Paranoia setting in...

Ok... my browser halts from time to time. Not only is this annoying, but it's making me worry about possible spyware infections and such... is this possible?

Are you using windowsXP? Mine used to do that, I just got sick of it and started using firefox

But to answer your question I don't think spyware would cause your browser to freeze every so often, just run a scan with spybot or spysweeper if you want to be sure though

I am using Firefox, and I run those softwares constantly... but the problem is still here.

Ok... now this is freaking me out...

Here's my hijack this log... please take a look. The second item seems very suspicious to me...

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 10:25:38 PM, on 4/20/2005
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Tablet.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Softwin\BitDefender Communicator\xcommsvr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Softwin\BitDefender Scan Server\bdss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgcc.exe
C:\Program Files\DaemonUI\DaemonUI.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Logitech\SetPoint\KEM.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\WTablet\TabUserW.exe
C:\Program Files\Rainlendar\Rainlendar.exe
C:\Program Files\Stardock\ObjectDock\ObjectDock.exe
C:\Program Files\Trillian\trillian.exe
C:\Program Files\Logitech\SetPoint\KHALMNPR.EXE
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\WINWORD.EXE
D:\Downloaded\Security Tools\hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {5C8B2A36-3DB1-42A4-A3CB-D426709BBFEB} - (no file)
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DAEMON Tools-1033] "C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe" -lang 1033
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgcc.exe /STARTUP
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DaemonUI] C:\Program Files\DaemonUI\DaemonUI.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - Startup: Rainlendar.lnk = C:\Program Files\Rainlendar\Rainlendar.exe
O4 - Startup: Stardock ObjectDock.lnk = C:\Program Files\Stardock\ObjectDock\ObjectDock.exe
O4 - Startup: Trillian.lnk = C:\Program Files\Trillian\trillian.exe
O4 - Global Startup: ColorVisionStartup.lnk = C:\Program Files\PANTONE COLORVISION\Startup\ColorVisionStartup.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Logitech SetPoint.lnk = C:\Program Files\Logitech\SetPoint\KEM.exe
O4 - Global Startup: TabUserW.exe.lnk = C:\WINDOWS\system32\WTablet\TabUserW.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0\bin\npjpi150.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0\bin\npjpi150.dll
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
O16 - DPF: ppctlcab - http://ppupdates.ca.com/downloads/scanner/ppctlcab.cab
O16 - DPF: {2FC9A21E-2069-4E47-8235-36318989DB13} (PPSDKActiveXScanner.MainScreen) - http://ppupdates.ca.com/downloads/scanner/axscanner.cab
O16 - DPF: {9A9307A0-7DA4-4DAF-B042-5009F29E09E1} (ActiveScan Installer Class) - http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/as5/asinst.cab
O23 - Service: Adobe LM Service - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe Systems Shared\Service\Adobelmsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: ATI Smart - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2sgag.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
O23 - Service: BitDefender Scan Server (bdss) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Softwin\BitDefender Scan Server\bdss.exe
O23 - Service: SoundMAX Agent Service (SoundMAX Agent Service (default)) - Analog Devices, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
O23 - Service: TabletService - Wacom Technology, Corp. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Tablet.exe
O23 - Service: BitDefender Communicator (XCOMM) - Softwin - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Softwin\BitDefender Communicator\xcommsvr.exe

Ok... now Firefox crashed, and I had to remove the default profile, which was being used even when I restarted... After I got it up and working again, all my personal settings, along with the extensions and themes were gone... anyone else have this problem?

Feels like I'm here all alone.

Ive never had anything like this. Nothing looked suspicious to me in the log.