Endless problems connecting to Youtube/Netflix/Facebook/Gmail

[jaxguy]

So, a few months ago, I got the brilliant idea to install a "free" VPN program off of CNET to use in conjunction with Utorrent, at the advice of an idiot co-employee (the only bigger idiot is myself, for doing it). I don't remember the name of it now, but needless to say, it was malware garbage. I sifted through endless fake "positive comments" and found a few other users who experienced the same problem as me. First, it had no uninstall. Second, since that time, no matter WHAT I do, my ability to properly connect to certain websites at normal speed - specifically Youtube, Netflix, Gmail, and Facebook are the worst - and also my connection speed to certain online games, has been compromised BADLY. I am on a fast cable connection through Comcast that works perfectly fine on our PS3 and any portable devices.

Here's where it gets confusing. I pretty quickly found the deselect "Automatically detect settings" under LAN options fix, and...it worked! Well, temporarily. Doing that fixes the problem, and allows me to login in to Facebook at full speed, or watch a youtube video with no problem, but within minutes, despite the fact that the "Automatically detect settings" option is deselected, the speed slowdown returns. I have tried every Malware program under the sun, used multiple different firewalls (finally settling on ZoneAlarm Pro), done endless Google searches, even did a "restore to default windows settings"...and even THAT didn't fix it. I'm at a total loss, and literally ready to just give up and buy a new computer (I'm using an I5 with Windows 8). However, I thought I'd try asking advice from people who may know a fix. Before this I thought that I knew a decent amount computers, but this one has me completely beaten. I realize that given the problems only on specific sites (news sites, ebay, and a few others work fine) it may be some sort of problem involving Port 80, but I don't have a clue what.

...help?

[trag3dy]

Nuke and repave. AKA as reformatting your hard drive. Simplest and most straightforward solution. Be sure to back up your important documents first. Buying an entire new computer seems a little to extreme.

[jaxguy]

Ouch.

Truth hurts, but I was afraid of that.

The "ready to get a new computer" was more of a reference to my extreme urge to throw it through the window a few times, obviously formatting and installing a fresh OS is preferable to that.

I appreciate the response!

[sc302 Veteran]

That would be the easiest and the way to 100% be sure that you remove the issue. There are things that you can run to detect, but detecting does not remove and you really need to know what you are looking at at the OS level, the logs are quite long and there may not be an absolute identifyer to what the file causing the issue is.

[+BudMan MVC]

Did you try a simple restore point? To before you install the garbage?

What did you install exactly - can you point it out on cnet? Maybe someone with better googlefu can find the solution to its removal, etc. Or can install to a vm to see what it does exactly. So you can remove it.

But yeah failing that a clean install is the way to go.. I have one coming up in a few days, when my SSD gets here.. Yeah finally took the plunge... Really the only time to install new is on a fresh of OS, hardware, or you dick up the install so bad that its just faster to wipe it then try and fix.

Don't you have a backup image? You might want to think about that.

[jaxguy]

I am fairly sure it was this:

http://download.cnet.com/Free-VPN/3000-7240_4-75445860.html

The version has since been changed, as it says that it was added in March, but the original review was done last year.

The only review left that denotes a problem similar to mine was someone stating that it "locked up Facebook".

A lot of previous negative reviews are gone, if you go beyond the first couple of reviews, you can read all of the 'fake' foreign reviews in broken English.

As for the restore point, I tried the furthest point back; it didn't work.

I then tried Windows 8's "Remove everything and reinstall Windows" option.

And THAT didn't work.

[Torolol]

run the autoruns from sysinternals

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

look for supicious entries.

[jaxguy]

run the autoruns from sysinternals

http://technet.micro...s/bb963902.aspx

look for supicious entries.

Ran this, unfortunately didn't find any suspicious entries or new entries from the time period that the VPN program was installed.

Great program though, thanks for the link.

[Kcdog]

you may want to try

http://www.quicklyuninstall.com/article/Quickly-Uinstall-Free-VPN-2.21.html

[jaxguy]

you may want to try

http://www.quicklyun...e-VPN-2.21.html

No thanks,all of the comments there are in broken English also, and the "awards" appear to be fictitious.

I have a feeling it may even be the same people.

The last thing I need to do at this point is install another shady 3rd-party program.

Thanks, though.

[+BudMan MVC]

Some of those reviews are just Awesome!!! Funny **** Right there! ;)

If I get a chance tonight I will install on a VM to see what it does, so can figure out how to remove it.

"it is best softwere."

April 23, 2013 | By sonamsohomm

Version: Free VPN 3.0

Pros

virtual privet network work successfully i my pc .

Cons

without VPN youtube cannot be think.