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PC has suddenly become really really slow

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  • 13-05-2015 3:39pm
    #1
    abff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,766 ✭✭✭


    I'm wondering if there is a specific problem right now due to a windows update as I'm at a bit of a loss to understand why my PC has suddenly stopped functioning.

    My PC has been working fine with no performance issues, but last night it started acting up. At first it was just delays in loading programs and delays in words appearing when I was typing them. But it eventually froze completely and I had to do a hard reboot.

    When it came back on, it spent about 10 minutes saying preparing to configure windows updates, another five minutes saying configurging windows updates and then I got my normal screen. When I clicked on the task bar, it started to load Outlook, but it has now been churning for about 15 minutes with nothing coming up. It's taken about 5 minutes for task manager to come up and it's showing Outlook as not responding, but won't allow me to end task.

    It seems as if I'm going to have to do another hard reboot or else remain permanently stuck trying to load outlook. Task manager is saying 77 processes, CPU usage varying between 0% and 2% and physical memory varying between 53% and 54%.

    Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I might do, or should I just bring it in to a PC repair shop to see if they can fix it.


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    #2
    Digital Solitude
    Registered Users Posts: 11,397 ✭✭✭✭Digital Solitude


    Uninstall any recently installed programs One by One and reboot, test, uninstall the next one.

    Have you run a virus scan?


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    #3
    Hollister11
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,482 ✭✭✭Hollister11


    Here are a few tips you could do.
    1. Reboot your computer.
    2. Close background programs. Open your task manager, to see all programs currently open. If your on windows 7 or up RUN Resmon to see how your computer is being used.
    3. Free up hard drive space. Move some big files (eg movies) onto a cloud storage (Dropbox or Google Drive) or an external hard drive.


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    #4
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    I would the HD for errors.

    Have you got a good backup.


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    #5
    abff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,766 ✭✭✭abff


    Digital Solitude wrote: »
    Uninstall any recently installed programs One by One and reboot, test, uninstall the next one.

    Have you run a virus scan?

    I haven't installed any programs recently and the problem I have at present is that I actually can't get anything to run on the computer. So I am unable to access the command menu.


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    #6
    goldenhoarde
    Registered Users Posts: 860 ✭✭✭goldenhoarde


    abff wrote: »
    I haven't installed any programs recently and the problem I have at present is that I actually can't get anything to run on the computer. So I am unable to access the command menu.

    reboot and go into safe mode http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2268 and then try

    1) run a virus scan/spyware check
    2) check for recently installed programs and remove
    3) system restore - go back to a time when it was working fine it could be a windows update went bad http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/system-restore


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    #7
    IrlMonk
    Registered Users Posts: 429 ✭✭IrlMonk


    Check to see if Windows has completed its updates. And check to see if there are anymore updates.
    Be patient, then check to see if the shut down tab needs to be shut down properly for updates to complete.
    Restart your pc a few times.
    I think your pc is slow because of Windows updates. They were dished out a few days ago.


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    #8
    yellowlabrador
    Registered Users Posts: 1,189 ✭✭✭yellowlabrador


    I always use Ccleaner to check the registry after a windows update. This last update was a big one and had slowed my laptop. after cleaning the registers it was back to normal.


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    #9
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,518 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    Backup, backup, backup.

    When you get to your desktop on boot have a look the the task manager and resource monitor and see what's eating up resources. If something is eating memory or CPU cycles you'll see it here.

    Consider doing a system restore to return your system to a time when it ran well.


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    #10
    bonzodog2
    Registered Users Posts: 6,220 ✭✭✭bonzodog2


    Check your RAM is all working; try reseating it. There may be a diagnostic in the BIOS.


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    #11
    abff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,766 ✭✭✭abff


    5uspect wrote: »
    Backup, backup, backup.

    When you get to your desktop on boot have a look the the task manager and resource monitor and see what's eating up resources. If something is eating memory or CPU cycles you'll see it here.

    Consider doing a system restore to return your system to a time when it ran well.

    Thanks. It seems to be working OK now, so I have backed event hing up. In future I'm going to back up all my files at least twice a week.

    When I run task manager, nothing unusual shows up, but I'm goi g to try defragmenting my hard drive(s). Is there anything else I should be doing?


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    #12
    abff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,766 ✭✭✭abff


    bonzodog2 wrote: »
    Check your RAM is all working; try reseating it. There may be a diagnostic in the BIOS.

    Thanks.

    How do I go about checking my RAM and reseating it?


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    #13
    Digital Solitude
    Registered Users Posts: 11,397 ✭✭✭✭Digital Solitude


    abff wrote: »
    Thanks.

    How do I go about checking my RAM and reseating it?

    Run Memtest86+ for a few hours. You've to boot from a disc or USB

    Reseating is physically plugging it out of the motherboard, and back in


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    #14
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,518 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    abff wrote: »
    Thanks. It seems to be working OK now, so I have backed event hing up. In future I'm going to back up all my files at least twice a week.

    When I run task manager, nothing unusual shows up, but I'm goig to try defragmenting my hard drive(s). Is there anything else I should be doing?

    Windows since 7 defrags automatically. Reseating RAM and stuff isn't going to fix slowdowns, bad RAM will prevent boots and cause shutdowns.

    My usual approach is to check software first. Look at recently installed apps and updates. As above check for heavy resource use. Then look at startup programs in msconfig and see what happens without them loaded.

    Next is hardware. Look at CPU temperatures and check that the fans are working. The only other moving part is the hard drive and of its around five years is be looking to replace it.

    Then I'd start to suspect RAM.

    It seems like a bad Windows update. System Restore is probably your best bet. A hard drive upgrade on a fresh install of Windows is probably worth considering as a more drastic solution. With fast SSDs becoming popular you've got plenty of choice for a big old spinning disk or a lightning fast SSD.


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    #15
    abff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,766 ✭✭✭abff


    I'm still having the problem with my computer running slowly, but I've now developed a new problem. When I logged off last night, the computer said it was installing 1 of 21 updates, so I left it running.

    This morning, I turned it on and got the usual starting windows message for several minutes. I went out and when I came back the screen was blank. This usually happens, but the screen comes on after a few seconds when I press the return key. When I did it today, a box comes up saying out of range 18.7khz / 32hz. I tried googling this, but nothing comes up. I also tried turning the monitor on and off. My next step is to force a hard shut down on the PC, but before I do this, can anyone suggest an alternative?


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    #16
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Boot into VGA and roll back the video driver that must have updated?


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    #17
    abff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,766 ✭✭✭abff


    Thanks. How do I go about doing that?


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    #18
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Depends on your OS. Something like this

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ie/windows/advanced-startup-options-including-safe-mode#1TC=windows-7

    Looking for VGA safemode with networking.

    I'm always wary of MS updates that update video drivers.


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    #19
    abff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,766 ✭✭✭abff


    Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions.

    I've tried some (but not all) of the suggested remedies and my PC is running a lot better, but still goes really slow from time to time (I haven't been able to find any discernible pattern for why/when this occurs) and it's still very slow at start up and shut down.

    I've now received a pop up box telling me that I can avail of a free upgrade to Windows 10 for a limited period. I'd welcome any advice on whether I should accept this offer and whether the upgrade might make my problem better or worse (although I appreciate it may be very hard to give any kind of definitive answer in this regard).


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    #20
    abff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,766 ✭✭✭abff


    I've reserved my copy of Windows 10 and I'm waiting for confirmation that it is available for download. Is there anything I should do by way of back up before I download it?


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    #21
    abff
    Registered Users Posts: 5,766 ✭✭✭abff


    abff wrote: »
    I've reserved my copy of Windows 10 and I'm waiting for confirmation that it is available for download. Is there anything I should do by way of back up before I download it?

    My update came through today. I was slightly concerned about some of the negative reports I'd read about Windows 10, but I hadn't been able to resolve my problem with my PC operating painfully slowly, so I decided 'what the heck'.

    I had to go out this evening, so I left the update running while I was out. When I got back, the desktop looked quite different, but the key point is that everything has speeded up and is operating the way it should be. I don't want to jinx it, but it looks as if loading Windows 10 has solved my problem with the performance of my PC.

    Fingers crossed I don't find that normal service has been resumed when I log on tomorrow. It would be great not to have to sit for ages watching the computer churning away trying to load or save a file.


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