Signs of a dying laptop?

[Vergil'sBitch]

I'm noticing that my laptop is freezing a lot more, it's taking longer to load, paint .net is now crashing constantly, I'm getting runtime notices and the uninstaller is playing up... is this the beginning of the end for the laptop?

(I've had it for 3 years this august.)

 

[Vauxchen]

Could do a clean install/clean up of your PC to speed things up, but it is starting to die by the sounds of it. Clean out what you don't need and defrag the hard drive, see how much it helps. If it helps a lot, good news, if it doesn't then it's dying a bit quicker.

 

[V]

To find out if it's the soft or the hardware is take everything off it you need and reset the sucker. Complete wipe, and reinstall of your OS, and test it before putting a lot of things back onto it. If you still have freezing problems with a clean machine and bare bones programs you know it's more likely the hardware. Though what you described I've had problems with because of software conflicts rather than hardware issues.

Then again I always use the tower, I've never been the one using the laptop. Compared to the towers the laptops usually have less hardware issues and last longer in my experience (the last laptop I saw die only did because the car got crashed into a motorway barrier with the thing in the trunk. Then it died. I've been through three towers in the same space of time...)

 

[Dark Drakan]

Id use CCleaner to fix registry issues, clean unneeded files, defrag, cleanup your boot programs & maybe uninstall & reinstall internet browsers & unused programs.

 

[Vergil'sBitch]

I don't have the disc for the OS (it'd cost me £25 just to get it reinstalled.)
I've got a tower, but that doesn't work very well either (something about Virtual memory being low... )

I've got ccleaner, I have no idea how to use it

 

[LeoXCV]

Could be a number of things.
Before you do anything I recommend doing a full virus scan (Amp up all sensitivity options for the scan too)

Now if you want the easiest way out back up all the data you need and do a factory reset (Assuming you have an external back-up).
If you don't want to do the factory reset try defrag if you haven't for a while, especially if you have been saving/editing files a lot since your last defrag. If that doesn't help then you'll need to do a little more in depth stuff (Worry about that when you get there)

Also quick question; what's the error code for the runtime messages and when have they appeared?

EDIT: since you already have CCleaner go ahead a use that after the defrag.

 

[Vergil'sBitch]

It was something about C+++ (and I can't remember), but i think it's been fixed by the CCleaner

Full virus scan: nothing
CCleaner: Fixed a few things and it has gotten a tad faster... but there are still a few tasks it's struggling with (uninstalling, loading up windows explorer.)

 

[LeoXCV]

When you have nothing running what does the task manager say your CPU usage is? (Could be a background program causing issues)

 

[V]

How come you don't have your own copy of Windows...? Sounds like it might be cheaper in the long run to purchase a home style copy so you can reinstall without paying someone for it constantly.

 

[Vergil'sBitch]

How come you don't have your own copy of Windows...? Sounds like it might be cheaper in the long run to purchase a home style copy so you can reinstall without paying someone for it constantly.

I bought the laptop pre-owned... plus, for the amount of times that it has been repaired, it would've just have been cheaper to buy a new basic model.

When you have nothing running what does the task manager say your CPU usage is? (Could be a background program causing issues)

It flickers between 8,10 and 13% (at one point it spiked to 45)

 

[LeoXCV]

It flickers between 8,10 and 13% (at one point it spiked to 45)

Seems pretty high, check the processes tab in task manager (Again nothing else open and also have a still mouse) and just write what things show up as using the CPU and what their CPU usage range is (Doesn't have to be pinpoint accurate, its just to get a general idea of what's going on).

 

[V]

If you're doing nothing at all, the CPU usage should range around 0 to 2%.

 

[lorddemolatron]

Same thing happened to mine other laptop what was been used for net, as brother was given us to use but in 2011 it started always making BSOD when it longer worked so was hard to do anything. Even my father tries nowadays to restore it but Im doubting if it will be working 100%.

 

[Dark Drakan]

It was something about C+++ (and I can't remember), but i think it's been fixed by the CCleaner

Full virus scan: nothing
CCleaner: Fixed a few things and it has gotten a tad faster... but there are still a few tasks it's struggling with (uninstalling, loading up windows explorer.)

Id clean out your boot programs & tasks, I did this and my laptop booted & ran much faster.

1. On the Start screen, type msconfig, and then press Enter.
2. On the Services tab of the System Configuration dialog box, tap or click to select the Hide all Microsoft services check box, and then tap or click Disable all.
3. On the Startup tab, tap or click Open Task Manager, right-click (or, on a touch device tap and hold) and then disable each Startup item, and then close Task Manager.
4. On the System Configuration screen, tap or click Apply/OK, and then restart the computer.

I just tried to leave the basic processes & my Anti-Virus programs etc.

Malwarebytes is a great program too that you should check out (free version).

 

[lorddemolatron]

Well mine thing is really freakish as It started again,on that laptop I reinstalled OS on reformatted HD and that BSOD is still on PC without reason.

 

[V]

Yeah, Malwarebytes is good to have... even though I only tend to stick around the same sites and not download much the computer still picks up all kinds. I've still got FunMoods lurking the registry somewhere though, it can't seem to get rid of it, and that came from a DeviantArt official downloader, ugh.

 

[Vergil'sBitch]

Seems pretty high, check the processes tab in task manager (Again nothing else open and also have a still mouse) and just write what things show up as using the CPU and what their CPU usage range is (Doesn't have to be pinpoint accurate, its just to get a general idea of what's going on).

Last night, it spiked to 98% (and that was also without internet)
The only things that were being processed by the computer were:
agent .exe (54)
ISUSPM.EXE (32)
explorer.exe (2)
taskmgr.exe (3)

Id clean out your boot programs & tasks, I did this and my laptop booted & ran much faster.

1. On the Start screen, type msconfig, and then press Enter.
2. On the Services tab of the System Configuration dialog box, tap or click to select the Hide all Microsoft services check box, and then tap or click Disable all.
3. On the Startup tab, tap or click Open Task Manager, right-click (or, on a touch device tap and hold) and then disable each Startup item, and then close Task Manager.
4. On the System Configuration screen, tap or click Apply/OK, and then restart the computer.

I just tried to leave the basic processes & my Anti-Virus programs etc.


Malwarebytes is a great program too that you should check out (free version).

I'll give it a go. Surely it can't mess up my laptop anymore than what it is.


-------------------------
Today, I've ran a Malware check... It found nine things.
They've been deleted, but there are still a few things that aren't working quite right.
I'm going to do another Antivirus check, but I don't think i'll find anything.

 

[lorddemolatron]

This maybe can be some kind of virus or other bad software. They even can take disguise of normal program to do their job, so try to use anitivirus or other software to delete unwanted programs

 

[ROCKMAN X]

Em... it seems more like hardware losing its quality to me but i'd say you can try Degfragging,Deleting your Prefetch data

Or if all else fail the only way i can see is a clean Re-Install of Windows

 

[LeoXCV]

Last night, it spiked to 98% (and that was also without internet)
The only things that were being processed by the computer were:
agent .exe (54)
ISUSPM.EXE (32)
explorer.exe (2)
taskmgr.exe (3)
-------------------------
Today, I've ran a Malware check... It found nine things.
They've been deleted, but there are still a few things that aren't working quite right.
I'm going to do another Antivirus check, but I don't think i'll find anything.

Both agent.exe and isuspm.exe are a part of InstallShield and are harmless unless infected, so they are likely to be the main source for the problem.
Definitely try what Dark Drakan suggested. Also in you scans, do a boot-time scan if you haven't already (Amped settings).