs well, I can load, play and do everything at a local level. But when trying to do anything on the net it won't have it. At first I thought it was a firewall type issue as I tried installing and running various online games with no success even tho the proper exeception were in place and I know its not my router as I can do everything on my wifes laptop which also shares a connection on it. But the other day I tried to download a torrent file and when the torrent was downloading I couldn't connect to the net via firefox or IExplorer, and it took a system restart to get them working (but no download). Now this means that I can only do one thing at a time which for a quad core multitasking pc seems not right somehow.

My question is what could possibly be stopping the programs like Steam from working and what could be getting in the way of downloading and the browsers. I have tried everything from updating drivers (its a new pc and all is up to date) and calling the helpdesk (no help desk more like it) and can't seem to get anywhere....

I have all the system info you could ask for and really am at the end of my rope with this one...

Cheers in advance for anything...



System setup (Detailed)

Operating System Name Value Advanced Windows Version: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
License Information: BigDaddy
Product ID: xxxxx-OEM-xxxxxxx-xxxxx
Product Key: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Language: English (United Kingdom) , ID: $0809
Common Devices Name Value Advanced System Name: Aspire M3910
Processor Name: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU 550 @ 3.20GHz
BIOS Name: Default System BIOS
Video card Name: NVIDIA GeForce 315
Installed Memory: 3.00 GB
Default Printer: KodakESP5200+3497
Installed Programs Name Value Advanced Number of Installed Programs: 122
Number of Running Processes: 73
Internet Explorer Version: 8.0.7600.16385
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
CPU Properties Name Value Advanced Physical Processors: 1
Logical Processors: 4
Name: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU 550 @ 3.20GHz
Description: Intel64 Family 6 Model 37 Stepping 5
Manufacturer: GenuineIntel
Frequency: 3200 MHz
External Clock Frequency: 133 MHz
Processor ID: BFEBFBFF - 00020655
Cache Properties Name Value Advanced L1 Instruction Cache: 32 KB
L2 Cache: 256 KB
L1 Data Cache: 32 KB
Extended Details Name Value Advanced Architecture: x64
Number of Cores: 2
APIC ID: 0
Address Width: 64 bit
Data Width: 64 bit
Socket Designation: CPU 1
Basic Features Name Value Advanced x87 FPU on Chip: Supported
Virtual-8086 Mode Enhancement: Supported
Debugging Extensions: Supported
Page Size Extensions: Supported
Time Stamp Counter: Supported
RDMSR and WRMSR Support: Supported
Physical Address Extensions: Supported
Machine Check Exception: Supported
CMPXCHG8B Inst.: Supported
APIC on Chip: Supported
SYSENTER and SYSEXIT: Supported
Memory Type Range Registers: Supported
PTE Global Bit: Supported
Machine Check Architecture: Supported
Conditional Move/Compare Instruction: Supported
Page Attribute Table: Supported
36-bit Page Size Extension: Supported
Processor Serial Number: Not Supported
CFLUSH Instruction: Supported
Debug Store: Supported
Thermal Monitor and Clock Ctrl: Supported
MMX Technology: Supported
FXSAVE/FXRSTOR: Supported
SSE Extensions: Supported
SSE2 Extensions: Supported
Self Snoop: Supported
Multithreading: Supported
Thermal Monitor: Supported
Intel Itanium architecture: Supported
Pend. Brk. En.: Supported
SSE3 New Instructions: Supported
MONITOR/MWAIT: Supported
CPL Qualified Debug Store: Supported
Virtual Machine Extensions: Supported
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology: Supported
Thermal Monitor 2: Supported
Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3: Supported
L1 Context ID: Not Supported
CMPXCHG16B Support: Supported
xTPR Update Control: Supported
Perf/Debug Capability MSR: Supported
SSE4.1 Extensions: Supported
SSE4.2 Extensions: Supported
POPCNT Instruction Support: Supported
Extended Features Name Value Advanced SYSCALL/SYSRET available in 64-bit mode: Not Supported
Execute Disable Bit available: Supported
Extensions to MMX instructions: Not Supported
FFXSR: Not Supported
1GB page support: Not Supported
RDTSCP Support: Supported
Long Mode: 64-bit Technology available: Supported
3DnowExt: Not Supported
3Dnow! instructions: Not Supported
LAHF/SAHF available in 64-bit mode: Supported
Core multi-processing legacy mode: Not Supported
Secure Virtual Machine: Not Supported
Extended APIC Register Space: Not Supported
AltMovCr8: Not Supported
Advanced bit manipulation: Not Supported
SSE4A Instruction Support: Not Supported
Misaligned SSE Support Mode: Not Supported
3DNowPrefetch: Not Supported
OS visible workaround: Not Supported
Instruction based sampling: Not Supported
SSE5 instruction support: Not Supported
SKINIT and DEV support: Not Supported
Watchdog timer support: Not Supported
Power Management Capabilities Name Value Advanced Temperature sensor: Not Supported
Frequency ID control: Not Supported
Voltage ID control: Not Supported
THERMTRIP: Not Supported
Hardware thermal control.: Not Supported
Software thermal control.: Not Supported
100 Mhz multiplier control.: Not Supported
Hardware P-State control: Not Supported
TscInvariant: Supported
Motherboard Name Value Advanced Manufacturer: Acer
Product: Aspire M3910
Ports: 0
Slots: 4
BIOS Details Name Value Advanced Name: Default System BIOS
Manufacturer: American Megatrends Inc.
Version: P01-A3
Copyright: ACRSYS - 20100517
Date: 17/05/2010
Size: 1,024 KB
Ports Name Value Advanced No items found

System Slots Name Value Advanced PCIE: In Use
PCIE: Available
PCIE: Available
PCI1: In Use
Physical Memory 0 Name Value Advanced Device Locator: DIMM0
Bank Label: BANK0
Manufacturer: 80CE
Serial Number: 7613A88A
Part Number: M378B5673FH0-CH9
Type: Unknown
Type Detail: Synchronous
Form Factor: DIMM
Data Width: 64 bit
Total Width: 64 bit
Capacity: 2,048 MB
Speed: 1,333 MHz
Physical Memory 2 Name Value Advanced Device Locator: DIMM2
Bank Label: BANK2
Manufacturer: 80CE
Serial Number: 86EB4C92
Part Number: M378B2873FHS-CH9
Type: Unknown
Type Detail: Synchronous
Form Factor: DIMM
Data Width: 64 bit
Total Width: 64 bit
Capacity: 1,024 MB
Speed: 1,333 MHz
NVIDIA GeForce 315 Name Value Advanced Adapter Name: GeForce 315
Chipset Name: NVIDIA GeForce 315
Video Memory: 512.00 MB
Compatibility: NVIDIA
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Architecture: VGA
Current Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Current Color Mode: 32 bits per pixel
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
Current Scan Mode: Non-interlaced
BIOS Name: Version 70.16.4d.0.b
BIOS Version: Version 70.16.4D.00.0B
BIOS Date: 12/25/09
Pixel Shader Version: 3.0
Vertex Shader Version: 3.0
WDDM Supported: Yes
Installed Drivers: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
Driver Date: 03/04/2010
Driver Version: 8.17.11.9745
INF File Name: oem37.inf
INF Section: Section023

GrooTheWanderer said:

But the other day I tried to download a torrent file and when the torrent was downloading I couldn't connect to the net via firefox or IExplorer, and it took a system restart to get them working (but no download).

Which program do you use for torrents? Something like what you describe used to be a known issue with u-torrent - no browsing while it was on. The latest version (2.2) seems to have fixed it, but I thought I would mention it anyway.

In other words - aside from games and torrents, can you simply turn on your PC and browse with IE or Firefox? If yes, then I would suggest looking closer at your torrent client.

If not, it's a different story. In this case the first thing I would suggest is connecting to your router via an Ethernet cable (without connection sharing) and trying to troubleshoot the connection. Once that's up and running, you can move on to sharing with your laptop and then to your online games - I don't play, so I can't tell you how to do that, but I\m sure others will.

For best performance use MS Security Essentials or Avast 5 with Windows Firewall kept updated.

Download, install, update and run full Malwarebytes scan now as you cannot yet rule out infection: Malwarebytes

Tips to clean up factory bloatware

Win7 troubleshooting fundamentals

Clean reinstalling Factory OEM

In the future, just post the relevant system specs...not a novel copied from someplace. It helps us get right to what's important.

I would try removing any network helper type apps, and making sure the network adapter drivers are truly up to date...go to the manufacturer's website, not the computer manufacturer's website.

If you suspect it is the network adapter, you can always pop in a PCI network card to check.

If all else fails, do a clean install from a plain vanilla disc, and not from the OEM's restore disc. This way, you can load the latest drivers yourself, without all the crapware that usually ships with a PC.

Hiya There Everyone

Here are the replies.....

Quote Fluffy
"Check to see if your firewall is allowing your programs to access the net, also the i3 is dual core not quad. Cores 2, threads 4"

I've checked all the firewall exceptions and everything is allowed, and your right about the processor my bad :)

Quote unifex
"Which program do you use for torrents? Something like what you describe used to be a known issue with u-torrent - no browsing while it was on. The latest version (2.2) seems to have fixed it, but I thought I would mention it anyway."

It is uTorrent v2.2. I don't have it start when windows starts, but once I start downloading anything, there is no using a browser.

"In other words - aside from games and torrents, can you simply turn on your PC and browse with IE or Firefox? If yes, then I would suggest looking closer at your torrent client. "

I can turn the pc on and browse the net, even play local lan games vs the wife on her laptop (we both run the same windows, so I checked all my settings against hers and they matched). Yet she can play online while I can't.

"If not, it's a different story. In this case the first thing I would suggest is connecting to your router via an Ethernet cable (without connection sharing) and trying to troubleshoot the connection. "

I'll try this tonight, and see if there is any change, I'll post about it :)

And sorry for the specs list, I didn't realize it had gotten so long (Sorry DeaconFrost) :)

And at the moment, I have windows firewall and defender running and have also installed ad-ware v9.0.2. I'll give the MS Security Essentials a try and see if there is any change (Thanks gregrocker)

Looks like I have some homework, will post my results :)

Thanks again everyone!

If you have no AV then I would immediately install and update Malwarebytes to run a full scan. Malwarebytes

Then install and update MSE so it is standing guard with the Win7 Firewall.