Hi pcuser, and welcome to the DCT forum.

What you are experiencing sounds like a typical scenario for a system which is getting on a bit and hasn't been maintained regularly. The keyboard lag in particular suggests an overloaded system.

I could provide a complete list of what to do but it might be better to attack it one thing at a time. Fist up, do you use a system cleaning tool such as CCleaner? If so, how often do you run it? If not, please download and install the free version of CCleaner: http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

Second; could you please let us know what processes are auto starting with Windows. Here's how:

1) Open a Run command box - click on the Start button and then on Run... or, simultaneously press the Windows + R keys

2) Next, type msconfig into the Run dialogue box and then press Enter (or click OK)

3) In the System Configuration window, click on Startup (across the top) to open the Startup tab

You should now see a list of all processes which are set to auto start with Windows. Please take a screenshot of that list and post it in a reply here.

If you are unable to create a screenshot, please provide a typed list of the names of all processes which have a tick next to them.

Get back to us and we'll take it from there.
Cheers... Jim

Okay, first up... you are talking with Jim, not Dave.

Sure, email me the screenshots as an email attachment: jim[dot]hillier[at]davescomputertips[dot]com

I've written out the email address like that so it won't get picked up by pharming bots, just replace the bits inside [ ] with the normal.

I'll resize the screenshots and upload them here so anyone else who happens along to this thread can see what we are talking about... no problem.

Yes, please download and install CCleaner.

Cheers... Jim

No problem mate.

Okay, got the screenshots. They are full screen so the actual startup Window is very hard to decipher. Anyway, after a bit of cropping and enlarging, I managed to adjust them so I could read the information.

Please disable everything included in screenshot #1 except for "Realtek HD", "Security Suite - Total Defense" and the "Synaptics" item. To disable an item; just click on the adjacent tick to remove it. If you don't use the touchpad at all, you can also disable the "Synaptics" item.

And disable everything in screenshot #2 from "MogiSupport" down to and including "Open Office".

When you've finished disabling everything, click Apply then OK to close out, and then restart the machine.

Next, open CCleaner and click on the "Run cleaner" button at bottom right of the interface. Let CCleaner do its thing and just close the program when finished.

Get back to me and let me know if that has improved things.

Note: there were a couple of items in the Startup list I couldn't identify properly without accessing the full description via mouse over but I am 100% certain they are not anything critical. However, if you find that you can't access something that you could before, or something you use regularly is not working as before, just get back to me and we'll make the necessary adjustments. I'm pretty certain that won't happen but just in case....

Cheers... Jim

When we disabled these programs what did we do?

When we install programs, many will set themselves to auto-start with Windows, even though it is not essential. The only programs which should be allowed to auto start with Windows are security type programs, such as your anti-virus, and anything essential to the system. Everything else can be started manually when needed.

Having all these non-essential processes auto starting with Windows just consumes resources unnecessarily which in turn tends to slow things down.

When we disabled items from the Startup list, we didn't remove any software, all we did was prevent the software from starting when Windows starts. All that software is still fine and will work perfectly when you need it, it might just take a little longer to pop up when you access it manually.

Can I get a little tutorial on the use of the cleaner and when/how to use this and its other features?

You have used CCleaner's main function, and the only feature I would advise using right now. Default settings, as it came out of the box, will do just fine.

What CCleaner is doing is cleaning out temporary folders/files and non-essential data accumulated by the system and installed applications. This can be particularly effective where the browser is concerned. CCleaner does not touch anything critical or important at default settings.

"When", or how often, is purely down to how much the machine in question is used. Light users perhaps once every 4 months or so. Medium users perhaps every 2 to 3 months,. Heavy users around every 4 to 6 weeks. Usually, whenever the machine is showing signs of slowing down a bit.

Slow downs can be caused by any number of things including malware, software conflicts, and lack of maintenance. When it comes to lack of maintenance, it is not generally caused by just one thing only, more often a combination of elements. When I am called out to look at a machine which is running slower than normal, and once I have eliminated malware and conflicts as a possible cause, these are among the first areas I will investigate; programs which have insinuated themselves into startup and a good cleanup.

From the symptoms as you first described them I assessed that your main issue here was most likely due to lack of maintenance. However, if disabling the auto start items and using CCleaner doesn't do the trick, then we'll have to look at other possibilities, including malware.

As a matter of fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea at all to download and install something like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (free) and run a full scan anyway: https://www.malwarebytes.org/free/

Hope that helps,
Cheers... Jim

all I need is to analyse, then clean? I might do this weekly for the sake of it.

Yep, that's all. Once a week is probably a tad overkill but it can't hurt anything.

I did have Iobit malware fighter 2 installed, but I did contact IYogi(through my anti virus) a while back, and they said it might interfere with the anti virus so they said to uninstall it. Was this wrong to do?

No, definitely not wrong. IObit Malware Fighter is a piece of crap, you're better off without it.

It sounds like it is, as you want to load some more malware as well. Anyway which 1 should I do?

Whatever you do, do not install IObit Malware Fighter again. The free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware does not include any real time protection at all so it can't possibly conflict with your anti-virus. It scans for and removes any malware it finds. It's really good at what it does and you should seriously consider installing it and running a full scan.

I tested out the laptop and it does seem a lot better now

Glad to hear it mate. Happy to help out.

Cheers... Jim

No problem pcuser, anytime.