XP freeze when I open all progams list

Norbert5Norbert5 Posts: 930
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Just scrolling up and down the list often freezes for about 2 mins if I open task manager first before I go to the start menu it shows MsMpEng.exe shoot up to 98% any ideas
what's causing this.

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  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    Norbert5 wrote: »
    Just scrolling up and down the list often freezes for about 2 mins if I open task manager first before I go to the start menu it shows MsMpEng.exe shoot up to 98% any ideas
    what's causing this.

    MsMpEng.exe is MS antivirus not sure why the start menu would make it max out the CPU :confused:

    Try excluding: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu from MSE to see if that makes a difference.
  • plateletplatelet Posts: 26,361
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    What other anti-spyware / virus software are you using?

    MsMpEng looks to be Windows Defender (anti spyware). Googling msMpEng comes up with many pages on it being a resource hog - especially when combined with another AV package

    If you have Micorsoft Security Essentials running for instance you should turn Defender off as MSE does eveything it does already.
  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    platelet wrote: »
    What other anti-spyware / virus software are you using? MsMpEng looks to be Windows Defender (anti spyware). Googling msMpEng comes up with many pages on it being a resource hog.

    If you have Micorsoft Security Essentials running for instance you should turn Defender off as MSE does eveything it does already.

    MSE turns off defender when you install it.
  • Norbert5Norbert5 Posts: 930
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    anniebrion wrote: »
    MsMpEng.exe is MS antivirus not sure why the start menu would make it max out the CPU :confused:

    Try excluding: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu from MSE to see if that makes a difference.
    Thanks I've tried that but it hasn't worked yet.

    I put it under locations should it be under processes ?
  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    Norbert5 wrote: »
    Thanks I've tried that but it hasn't worked yet.

    I put it under locations should it be under processes ?

    Locations is where I'd put it :) It was a long shot though.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    Turn the MSE off just to test if it's really causing the troubles. If yes, you may want to look around for another AV programme. My brother can't use MSE on his older PC with XP. I recommended it when it came out, but it just kept using disk all the time and slowing down everything.
  • Norbert5Norbert5 Posts: 930
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    I ran a scan with MSE and noticed it hung for 2 or 3 min over Divx and this morning I opened all programs list and it froze while hovering over Divx so I've unistalled Divx.

    Also in the last few days I installed Libre office 3.5 it is on the programs list 3.3 is still on the list but now contains Videolan / VLC.
  • plateletplatelet Posts: 26,361
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    Norbert5 wrote: »
    I ran a scan with MSE and noticed it hung for 2 or 3 min over Divx and this morning I opened all programs list and it froze while hovering over Divx so I've unistalled Divx.

    Also in the last few days I installed Libre office 3.5 it is on the programs list 3.3 is still on the list but now contains Videolan / VLC.

    Is VLC still on your programs list elsewhere? If not that sounds like an accidental drag and drop. It being there is probably why the Libre Office installer left 3.3 behind. I'd just drag it out of the 3.3 folder and back to the menu above, then delete the now empty 3.3 folder from the menu.

    Uninstalling Divx is always a good move, if nothing else it stops the endless updates and attempts to backdoor Norton onto your pc.

    Speaking of Norton have you ever used Norton on this machine and if so how did you remove it? If you simply used the windows uninstall option that probably wouldn't do it.

    Norton is very tricky to get rid of, and it's remnants have been known to cause problems for MSE.

    You need something like Norton's Removal Tool:
    https://www-secure.symantec.com/norton-support/jsp/help-solutions.jsp?docid=20080710133834EN&lg=english&ct=united+states&product=home&version=1&pvid=f-home&entsrc=redirect_pubweb
  • Norbert5Norbert5 Posts: 930
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    Never used Norton have used Avg and AntiVir in the past .

    VLC doesn't appear anywhere else on the list so yes looks like its a drag and drop mistake.
  • plateletplatelet Posts: 26,361
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    Norbert5 wrote: »
    Never used Norton have used Avg and AntiVir in the past ...

    Okay I've no experience with them, but there's still a chance something got left behind

    There's a list of links to removal / clean up utilities here:
    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/forum/protect_start/list-of-anti-malware-product-removal-tools/407bf6da-c05d-4546-8788-0aa4c25a1f91 and both are mentioned. Might be worth giving them a go
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