Really really sloooowwwww laptop..I had my theory. Assistance?

[Pan]

It's a HP Notebook, about 5 yrs old, OP is Windows XP. Have AVG protection(bought).

About 3 days ago it started 'updating' constantly. This involves a lot of whrring sound going on (which I am told is a transfer of something - memory, iirc.) and everything slooowwing down, to the point where I can't run those little window news clips on BBC website News, and Youtube clips are just a series of freeze frames, though the sound is normal. I switched off the 'update' on AVG, but it hasn't made any difference - it still whrrs away and doesn't allow any video-playing, and loading web pages is painfully slow. Anti-virus is fine - scan frequently, no probs.

any ideas please? Am mailing from work so I may not reply immediately. thanks.

It's not memory transfer, that's silent, you won't hear that.

It could be the hard disk thrashing away or it could be getting hot (caused by being "busy") and fans might be coming on (some laptops don't have them on all the time).

When it's running slow press CTRL, ALT and DEL and select "Task Manager". Click on the "Processes" tab. Click so that the "Show processes from all users" is selected. And then click the CPU column header so that high numbers are towards the top (I think this will take two clicks).

What are the image names that are near the top and what sort of CPU values are they showing?

Badgers - thanks.

IT isn't a 'notebook, but a 17"screen "easynote", so not a little 'notebook'.

I am runnnig the task maanger as you say and it is shifting around numbers fairly conssitently. Wil lgive it a few more minutes ot see where it settles.

(it's obv affecting my typing..)

Ours has been uber slow lately. DH did a google and found he had to clean up the registry. He downloaded some software for this, and it has sped it up considerably.

thanks HRN - this puter was fine until about 3 days ago and then the slowness whacked in all of a sudden.

CPU - processes 77, CPU shows 100%, on the list.

AppleMobileDevic is top at 99 CPU, 8,500k, (all other CPU values remain at '00' though some show in single digits then revert to a '00'.

and below that things move around ,with firefox.exe usually second at CPU 2 to 6 at 92,000K and the rest shows '00' and a variety of mem usages.

is this clearer to you?

the whirring noise? I think it's the hard disk as it commences immediately on switching on - no time for it to get all hot and bothered so needing a fan.

Yes the list will jump around and fluctuate, we're interested in those items that keep on popping up near the top and have a high CPU value.

And the Apple one you mention is exactly that sort of thing. Is the full name of the item "Apple Mobile Device Service"? That is a part of Apple's iPod/iPhone/iTunes infrastructure and it shouldn't be chewing up 99% of your CPU.

Presuming that you've got iTunes follow these instructions to uninstall and then reinstall it paying particular attention to the bit that advises you to back up your music.

yes I have i-tunes music - I am not seing any instructions there, ( he says in his most respectul and least-demanding voice..)

Sorry.....

Here we go.....

support.apple.com/kb/ht1925

thanks BadgersPaw.

I have looked at link and see how it is done. BUT..I am doing a lot of work this weekend on the laptop, as sssllloooww as it may be. I am not a geek whatsoever and really do not wish to mash things up when I am relying on the puter for work that has a deadline.

Soooo..I am going to get on the the work as best as possible and when finished do the uninstall/install trick when, if it goes the shape of the pear then it won't be as bad. Also a real geeky friend is due back off hols on Thursday so if I DO mess things up he can sail in and sort it out.

just checked the CPU - still eating 99% and the hard disc is still whirring away.

thanks.

In the mean time you might be able just to stop that individual process, you'll have to do it every time you boot the computer up and it might not work, but as a rule try this....

"CTRL-ALT-DEL" and go to "Task Manager" and then "Processes".

Select that "Apple Mobile Device Service" and then click "End Process", that will hopefully kill it, but it might come back...

sounds like my laptop and then a few weeks later it literaly died and hard drive went :(

managed to get a fab computer man rescue my pics and documents as hadnt saved anything so save/back up now important stuff before it may go :(

"sounds like my laptop and then a few weeks later it literaly died and hard drive went"

One software process taking up 99% of a CPU doesn't "normally" indicate a hardware problem, so I wouldn't be too worried about the laptop dying. Of course there are exceptions, a software problem can cause a hardware problem and vice-versa, but that isn't what's usually happening.

However the advice about taking backups is golden, always take backups because a computer can and will drop dead at potentially any moment, never leave backups until things start to look like they're going wrong, make backing up a part of your normal routine (or get a piece of software which will make it invisibly a part of your routine such as Time Machine for a Mac).