Windows 7 Continuous Problems

Hello, I originally posted here closer to the beginning of the year.
I am running a Samsung laptop with 64 bit Windows 7. Since the middle of December, I have probably reinstalled Windows 5 times on my computer. The same thing happens every time. It will work fine for a few days, then start to have some slowing down issues. After that, the computer will start freezing anytime I try to do something. I will load it in Safe Mode and scan with everything I have: Advanced System Care, Malware Bytes, Spybot, Avast. This will fix the problem for another day or so. Then it will stop loading in normal mode. I will scan things again, but it will stop loading in Safe Mode.
I really have no idea what to do. I cannot afford a new computer, and I am at my wits end with the problems. I need to have a working computer for my job.
Does anyone have any idea what the problem may be and have to fix/prevent it from happening again?

 

You never finished your first thread by supplying an error code
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=272363

 

Correct. I never supplied an error code because I could never get the computer to give me an error code. From what I remember it said everything was fine.

 

Just as an update. The most recent time my computer was reformatted was this past Sunday. As of last night and this morning, it is freezing when loaded normally after 5 to 10 minutes, regardless of how many programs are running (the most being 2 so far). The computer does run fine in safe mode, however.
The only programs I have installed on the computer are: Google Chrome, Calibre (an ebook managing program), Microsoft Security Essentials, Advanced System Care, and uTorrent. These are all programs that I have always had on my computers, with the exception of Mirosoft Security Essentials, I used to use Avast!.
I have read somewhere that if a computer runs fine in Safe Mode, but not when loaded normally it could be a driver problem. I downloaded all of the drivers from the Samsung website according to my laptop's serial number. The only ones I have not installed are LAN and HDMI because I never use LAN and do not have HDMI. I have installed the drivers for my sound card, video card, WLAN, bluetooth, and touchpad.

 

Hi my friend , the problem is that , you must uninstall either Avast or MSE to be able to run your computer without problem ( two antivirus is the culprit ) , this is the tool for Avast

http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility

even go to

C:\Program Files\Avast

removing all files about avast , in case there is a problem you can use this tool

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Unlocker_d4660.html :wave

 

No, I do not have both Avast and MSE installed. I used to use Avast, but I decided to give MSE a try, so I only installed MSE after reformatting the computer. Unless Avast would stay installed after a complete reformat, then this would not be the problem.

 

What service pack is the Windows 7 you are running? When you reinstall windows are you doing it from an install disk or a recovery image?

 

Service pack 1. I am using an install disk that came with the computer.

 

Sounds like it's not a virus if you've reformatted multiple times. Have you ever vacuumed the dust bunnies out of your laptop? Dust is a killer. Does your laptop become hot to the touch?

After starting the computer start your Task Manager (Ctrl Shift Esc), choose the Perfomance tab, click Resouce Monitor... at the bottom. In the Resource Monitor select the Overview tab (likely already there). In the CPU panel sort by Average CPU, in the Memory panel sort by Private kb.
Go back to the Task Manager, choose the Processes tab, sort by Page Faults (click View> Select Columns> Page Faults if it's not visible).

Go about your business and check in on those from time to time.. The resource monitor will tell you what program is hogging the most CPU and what's hogging the most RAM. In the task Manager's Page faults is bad if you have a program that runs very high (is a rapidly climbing number).

Post what the highest CPU usage offender is, as well as anything that takes a lot of memory and the one or two highest Page Faults with their values (rounded numbers is fine).

 

I will dot that when I get home this afternoon. I have not cleaned out the inside of the computer before. It also does get warm, but only around the vent, and not more than any other computer I've felt that was working properly.

 

Two suggestions

Open a command prompt and type SFC /SCANNOW and after that runs see if it helped. SFC scans the windows files and replaces any that may be damaged. Reboot afer it completes.

If that doesn't help, would it be a big problem to rebuild the machine once again install NO additional software even anti virus. If your machine runs OK for three or four days take a RESTORE POINT and load the anti virus software and run for another three or four days. I think we need to take it one step at a time until we find the problematic component.

 

I believe I have done the sfc /scannow before and it found nothing wrong, but I will try it again.

I would be inconvenient to have to reformat again, but it's not like I can really use the computer at all right now anyway. When you say no additional software, you mean install the drivers and that's it?
I wouldn't feel very comfortable using the internet without some sort of antivirus.

Oh, I also forgot to mention that Dropbox is installed on the computer as well.

 

I totally understand your discomfort with operating a machine without anti virus, but we are troubleshooting what appears to be a difficult problem to isolate. If your machine should happen to get infected with a virus in four days, then nothing much is lost you just may have to reformat and start over again.

Yes, I mean install the OS, all service packs, all updates and all the drivers and nothing else. I think I need to "see" the machine run as plain vanilla.

You could also wait for a better suggestion from someone else on this forum. I'm sure others have ideas.

 

Jconstan, I will try an earlier reply to use the Resource Monitor first, then run the scan you suggested. If that doesn't turn anything up and I reformat it again, do you think it would be OK to install Microsoft Office since I need that for work?

 

I am doing this right now for the second time. The first time, I opened the monitors and then opened Chrome to go about my business, but the computer froze as soon as Chrome opened and had not unfrozen in almost 20 minutes. I restarted the computer and am now in Internet Explorer.
In Resource Monitor, iexplorer.exe has the highest average CPU usage. In the Task Manager, iexplorer.exe has 214,000 page faults, CCC.exe has 152,000 page faults, iexplorer.exe has 135,000 page faults, and dropbox.exe has 49,000 page faults. Does any of this help you? I'm going to try opening another program, which has previously always caused the computer to freeze, so I'm posting this now in case that happens. I will update if it doesn't.

 

Okay, utorrent.exe now has 118,000 page faults, but iexplorer.exe is still the highest average CPU usage. I'm going to close Internet Explorer and try Chrome again to see if it freezes again.

I opened Chrome and everything seemed fine until I tried to type a Web address and everything froze so I couldn't check the monitors.
From my phone

 

I restarted the computer and tried to run the sfc scan. When I typed it in it says "you must be an administrator running a console session in order to use the sfc utility."
Did I do something wrong?

 

Right click on the CMD icon and select "Run as Administrator".

 

I did this and the scan said there was nothing wrong. I did uninstall Chrome, however. Could that have been the problem?

 

If that's what you need to use the machine for four days then yes. One step at a time so we can understand exactly what happens when the machine fails.

 

I uninstalled Google Chrome and installed Mozilla Firefox instead because I hate Internet Explorer. My computer has been running for almost an hour now, back to better than it was when I first reformatted it. Is it possible that Chrome was causing a problem somehow? Maybe since it was an updated version?

 

Just hang on and see how the machine performs for the next few days.

 

My laptop started having the same problems again last night, so I am going to be reformatting it again tonight. If it performs well for the three or four days with no extra programs, do you think there would be an order to try installing programs, or should I just pick a program and try it?

 

No, the laptop has never been dropped or heavily knocked.

I download the drivers directly from the Samsung website after having entered the laptop's model number. I will post back if everything is still working in a few days.

 

I ended up getting the laptop reformatted on February 8. I have been using it mostly like I have previously, except for not having all of my programs installed. I did install Microsoft Security Essentials becuase I absolutely do not like using the internet without some sort of protection.
Since reformatting, the computer has been slower than I thought it should be, having been completely reformatted. It has also frozen a few times on me.
Also, isn't it possible that if this is being caused by a virus that the virus stays on the computer because of the Windows.old folders where all files are saved from previous installations of Windows?

 

If you have a flash drive, you can download a firefox/open office/anti-virus programs from http://portableapps.com/

They have a good selection there and that way you wouldn't have to install anything other than the operating system.

If you don't have a flash drive, you can even install them to the cloud (like google drive, sky drive, etc.).

Good luck!