Windows 7 not responding, works in safe mode

Yesterday I was playing a game on my HP Laptop when the computer froze. I couldn't move the mouse, open task manager, ctl+alt+delete, nothing. I had to hold the power button down for 10 seconds and do a hard reset. I let it sit for a few minutes and then booted it back up. Ever since, my computer is not working. It seems to take forever to load to Windows, which it never has before, and once it loads to the desktop everything goes to "Not Responding" within about two minutes. I can't do anything but a hard reset. However I can boot to safe mode with networking with no problems, and it works fine. I have not added any new programs or hardware in many months. Windows will boot up like normal, but as soon as I try to open anything (internet, control panel, start menu, etc) it opens and then freezes to "not responding" and I can't do anything but a hard reset.

These are the steps that I have taken so far:

Ran a virus scan through Norton and Hitman Pro, and downloaded Malwarebytes in safemode - all came back clean.
Used msconfig to disable all startup programs and all non-microsoft services. Still having the problem.
Did a "clean" boot from another forum. Still having the problem.
Uninstalled several programs, still having the problem.
Checked all device drivers for updates, everything shows "The driver installed is the most current version". I have no yellow or red flags, even in the hidden devices.
I attempted a system restore, but all of my restore points have disappeared. I know there was restore points on there, as I have them set to automatically save one each week. Now there are none, so I cannot do a system restore at all.
At the startup screen, hit ESC and it ran a couple checks and stated nothing was wrong.

The above steps pretty much reach the extent of my technical knowledge, plus what I read on the forums. I am at a loss. It was working fine one minute and now it won't work. I have an HP G60-440US laptop, running Windows 7 Home 32 bit. As of right now I am working in safe mode, but would like to get my laptop fixed so I can use it normally. Any help is appreciated!

I did the sfc /scannow and it says "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations"

I'd check a little deeper for infection using the Windows Defender Offline boot disk for a full scan. I'd also uninstall the Norton bloatware and install lean effective Microsoft Security Essentials to run a full scan.

Be aware that the HP factory preinstall is one of the worst possible installs of Win7 with the largest load of bloatware in the industry. Most tech enthusiasts won't run it but choose to Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. Everything needed to get a perfect install is in the blue link including Special Notes for HP Owners to help you decide which partitions to keep.

At the minimum I'd Clean Up Factory Bloatware.

Gregrocker - I went through the steps for the Windows Defender Offline, and still came up with no infection. I don't know what other scans to complete, but I have not been able to find anything malicious on my computer.

I can boot into normal Windows (not safe mode), and open browsers and programs now. I'm not sure which steps I have taken have allowed this, as I have followed a few recommendations. However it seems to freeze up about every 3-5 minutes and everything goes to "Not Responding", although I can still use my mouse. If I let it sit for 5+ minutes it will un-freeze, and the cycle repeats. As per my original post, I have it set to boot up at a bare minimum. The only programs I have allowed at start up are the standard Microsoft ones, my Synaptics Pointing Device for my touchpad, and the HP Wireless. Everything else is disabled. Also the computer seems to be running very, very slow at start up. Does any of this ring a bell with anyone? I am not very tech savvy, but could there be a process or something else that is causing the computer to "hang" and then it eventually rights itself? Is there something that could be creating this cycle? I really am at a loss what to try.

You can work through the Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7 but you'd likely spend more time than doing the Clean Reinstall and still be stuck with the very worst Win7 install you can have even if you solve the problem.

What are your objections to doing the Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to get a perfect install instead?

Gregrocker - It is not that I have an objection to the clean reinstall, it is more that I don't feel comfortable with my level of technology to try it. I have had my laptop for a couple years and have some important stuff saved on it, and other than the automatic backup Norton does for me, I don't really know how to make sure I save everything. I am afraid I would forget something, or do something wrong and lose everything. I really wouldn't know where to start; do I need a flash drive? How many CDs would I need? It seems overwhelming.

On the other hand, I think I may have resolved my problem. I ran a CMD line and did "chkdsk /f /r", and it ran for a couple hours. It came up with 3 bad sectors, one in sysfile, one in SYSTEM1~, and one in a Norton file. It fixed all 3, and once it rebooted the computer is running like new. It has not frozen up once, it seems to be working wonderfully. I appreciate all the help everyone gave, and will definitely return to these forums if I need help in the future. Thanks!

OK, great Cowgirl. Keep us posted on how it goes.

To get close to having a Clean Install work through the steps to Clean Up Factory Bloatware.

To go over your system really good and learn more about troubleshooting try these Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7. I would test the HD to make sure those are not symptoms of its failure.

The best backup method is to sort all files into one of your User folders (Documents, Music, Picture, Downloads, Desktop, etc) and then drag them or the entire named User account to an external HD or another HD, or another PC on the network. You can also back up a Win7 image to have in case of OS or HD failure: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

Another popular modern method is to back up your files to the cloud using freeware like Skydrive which can also at the same time Sync, Backup and Store your Files to the Cloud with Skydrive - Windows 7 Forums

Continue to ask back any questions you have.