Laptop running v.slowly

LizT

In the past few days my laptop has started to run really slowly. When I do ctrl+alt+delete it says the cpu is at 100%.

I got an error message from norton saying I needed to uninstall and reinstall 360, which I did. I don't know if this has anything to do with it. Firefox is particularly slow and will often freeze if I try to close out of a tab.

Any ideas? My laptop is a dell inspiron 1318 with vista. I've run a virus scan with norton and windows defender and nothing is coming up!

Alanstrainor

I'd get rid of norton tbh. I use Microsoft Security Essentials and find it great. And it's free.

Click on the start button, and click "run", a window should pop up. Type in "msconfig", which should present you with a new window. Click on the start up tab. Post up a picture of what's in there.

5uspect

+1 for getting rid of Norton, it's next to useless and an awful system hog while it's at it.
Microsoft Security Essentials is actually quite good!

What process in Task Manager is eating the CPU?

William Powell

Also try a scan with MalwareBytes from www.malwarebytes.org

LizT

It says safari is using 30% of the cpu but even if i close it, the cpu will still be at 100. Whatever I'm doing then will be taking up nore of the cpu e.g. I'm looking at the resource monitor so it will say that it's taking up 20 - 30 %.

This is what I get for start up (I have absolutely no clue what any of it means, I took a screen shot of it scrolled down as well)

Alanstrainor

Jaysis!

That shows you what the computer does runs when it turns on. And that's a lot of stuff to have try to start up on startup.

To compare with mine, i only have these three boxes ticked:
Microsoft Security Essentials.
Microsoft Windows Operating System.
Digsby.

And the last one in my list doesn't need to be there.

I'd untick everything except the top two in my list. And ones like the synaptics one, quick set could be useful.

LizT

Right, I did that with the start up menu, laptop is still really slow. Trying to get the malware scan started now!

Alanstrainor

lizt wrote: »

Right, I did that with the start up menu, laptop is still really slow. Trying to get the malware scan started now!

Did you restart?

5uspect

Try killing the Safari Process, simply "Xing" the program won't actually terminate it. Can you also show us a screen shot of your processes in the Task Manager? Sort the list by CPU usage.

LizT

Is that what you're looking for? I uninstalled Norton and installed the windows security you recommended. I restarted and it's still quite slow. Sorry about all of this, I have no clue about computers so I'm not quite sure what it is I'm looking for!

LizT

Also I took that screen shot while the malware scan was going on if that makes any difference!

sellerbarry

how much ram have you got?

5uspect

lizt wrote: »

Also I took that screen shot while the malware scan was going on if that makes any difference!

I meant the Process tab from the Task Manager not the Resoures Monitor.
Take the image with nothing else running. Sort the list bu CPU usage so that the list shows the heaviest processes at the top. For a system at idle the system idle process should be at the top.

If Safari, say, is the cause of the problem then you can end the process from this tab. However be careful what processes you kill, some are required to keep the system running.

Also you could just simply run a system restore to a date when the problem didn't exist.

d.anthony

Sorry for butting in, but I had the same problem very recently. The problem was my fan and vent were blocked with dust, it was making cpu run at 100% and also making the laptop overheat. Maybe that's your problem?

LizT

d.anthony wrote: »

Sorry for butting in, but I had the same problem very recently. The problem was my fan and vent were blocked with dust, it was making cpu run at 100% and also making the laptop overheat. Maybe that's your problem?

Oddly enough I think it could be! My laptop is very hot but the fan isn't going... How do I clear it out?

Ok just do the following;

To clean your fan, open up the back of your laptop (You'll need a phillips screwdriver) and discharge any static electricity out of you by holding the case. When you have it open you should see the fan straight away, don't touch anything if you don't know what your doing. If you have a can of compress air simply give it a good spray around the vents and in the actually fan itself. If you don't have a can of compressed air, use your hairdryer (If it has one of them buttons which makes it shoot out cold air then use that), or you can use your hoover, be careful though when your using it. Then simply screw the bottom back on and your away.

If that doesn't work; (Get rid of Nortan regardless)

Unistall everything Nortan, you can do this by going to the control panal and 'Add or Remove Programs'. This includes Nortand Internet Security, Ghost and Updates.

Download a free anti virus such as AVG 2011, you can download the full one if you want but it will cost you money or if you want you can PM me and i will send you on an serial key as there easy to get.

Make sure you don't have anything like msn messenger booting up when you turn the computer on.

Delete anything off of your hard drive that you don't need and defragment it.


And just to add in, Nortan is terrible, i know its used by alot of people but it eats up your CPU, its actually a joke how bad it is and from experience with other people or friends if they ever do get a virus or trojen, Nortan makes it worse instead of fixing it.

If you don't use your computer for anything important and you know what your doing then do a clean reinstall of your OS if you have the discs etc, if you don't make sure to take record of your serial key for it which can be found by right clicking and going to properties in 'My Computer'.

5uspect

I generally just stick the hoover up to the exhaust and inlet vents. Opening up is a bit extreme as a first step. Sure you'll get a better clean but a quick hoover should make enough of a difference to test that this is the problem.

From experince with laptop coolers the two main failure points are hairballs collecting in between the fan blades and dust blocking the fine copper grill of the heat sink.

LizT

Just to let you know, it was the fan. My friend open it up for me and cleaned it out.

Thanks for all your help!

5uspect

Good to hear. Remember to keep it clean or it'll happen again!

alanhiggy

maybe u need to update the bios.i had to that cos it was overheating and it solved the problem..also defrag ur laptop...avg internet security 2011 is the best..and avg pc tuneup 2011 for scans is by far the best software

5uspect

alanhiggy wrote: »

maybe u need to update the bios.i had to that cos it was overheating and it solved the problem..also defrag ur laptop...avg internet security 2011 is the best..and avg pc tuneup 2011 for scans is by far the best software

It's a Vista laptop so defragging isn't an issue.
The newer versions of AVG are meh TBH. After the whole linkscanner fiasco they lost a lot of support and are slowly turning into Symantec.

The rather excellent Microsoft Security Essentials is one of the most surprising things to come from M$ in a long time however.

LizT

I have microsoft security essentials now - is that enough to protect my laptop or do I need anything else?

5uspect

Malwarebytes is a good option to scan for malware now and again. The Windows Firewall is adequate for most users.

A good secure web browser is also a must. Google Chrome has been making a lot of noise lately in security tests.

bhickey

lizt wrote: »

I have microsoft security essentials now - is that enough to protect my laptop or do I need anything else?

Common sense is the best protection. Failing that you could also try using a login that doesn't have Administrator privileges.