CPU Problem Laptop running slow/freezing.

[katrina]

This past week my laptop has been running slower and freezing at points.

I have been doing ctl/al/del and have discovered the CPU has been running at 100 due to aolsoftware.exe using all my CPU.

What is this? I have googled it to discover it could be a virus.

I have run anti malware quite a few times with nothing showing but it is getting so annoying[evil]

[Dog-eared]

Try running Glary Utilities instead of Anti Malware. AM never picks up anything on my laptop but GU does.

[Bobinovich]

It may not be malware or virus and may simply require removal to stop it from starting up every time. If you do Ctrl + Alt + Del click the Processes tab, locate & click the aolsoftware.exe entry then click the End Process button - if it doesn't return after a few seconds then the chances are it's not a virus. However if it returns of it's own accord then that is a common virus trait.

Malwarebytes generaly looks for malware, not virus', so if it is a virus it would normally be up to your anti-virus software to detect and remove it. If it's not doing so then either it's outdated or not up to much, or the file is simply not a virus.

Anyway, if we can determine that the process, once ended, does not return unless the laptop is restarted, then it's a case of removing it to stop it starting up each time.

There are 3 common places where software is initialised during startup, the first is the Startup folder. Click Start > All Programs > Startup & see if there is an AOL entry there, if so it can be clicked on with the RIGHT hand mouse button and deleted.

If not then click Start > Run > type regedit & click the OK button. On the left hand side ensure the scroll bar is right at the top and click on My Computer. Now navigate on the left hand side to the following section - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run then look in the right hand panel for the aolsoftware.exe entry and, if found, RIGHT click & delete it.

If it's not there then, while still in the registry editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run and again check the right hand panel for the aolsoftware.exe entry and, if found, RIGHT click & delete it.

Hopefully by now you'll have found and deleted the entry so can close the registry and restart your laptop to see if that's sorted the problem.

[EDDIE]

This past week my laptop has been running slower and freezing at points.

I have been doing ctl/al/del and have discovered the CPU has been running at 100 due to aolsoftware.exe using all my CPU.

What is this? I have googled it to discover it could be a virus.

I have run anti malware quite a few times with nothing showing but it is getting so annoying[evil]
You could always save ure files and run in your back up disc that u got with ure laptop and that should wipe everthing and take it back to the day u bought the laptop that would rule out if its a software or hardware problem?

[katrina]

It may not be malware or virus and may simply require removal to stop it from starting up every time. If you do Ctrl + Alt + Del click the Processes tab, locate & click the aolsoftware.exe entry then click the End Process button - if it doesn't return after a few seconds then the chances are it's not a virus. However if it returns of it's own accord then that is a common virus trait.

Malwarebytes generaly looks for malware, not virus', so if it is a virus it would normally be up to your anti-virus software to detect and remove it. If it's not doing so then either it's outdated or not up to much, or the file is simply not a virus.

Anyway, if we can determine that the process, once ended, does not return unless the laptop is restarted, then it's a case of removing it to stop it starting up each time.

There are 3 common places where software is initialised during startup, the first is the Startup folder. Click Start > All Programs > Startup & see if there is an AOL entry there, if so it can be clicked on with the RIGHT hand mouse button and deleted.

If not then click Start > Run > type regedit & click the OK button. On the left hand side ensure the scroll bar is right at the top and click on My Computer. Now navigate on the left hand side to the following section - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run then look in the right hand panel for the aolsoftware.exe entry and, if found, RIGHT click & delete it.

If it's not there then, while still in the registry editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run and again check the right hand panel for the aolsoftware.exe entry and, if found, RIGHT click & delete it.

Hopefully by now you'll have found and deleted the entry so can close the registry and restart your laptop to see if that's sorted the problem.


Thanks for the info. I have done the ctrl/alt/del and ended process, checked again and it comes back. I am now also unable to sign into my AOL Emails. Its driving me mad.

When you say go into the Start menu and delete AOL from there, will that mean i will have to Install AOL again? Sorry not very bright with this kind of thing!!

[Bobinovich]

Hmmm, based on your first paragraph I'd say it's more likely you do have a virus - it's possible your own AV software may be old / out-dated, or have been disabled by the virus. Try running using an online scanner such as this one from ESET (http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner)

[dx100uk]

or download combofix to a penstick

then boot the pc in safemode with networking [connect via an ethernet cable]

and run combofix from the penstick

then put on a decent anti virus prog like microsoft security essentials after uninstalling your old av prog

dx

dx