Having issues with my laptop and need some advice.

Canada
January 29, 2011 8:28pm CST
I find that more and more, I have to reboot my laptop because it starts lagging and freezing. I find that my virtual memory is being eaten up by sites like Facebook and some other sites. I'm wondering if increasing my memory capacity will help, I have 1 gig of ram, have room for an additional 1 gig. The other issue is the number of processes running, I have about 45 processes on average running, not all mine, and I close down a handful of the ones I use when I start lagging, but it doesn't always help. I have some programs installed on my laptop and I wonder what they are and if I can remove them if I don't need them. The programs that I'm wondering about are in the screenshot posted, with the exception of the Excel Viewer. But the other ones in the box and the one underlined, I don't know what they are and if I really need them on my system. Another annoying issue is the cooling pad. I have one that has 3 fans, but it simply doesn't cut it and my laptop is overheating constantly. I know that's not good for it, but I don't know what to do about that. I wonder if simple elevation is all that's needed to keep it cool, if I should elevate the laptop while it's on the cooling pad. The heat in this laptop has always been an issue. I can't take the laptop apart to blow out the inside of it, I took all the bottom screws off, but it won't open. If I was able to do that, I know I could blow out the internal fan and hopefully help that issue a bit. I don't know if age is a factor, the laptop is 7 years old. Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated as I'm not sure what to do.
3 responses
• China
30 Jan 11
Virtual memory problem. I also had such a problem. I think you should format your laptop. Then all the problem will be short it out. Good luck!!!!!!!!!
• Canada
30 Jan 11
I don't have the means to back anything up on my system. Shortly after I got this laptop, I had to reformat it and lost everything I had. This was due to a virus that I couldn't remove no matter what I tried. So without a way to back things up, I can't format it again.
• United States
1 Feb 11
What speed is your processor? I have 1gig ram and have no probs on desktop. Has your laptop always been that way or has it recently started acting up? If so, maybe some malware is using up all your ram..download: malwarebytes dot org -get the free one.. install it,update it,scan with it, and remove the junk it finds. Is the fan clogged up with dust? Blow it out with those air cans you get at the store...
@ptower76 (1616)
• United States
31 Jan 11
your internal fan seems to dirty and running at less than the necessary rpm. Sometimes by getting a can of air and sticking the little skinny straw gizmo in all the openings and shooting the air in it will clean the internal fan. If not you will need to open laptop or get someone to open for you and clean internal processor fan. I think if you disabled all your startup programs with the mscongig option then that must be it. If your laptop is seven years old, it will probably also not have the required RAM. I think its time for a replacement laptop.