Sluggish, clicking, loud fans... all hell is breaking loose

edited August 2007 in Hardware
I've had a bunch of odd problems lately. Not sure if they are all related, but after last night I'm pretty concerned.

1. Recently, after playing some Neverwinter Nights 2, I noticed that I was getting little squares flashing on the screen. Didn't take much notice of it, as it only happened in heavy graphic required areas.

2. Also during this game, I started hearing a clicking sound somewhere from my computer.

3. Outside of the game, this clicking sound happened too. I believe I was searching the web at the time. I restarted and all was fine.

3.5: One such episode of clicking from the computer resulted in a blue screen of death. Didn't write down the message.. something about a kernal. I'm sure that isn't helpful.

4. Last night, my computer was (and still is, thus my concern) extremely slow. Right now it is semi-fine as I have nothing running, but should I, say, watch a video on youtube, it will be very choppy, and I'll get bleeping noises. Likewise for music, I'll get this occasional, very loud click and pop sound. Should I have any program running while playing music, it is just a mess of clicks and pops. (tried running scandisk and playing a song, it was pure static)
A simple scandisk takes up ~90% of my CPU usage. During such states of CPU usage, my computer fans roar in protest and throw me into a state of fear and panic. Basically, if I run anything aside from MSN, my computer just bogs down, the fans kick in...

Windows start-up takes much longer than before too.
I tried doing a defrag last night, as if that would solve my troubles, and I woke up to find it only 12% done. At that rate it would have taken days to complete, which being a university student with CSC duties, I can't afford to do right now.

My computer specs:
Pentium 4 : 3.4 mhz
1022 mb RAM
graphics card: 6600 gt nvidea
windows xp

here is a log of hijackthis:
I hope someone knows what is happening with my precious.

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 8:43:47 AM, on 8/3/2007
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16473)
Boot mode: Normal
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:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTsvcCDA.exe
C:\Program Files\ProcessGuard\dcsuserprot.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MsPMSPSv.exe
C:\Program Files\FarStone\RestoreIT!\RestoreIT!_XP\VBPTASK.EXE
C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\SOUNDMAN.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\ALCWZRD.EXE
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2\Surround Mixer\CTSysVol.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2\DVDAudio\CTDVDDet.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTHELPER.EXE
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\ProcessGuard\pgaccount.exe
C:\Program Files\SyncroSoft\Pos\H2O\cledx.exe
C:\Program Files\Anti-Blaxx\Anti-Blaxx.exe
C:\Program Files\USBToolbox\Res.EXE
C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\Program Files\eVGA\ResChanger2004\ResChanger2004.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe
C:\Program Files\ProcessGuard\procguard.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\Program Files\MultiKeyboard Driver\KbdDrv.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\jucheck.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\cleanmgr.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Ryan Boc\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\E4IO0CM5\HiJackThis[1].exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Ryan Boc\Desktop\HiJackThis.exe
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.google.ca/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: FlashFXP Helper for Internet Explorer - {E5A1691B-D188-4419-AD02-90002030B8EE} - C:\PROGRA~1\FlashFXP\IEFlash.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [High Definition Audio Property Page Shortcut] HDAudPropShortcut.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [farstone] NULL
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RestoreIT!] "C:\Program Files\FarStone\RestoreIT!\RestoreIT!_XP\VBPTASK.EXE" VBStart
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroFilterCheck] C:\WINDOWS\system32\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DAEMON Tools-1033] "C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe" -lang 1033
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CloneCDElbyCDFL] "C:\Program Files\Elaborate Bytes\CloneCD\ElbyCheck.exe" /L ElbyCDFL
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Zone Labs Client] "C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMan] SOUNDMAN.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AlcWzrd] ALCWZRD.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Alcmtr] ALCMTR.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\jusched.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTSysVol] C:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2\Surround Mixer\CTSysVol.exe /r
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTDVDDET] C:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2\DVDAudio\CTDVDDet.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTHelper] CTHELPER.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SBDrvDet] C:\Program Files\Creative\SB Drive Det\SBDrvDet.exe /r
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdReg] C:\WINDOWS\UpdReg.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [!1_pgaccount] "C:\Program Files\ProcessGuard\pgaccount.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [H2O] C:\Program Files\SyncroSoft\Pos\H2O\cledx.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Anti-Blaxx Manager] C:\Program Files\Anti-Blaxx\Anti-Blaxx.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [USB Storage Toolbox] C:\Program Files\USBToolbox\Res.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinampAgent] C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ResChanger2004] C:\Program Files\eVGA\ResChanger2004\ResChanger2004.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MsnMsgr] "C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [!1_ProcessGuard_Startup] "C:\Program Files\ProcessGuard\procguard.exe" -minimize
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - S-1-5-18 Startup: MutiKeyboard Driver.lnk = C:\Program Files\MultiKeyboard Driver\KbdDrv.exe (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - .DEFAULT Startup: MutiKeyboard Driver.lnk = C:\Program Files\MultiKeyboard Driver\KbdDrv.exe (User 'Default user')
O4 - .DEFAULT User Startup: MutiKeyboard Driver.lnk = C:\Program Files\MultiKeyboard Driver\KbdDrv.exe (User 'Default user')
O4 - Startup: Adobe Gamma.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Startup: MutiKeyboard Driver.lnk = C:\Program Files\MultiKeyboard Driver\KbdDrv.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\windows\system32\nwprovau.dll
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O15 - Trusted Zone: *.line6.net
O16 - DPF: {02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B} (QuickTime Object) - http://a1540.g.akamai.net/7/1540/52/20061205/qtinstall.info.apple.com/qtactivex/qtplugin.cab
O16 - DPF: {27527D31-447B-11D5-A46E-0001023B4289} (CoGSManager Class) - http://gamingzone.ubisoft.com/dev/packages/GSManager.cab
O16 - DPF: {2B323CD9-50E3-11D3-9466-00A0C9700498} (Yahoo! Audio Conferencing) - http://us.chat1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/chat/applet/v45/yacscom.cab
O16 - DPF: {5F8469B4-B055-49DD-83F7-62B522420ECC} (Facebook Photo Uploader Control) - http://upload.facebook.com/controls/FacebookPhotoUploader.cab
O16 - DPF: {6E5E167B-1566-4316-B27F-0DDAB3484CF7} (Image Uploader Control) - http://www.easypix.ca/en/ImageUploader4.cab
O16 - DPF: {7D1E9C49-BD6A-11D3-87A8-009027A35D73} (Yahoo! Audio UI1) - http://chat.yahoo.com/cab/yacsui.cab
O16 - DPF: {A8F2B9BD-A6A0-486A-9744-18920D898429} (ScorchPlugin Class) - http://www.sibelius.com/download/software/win/ActiveXPlugin.cab
O16 - DPF: {BE833F39-1E0C-468C-BA70-25AAEE55775E} (System Requirements Lab) - http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/sysreqlab.cab
O23 - Service: Adobe LM Service - Adobe Systems - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe Systems Shared\Service\Adobelmsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Creative Service for CDROM Access - Creative Technology Ltd - C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTsvcCDA.exe
O23 - Service: DiamondCS Process Guard Service v3.000 (DCSPGSRV) - DiamondCS - C:\Program Files\ProcessGuard\dcsuserprot.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\1150\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: iPodService - Apple Computer, Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Macromedia Licensing Service - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macromedia Shared\Service\Macromedia Licensing.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: Remote Packet Capture Protocol v.0 (experimental) (rpcapd) - CACE Technologies - C:\Program Files\WinPcap\rpcapd.exe
O23 - Service: TrueVector Internet Monitor (vsmon) - Zone Labs, LLC - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe
--
End of file - 9428 bytes

Comments

  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Your hard drive is on it's way out, and probably quickly. Before you do anything else - I mean anything, backup everything that's important to you from the hard drive onto a second hard drive, external hard drive, CDs or DVDs.
  • edited August 2007
    I feared as much. I started backing up a few days ago just in case. I guess I'll finish the job now. Thanks, man.
  • edited August 2007
    A system restore has actually solved the problem. :confused:...:cool2:?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    They solve most problems. ;)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    A system restore has actually solved the problem.
    Including the clicking sounds?
  • edited August 2007
    Indeed. No clicking sounds yet.
  • edited August 2007
    I once had a clicking that turned out to be my vid card 's fan hittin the walls of its enclosure. Irked me to no end to have to buy a new card cause of a fan bearing.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    All that clicking and I assumed it was the hard drive. Sorry for the advice that wasn't on the mark.

    Velocity, I've had pretty weird sounds before too from wires or whatnot being too close to fans. It's always a bad feeling, but then a good feeling when you find out how minor the problem is.
  • edited August 2007
    This will be a first for me, I never heard of a system restore getting rid of hardware noises in a tower.
  • ThelemechThelemech Victoria Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Velocity wrote:
    This will be a first for me, I never heard of a system restore getting rid of hardware noises in a tower.
    Me neither (not to dispute conflicting opinions) - I would continue and complete (till you're done!) the back-ups you have been working on just to be safe.
  • edited August 2007
    Yup, backed up absolutely everything dear. And a good thing too, because those clickings just happened not five minutes ago and the computer froze up. Definately not out of the water yet. As Leo first said, there is certainly something wrong with this hardrive.

    The sluggish state of the computer occured after a night of leaving it on to download something... perhaps a memory leak of some sort occured. At least, it doesn't seem to be related to my occassional clicks.

    Nonetheless, everything is backed up. Do I just wait for this to die, backing up periodically? Or shall I jump the gun and just get myself a new harddrive? I happen to need a new motherboard (ouch-- no pci-e on this bad boy), video card and power supply, so was thinking about upgrading the ol' machine in about a year's time (or rather just buy a new one)... it would be lovely if the harddrive could hold out until then :(
  • edited August 2007
    I just dropped a new 160gb HD in a family members puter this weekend for $75, i'm sure you can get them cheaper, but she wanted a quick turnaround.
    Did you run that HD test proggie just to be sure? Everytime i'm breaking the cellofane on a new hardware package, i'm always praying, god please let this be what was wrong :lol
  • edited August 2007
    Oh that would be horrible if I bought a new one and found out that it was something else. The very idea makes me uneasy.
    What is this test you speak of that I can do? :eek:
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Have you run DFT on the hard drive?
  • edited August 2007
    Never heard of this, thanks. I'll give it a spin after some lunch and post the results.
  • edited August 2007
    After booting up with that program, I did both a quick and an advance scan of the hardrive in question. Both resulted in a "0x00" which according to that website means there are no errors found.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    That's good; that program does mechanical, surface and interface tests. Essentially, that means that the drive gets a completely work-through of functionality. Yours came up roses, so your search continues elsewhere. :)
  • edited August 2007
    Just had another clicking frenzy that ended after about 20 seconds with a blue screen of death.
    "KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR"
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    conkers, have you pulled the side of your case and stuck your ear close to the inside of the box to determine exactly the source of the clicking? You've got to determine this. I've just never heard of such racket before that wasn't a hard drive in its death throws, or near to it. Maybe there is some type of software corruption that could cause the the read/write heads on a hard drive to go nuts, but I'm unaware of any.
  • edited August 2007
    I don't seem to be quick enough on the draw. It only seems to be happening once or twice a day at unpredictable times. I'm going to unscrew it now though so I can be ready for the next showdown.

    Actually, since it use to happen a lot during playing nwn2, I'm going to load that up once I've unscrewed the side. Here goes...
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    If it is the hard drive showing symptoms of failing, continuing to run your computer will only wreck the drive sooner. You've backed up important data, right?
  • edited August 2007
    Yup. I use this computer for a lot of sound editing and home recording stuff, and it has all been backed up. Along with other odds and ends. Did it as soon as the system restore solved that sluggish problem.

    Edit: Can't seem to trigger the clicking... guess all I can do is leave the side loosely on and be quick to investigate next time it happens. I was reading around google and found similar problems, all relating to the hardrive by the sounds of their tales. Is there a chance that program I ran earlier is wrong and everything is not alright?
  • ThelemechThelemech Victoria Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    If you are running Windows you might want to give this program a try - there is a trial version available. :)
    http://www.hddlife.com/
  • edited August 2007
    Comp is clicking right now. I got my head down there and it is definately either the hardrive, or the A drive and memory stick stuff directly above. The newest feature of the clicking is that it is usually proceeded by a beep.
    Could it possibly be the A drive, even though it isn't being used? Is there a way to test? Perhaps I'll turn off the computer right now and disconnect it.
    If there is still clicking, the harddrive is the culprit. I'll give that website a try, Thelemech, thanks.

    Edit: I went and installed that HDDlife Pro. It too says everything is fine. Both health and performance are at 86%. I guess I can leave it running until the next clicking happens, and maybe it will change?

    Also something to note... A couple weeks ago someone tried putting a memory stick from a cellphone or camera into these slots below my A drive, and it wouldn't work (wouldn't read the memory card). That is one of the things directly above my hardrive. There was only one wire going into it... some clear one. And I couldn't unplug it. I'm either a weak man or it doesn't come out. Nonetheless, I'd like to try and test this memory stick area as well as the A drive.
  • edited August 2007
    Another discovery... with this HDDlife Pro running, I notice that whenever there is a loud click during my music playing (which has started up again for whatever reason, off and on though not always like before) there is a little yellow bar that rises on that display graph at the exact same time as the click.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Without being there, I just can't imagine the problem being anything other than a hard drive mechanically malfunctioning and probably without much service life left. A' Drive making noise? Weird. One way to tell is to unplug the power cable to the A Drive. It's impossible for it to make any mechanical action without power or outside intervention (you).

    I'm telling you, regardless of the HDD diagnostic hardware reported, if my computer where making those sounds and I could find no hardware explanation for it, such as wires in fans, I'd double check my data backup, and yank the hard drive out without hesitation.
  • edited August 2007
    I wonder why these hardware checking programs aren't coming up with anything? Well no matter, I guess I should put in an order for a new hdd and just move on. I guess I'm only hesitant because I don't want to buy a new one and find out it was something else after all :rolleyes:
  • SiggySiggy Sydney Australia
    edited August 2007
    Disconnect the A drive power cable first see if that works

    Then follow the cabling from your memory card reader to the motherboard and unplug that - you probably never use it anyway

    That is 2 less things to make a noise!

    After that change the video card for another one - if you have one spare or can borrow one!

    After that - if it is still making a noise - Change the hard drive over - just install with OS and then run for a while - (If you find it isnt the hard drive look at it as getting more space not wasting money !!)

    if no noise after any of the above steps- then you have found the culprit!!!
  • edited August 2007
    One thing I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet, although it's probably not this considering what that monitoring utility was telling you when the clicking sound was happening...

    What kind of CPU fan are you using? Is it possible that the cpu fan is getting ready to give up the ghost, and is not cooling the CPU effectively? An overheat would certainly cause the slowdowns and twitchy behavior...but I agree that it's most likely the hard disk at this point.

    Do you have a spare drive lying around that you can run to see if it's the original drive that is giving you the trouble? Something like an old 10 or 20 gig hard drive, just enough to load windows and one of the application that makes heavy use of the HD?
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited August 2007
    There are many good suggestions to check above, but I would definitely take a close look at your power supply. I thought I had a dying hard drive at one point, but it was actually just my +5V output falling down close to the +4V mark that caused the drive to start acting up. This could cause all sorts of general instability issues. Check your voltage outputs using whatever monitoring program comes with your mainboard (i.e. Asus PC probe etc) or you can probably check in the BIOS. Also, what brand/model of PSU are you using in that machine?
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