"Out of Memory" Error, all apps continually increase memory usage

[Allport3333]

"Out of Memory" Error, all apps continually increase memory usage

I have windows 7 64 bit and also running a ssd. Just a few days ago I've started to have an issue where after my computer is running for a couple hours all processes continually increase the amount of memory they are using until I get an out of memory error. Here is a pic of it around 75%. I have 8 gigs of ram (kingston) that before this never went above 4gigs of use, so not sure what is causing this suddenly.

Any help would be great.

 

[Darryl Licht]

It sounds like your PC has a cold... er virus!

What AV are you running?

 

[Allport3333]

If the pic didn't show up before.

Running McAfee as of right now. It didn't find anything when scanning, however when i went to AVG's website it said i wasn't connected to the internet. So there is a high possibility of a virus.

 

[Allport3333]

Ok, so I reinstalled windows considering i couldn't access my virus protection. With a formatted clean pc, i could go to avg and download the app. I then installed all the windows updates. Once I restarted my pc, once again i can no longer go to virus protection websites and the memory use is constantly going up again. My only assumption has to be it is something to do with the windows updates as i didn't install anything else. Any suggestions?

 

[Darryl Licht]

You reinstalled Windows??? Did you install on top of previous installation, or perform a clean install?

PS - McAfee is garbageware... many here have had issues with it! And I must admit that AVG isnt much better anymore! Try MS Security Essentials for a good free AV solution!

 

[Allport3333]

I did a clean install, reformatted the drive first. One possibility that was suggested is that i have a bios virus. Which i really have no idea how to flash my bios and where to download my bios at. I'm running a gateway fx 7805u laptop.

 

[Darryl Licht]

BIOS virii are so rare I doubt it... Do you have acces to a linux live distro such as ubuntu??? That would be a way to rule out a bios virus!

 

[Lebon14]

Hmm... there might be a virus in the MFT. As far as I know, the "format" command during the Windows Install only "make the hard drive think there's nothing". So, the data is replaced as your write data on it. So, the virus on the MFT is never erased. What to do? Well, one thing I would do is to re-install another time. But this time, choose your keyboard layout and press next. Then, press SHIFT-F10.

WARNING : The following commands will completely erase your hard drive, so be warned!

A command prompt will have appeared. So, below, the commnds are in bold :

diskpart

list disk
At this point, your hard drives will appear.

select disk #
"#" is the number of the drive listed in the "list disk" command. After this command, we will erase your hard drive completely, from A to Z. So, this is your last chance to backup

clean all
Erasing the hard drive. This WILL take some time.

create partition primary
This create your main partition

format fs=ntfs label="Windows 7"
This will format the hard drive for NTFS. "Windows 7" is changeable; it's just the name you wanna give to the hard drive. It will also take a bit of time.

active
Just so you can select it.

exit
Then just close the command prompt. Click Install, then, when you will be able to "format" during the install, don't. But just click on the partition we create above and click Next.

Once this is done, we can now say that your system is virus free since your hard drive has been entirely wiped out. Install your drivers and then install Microsoft Security Essential and NOT AVG or McAfee.

Tell us of your experience.

 

[Allport3333]

To give an update, i flashed my bios to a new version and did a clean install of windows... again. My computer "seems" to be clean now. However, I've run into another problem. 3 out of 5 of my friends seem to have gotten the same virus. I'm afraid I'll spend all day tomorrow doing the same for their pc's, but what really has me worried is somehow us getting it again. I still have no idea what it could have been. We all were playing dead island and minecraft, but two of us didn't get it so not sure if that was it. One thing we have discovered is that we were playing over Tunggle and had a random person come into our game, could it be possible that the random person when connected over the quasi lan infected us?

 

[Darryl Licht]

Its possible for someone to have infected you... intentionally or unintentionally, YES. I'd stay away from Tunggle forever! If you want to have a LAN party, get together and have one!

But again... a BIOS virus is very very rare! I wish one of you had a good paid for av that might indicate what you were infected with. Right now its hard to say... If one of your buddies has another PC with a good AV like Norton, hook the "infected" drive to that PC and run a full scan on that "bad" drive... let us know if you find anymore info! I'd also suggest contacting Tunggle and informing them to, as it surely happened while you were all connected!

I agree with Lebon that it was more likely an infection of a MFT (Master File Table) or MBR (Master Boot Record)... if all you did was a format the drive, either could still be there. If you had deleted all partitions, you would have probably had the same fix as you do now!

Please keep us updated, and good luck!

PS - whoever suggested Tunggle... make them pay you for your time!

 

[Allport3333]

One of them actually does have Trend Micro Anti-Virus that he paid for, but it didn't find anything on his computer and it has the same issue mine did. I haven't looked into his pc that much yet, but tomorrow I'm going to fix his and his brothers pc (the two who have the same problem as I do) and if i find anything i'll let you know. Thanks for the help.

P.S. We used tunggle because we were having issues detecting eachother with Dead Island otherwise because of issues with the lan of the game when it first came out.

 

[Allport3333]

Update!!!! I think i found the name of the virus or at least part of it. I transferred comodo to my friends computer via flash drive. After installing comodo i put the flashdrive back into my pc (now running mse and avg and anti). Immediately my computer was infected with Dorkbot!ink. My question is could this be what had affected my computer or is this just one of the virus's the original one could have downloaded in addition to itself.

As i'm running MSE on my friends computer is also found CeeInject.gen!dz. It also found something called uqxzzsw.exe but couldn't tell if it was malicious or not. The uqxzzsw.exe has written to the MBR as well, think i found the big bad wolf.

 

[Wishmaster]

If it is indeed Dorkbot, heres some more info about it if it helps.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Threat/Encyclopedia/Entry.aspx?Name=Worm%3aWin32%2fDorkbot!lnk

uqxzzsw.exe may be from Dorkbot randomly naming & copying its exe to the recycle bin.

Also,if the current AVs can not remove these viruses, you can try this:
Norton Rescue Tools?

But I would only use it as a last resort. Its quite aggresive, but should be able to remove it if all else fails.

 

[Allport3333]

I can get rid of the Dorkbot, however CeeInject.gen!dz persists, along with the part on the MBR. Trying to figure out how to clean the MBR as we speak, tried to use the windows 7 and rewrite it but it only rewrote the beginning part. The Uqxzzsw.exe is on the MBR.

 

[Darryl Licht]

I would suggest using a bootable partition editor such as GParted... its free, linux based, and it should allow you to easily delete the existing partitions and clear the virus even from the MBR!

GParted -- Live CD/USB/PXE/HD

 

[Allport3333]

It also found Vexral.A. There seems to be quite a bit wrong here.

Update... I attempted to install the update program for asus laptops to flash the bios... as it was installing the update program, not the bios, screen turned blue and the computer formatted his hard drive. Installing windows 7 again. I really hate this virus stuff...

 

[Darryl Licht]

Best bet in cases like this is to delete all partitions, and reinstall... if no well known antivirus will clean! Although...

Can you, or have you tried Norton Internet Security? Antivirus is definately an area where the saying "you get what you paid for" applies. Norton costs because it works! Its been voted the best AV for the last 3+ years by most of the most relaible magazines and websites out there! According to their website this virus was first discoverd in March of this year. The reason you have multiple infections is probably due to the fact that Dorkbot opened a backdoor and let these other infections in...

My advice is to buy Norton and let it try to remove prior to deleting anymore partitions on friends drives!

 

[Allport3333]

Just to update again. After the blue screen, it tried to install a "fake" copy of windows 7. When i went to type in my key it said it was an invalid key. I know it worked before so i restarted and made sure to boot from the dvd drive and actually use my install dvd. Key worked after. This thing is nasty.

 

[Darryl Licht]

If you are installing from windows you are not getting rid of anything... you need to boot off of install media and then delete all partitions. You will probably also have to use something like GParted as suggested previously to make sure you delete any hidden/infected partitions!

And you need a valid copy of Win7! We dont support non authentic hacked/cracked/pirated copies here! If you cant pay for an authentic copy, then you deserve whatever infections or crapware you get!

 

[Allport3333]

You misunderstood what i was saying. I have a valid copy of windows, all 3 of us do. I said "it" as in the virus tried to install a fake windows 7. When i downloaded the bios updater for asus the computer immediately went to the blue screen and shut down. When it rebooted it automatically tried to install a new "fake" copy of windows. I didn't think anything of it because i did have my friends windows 7 disc was in the computer so i thought it was just booting from the dvd. I had the windows 7 disc in because i was trying to "recover" the windows MBR after hopefully wiping the virus on it. Once i put in my cd key and it wasn't working is when i suspected it was a fake and immediately turned off the computer and booted from the actual windows 7 disc. Once it allowed me to put in my windows key again after installing from the dvd the key worked.

More or less something caused the pc to try and install a "fake" copy of windows and when their windows key did not work is when i realized it because i personally installed their windows 7 originally 2 months ago with their key and it worked. I personally downloaded the home version when it was on sale for being a college student. My friends bought the windows 7 family pack version about 2 months ago (only have installed it on 2 pcs so far).