Google Toolbar Improved Intenet Speed?

[drdan]

I have been having a problem for several weeks with some internet pages opening very slowly on my fast connection at the office. Sometimes it was incredibly slow, much slower than dial up.

I decided to install the Google Toolbar for some unrelated reasons and suddenly all the internet slowness has disappeared. I don't think I changed anything else but do constantly get updates for windows and NAV.

Opinions? Did the Google Toolbar correct something about my internet function and if so how? Was it coincidence or some other update tht actually helped?

[Budfred]

It is possible that the popup blocker is helping if you have it activated... Have you had your HJT log checked? Slowed browsing is often a clue that you have an unwanted intruder... Do you run a firewall??

[classicsoftware]

What I bet is that the Google tool bar replaced some POS gackware search aid. Run Spybot and Adaware and then post a Hijack this log. I'll bet you a jelly doughnut it's not clean.

[drdan]

I meant to add that since the slowdown I have run both Spybot and Adaware (with the latest updates) repeatedly with no effect. They would find a few of the usual suspects but the slowness would remain.

I pasted my HJT log below, anybody see anything suspicious?

Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7
Scan saved at 9:28:27 PM, on 5/8/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\RunDll32.exe
F:\INSTAL~1\MOUSEW~1\SYSTEM\EM_EXEC.EXE
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\Program Files\Coloreal\Coloreal Visual\Coloreal4Matrox.exe
F:\Installed Programs\CoreCenter.exe
F:\Installed Programs\ItsTime\ITSTIME.EXE
F:\Installed Programs\Webshots\WebshotsTray.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\Logitech\WebColct\WebColct.ex e
C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe
G:\Downloads\HijackThis.exe

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - F:\Installed Programs\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Ipswitch.WsftpBrowserHelper - {601ED020-FB6C-11D3-87D8-0050DA59922B} - C:\Program Files\WS_FTP Pro\wsbho2k0.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - C:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - C:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccRegVfy] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccRegVfy.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Cmaudio] RunDll32 cmicnfg.cpl,CMICtrlWnd
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EM_EXEC] F:\INSTAL~1\MOUSEW~1\SYSTEM\EM_EXEC.EXE
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - Startup: ItsTime!.lnk = F:\Installed Programs\ItsTime\ITSTIME.EXE
O4 - Startup: Webshots.lnk = F:\Installed Programs\Webshots\WebshotsTray.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Gamma Loader.exe.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Gamma Loader.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Billminder.lnk = C:\Program Files\Quicken\billmind.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Coloreal Visual.lnk = ?
O4 - Global Startup: CoreCenter.lnk = F:\Installed Programs\CoreCenter.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Quicken Scheduled Updates.lnk = C:\Program Files\Quicken\bagent.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Quicken Startup.lnk = C:\Program Files\Quicken\QWDLLS.EXE
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward &Links - res://C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cac&hed Snapshot of Page - res://C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Si&milar Pages - res://C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate into English - res://C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmtrans.html
O9 - Extra button: Messenger (HKLM)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Messenger (HKLM)
O16 - DPF: ppctlcab - http://www.pestscan.com/scanner/ppctlcab.cab
O16 - DPF: {2FC9A21E-2069-4E47-8235-36318989DB13} (PPSDKActiveXScanner.MainScreen) - http://www.pestscan.com/scanner/axscanner.cab
O16 - DPF: {9F1C11AA-197B-4942-BA54-47A8489BB47F} (Update Class) - http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/CAB/x86/unicode/iuctl.CAB?37952.6016087963
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab

[classicsoftware]

Budfred is also looking at this so I'll jump out on a limb and say it looks Ok to me.

If you are getting poor web performance, I would uninstall web-shots at is going on line as often as every 5 minutes to download new photos and this can be a resource hog.

See if removing it helps your performance. Budfred will tell you if I'm wrong

[Budfred]

Yep, that looks like a clean log....

This is also a resource hog and doesn't really provide anything that you can't do manually. If you use it a lot, it may be worthwhile to keep, otherwise...:

O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE

These are also resource users and can be started manually:

O4 - Global Startup: Billminder.lnk = C:\Program Files\Quicken\billmind.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Quicken Scheduled Updates.lnk = C:\Program Files\Quicken\bagent.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Quicken Startup.lnk = C:\Program Files\Quicken\QWDLLS.EXE

Nothing stands out as a major slowdown, except maybe Norton...:p

[drdan]

I don't mind shutting down office and quicken, in fact I never use them like that anyway. I use quicken for expense tracking and start it manually and I use word and frontpage manually. How do I shut them down?

I am not aware of Webshots downloading photos on it own, I always have to do it myself, which I rarely do. I really like the pics I have but I am pretty picky. Is downloading pics automatically a new feature? Are you sure you don't mean the way it rotates the background or screensaver pics around. If there is an auto download feature I can turn off, then I'd like too, but I like the pictures too much to shut Webshots down even if it does hog resources. I've never had Webshots pics appear on my computer that I had not personally, manually selected.

[Budfred]

I am not that familiar with Webshots so I will defer to classicsoftware to comment on that.... For the other ones, just fix them with HJT... That will remove the startup keys in the Registry, but it won't effect the actual programs and you can still load them manually....

[drdan]

Thanks for the help guys, it still leaves a mystery about google though.

[Kimbo]

I also like Webshots but have disabled the flashing camera icon that runs in the system tray (under Settings, Download) and also I don't allow Webshots Tray to load automatically at startup. I just open it from its Programs icon (which will load it in the tray) and change backgrounds manually, then I close the tray icon.

The rotating pictures still work as my screensaver even if the tray icon is closed, but I don't think the rotating desktop pictures will work without Webshots running in the tray. When I want to download new pictures, I start Webshots Tray with the icon, download the pictures and then close the tray icon.

[drdan]

Yes, I did exactly that for a while but missed the pics rotating on their own. I compared it both ways with nothing else changed and could not detect any slow down just from that.