Help! Data output choking dial-up connection

[TrocD]

Any advice would be appreciated:

I recently installed Windows XP on my machine (upgrading from Me). It worked fine for several days, including my dial-up connection to work, and I downloaded all the security updates from Microsoft. Then suddenly this problem: after being connected via my 56K modem for a few minutes, the status window for my connection indicates that I am sending data at a considerable rate (about 5,000 bytes/second). As this happens, nothing is able to get through and I can't open web pages or download. This happens even if I am not in Explorer or Outlook Express (which I use for browsing and email). Everything works fine when I first connect, but once it starts, it doesn't stop.

I hadn't opened any attachments, but did receive a link to an ecard (from someone I know) and opened it. Today I reformatted and started again, but the problem was back. I've tried the same internet connection on another machine (running Windows 98) and it works fine, so the problem is with my machine.

So - is this a familiar problem? Do I have a worm/virus? Or is there some setting I need to change? Thanks for any advice


Windows XP
Iwill KK266
ISA 56k modem
420w ps
Radeon 9800
On board sound
1 HD
1 DVD
1CDR

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

You need to install a firewall, that's for sure!

 

[StraightPipe]

sounds like a bug is dailing out. keep that PC off the net until you can run adaware 6 (it's free here)

install it
update it
run it
delete (or quarenteen) it

this will find alot of stuff that norton misses.

 

[TrocD]

Thanks for the responses. To those interested in the outcome: it was a worm, probably Welchia, a relative of the Blaster worm. Oddly, it must have got right back into my computer after the reformat. The giveaway was a process called DLLHOST.exe in Task Manager generating CPU usage while the uploading was going on. Quite a lesson after 3 years with Windows Me and no viruses - 3 days with Windows XP and I got the same one twice.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

It only takes seconds of being connected to get the Welchia worm, it's pounding on my cable modem continuously.