Need help troubleshooting a disk thrashing lockout

davenk23 · 07 Apr 2014

I have a Windows7 64bit system. All Windows and other software is current. Hard drive has been cleaned and defragged. Ckdisk runs clean. Several different Av and malware scans have been run and are clean. Startup programs are at a minimum. Almost every day, the system starts to disk thrash. This will last from 10 to 15 minutes. The disk indicator light is on solid. There is usually only a light load on the system, but there is almost no response. I try to start Performance Monitor, but it does not respond. I try to start Task Manager (clt-alt-delete), but it does not respond. When the thrashing is done, then the monitors appear, too late to help. How can I troubleshoot this?

Britton30 · 07 Apr 2014

Welcome to Seven Forums davenk23.

What you describe certainly has the marks of some sort of infection. They can and do, often disable Task Manager. By "thrashing" I assume you mean constant disk read/write activity? Lets try this.

Please download AdwCleaner:
http://general-changelog-team.fr/fr/downloads/finish/20-outils-de-xplode/2-adwcleaner
Save to the desktop.

Close all open programs.
To run the program, right-click AdwCleaner.exe and select: Run as Administrator

Click on Search and confirm the prompt.
After the program finishes, a text file report opens.
Please post the content of the C:\AdwCleaner[Rx].txt in your reply. In the reply window click the "#" icon at the top and paste the log text between the [code ] Paste Here [ /code] tags.

Do NOT perform the delete part before I or someone else can read the log.

To delete:

Run AdwCleaner once again.
This time click on: Delete
When done, please post the content of the C:\AdwCleaner[Sx].txt in your reply as outlined above..

davenk23 · 07 Apr 2014

Yes, there is constant disk activity. Not only Task Manager, but all other activity is locked out. As I said, I have run several Av and malware checkers. They all run clean. Any ideas on how to get a monitor going or something to help determine what the disk activity is all about?

Britton30 · 07 Apr 2014

Your monitor doesn't work either?
Do the Adwcleaner steps then we can go on.

davenk23 · 07 Apr 2014

The software dos not have a valid publisher signature. That is a security risk. Do you have other suggestions on troubleshooting?

Britton30 · 07 Apr 2014

No I don't. The software is fine, we use it often here.
You could try this one.
http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/

davenk23 · 07 Apr 2014

Do you know of other forums that might have expertise in complex troubleshooting?

Britton30 · 07 Apr 2014

You can try this one, but they also will recommend ADW and want you to try suggestions.
PC Help Forum

davenk23 · 08 Apr 2014

I ran the cleaner. Do you see anything that would cause my extreme symptoms?

matts6887 · 08 Apr 2014

Have you tried to clean up any and all junk that may be in your system using malwarebytes and or superantispyware? If not; download, install and run the following programs:

SUPERAntiSpyware - Downloading File
https://www.malwarebytes.org/getmbam

Need help troubleshooting a disk thrashing lockout

Need help troubleshooting a disk thrashing lockout

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