Slow laptop

liammur · 08-01-2013 6:22pm #1

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but maybe someone on here can help.

My laptop is after getting very slow. It's about a year old, and I get a message from Norton telling me about High CPU usage.

Any ideas on how I can quicken it up ?

Thanks

Mint Sauce · 08-01-2013 6:26pm

liammur wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but maybe someone on here can help.

My laptop is after getting very slow. It's about a year old, and I get a message from Norton telling me about High CPU usage.

Any ideas on how I can quicken it up ?

Thanks

Maybe a defrag, or clearing unused, old, or temp files. Might be found in the disk clear up, or administratar settings, or control panel depending on your operating system.

sellerbarry · 08-01-2013 6:28pm

Get rid of norton for a start.;)

Boom_Bap · 08-01-2013 6:29pm

If you open the Windows Task Manager, what is using the most CPU?

liammur · 08-01-2013 6:30pm

irish-stew wrote: »

Maybe a defrag, or clearing unused, old, or temp files. Might be found in the disk clear up, or administratar settings, or control panel depending on your operating system.

Thanks, I did that already. Didn't do an awful for it, do laptops slow down if they are left on for a continuous amount of hours say like 10 hours?

liammur · 08-01-2013 6:34pm

Boom_Bap wrote: »

If you open the Windows Task Manager, what is using the most CPU?

I've 2 explorers open

1 is using 896,234K and the other is using 233,456K. All the others are small.

Boom_Bap · 08-01-2013 6:38pm

896,234K is quite a large amount of memory for explorer to be using. I assume Windows Explorer? If so, how many tabs do you have open?

irishgeo · 08-01-2013 6:41pm

2 explorers sounds odd.

I suggest downloading and running malwarebytes incase you have spyware.

liammur · 08-01-2013 6:43pm

Boom_Bap wrote: »

896,234K is quite a large amount of memory for explorer to be using. I assume Windows Explorer? If so, how many tabs do you have open?

Ya windows, and just the 1 tab - in fact this site here. The other explorer is faster right now. what could be causing that/

BostonB · 08-01-2013 6:45pm

sellerbarry wrote: »

Get rid of norton for a start.;)

+1

http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-Internet-Security-Norton/NIS-2012-and-High-CPU-Usage/td-p/533424/page/3

Boom_Bap · 08-01-2013 6:46pm

liammur wrote: »

Ya windows, and just the 1 tab - in fact this site here. The other explorer is faster right now. what could be causing that/

Do you have loads of toolbars and extra search windows in the browser.
It could be a number of different things, could be a flash plugin crashing repeatedly or something like that.

To be honest, the first thing I would do is stop using Internet Explorer and start using something like Chrome which uses far less memory.

RUSTEDCORE · 08-01-2013 6:49pm

BostonB wrote: »

+1

http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-Internet-Security-Norton/NIS-2012-and-High-CPU-Usage/td-p/533424/page/3

make that +2

Simi · 08-01-2013 6:51pm

liammur wrote: »

I've 2 explorers open

1 is using 896,234K and the other is using 233,456K. All the others are small.

explorer.exe is using 896,234K? That can't be right. It should be a fraction of that. Or do you mean internet explorer? Still insanely high though.

Have you done a full virus/spyware scan recently? That ginormous explorer process could be something else masquerading as a legitimate program (highly unlikely, but possible).

Normally I'd be reluctant to recommend tune up programs, as the free versions primary function is as an advertisement for the full program, but Glary Utilities is fairly unintrusive and has a good level of functionality.

liammur · 08-01-2013 6:54pm

Then will I close the internet down, it's faster for a while, and gets slower again after a while. Maybe bring it in somewhere ?

BostonB · 08-01-2013 6:55pm

Seriously un-install Norton. Then install Microsoft Security Essentials.

What have you go to lose. Whats the rush to go into a shop?

liammur · 08-01-2013 6:58pm

BostonB wrote: »

Seriously un-install Norton. Then install Microsoft Security Essentials.

What have you go to lose. Whats the rush to go into a shop?

No, it's not Norton, I thought I had a virus so I bought Norton to see could it get anything, but it didn't.

yoyo · 08-01-2013 7:03pm

Get rid of Norton and run a Malwarebytes scan. You can use a free antivirus like Microsoft Security Essentials or Avast to replace it. Two explorer.exe processes does sound suspicious

Nick

Boom_Bap · 08-01-2013 7:04pm

Which version of Window, is it 7?

If so, in the Task Manager, click on the Performance Tab, then open the Resource Monitor.
Hit the CPU tab and sort by CPU, which tops the list?

BostonB · 08-01-2013 7:08pm

You're saying the problem was there before Norton.

Still the general rule applies. I would un-install all non essential software. Especially Toolbars in Browser things like that.

TBH you could create a live bootable Linux DVD disk (doesn't install to HD) boot off that and see if its still low. If it is, then its the hardware. If its not then its the software you have installed. Note the Live DVD will be slow to boot, but after that it should be fine.

liammur · 08-01-2013 7:14pm

yoyo wrote: »

Get rid of Norton and run a Malwarebytes scan. You can use a free antivirus like Microsoft Security Essentials or Avast to replace it. Two explorer.exe processes does sound suspicious

Nick

This is what is says:

explorer: 32,308

iexplorer: 369,280
iexplorer: 302,409
iexplorer: 28,907

I have 2 internet sessions open.

I don't know what else it could be as they are the biggest users

gctest50 · 08-01-2013 7:17pm

Norton Removal Tool - best thing ever

ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/removal_tools/Norton_Removal_Tool.exe

https://www-secure.symantec.com/norton-support/jsp/help-solutions.jsp?lg=english&ct=united+states&docid=kb20080710133834EN_EndUserProfile_en_us&product=home&version=1&pvid=f-home

RUSTEDCORE · 08-01-2013 7:18pm

what are the pc specs

click start then right click on computer and select properties to find this

liammur · 08-01-2013 7:19pm

BostonB wrote: »

You're saying the problem was there before Norton.

Still the general rule applies. I would un-install all non essential software. Especially Toolbars in Browser things like that.

TBH you could create a live bootable Linux DVD disk (doesn't install to HD) boot off that and see if its still low. If it is, then its the hardware. If its not then its the software you have installed. Note the Live DVD will be slow to boot, but after that it should be fine.

To be honest with I'm not much good with computers, I wouldn't be able to do half that stuff.

liammur · 08-01-2013 7:23pm

RUSTEDCORE wrote: »

what are the pc specs

click start then right click on computer and select properties to find this

It's a 4GB, Intel 2.00GHz, Windows Vista Home premium,

yoyo · 08-01-2013 7:29pm

liammur wrote: »

This is what is says:

explorer: 32,308

iexplorer: 369,280
iexplorer: 302,409
iexplorer: 28,907

I have 2 internet sessions open.

I don't know what else it could be as they are the biggest users

Thats normal, sorry I read it as multiple explorer.exe processes! Uninstall Norton and see if things improve would be my advice.

Nick

liammur · 08-01-2013 7:31pm

yoyo wrote: »

Thats normal, sorry I read it as multiple explorer.exe processes! Uninstall Norton and see if things improve would be my advice.

Nick

Ok, thanks guys. It's people like yourselves that makes boards a great website.

RUSTEDCORE · 08-01-2013 8:05pm

liammur wrote: »

It's a 4GB, Intel 2.00GHz, Windows Vista Home premium,

4GB ram is great

A 2 Ghz processer (probably dual core) is not great but good enough for most things, definitely enough for browsing unless you are trying to watch 1080p video online.

Vista is crap xp or seven are far better

My suggestion is that you get a copy of windows vista and reinstall it as you have the product key on the laptop this would be free and would return the laptop to the condition you purchased it as.

NOTE-you should back up your files but windows automatically does that so dont worry
You will need to reinstall your programs that did not come with the pc though and if you use itunes this would delete all music on your ipod the next time you connect it

scarab47 · 08-01-2013 8:35pm

Get rid of norton avg free should be all you need. And vista too if you can get your hands on windows 7 you will notice a huge improvement.

BostonB · 08-01-2013 9:26pm

liammur wrote: »

To be honest with I'm not much good with computers, I wouldn't be able to do half that stuff.

Its really not hard. It just sounds hard. Its the techno babble.

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/help/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows

Boom_Bap · 08-01-2013 10:44pm

yoyo wrote: »

Thats normal, sorry I read it as multiple explorer.exe processes! Uninstall Norton and see if things improve would be my advice.

Nick

over 300k for a browser running one tab (boards.ie)......that is quite high.

Before doing any extreme un-installs, try another browser. It might be a short term solution.

yoyo · 08-01-2013 11:02pm

Boom_Bap wrote: »

over 300k for a browser running one tab (boards.ie)......that is quite high.

Before doing any extreme un-installs, try another browser. It might be a short term solution.

Sorry

. Meant that having multiple iexplore.exe processes is normal, not multiple explorer.exe ones

Nick

Slow laptop

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