Solved System slowed down after virus scanner reinstall

[sono]

I have Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate installed, no updates, the machine is runnung like this flawlessly since 3 years. But recently since I reinstalled the Eset Nod 32 14.0 virus scanner, the system has been slow. It is not slow all the time, but very often it slows down. It seems to me it happens most of the time when I open a Windows explorer window, right from the desktop or when trying to save or open something in an application. I have ran virus checks, both with Eset and Trend Micro Housecall, but they found nothing. I don't see any suspicious process, the only strange thing I noticed is that the memory is near to full sometimes when the system becomes slow, and it is Google Chrome that takes most of the memory. The process explorer shows that it is opened multiple times, there is about 5-10 chrome.exe processes indicated. In spite of that I usually have only one or two tabs opened in Chrome. See the photo attached.

Any ideas to investigate and repair the source of problems?

 

[diz]

Try disabling all chrome extensions, just for testing purposes.

There are some tools that can help you troubleshoot your issue:

ProcessHacker ( Overview - Process Hacker ) . It's a better task manager. You should look for memory, cpu or input/output-intensive process.

Procmon ( Process Monitor - Windows Sysinternals | Microsoft Docs ) . This will show all events in real time. This could show you wich process is taking over the system.

CurrPort ( CurrPorts: Monitoring TCP/IP network connections on Windows ). This will show you your current connections status. Only if you suspect you are infected with some virus. Check for process that shouldn't be using the network.

 

[Megahertz07]

Please edit your profile with ALL your hardware specs. It will help us to help you
System Info - See Your System Specs

Your specs doesn't mention how much memory you have.

I don't like Chrome as it loads on startup, spy everything you do (online and offline) and uses a lot of memory.
I suggest you use Firefox or Edge.

Every antivirus slows down the computer as it runs in the background and scans any file before it opens.

Is your Win 7 SP1?
I suggest you run Single file with all updates - Simplix

 

[sono]

Please edit your profile with ALL your hardware specs. It will help us to help you
System Info - See Your System Specs

Your specs doesn't mention how much memory you have.

I don't like Chrome as it loads on startup, spy everything you do (online and offline) and uses a lot of memory.
I suggest you use Firefox or Edge.

Every antivirus slows down the computer as it runs in the background and scans any file before it opens.

Is your Win 7 SP1?
I suggest you run Single file with all updates - Simplix

The system had no issue during 3 years without updates until I reinstalled my virus scanner recently to the same version as before. My hardware is: HP Probook 6570b, 8GB memory, i5-3210M CPU.

I will try the apps Diz suggested to check the processes.

- - - Updated - - -

I have checked the recent processes with process hacker. I have saved the results, attached it to this post. Do you see any suspicious things in it?

The only odd thing I see is that I have 9 Chrome tab opened, but the process list shows much more chrome.exe running. I don't have any extensions installed except for the default ones: Google Docs, Slideshows, Documents, Tables.

 

[samuria]

You have a proxy running eguiProxy.exe 7,4 MB ESET Proxy GUI
that can slow it to a crawl as all internet idownload to the proxy and then again transfered to the pc remove est see if it work ok then

 

[sono]

I see but as I told you I had no problems like this before the reinstall, for three years. I had Eset 14.0 before and after the reinstall, just needed to remove it becuase it reported the modules cannot be downloaded.

I managed to find a wide spectrum system check tool, that is a script actually compiled by some volunteer. It is called Tron script, that is a batch file that runs several official tools to check and repair your machine. Do you know anything about it? Whether it is safe? It is a GitHUB kind of project, but I am still hesitating to install it.

Tron fights for the User

 

[torchwood]

Upon reinstall of Eset, i highly suspect you recieved a warning, as your comp does not have the SHA2 update, and certain product modules are not installed

have a read
Running ESET on Windows Vista or Windows 7 (SHA-1) | End of Life | ESET Knowledgebase

 

[Megahertz07]

Upon reinstall of Eset, i highly suspect you recieved a warning, as your comp does not have the SHA2 update, and certain product modules are not installed

have a read
Running ESET on Windows Vista or Windows 7 (SHA-1) | End of Life | ESET Knowledgebase

I suggested to OP to install the updates using Single file with all updates - Simplix

Every time I see a Win 7 ultimate it comes to my mind that it may be a Pirate license.
sono, do you have a legit license?

 

[sono]

Yes, I have the license for the Ultimate. It was installed from the DVD with the license.

About the SHA2 update: Eset did ask for certain updates, but as I remember only 2 segments, I downloaded and installed them separately. Interestingly, the modules still did not update after that. I had no licensing issues because the license still had like a year time to expire or so.

I am just hesitating with the updates because usually it slows down the computer, that is what I experienced. But as a last choice, I will try, if no other idea comes up.

 

[Megahertz07]

If you read the Simplix thread you will see that it install the updates without the telemetry and tracking. It is very good.
Does your Win 7 has SP1?
On a cmd window type winver

 

[sono]

Yes, I have SP1, the original state that the DVD sets the system to, and the two update segments installed, that Eset suggested. Okay, I try the update, and will see what happens.

 

[torchwood]

Im sorry but it does need the SHA2 windows update, if Eset then failed to install the required modules, something is definately wrong with your OS, further updates maybe required, there is no reason why they should slow down your system in fact quite the opposite
Just because you installed installed Ultimate with a DVD and a licence does NOT mean its genuine---
you need to run this tool so we can check, copy/paste the results
Download Microsoft Genuine Advantage Diagnostic Tool - MajorGeeks
note MS no longer provides this tool, hence 3rd party download

Can you also provide the Eset link you used

 

[sono]

I don't really know about Majorgeeks, and I don't really like to download softwares from collections of third party sites. If you can link the Genuine Advantage Tool from the developer site, I can install it, but anyway I would not. Or if you suggest a workaround in the CMD, I don't mind checking there.

I wonder why my Windows would not be genuine, especially that I have the COA label for the DVD, that the validating system accepted all the 3 times during 8 years when I had to do a reinstall. I doubt that the slowing down of the computer has anything to do with this. Especially, as I emphasized several times, everything was fine, until I uninstalled Eset, and reinstalled the same version again. So very likely, something was changed at that point, because the system is slow since then. But I did not have any problem with the validation. Windows is still shown as activated.

This is the Eset link I used:
ESET NOD32 Antivirus - virusirto program Windows-ra | ESET

 

[Megahertz07]

MGA is a M$ software. It can also make some installations diagnostics
View attachment MGADiag.zip

 

[sono]

I noticed that but I don't see a link for it on their sites.

 

[Megahertz07]

I noticed that but I don't see a link for it on their sites.

You don't see it on M$ site because it apply s only for Win 7 and M$ don't support Win 7 any more. I gave you a link from one I've downloaded from M$.

 

[sono]

For the moment the problem seems to have been solved. As I mentioned the slowing down most of the time happens when explorer.exe is doing something: a file browser window is opened, or when saving/opening something in an application. I choose rebuilding the index and also run a registry optimization in the app called Advanced Uninstaller, and now the speed seems to be okay. Still did not run the update, so the system is like before in the original state.