[jjinh]

Quote:

Would the fact i only have 250gb left of my 640gb hard drivehave anything to do with it? I wouldn't think it would considering i have 4gb left on my toshiba and its speedy.

None that I know of (you didnt repartition the HDD?... I hate having drives that big).
 
Have you checked what processes are running in the background?

 

[Sushisamurai]

I'll give you a techie response later after I pick up my new shure se425's.

But for the time being, list ur antivirus software, and any other relevant software when the computer starts up. I'll help u clean it out.

The CPU and GPU are decent enough, and should be able to run windows 7sp1.

My little notebook of hp runs super well when tweaked.
Windows 7,
Intel atom n455
1gb ram
Intel graphics
250hd (hard drive space/speed doesn't matter unless ur running a solid state drive [SSD]

 

[Szadzik]

Easier and more complicated solutions:
 
1. Reinstall Windows 7.
2. Upgrade HDD to SSD.

 

[Sushisamurai]

Alright, so I'm back, and those shure SE425's are amazing.

So, I'm a Mac guy now, so my windows terminology may not be all that up to date anymore. Anyway, this is going to come up from straight memory, so excuse me if I may have skipped a few beats/steps.

Before I go into this, you're running an agh on 2, meaning ur computer can only run two threa at the same time, and if I'm not mistaken, each thread can only run 512K cache, whereas the i3 series can run 1-3MB (with 2 threads I believe), another words, every time the CPU needs to process an idea, it processes things at a much slower pace - 512k x2 to be exact. So, although you can optimize the computer, it has a huge limitation compared to the i3.

So, here we go!

First, before you do anything, look at your programs in the control panel. In the add/remove programs, remove any useless software. I like to categorize software into 3 categories (my coined terms), namely,

Essential software:
Eg: office, iTunes, vlc player, antivirus

OS/hardware software:
Eg: toshiba hot keys (or w/e they call it now), drivers/drivers information

Useless software:
Eg: google toolbars, etc.

Now, before removing programs, please keep in mind that in the OS section of software, there's a lot of software packaged by the manufacturer to increase ur comp experience, and unfortunately, a lot of that software can be really useless and can actually run ur computer to the ground as it uses system memory and CPU when u don't absolutely need it. Plus, windows 7 has made so many nice updates since it's launch that u really don't need the manufacturers stuff (they started packaging that stuff with xp, as xp was a bare bones OS). Unfortunately, if u remove the wrong program, it can render some hardware/soft touch buttons unusable. Best example is those hp quick play buttons. Remove the program, the soft touch keys no longer work, sometimes even rendering the volume controls unusable (har har har, that was a funny joke back in the day HP). But, luckily for you, u can redownload the program off the manufacturers website if u accidentally screwed that up.

Now, remove all those extra toolbars and such u downloaded over time. Also, in the start menu, get rid of all those useless apps. To clarify, in ur start menu, in the startup folder, get rid of any unnecessary shortcuts in there.

*****this is the risky/hard part

In ur start menu, select the run program
Then, type
Msconfig
Press enter
Go to the startup tab,
You should now see a list of all the programs and their respective directories that boot up when u start the computer. Uncheck (or remove the programs) u don't want. Press apply, restart. Pray to god u didn't screw up.
....

That is the best way to optimize ur comp, don't start any programs when the comp boots up.Eg: If u need to run aim/Skype, then run it, but don't auto boot it.

Second, norton antivirus, mcaffee, klips.... All those antivirus run a lot of system memory. I personally prefer avg free, which works well, just don't be an idiot and download something unnecessary. U can also remove the UAC (user access control) on windows, which also speeds it up, but highly not recommended for noob computer users.

Good luck, let me know how it goes

 

[batphink]

Go to http://www.sysinternals.com, download and install Process Explorer.  It is a Microsoft program that will tell you everything that's running and how much resources those programs are using.  

 

[mark2410]

check to see if SMART is passing or failing, defrag the drive, check if the drive is in AHCI mode and make sure the drivers are isntalled for it.  if possible wipe the disk and do a clean reisntall.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

check to see if SMART is passing or failing, defrag the drive, check if the drive is in AHCI mode and make sure the drivers are isntalled for it.  if possible wipe the disk and do a clean reisntall.

smart gives a 100% health.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Ok what the hell. My hard drive is making clicking noises now and S.M.A.R.T. still says it's at 100% health.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

OK i am ticked. I reinstalled windows 7 with nothing. Still slow as hell and laggy gui.
 
different hard drive mind you.

 

[Elysian]

Get rid of antivirus and anything similarly useless that runs on the kernel level.  Antivirus is unnecessary if you're not downloading pirated software, visiting 0day warez sites, and visiting sketchy websites.  Win7 firewall is sufficient for normal users.
 
If your entire GUI is lagging it sounds like a video driver issue.
 
The best first step is to reinstall the OS (preferrably just the OS and not the manufacturer backup disc) and seeing how it performs with just the bare OS and upgraded video drivers, and nothing else.
 
I'd also recommend running a fragmentation analysis and bad sector check of your HD.  Bad sectors directly on your OS system files have caused similar lagging/lockup issues on old computers I've built.

 

[NoKTurNal]

Quote:

Get rid of antivirus and anything similarly useless that runs on the kernel level.  Antivirus is unnecessary if you're not downloading pirated software, visiting 0day warez sites, and visiting sketchy websites.  Win7 firewall is sufficient for normal users.
 
If your entire GUI is lagging it sounds like a video driver issue.
 
The best first step is to reinstall the OS (preferrably just the OS and not the manufacturer backup disc) and seeing how it performs with just the bare OS and upgraded video drivers, and nothing else.
 
I'd also recommend running a fragmentation analysis and bad sector check of your HD.  Bad sectors directly on your OS system files have caused similar lagging/lockup issues on old computers I've built.

OP said she just did a fresh install of Windows 7,
If it was slow at that stage, it eliminates anything wrong with the softwares
 
Something is definitely wrong with the hardware, not the OS or programs
Check if the cooling is optimal, overheating isnt good
Open up the laptop, see if the wires or hardware out of place or loose
 
I would recommend you get that laptop checked out for wire or defective parts if all else fails
The processor CPU chip or hard drive may be defective
 

 

[Elysian]

There's a difference between doing a fresh install off of a retail Win7 DVD vs. installing something like a Lenovo copy of Windows which comes with about 50 drivers worth of bloat and associated software.  Otoh, if the OP is doing a fresh install off a retail Win7 DVD without installing specific drivers custom-written for that manufacturer's netbook/notebook, it can cause similar stuttering issues.
 
If it's a brand new computer I think it's highly unlikely something is wrong with the hardware, unless, as I said, there are bad sectors directly on top of where the OS is located on the HD partition.  Errors in the memory or video card memory probably would not show up as the OP's symptoms.
 
The OP has not given enough information to do anything more than a speculative diagnosis.  If he posted this vague thread on a forum centered around tech support, he would have been instructed to start giving a complete dump of everything that's loaded into memory, etc.  It's not even clear what OP has other than him rattling off some general items off of device manager and system profiler.
 
Not sure why you think you can make a conclusive diagnosis without having concrete and specific information about the hardware (what is listed in the OP is nowhere near detailed enough), and detailed information on exactly what with and how he's troubleshooting.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

There's a difference between doing a fresh install off of a retail Win7 DVD vs. installing something like a Lenovo copy of Windows which comes with about 50 drivers worth of bloat and associated software.  Otoh, if the OP is doing a fresh install off a retail Win7 DVD without installing specific drivers custom-written for that manufacturer's netbook/notebook, it can cause similar stuttering issues.
 
If it's a brand new computer I think it's highly unlikely something is wrong with the hardware, unless, as I said, there are bad sectors directly on top of where the OS is located on the HD partition.  Errors in the memory or video card memory probably would not show up as the OP's symptoms.
 
The OP has not given enough information to do anything more than a speculative diagnosis.  If he posted this vague thread on a forum centered around tech support, he would have been instructed to start giving a complete dump of everything that's loaded into memory, etc.

I did a fresh install with a retail disc. Then I installed the drivers off of a usb stick.

 

[Elysian]

What computer do you even have?  Manufacturer?  Model?  Custom-built?
 
Just from re-reviewing your posts, if your primary HD (where your primary partition and HD installation is on) is making clicking sounds, the drive is on its way to dying.  If you know the specific model number for your HDD, go to the manufacturer's website and download the manufacturer's disk diagnostic tool.  For example, for Western Digital, you'd go here and navigate to Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for that specific product.
 
If it's a brand new drive, though, even a manufacturer diagnostic tool may not detect any issues.  If you are hearing loud clicking/grinding sounds, your HD is going to die and you need to RMA it, even if a disk diagnostic tool gives it a clean bill of health.
 
Assuming you feel comfortable playing around the inside of a computer, get the serial number off of the drive directly and call that manufacturer and see if that drive is still under RMA.  They should ship you a new one with no fuss but it'll take a few to several weeks, and some may make you pay shipping.
 
A lot of it may depend on what kind of warranty you have on the computer (as a composite) vs the parts, but if you have the serial number and the manufacturer, they can tell you if you go through them or whoever you bought the computer through.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

What computer do you even have?  Manufacturer?  Model?  Custom-built?
 
Just from re-reviewing your posts, if your primary HD (where your primary partition and HD installation is on) is making clicking sounds, the drive is on its way to dying.  If you know the specific model number for your HDD, go to the manufacturer's website and download the manufacturer's disk diagnostic tool.  For example, for Western Digital, you'd go here and navigate to Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for that specific product.
 
If it's a brand new drive, though, even a manufacturer diagnostic tool may not detect any issues.  If you are hearing loud clicking/grinding sounds, your HD is going to die and you need to RMA it, even if a disk diagnostic tool gives it a clean bill of health.
 
Assuming you feel comfortable playing around the inside of a computer, get the serial number off of the drive directly and call that manufacturer and see if that drive is still under RMA.  They should ship you a new one with no fuss but it'll take a few to several weeks, and some may make you pay shipping.
 
A lot of it may depend on what kind of warranty you have on the computer (as a composite) vs the parts, but if you have the serial number and the manufacturer, they can tell you if you go through them or whoever you bought the computer through.

Manufacturer is Acer
 
Model number is Acer aspire 5742g - 7353
 
Hard drive is a WD.