three computers on network running very slow

thenelson used Ask the Experts™
A few months back all three computers on my wireless network started running very slow - sometimes switching applications takes 60-120 seconds, opening applications may take longer than that. One computer is running Windows 7 and two are running Windows XP (No need to tell me I need to update them - I know that). Since all three of them slowed down at the same time, I suspect some sort or malware but I run a full scan of Comodo Cleaning Essentials weekly which never shows anything and a complete scan of Malwarebytes which usually shows a few malware cookies. I have run sfc /scannow which found and corrected a few problems but no change after that. I have attached a log from Hijackthis. Any suggestions?
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You better install avast and if you can get rid of comodo, sometimes comodo start blocking known windows aplications, perhaps this could slow things down.

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Natty GregIn Theory (IT)

not a virus you're running out, memory or hard drive space the windows machine does uses cache memory for large application to load up temporary files, however if you're running low on hard drive space or the drive may be dying causing read n write to be slow and also physical ram, not enough and finally, to many application running in the background
I have tried turning off Comodo but it still is running slow. Do you think I need to uninstall Comodo - not just turn it off? One computer does not have Comodo running on it but it too is still running slow.

Did you see this in the hijackthis log or just suggesting this may be the problem? The problem is occurring on all three computers so I doubt it is a hard drive failing. The one I use the most has 181 GB free of its 286 GB HD. It is a 1.3 GB dual core 64 bit processor with 3.00 GB ram. The computer still runs slowly when I disable all background apps in Msconfig.
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yes im afraid you will have to uninstall. It has a lot of compatibility issues. That will be owr start. It is also possible that networks has been bombarded by other computer not using comodo so that one blocks itself in order to protect network. HINT: try opending task manager and arrange list by process cpu usage, there we will know the name of the app consuming resources.
I've tried that many times. No help there. Most of the time my total cpu usage is between 2-10%. Here is the screenshot:task manager
Robert RComputer Service Technician

wow 85 processes running in the background?? no wonder the system is running slow. Try running msconfig and turn off things that do not need to be running in the background.

let me knoe when you uninstall comodo,

also can you name common apps between these computers? and i mean beside office and normal apps, you know like administrative software or Design software, etc.
Top Expert 2013

did you check the speed of the network?  maybe an update slowed it,
you cna also try restoring to a date it was fast
>85 processes running in the background?? no wonder the system is running slow
11 processes are not from Microsoft. 6 of those 11 are from Toshiba (it is a Toshiba laptop), 2 are from AMD (it is an AMD processor). So that leaves 3 from Comodo for virus protection and 1 from Malwarebytes. I don't know what Microsoft, Toshiba and AMD services I can shut down and still have a functioning computer.

>did you check the speed of the network?
The problem occurs with apps that have nothing to do with the network. Also two computers move between two different wireless networks with different equipment and the problem occurs on both networks. Neither network routers have had any update in years.

I'll let me know when I get the time to completely uninstall Comodo from all the computers,

The only common apps between these computers are MS office and Firefox browser. I use Chrome on this computer although I have FF installed on it.
Robert RComputer Service Technician

You must have opened at least a dozen incidents of google chrome, it the image that you have posted I can see chrome showing at least 7 times. Does the user launch the application several times, when the user is impatient because the app does not launch right away? If that is the case why I can see several incidents of the app running, or they maybe launching the app again by opening a link in a new window instead of a new tab. When I launch google chrome I see only 3 processes running in the background.
When I open Google Chrome (by clicking once) 14 processes open in task manager. I have uninstalled and re-installed Chrome but that still happens. I don't know why. I figured that is the way Chrome operates. You are the first person to share with me something different.
Here is a screen shot of task manager sorted by name showing the Chrome processes:
Robert RComputer Service Technician

I guess for every tab I press another incidence of chrome opens up so I was wrong, but I opened a half a dozen tabs in chrome and I still do not have as many chrome processes as you have running in the background so I am suspicious. unless there are a lot of add ons that are running.  I would compare the processes on two similar computers to see if you get the same results.

you forgot to mention if the computer got faster when you uninstall chrome . was it?
No change in the speed of the computer when I uninstalled Chrome or re-installed it.

Ok, did you Completely removed Comodo from all computers?
>did you Completely removed Comodo from all computers?
Yes and I ran adwcleaner. All the computers are running a bit faster now. I tried installing Avira (from a recommendation of a very knowledgeable friend and after looking a reviews of Avira and Avast). Avira free and trial had some problems with the install and Avira support would not help me so I removed it. I will try installing Avast next.

avast its ok, install it then try again, also make sure if this is happening (slowing things down) on three computers at the same time.
I uninstalled Comodo from all my computers and ran adwcleaner. These two combined speeded up my computer a lot. I had a problem with installing Avast so called them. They got Avast up and running but told me I had a lot of problems in my computer so I signed up for Avast Total Support. They used Tech Tool Kit from Plumchoice (screenshot below) to run adwcleaner again, hitman pro, junkware removal tool, rkill and jetclean portable. Now the computer is running like I remember when I bought it a year ago.

Thanks for your help.

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