Slow menus, Windows Explorer freezing

[jxW]

If anybody can give me some advice on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

I’m running Windows 7 on my laptop. For the last week, I have experienced the following problems:
- Right-click on files, menus, etc is delayed about 15sec
- Firefox will freeze any time I click on something (same with IE)
- Computer will freeze when opening any program and most won’t load, like iTunes)
- Folders on desktop will disappear randomly, and reappear a few seconds later
- Entire screen will turn white, including Windows menu bar

When I turned my computer on one time, it began something I believe is a CHKDSK, but this did not seem to do anything. Again, the computer did this by itself upon startup, I did not do this manually.

*** I also cannot get my laptop to recognize an external HDD…If someone could tell me how to do this (in safe mode, or something) I could just save the files I need and restore the computer)

Thanks anyone who can help

 

[richc46]

Welcome,

It is always difficult to diagnose a machine from a few symptoms. Your symptoms however can have 2 causes.

The automatic chkdsk can indicate a bad hard drive. Get an online test.

The freezing is classic memory problems
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

Download and use memtest86 to determine the possiblity of problems

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/Guide-to-using-Memtest86-t246994.html

 

[jxW]

Is there a way I can tell what type of hard drive I have w/o opening my laptop?

 

[richc46]

Yes you can and I will get the software to show you how

If you download this software, you will know a lot more about your computer than you did before
http://www.piriform.com/speccy

 

[jxW]

Thanks. I am trying to get that program to download, but my computer is so messed up that I am having problems just doing that.

Honestly, I would be happy if there was a way I can save my iTunes library to another device, restore my laptop, and import my library once I have restored it. I have an external HDD, but my computer will not recognize it (it comes up as "unspecified" in device manager).

I'd rather not try and have the external HDD be recognized, because from what I see, it seems like a lengthy fix, and I doubt my computer is in a state where a fix would actually work.

To sum things up, I would like a way to save my iTunes library in a format where I can dump my music back onto my machine once it is restored to factory settings.