Windows 7 lagging badly and very slow

[McDougal]

Sounds to me like you've got a bad install. With that being said, you have two options.

The first one, is to do a clean install. You mentioned that you already did one, did you use the factory disc or partition to restore? If so then that probably just restored the crapware as well. You should download an official Windows 7 ISO and install with that (using your OEM product key to activate).

The other option is to remove factory bloatware and fix your current install. Download PC Decrapifier to remove factory bloatware. Then, follow this tutorial to optimize your system.

I also recommend removing ZoneAlarm. Personally I don't see a reason to use anything more than the built-in Windows 7 firewall. For AV software, choose one of Microsoft Security Essentials, Avira AntiVir Free, or Avast! free.

Good luck !

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well Sammy we all had to learn the hard way mate even I managed to wreck a Dell XP I just loved by trying all that sort of stuff especially those mag disks they give away ( I wonder why LOL!!)

Never mind at least you have admitted to making the mistakes a lot hate doing that beats me why.

By the by if you are looking for a good free net security Comodo Premium is really good I put it on fixes for my workmates who don't earn as much as I do and cannot afford a paid for.
http://www.comodo.com/products/free-products.php

If you are up for a paid for I have had Kaspersky Internet Security for years and it has the very best online banking feature mate - I pau on avergae about $0.13 a day for mine. But they are always giving out good deals.
I'm just shifting over to 2013 shortly as my 2012 runs out on one machine. If you want it try it for a month and if configing it is a problem just PM me. Oh and Comodo too if you like. Link for KIS is
http://www.kaspersky.com/ > not the Pure though bit fiddly.

 

[sammy3417]

Well Sammy we all had to learn the hard way mate even I managed to wreck a Dell XP I just loved by trying all that sort of stuff especially those mag disks they give away ( I wonder why LOL!!)

Never mind at least you have admitted to making the mistakes a lot hate doing that beats me why.

By the by if you are looking for a good free net security Comodo Premium is really good I put it on fixes for my workmates who don't earn as much as I do and cannot afford a paid for.
PC Security, PC Internet Security, Free Desktop PC Security Protection

If you are up for a paid for I have had Kaspersky Internet Security for years and it has the very best online banking feature mate - I pau on avergae about $0.13 a day for mine. But they are always giving out good deals.
I'm just shifting over to 2013 shortly as my 2012 runs out on one machine. If you want it try it for a month and if configing it is a problem just PM me. Oh and Comodo too if you like. Link for KIS is
Kaspersky Lab US | Antivirus Computer Security > not the Pure though bit fiddly.

I did love wrecking XP only to fix it again....Windows 7 is very very good and doesn't muck up so easy Good old days... Oh and I did love those mag cds.

I have comodo free firewall and avast on my system, very pleased with them as they are not cpu or ram hoggers. Just love the geek stuff always have and always will

 

[McDougal]

Comodo is decent software and it would be my choice for a 3rd party firewall. But now I'm only running MSE and Win7 firewall and have been virus-free for over a year .

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well from a year of testing it I often wonder why a fair number of people go just the Comodo firewall and not just the whole hog as it were. Plus I have never had one fix back where I have used this suite for any problems other thatn the HDD letting go etc and certainly not because the CIS has let anything through.
Doesn't make a great of sense to me and make of that what anyone will. To be absolutely blunt if I did not like Kaspersky because I still think it is the best I would have Comodo Premium end of story:sarc:.

 

[Beermano]

Hi Mut, & everyone else. My first thread.
Mut, I have the same computer & the same problem
First off, I don't claim to be a computer genius (go easy on me )
I don't believe it to be a software issue.
My was going great, until.....hard drive shat itself.
Replaced HDD, was good for a 1 month maybe, then started slowing up.....it's exactly as you described it.
A professional told me it was a HDD problem (again?). The originals were Toshiba HDD's. I told him to get rid of the Toshiba drive and replace it with a Seagate drive.
Same problem....new HDD didn't do a thing.
I was interested to see if you have achieved any improvement yet Mut??
I will look through the above info/suggestions to help sort this crap out.
Cheers

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello and welcome Beermano too.

Well did some scratching around came up with the support site if you want to take a look Mut this is about the closest I can see to your problem
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01857699&tmp_task=solveCategory&cc=au&dlc=en&jumpid=reg_r1002_auen_c-001_title_r0001&lc=en&product=5041133

Maybe just out of pure coincidence both machines came from a rogue batch??

One thing Mut if you can try a making a bootable disk for Ubuntu change the BIOS to boot from the opto and if that runs ok then it will maybe sort of rule out problems with the RAM NB and SB graphics etc worth a try.

By the by have you tried running Speccy or something like it to check temps in the system?

 

[Beermano]

Thanks for replying ICit2lol. I,ll hopefully get some time over the weekend to look into it a bit deeper.
I might let the professional bloke look at it again, as I believe he might owe me some labour , from not fixing it the first time.
Cheers

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Thanks for replying ICit2lol. I,ll hopefully get some time over the weekend to look into it a bit deeper.
I might let the professional bloke look at it again, as I believe he might owe me some labour , from not fixing it the first time.
Cheers

Yeah mate I reckon the support for a lot of the brands now id pretty ordinary.

I had my first Toshiba (A200) from a dealer in Orange and the HDD carked it two weeks after the warranty ran out and well you would have thought they could have swung something but swung it my way to the tune of $500 for a 500GB (in 1998) drive - not impressed. Like a fool I bought a L550 from them a while later and it never ran right from day one had a local forum member and I tearing out hair out as they reckoned it was ok still to cut a very long story short I now have a 120G Samsung 830 in it and it flies. But Toshiba again ummm don't think so.

I do a fair nit of fixing for workmates and friends all who don't earn that much (I work for NSW Health) and most of the machine I get are yep Toshiba's and usually full of Apple ad that social networking rubbish.


Anyway let us know how you get on ok?

John

 

[gregrocker]

If hardware tests are clean then it can't be assumed to be a hardware problem until you've gotten a perfect baseline Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 following the best practices, methods and using the tools which work best with Win7.

The thread is replete with references to tools, methods and practices which are known to ruin Win7 and not recommended by anyone here. Until that's dealt with hardware is just another of the Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7.

Sorry to hear about the early problems with Toshiba as they seem to have a pretty good product now, but no factory preinstall is optimal Win7, but rather inherently corrupt.

 

[johnny333]

Comodo is decent software and it would be my choice for a 3rd party firewall. But now I'm only running MSE and Win7 firewall and have been virus-free for over a year .

I use what you do and get the best performance. I us ccleaner, Glary Utilities, Malwarebites , and super antispyware all free just to clean things up a little. Just the comodo firewall is good but takes a little time to learn it where as win7 firewall is good enough for most people and easy to use. Nothing like a new install to fix all the things I did to make it better that it doesn't work as well be for I started.
Good Luck and God Bless Johnny333 65+++

 

[ICIT2LOL]

If hardware tests are clean then it can't be assumed to be a hardware problem until you've gotten a perfect baseline Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 following the best practices, methods and using the tools which work best with Win7.

The thread is replete with references to tools, methods and practices which are known to ruin Win7 and not recommended by anyone here. Until that's dealt with hardware is just another of the Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7.

Sorry to hear about the early problems with Toshiba as they seem to have a pretty good product now, but no factory preinstall is optimal Win7, but rather inherently corrupt.

Yes Greg I think you are right there seems to be a plethora of folks using clean up apps that quite frankly you wouldn't get me within a mile of except for CC of course.

But I have to disagree with you on the Toshiba products I think the have gone down the gurgler as far as quality goes my last two have been absolute nightmares - could have been unlucky I suppose but a SSD and more RAM in them and they are working reasonably well. I think the problem with Toshiba is the bloat they put on to a greater degree. Have pulled two apart very recently and have been surprised by the flimsy nature of the components and the retaining parts.
Personally I will not buy another one as most of the fixes I get are - yep Toshibas!

As for the ref to the Comodo firewall I again personally don't understand why folks use the firewall and not the security suite it has the firewall as you probably know and the security is in my view really good in fact if I were not sold on Kaspersky I would use Comodo myself as I put it on fixes where the owner cannot afford a paid for one.
I work as an RN and as such earn enough to afford to have all my machines on a paid for but some of my fellow work colleagues are far worse off than me and so that is what I do. Have had no problems come back - malware wise for over two years so it cannot be that bad.

 

[gregrocker]

Thanks for the update on Toshiba and Comodo AV, John.

I know about a dozen family and friends with Toshiba who've had no complaints yet.

Most problems I've seen with Comodo are the firewall and awhile back.. Have you tried MSE with Win7 firewall?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Thanks for the update on Toshiba and Comodo AV, John.

I know about a dozen family and friends with Toshiba who've had no complaints yet.

Most problems I've seen with Comodo are the firewall and awhile back.. Have you tried MSE with Win7 firewall?

Yes Greg but I am KIS all the way I am afraid it's only $0.13 a day and I am so used to it now and I do like the online banking feature it's the best I have come across.

But having said that I shipped a machine that I rebuilt / upgraded to my brother who is in the UK and the Kaspersky I set on it nicely config'd and all is not able to be used there because of some regional differences if you have heard of anything so ridiculous. So I am trying desperately to find time to hook up with Teamviewer with him and get that KIS uninstalled and MSE put on as he has gone and bought the Pure which really is overkill for our purposes.

As for Toshiba perhaps they have raised their game a but as my current user one is now four years old but like I said with the SSD and 8GB RAM seems to behave itself now.
But just as a by the by I dissembled it in the last two days and after a slight detour through forgotten leads found I have bettered the core temp by 10C over what it was showing up and I think probably down to the poor quality of the VERY messy thermal job the factory did on it - some fresh Noctua paste and hey this thing is cool as there were times you couldn't rest it on your lap.

Now after Big Bad Betty is in operation I intend getting one of those 3rd gen Intel i5 based laptops the HP G6 series is very affordable at the moment.

Still if anyone wants to go Kaspersky PM me I can put them onto a great config

 

[PauloAgojo277]

Might try the ASC Paulo mentioned.

I don't recommend it - its just another so-called optimizer that Windows 7 does not need. Its not worth the code its written with.

Sorry .. Please Use CCleaner I Use it Now.. =DD