Computer performance slows down when network adapter is enabled

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Dominik H

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Apr 15, 2014
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So, as I have noticed, every time I connect to the internet (via Ethernet) my whole computer slows down and all games become unplayable at around 10 FPS, also, YouTube videos become a bit laggy. Opening and closing things still work just as fast, but it is the transitions of opening and closing applications or other windows that are slow and choppy. However, once I disable my Network Adapter (Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller) my whole computer works at its normal speed, transitions of opening and closing windows are smoothly and games run as they should. I have tried updating the driver for the adapter, but it made no difference. I turned the "Green Ethernet" and the "Energy Efficient Ethernet" option off, it made a change for about a minute until it went back to the problem mentioned above. Does someone know anything I could do to try and fix this?

My system specifications are as follows:

Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
DirectX 11
8 GB RAM
AMD FX(tm)-6300 Six-Core Processor 3.5GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GT 640

Update: I closed a suspected process with the name of "mdm.exe" and deleted its entire directory, since then my PC is running as it should, but since it was found in the AppData folder, there could be more of them hanging around, however you can never be so sure.
 
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You can, and should, always look up this stuff on the web. From http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/mdm.exe.html:

Mdm.exe is the Machine Debug Manager, which is used by the Windows NT Option Pack and Microsoft Developer Studio to provide application debugging. When Script Debugging is enabled for Internet Explorer 4.0, the debug manager is initialized whenever Internet Explorer 4.0 is started. The Machine Debug Manager runs as a service and is loaded when your computer starts. If you do not use your computer for debugging purposes, you can safely turn this off (see link). http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/mdm.exe.html
Note: The mdm.exe file is located in the folder C:\Windows\System32. In other cases, mdm.exe is a...
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mx_mp210

mx_mp210

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Possible Bitcoin miner program running in background, there's no better explanation then this.
Try to clean up your computer with some antivirus or malware tool. I'd recommend Microsoft's security essential for light weight protection, however you can go for another tool.
You can find it here:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/security-essentials-download

PS: If you wanna confirm it before trying out those, open task manager and see if any process is taking significant processing power, if yes then delete that process and search for it on computer. Provide paths for analysis :)
 
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Dominik H

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I was checking out my task manager, and the first thing I saw taking up around 20 percent of my CPU is this application called "mdm.exe" located in my AppData: "C:\Users\Dominik\AppData\Roaming\ProductData\Caches". It calls itself Machine Debug Manager. Never heard of it, should I delete this? I will also install Security Essentials and have a scan to see if anything suspicious is on my PC. I'll let you know further.
 
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gangrel

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What it sounds like is your network adapter's spewing out interrupts at a horribly high rate. I would, I think, try these things in order:

1. Connect to the net with nothing going on. Now look at CPU activity, to see if it's suddenly jumped.
2. Full threat scan...is there some malware that is waiting for you to be connected, then kicking in? Another possibility is programs like DropBox or Evernote...anything relating to syncing, and that's kicking in. This latter isn't likely the case if the problem persists for more than a short time, unless you have a WHOLE lot of stuff being synced. :)
3. Now we're looking at the hardware. You need to try connecting this box to the internet by a different route, not using the adapter. Options would include wireless, if you have a wireless router included in your net connection gear, and a USB wireless network adapter for the computer, or getting an RJ45 to USB converter, readily available (Amazon, Newegg, maybe computer shops if you have them nearby...MAYBE Best Buy too...easy to search for this). If you have a free PCI slot, then a PCI Ethernet card would be another option.
 
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gangrel

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You can, and should, always look up this stuff on the web. From http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/mdm.exe.html:

Mdm.exe is the Machine Debug Manager, which is used by the Windows NT Option Pack and Microsoft Developer Studio to provide application debugging. When Script Debugging is enabled for Internet Explorer 4.0, the debug manager is initialized whenever Internet Explorer 4.0 is started. The Machine Debug Manager runs as a service and is loaded when your computer starts. If you do not use your computer for debugging purposes, you can safely turn this off (see link). http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/mdm.exe.html
Note: The mdm.exe file is located in the folder C:\Windows\System32. In other cases, mdm.exe is a virus, spyware, trojan or worm! Check this with Security Task Manager.

And any time you think you have an issue, it's time to go whole hog. Security Essentials is just a start. I'd throw in AdWare and Malwarebytes.
 
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Dominik H

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Let me reply to these in steps:
1. Connected to Google as a test, CPU behaved completely normally and website didn't load of course.
2. Currently during the progress of scanning for threats. I have dropbox open, but it isn't syncing anything, and when I close dropbox, there's no change, so that's definitely not the case.
3. I generally prefer wired rather than wireless, but do you reckon that buying an Ethernet card would prevent my system to slow down as it isn't directly running off the motherboard? I do have a spare PCI slot so I might as well make use of it.
 
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Dominik H

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Well, I have closed the "mdm.exe" and deleted the directory at which it was in, and suddenly my system is running as it should, but is that the full removal of the mdm or will it return somehow?
The mdm.exe that I had found was not in the Windows\System32 folder but in my AppData folder, and also it came up as a process, and not a service, so I suspect it is a virus?
 
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gangrel

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Barring local network transfers, such as between your system and a network-attached disk or another computer, you aren't going to use anything close to your full hardware capabilities. The connector's on the MB because the overwhelming majority of desktops will use it. Heck, even my little Chromebox and Zotac CI320, both of which have built-in wireless (802.11ac) networking, have RJ45 ports as well. Any general-use MB built *without* built-in ethernet, is gonna get *ripped* by every reviewer for its lack. It's not there for speed reasons per se; it's there for feature completeness.

If you don't have a PCI network card, I suspect it would actually be easier to find an RJ45 to USB adapter locally. Newegg has quite a few of both, tho, and neither is particularly pricy. I tend to like the RJ45 to USB cable because it's more flexible.
 
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gangrel

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You probably have found it...yes, the mdm.exe located there, was a virus. I'd HIGHLY recommend running Malwarebytes and let it do a full scan, and check here for other recommended tools. Oh, gee, I still have that link open:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/free-windows-security-anti-malware-tools,4149.html

Yeah, it's a massive pain, but you have to do it these days. Or try to do most of your web browsing from a non-Windows box; my Zotac CI320, on which I'm writing this, runs Ubuntu, and I've got my Chromebox which should be very safe from viruses.
 
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mx_mp210

mx_mp210

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Well I'm glad you found it. In most cases malware don't declare themselves that they are present in your system, otherwise you'll notice it and remove then immediately. It was probably a miner program bundled with some download or installer. Those programs really squeeze up every last processing power you got. That is why I said earlier it was possible miner program :)

It's always to have some light weight security and if you are suspicious of some program you can always check their authenticity by Installer Signatures, Reviews and best way to keep them away is not to click ads and get into the traps. That's not hard task but just try to learn difference between ads and actual content. It always keep you away from nasty stuff.

@gangrel System interrupts are highly efficient and do not use much processing power. Even right now your mouse is making thousands of interrupts per second, so does all other peripherals. It's how it was designed to work very efficiently, whether on old school 8086 or modern CPU. And even if there was some hardware fault , either it won't start or your adapter would be disabled by system or it may not even detect at first place.
 
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Dominik H

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To be honest I don't even recall pressing on ads or something suspicious, just normal stuff, and I always uncheck all the ad things on installers so it must've got there in some weird way. The strange thing is, when I checked task manager on earlier dates, the "mdm.exe" was never present.
 
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Dominik H

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It could've been that, but as I read online, it's for older versions of windows or something. And surely it wouldn't be in my AppData folder but my Windows folder.
 
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