couple of PC questions, help!!!

[Guest nazcaLine]

hi.

first of all: when i start my computer ( i have windows XP sp 1) it becomes really slow, it freezes for about 5 minutes. when i open the task manger to see what happens, this SVCHOST.EXE is eating the processor with 98% activity. i finish the task and everything goes smooth. what's that? a virus? i have avast home edition, and it works...this happened a time ago, when i just put internet in my PC. a friend of mine told me to erase the cookies, i did it and bam! problem solved. but just two months ago, the problem came back, it slows when the system starts. i recently installed mozilla firefox ( ihad the internet explorer before) to be my browser, and just in case i did the same , erase the cookies...but nothing...what happens? any help, please??

 

here's another question, which is annoying me also: i can play music in winamp, quicktime, windows media, etc. and i can hear all windows and messenger sounds. BUT, i'm making a flash job and i can't hear the music i put on the file!!!! it's so annoying!!! and i can play the same sounds in winamp and everything's normal. what can it be? besides, there's a little icon in the tray that always worked as a general sound control, but this time it doesn't work. when i click "open sound controls" it says that there is no sound controls installed. but then, how can i hear music in winamp? and the windows and messenger sounds??? and why can't i hear the music of my flash file???

 

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

I'M DESPERATE!!!!!