VISTA Laptop - basic apps not working

I didn't know whether this was for software or hardware so please move if incorrect...the problem seems to be the OS possibly - not any software I've put on it.

My friend has a Gateway laptop, 1.5 yrs old, Vista Home Premium, 32 bit, 1 G Ram, AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core, 1.7 GHz, NVidia GEForce.

It is SLOWWWW. I have worked with her on using CCleaner, defragging system, removing Windows Defender and installing Zone Alarm & Avast. The last 10 Windows Updates failed -- I got 5 on her system...she's still trying to get the rest of the updates...1 at a time.

For months the system freezes (as in the cursor turns to the swirling circle and nothing happens - then she has to hit the power button to reboot) whenever she tries any of the following:

right clicks on blank space on desktop (to open properties or create a folder)
can't open control panel
can't open task manager

Yikes -- I've never heard of such a thing...any ideas?

 

Yep - you're right. When she told me her specs I said..."the first thing they'll tell me on Major Geeks is to increase RAM"

But I also meant that it has recently gotten SLOWER than it already was...

Do you mean that those commands are working it's just taking a long time? She has 70% of her HD free.

 

I can also attest to this. I ran my Compaq notebook PC with Vista Home Premium with 1GB of RAM for about 17 months before adding another 1GB. Sure, it performs better with 2GB but, like DomLuc, I did not experience the symptoms you report. I would typically have Windows Mail, a web browser (with multiple tabs open), and one or two MS Office apps (Word/Excel/Access) open simultaneously without problems.

I was also aware of the guide DomLuc mentioned and I followed it's advice and removed quite a bit of software installed by HP that I did not need or want.

 

I'll look into this - good point

I'll have to do this next week when I can go to her house and use her laptop.

Hm...I knew it would take more RAM - didn't know it was considered the "worse on the market"

They ONLY use it for browsing and email -- no streaming at all...maybe a kid will look at a video online -- but he'll have nothing else open at the time...

That's why I'm writing...she'll have no other apps open (I realize CPU is being used because programs are running in the background) and we can't even open the control panel to add/remove programs, etc.

 

I just took a quick look at this and step 4 says:
Step 4. Head to Add/remove programs.
See - I won't be able to even do this simple step -- how bizarre is that?

Well - I can get to it through CCleaner -- but that doesn't resolve the issue really.

 

Well I can through CCleaner (add/remove).

I came on here posting that I can't open the control panel at all, can't open Task Manager to shut down a program when it freezes (because task manager freezes), can't add a folder to the desktop and can't change power settings / graphics by right clicking on the desktop (though there's probably another way to do this - that's just what I tried and everything froze)

I will get to her laptop, go to Adryn's post, check spyware, etc.
Thanks everyone.

 

I spent a couple hours with this laptop - still acting weird.

1. I did sfc / scannow with my friends name (who is the only Admin) and it said "must be an admin to run" and wouldn't run. So I started in safe mode and ran the command.
At the end it said:
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Log found here:
C\Windows\logs\CBS\CBS.log - however access was denied (I tried to open this file on my Vista also and access was denied). Is there another way to get to this log?

2. No matter what services I started or stopped - I could not successfully update the 3 critical MS updates that have failed to install over the past couple weeks.
The error code after MS updates failed was 800B0100

i.e. In "MS Management Console" re: services: Windows Installer and Windows Update was set to "automatic-delayed start" , services stopped. there were 3 others set to this too.

I changed to "automatic" but I couldn't get the service to actually "start".
When I'd check the services again - "Windows installer" and the 3 other services that I had changed to "automatic" had changed back to "automatic - delayed start"

4. I could never get the Control Panel to load - not even in safe mode and not under any other user name. -- This is when you click start, find "Control Panel" on right column of start menu and click it.

I went to: roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Access\System Tools\control panel and clicked on this - nothing happened.

5. I could ONLY get PARTS of the Control Panel to open in safe mode when I right clicked Start, clicked "explore" and found "control panel" at the bottom of the list -- but the entire "control panel" wouldn't open and load like normal.

6. I had several programs open and running fine (may be slow on 1 gig ram) but in the problems I mention above - they are the only programs, commands I'm running at the time.

Any ideas?
Should I do a backup and reformat and save time?
Does this sound like some important things are corrupt (like sfc / scannow discovered)?

 

That gets my vote. It will probably save time and the outcome most likely be much better.

 

Do you think that would solve the underlying problems found here:
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

 

Honestly, I can't say for sure, especially after reading this discussion I found via Google:
http://www.vistaheads.com/forums/mi...-found-corrupt-files-but-unable-fix-some.html. My search phrase was Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files.

 

Yikes - thanks for the link...I at least found a link on that page about formatting Vista. Unless someone else comes on with another idea -- I'll try it (it will probably be a couple weeks before I can get to her laptop)