Aside from this, explorer.exe sometimes hangs on booting the computer, and other programs may hang during regular usage. By hang I mean they are visible as a program running in the task manager but don't actually run at all.
I've attempted Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, as well as Spyboy S&D, and while they did come across some malware, they didn't remove the offending one.
I'm on Windows XP SP3
Here are my logs:
Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 21:35:36, on 26/11/2010
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.20978)
Boot mode: Normal
Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS.0\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS.0\RTHDCPL.EXE
C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe
C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\wscntfy.exe
C:\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Mozilla Firefox\plugin-container.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HiJackThis\HiJackThis.exe
C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\notepad.exe
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =
R3 - URLSearchHook: uTorrentBar Toolbar - {bf7380fa-e3b4-4db2-af3e-9d8783a45bfc} - C:\Program Files\uTorrentBar\tbuTor.dll
O2 - BHO: Conduit Engine - {30F9B915-B755-4826-820B-08FBA6BD249D} - C:\Program Files\ConduitEngine\ConduitEngine.dll
O2 - BHO: SkypeIEPluginBHO - {AE805869-2E5C-4ED4-8F7B-F1F7851A4497} - C:\Program Files\Skype\Toolbars\Internet Explorer\skypeieplugin.dll
O2 - BHO: uTorrentBar Toolbar - {bf7380fa-e3b4-4db2-af3e-9d8783a45bfc} - C:\Program Files\uTorrentBar\tbuTor.dll
O3 - Toolbar: uTorrentBar Toolbar - {bf7380fa-e3b4-4db2-af3e-9d8783a45bfc} - C:\Program Files\uTorrentBar\tbuTor.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Conduit Engine - {30F9B915-B755-4826-820B-08FBA6BD249D} - C:\Program Files\ConduitEngine\ConduitEngine.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /installquiet
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RTHDCPL] RTHDCPL.EXE
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [uTorrent] "C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Steam] "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -silent
O9 - Extra button: Skype Plug-In - {898EA8C8-E7FF-479B-8935-AEC46303B9E5} - C:\Program Files\Skype\Toolbars\Internet Explorer\skypeieplugin.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Skype Plug-In - {898EA8C8-E7FF-479B-8935-AEC46303B9E5} - C:\Program Files\Skype\Toolbars\Internet Explorer\skypeieplugin.dll
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS.0\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS.0\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O18 - Protocol: skype-ie-addon-data - {91774881-D725-4E58-B298-07617B9B86A8} - C:\Program Files\Skype\Toolbars\Internet Explorer\skypeieplugin.dll
O18 - Protocol: skype4com - {FFC8B962-9B40-4DFF-9458-1830C7DD7F5D} - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\Skype\SKYPE4~1.DLL
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (nvsvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS.0\system32\nvsvc32.exe
--
End of file - 4364 bytes
And the uninstall log:
µTorrent
Adobe Flash Player 10 Plugin
Adobe Shockwave Player 11.5
Conduit Engine
EVEREST Home Edition v2.20
HiJackThis
Hotfix for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (KB953595)
Hotfix for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (KB958484)
Just Cause Demo
Mass Effect
MediaMonkey 3.2
Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1
Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 2
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Microsoft Silverlight
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable
Mozilla Firefox (3.6.12)
Mp3tag v2.47a
MSXML 4.0 SP2 (KB954430)
MusicBrainz Picard
NVIDIA Display Control Panel
NVIDIA Drivers
NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager
PeaZip 3.4
Realtek AC'97 Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver
Skype Toolbars
Skype™ 5.0
Steam
uTorrentBar Toolbar
VLC media player 1.1.4
Windows Rights Management Client Backwards Compatibility SP2
Windows Rights Management Client Backwards Compatibility SP2
Windows Rights Management Client with Service Pack 2
Windows Rights Management Client with Service Pack 2