Resolved Need to speed up very slow computer this weekend

A little reading here. http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...h-memory/79af7392-97ff-458a-9120-65fbe07be79f

 

I did a Google search on this high CPU usage, and it said the problem is in Windows Defender and to download http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927891/en-us. I did this, and it took me to Microsoft's fixit program. Here is the result of that:

Windows Update Publisher details
Issues found
Service registration is missing or corrupt
Not fixed
Reset service registration

Succeeded

Check for missing or corrupt files
Fixed
Repair missing or corrupt files

Succeeded

Windows Update error 0x80248011(2013-11-09-T-09_38_28P)
Fixed
Resetting Windows Update data store

Succeeded

Problems installing recent updates
Fixed
Repair Windows Update

Succeeded

Problems installing recent updates
Fixed
Repair Windows Update

Succeeded

Issues checked
Windows Update environment variables are incorrect
Checked
Some security settings are missing or have been changed
Checked
Windows Update services are not running
Checked
Cryptographic service components are not registered
Checked
Issues found Detection details
6
Service registration is missing or corrupt Not fixed
6
Check for missing or corrupt files Fixed
6
Windows Update error 0x80248011(2013-11-09-T-09_38_28P) Fixed
6
Problems installing recent updates Fixed
6
Problems installing recent updates Fixed
Issues checked Detection details
6
Windows Update environment variables are incorrect Checked
6
Some security settings are missing or have been changed Checked
6
Windows Update services are not running Checked
6
Cryptographic service components are not registered Checked

Windows Update error 0x80248011(2013-11-09-T-09_38_28P) is reported as not fixed by the fixit program, but fixed by the details, so I'm not sure what the truth is or what to do.

 

In XP, most people disable Windows Defender. Disable it and see what happens.

 

I used the uninstall tools for Bit Defender, Norton (originally installed on this computer) and Microsoft Security Essentials. I then reinstalled MSE, but the problem continues. I have been looking for ways to disable Windows Defender, but I can't find it to disable it. It isn't located in services.msc and also not in add/remove programs. How can I access it to turn it off?

 

I was able to disable this through services.msc and Microsoft Antimalware Services, but that also disabled MSE. Do I need to run a different AV program, or is there a way to selectively disable this?

 

I based that thought on the fact that MsMpEng.exe is the culprit of resource hogging, and my Google search identified Windows Defender as the owner of that. Since I can't find Windows Defender anywhere on the computer, you are probably right, and it is just MSE that uses all the resources. I don't have that problem on my computer, but I have more RAM. Do you feel she would be better off balancing the needs of MSE with more RAM or installing another AV program that wouldn't hog the resources? By the way, I didn't leave MSE turned off. As soon as I saw that disabling MsMpEng.exe shut it down, I re-enabled it.

I'll be leaving in a few hours, so any changes made to this computer will need to be done within that time frame. Additional RAM will have to wait till my next visit.

 

Thank you, Evan. I appreciate your help. That's what we will do.