Computer help needed....Internet connection......

[Harrumph]

I could really use some of our experts help here.
I purchased an HP Pavilion CPU about 2 months ago. Whenever I connect to the internet the computer starts sending info at such a high rate that it's almost impossible to recieve anything. I try to download Windows Updates and Nortons Updates but nothing really happens as the computer is uploading too rapidly. I have been in contact with HP several times and nothing they have suggested works. I have downloaded (2 hours) new modem driver and such to no avail. I continue to use my old system but have already sold it and my friends are waiting for me to deliver. I haven't been able to transfer any files from the old to the new as I don't want any info being sent someplace I don't know about. Has anyone here had this problem before and know how to fix this? Any help will be greatly appreciated as this has really got me in a bind and I don't know what else to do about this. Sending it back is an option except I live in Mexico and would be a big hassle.
Thanks for any help offered.

[no name no slogan]

1. Sounds like some sort of worm/trojan infection...

if you connect up and the first thing it does is send a bunch of stuff out-- so much that you can't make any requests out. Usually that's how those things work: they take over every available port and start propagiting themselves over the net.

Was the computer ever plugged into the internet w/o any anti-virus protection? Was it fresh from the box when you got it, or was it used previously?

If worse comes to worse, I'd take it back to wherever you bought it and have them replace it or repair it. No new computer should be doing that right out of the box.

Hope this helps--

nnns

[radwriter0555]

Yes, it sounds like a virus. Are you running zone alarm and norton

anti-virus?

[Harrumph]

6. I have Nortons installed....

but when I try to download required updates they are always incomplete and a waste of a lot of time. I bought the whole tower at auction refurbished and everything else works great. I have Windows XP installed and Norton's came with the machine.
I'm going to go to Zonealarm now and see what they have. I'm running my old comp right now so will have to change over to new one to download anything. That's why it's such a bitch. I have to climb under desk to disconnect monitor and connections then swap mice (mouses?) and keyboards.
Thanks for all the advice so far...you guys rock!

[MrSoundAndVision]

2. So

So you say you bought an HP CPU, do you mean a new tower entirely, or just an HP processor (a CPU is a processor)? What OS are you running?

[denverbill]

3. Download Zonealarm.

It's free, and isn't too huge.

Any program that attempts to access the internet will need permission in Zonealarm. You can find out what program is attempting to access the net and end the program.

[kcwayne]

4. Can you isolate what is sending out data?

The most likely candidates of programs on your system that would automatically send information out of your system are:

1) Virus
2) Web Server
3) An HP program "calling home"

Presumably your calls for support eliminated item 3.

Make sure you are not running a web server on your system. Right click "My Computer", click "Manage", click "Internet Information Services", and make sure the FTP server and Web servers are not running. If you don't see Internet Information Services, then you don't have the Microsoft server running, someone else could address whether one of the other servers such as Apache, etc might have been installed.

If it is not item 2 or 3, then it is most likely a virus. There are software based network sniffers that you can use to see what sort of packets are being sent out of your system, and from that you could maybe find the culprit, but these tools take alot of computer savvy to figure out, so don't waste your time with them unless you are very savvy with this stuff, you'll need to find someone to help you.

Your problem could be a hardware fault on the network card. Actually, on a new system, your network connection may be on the motherboard. If so, take the network card out of your old computer, and install it in the new computer. Try connecting on the network through the card you install, and do not put a cable in the one you have now. If things behave, then get your system repaired, or just buy a network card to use.

[denverbill]

5. I wouldn't be so sure about #3. Tech support people can be idiots.

I've got 2 compaqs and haven't had any problem like this, but I can see it happening.

One other thing I thought of is maybe he clicked on a 'online backup' link and his computer is in the middle of doing some sort of enormous online backup which it keeps restarting every time he connects.

A virus seems more likely though.