Computer Virus - Virtual Memory low

[Squirrel]

This JUST started and appears to be mostly affecting my email. I use netscape 'cause 1) I have for years, and am familiar with it's functionality and 2) most viruses are written for Outlook.

My computer is new, so I know I haven't had enough time to pollute it that bad yet with program, etc.

Some symptoms, when starting the email program boots up:
- noticed the task bar at bottom says it's 'deleting 25 cache item" everytime it starts.
- Sometimes it just shuts down immediately
- If it does open up it locks up shortly afterafterward, or I get the 'virtual memory full' error.

Any ideas?

I've run Ad-aware, Spybot and Spyware (which came with my CPU)

 

[Squirrel]

Update - appears I can't run email/IE at the same time - only one or the other.

Weird.

 

[TexasOwnzYou]

do cntrl alt del and see which programs exactly are taking up the most ram.

google their names and see what u can come up with.

 

[Squirrel]

Yeah, that was the first thing I did.

This site is really good for determining what you do/don't need.

So, already done that.

 

[TexasOwnzYou]

so, what exactly is hogging up your memory?

 

[tropheus]

I sometimes have the same problem with 512MB of RAM.

 

[Woland]

My memory problem stemmed from using RealOne player.

 

[Squirrel]

Okay - definitely some sort of virus...After going through the 'needed task manager link' I posted above (my 3rd, 4th overall)
The only tasks running that I am unsure about are...

- tfswctrl.exe: which is a HP app that assigns drive letters, yada, yada, yada - point is I CAN'T shut this down (use to be able to)
- The following 2 are system critical apps, but also are replaced when the Netsky virus is on your system:
-Winlogon.exe
-Services.exe

Anyone have experiences w/this?

some new msgs have been popping up (small windows):
"Out of memory"
"Netscape out of memory"

 

[Squirrel]

A-HAAAAAAAAAA!

 

[MulletHorn]

How big is your pagefile? That is probably generating the VM errors. Look in C: for pagefile.sys. It should be the same size as your RAM.

 

[Squirrel]

Okay - it appears to be isolated only to my (Netscape) email.

When running "Norton" it says to un/re-install - but, this came installed ON the computer and there is no supporting software (CD-ROM) etc... so how am I supposed to REinstall?!?

 

[idigTexas]

You likely received a system restore CD or 2 with your PC. If you are lucky, it will let you restore specific applications one at a time. If you are unlucky, you will have a CD that reloads the entire system with apps all at once. The geniuses who came up with that idea should be shot.

 

[Squirrel]

Interesting wrinkle today...
Closed down Netscape, after it started acting up again. Computer was still acting sluggish.

Ctrl+Alt+Del to get to Task manager, and notice that two Netscape.exe programs are still running

, Not only that but in the Mem Usage section, one of them shows about 4K and steady ('bout right) and the other is at about 40K and counting off (increasing in) 2K chunks every second or so - whatever the problem is THAT's it.