Help: weird computer problem

hi, i've been having a weird computer problem since yesterday.

i need major help..! the trouble started & happens after every internet connection. after connecting to the internet, everything (browsers, applications, drives, commandprompt, etc.) works fine, but after 15 or more minutes my computer starts to slow down, connection starts to lag, like the machine is not functioning at all. i couldn't open any application, program, my computer & even the window task manager. the only folders i could open is in the ones on my desktop. nothing happens when i type "ipconfig" in the command prompt, "ping" also fails sometimes. when i open "my computer" nothing is shown except the animated flashlight, it just kept on browsing & searching, and it'll never end, like it is stuck or something. i couldn't open the "window task manager" as well, i kept pressing ctrl+alt+delete, but nothing happens.

i could only access the programs that i've already openned before the slow down occured. but the programs doesn't function.. like with internet explorer i could scroll up & down, i could click links, click the toolbar icons, etc. but the program doesn't function. all i could do is restart my computer.

i couldn't shutdown or restart my computer properly from the start menu. the only thing i could do is push the shutdown or restart button. also couldn't disconnect from the internet or even check the status.

and the problem occurs much faster (about lessthan 10 minutes) when i'm downloading with or when azureus is openned. azureus will start out okay then after lessthan 10 minutes, azureus will stop functioning. it'll stop downloading & seeding. then the status will all turn red. i could still access azureus but it'll not function or it'll not do anything.

the good thing is i didn't encounter this problem when i'm offline or not connected to the internet.

really need help.. this is really urgent. what should i do...? what causes this? hope somebody could help me out.

by the way, i'm using windows XP, dsl connection about 1mbps, processor is athlon xp 1.7, 2 LAN cards : ADMtek & VIA Rhine.

mmm i dont know much about computers but it could be some type of virus/spyware.

Best advise i can think of is to run a scan of your anti-virus programmes etc when your pc isnt connected to the internet.
If that doesnt come up with anything then open your windows tast manager (controll +alt + delete) and click on the processes tab. Then click on memory usage so the ones that use the most are ordered from the top.
Connect to the internet and watch closely for what appears near/at the top, and is stealing all your PCs memory/cpu.
Then you may find what is causing it, some programme other than the normal ones connected with the internet and help you to remove it.
Mabea google what appears(like randomprogramme.exe) to figure out what it is.
IF all else fails try a system restore from before the problem started.

As i said... i dont know much but i hope something helps :)

I'm going to second the suggestion to run a full, updated virus scan. There's a recent, pretty nasty exploit going around, and if you've got windows file sharing ports exposed to the internet (ie: TCP 137-139, UDP 135) and didn't install the updates tuesday or wednesday of last week, that could be it right there.

Other than that, check the system event logs (control panel -> administrative tools -> event viewer) for anything that looks interesting and corresponds to that.

I have a weird problem I need help with.

Ok it starts when I try to play yahoo chess. I get on , and about 5 minutes of playing chess i get this pop up msg,
"a script in this movie is causin adobe 9 flash player to run slowly, if you proceed your computer may become unresponsive, do you wish to continue with the script"
and if i click yes my comp becomes unresponsive and i have to restart , if I press no and close it, then afterwards my firefox wont open. Instead I get a msg pop up saying'
"firefox is already running but unresponsive, to open a new window you must close this one or restart your computer."
But the weird part is fire fox is closed... Any recommendations?

There's some firefox related process still running, and the system registers it as firefox. If you launch the task manager, you will see it (firefox) still among the processes. You can shut it down there (end process). That should sort the firefox not launching problem. Won't help with the chess, though...

Any one esle got any ideas... I have the latest adobe flash player, I have checked for virus's and spyware with mcafee, adware se, and spybot.

It definately sounds like some program has gone crazy and started using up all your resources.

One idea is to run through add/remove programs off the Windows control panel and uninstall any/all applications that you do not want or recognise that you would ever use again.Uninstall all browser plug ins while your there, it might be time to download their latest versions anyway. Reboot your computer after, and use it again, see if your system slows down.

The next step I would attempt is to boot into "Safe Mode" and try spybot/adaware/antivirus programs again. Some viruses/malware/spyware disable detection from these programs (even with their latest updates). Otherwise off a normal boot you could try "Root Kit Revealer" if the virus/spyware is sophisticated enough to avoid detection.

As a last resort consider re-installing Windows. A pain I know but if you backup/move your documents & save games to a safe location in the end it's like getting a new computer.

Cheers & Good Luck!