Spyware/Virus checks

[trendie]

My PC is not behaving itself.

Was fine up until end of last week.
The only recent change to my system has been updating my RealPlayer to v.11.
(I had to do this as the bbc radio "listen again" stopped working and I had a pop-up saying I needed to upgrade)

I have 1GB of RAM, but the free RAM reduces to about 200, which is pretty low, as it is normally around 400 mark.

Things I have checked:
Looking at the TaskManager, I notice the firefox has about 145M memory useage, when normally it hovers around 80-90.

There is also a "TeaTimer.exe" which is new to me.

Whenever I log off, I have to wait while some kind of "Helix" something or other .exe closes down. This is also new to me.

my hard-drive seems to start whirring much more often than normal.

Is there any way I can check that my PC isnt being used as a spam-drone? (spewing out garbage secretly)

Is there anyway I can check that any of the ports havent been hacked?
(and indeed, which ones are legit)

Have run Norton AV, also Spybot and Adaware without anything unusal being detected.

General performance has noticably slowed. But that could be broadband-speed related. (have used ZDnet b-band speed checker, and its giving me half the speed I am paying for!)

Quite concerned as its the PC I use for on-line banking etc.

Thanks in advance for help.

 

[fibonelli]

Teatimer.exe eating up all my processing capacity - Safer Networking Forums

Not sure about Helix.exe

Virus and Spyware - RealPlayer Slapped with 'Badware' Label - Ryan Naraine's Security Watch

 

[Trader333]

TeaTimer.exe is part of Spybot and is known to take up a lot of systems resource which is maybe what is happening here. When you press "Ctrl + Alt + Del" and get the task manager up and then click on "Processes" what process is using up most of your cpu resource ?


Paul

 

[trendie]

TeaTimer.exe is part of Spybot and is known to take up a lot of systems resource which is maybe what is happening here. When you press "Ctrl + Alt + Del" and get the task manager up and then click on "Processes" what process is using up most of your cpu resource ?


Paul

chuffin firefox at 160M. (normally 80-90)
TeaTimer at 62M.

then terminal at 33M and everything else below that.
(I sometimes manually stop things like paltalk.exe, AOLAcsd.exe)

EDIT: might try re-installing Firefox later this evening. I do use the BBC Iplayer and watch programs through it, wonder if its that), but it streams, and should stop when the programs finished.

 

[pseudo straddle]

I do use the BBC Iplayer .

I used it once then got rid of it when I found out it was a peer-to-peer system!

So in a sense it is a ' spam drone ' while it is running!!