Computer Very Sluggish but No Malware Nor Viruses

My computer is very sluggish but there is no malware nor viruses.

Attach OTL diagnostic log. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0

Scans attached.

Anyone know what’s wrong with it?

I have a feeling it might be something to do with an adblocker or youtube downloader firefox add-on, but I download them from the official firefox add-on page so I would hope that they are sound.

Hi could you temporarily uninstall Trusteer and let me know if that cures the speed problem

That’s better thanks but its still a little sluggish, what’s wrong with Trusteer?

Nothing really, it is just that it is a low level system driver and can conflict/slow down other programmes

At what stage is it becoming sluggish > I.e. boot, opening programmes or using the net

Opening programs, typing and especially when watching youtube/listening to the radio. If I listen to the radio and then use another window for a website then the sound breaks up all the time.

As you have windows 8 I have not yet created an instruction set for clean boot. But, if you could follow the steps here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135 and then run a clean boot could you let me know how it behaves then

It seems much quicker in clean boot.

Another problem I have is every so often it will crash and it gives an error report something like:
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL{smb_driver_intel.sys}.

A few weeks ago I did something silly. As it was running so slowly I thought I’d try CHKDSK and I ran it with /x /f /r. A friend who is a computer programmer told me I shouldn’t do that so I switched the computer off, then he told me I shouldn’t have switched the computer off - why he couldn’t have told me at the same time I don’t know. It took a while to get the computer working again afterwards but I did eventually manage to get it working. Have I knackered something?

The crashing problem has only started with Windows 8.1. It wasn’t crashing, even after the CHKDSK issue, whilst I was still on Windows 8.

OK run chkdsk again but only use the chkdsk /r command

Then see if there is an update for the intel driver, if you cannot find it let me know

I ran CHKDSK using /r. It seems a bit quicker already, though it did freeze a bit. What do I do about CHKDSK now?

I can’t find that INTEL update.

The speed is now terrible. Really really slow.

OK next step will be a clean boot to determine which services are responsible

In the search box type Msconfig and select the programme that appears at the top

1.In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click Selective Startup on the General tab.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/73555776/Cleanboot1.JPG

2.Click to clear the Load Startup Items check box.
NoteThe Use Original Boot.ini check box is unavailable.
3.Click the Services tab.
4.Click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/73555776/cleanboot2.JPG

5.Click Disable All, and then click OK.
6.When you are prompted, click Restart.

Does the system now behave as it should ?

Yeah, its faster with selective start-up.

Actually its much much faster with selective start up.

OK now the boring bit to find the culprit

Re-enable half of the services and reboot
Does the system still run well ? If so then enable half the remaining services. The idea is to narrow it down to the one causing the blockage by a process of elimination

This seems to be the culprit…

The one I’ve drawn the box around, not the ones that are ticked.

Its a bit slow with the flexnet one as well though, though it doesn’t freeze with this one.

You can disable flexnet as well as it is not important. The intel one is a waste of space for the normal user, so you will have no ill effects with it disabled…

Any further problems ?

Its still sluggish and freezes a lot. When it freezes there’s nothing I can do except turn it off manually and reboot.