New laptop very slow at browsing 100% cpu usage

[karlosthejackel]

Hi there. I bought this Compaq laptop in 2014 to replace my old windows 7 lappy as the hinges had broken and various other things were dropping off it after 5 years great and fast service-even now its 20 x faster than the new one. Now out of the box this new one has been painfully slow. Ive had a few people have a look and a dig around but they were not experts just fairly competent people.

When browsing I can open a page and it takes ages or sometimes not at all-it will come up with something about not running full scripts?

 

If I go into task manager it is simply internet explorer or google chrome or any provider I try it goes straight up to 100% cpu usage and the page just stalls as its opening-I tend to find its pages with more pictures and/or adverts that are the worst.

 

Ive done the malwarebytes thing done clean ups, etc. There is hardly anything on it just a couple of programs I need for work which work fine as they are offline type programs.

 

All other laptops,ipads phones in the house are all fine speed wise.

 

I have teamviewer if anybody wants to have a remote play with it? If you need all info from it youll have to tell me how to get the info as ive forgotten!

 

Help!!

 

Regards Karl

[KenB]

Hi Karl and welcome to ExTS

 

Is this machine still within the warranty period ?

 

How much RAM is installed ?

Hold the Windows key down and tap "S"

Type in .....This PC .......ENTER

Now right click on "This PC" > Properties

 

How much free hard-drive space is there ?

Follow the "This PC" procedure again and this time right click on C: > Properties

 

Are you happy to take the RAM modules out of the machine ?

 

===========================

Can you post the exact error message that you get when opening a program and it fails please ?

 

===========================

We do not take remote-control of a member's PC.

I advise you not to offer this option to people that you do not know.

[ most on forums like his are legitimate ....but you never know ]

[karlosthejackel]

Hi Ken thank you for your reply

 

Processor Celeron N2810 2.00 GHz

RAM 4.00 GB (3.90GB usable)

Drive 'C' 914GB (32.8 used)

 

Im happy to do anything with guidance. As for warranty I do believe its in manufacturers warranty (1yr) but when I purchased it from PC world I didn't open the box for 6 months as my old faithful kept on going. I have sent this to an independent PC repairer (I have a 4 screen trading PC that they supplied and look after) who was going to put windows 7 on it but they cant as there is some sort of thing on the PC that wont allow it so they re installed windows 8.

Ive also had a couple of friends remotely have a look around the system. They haven't changed anything but they cant see the issue except the high cpu usage when on the internet. Things like Ebay I have to wait for the page to catch up. then forums and things wont even load up sometimes I get the 'page cannot be displayed' then a quick refresh it will eventually load up. The other error code is something like windows cannot keep running scripts on the page.

 

Many thanks Karl

Edited February 23, 2015 by karlosthejackel

[KenB]

so they re-installed Windows-8.

So it is the re-installed Operating System you are having problems with ?

 

One other thing ..... is the OS 32 or 64 bit ?

Hold the Windows key down and tap "S"

Type in .....This PC .......ENTER

Now right click on "This PC" > Properties

 

4 GB-RAM is the max for a 32 bit system - but if it is 64 bit this is part of your problem.

==============

Which Anti-Virus are you using ?

 

==============

To save me typing out more questions ......

Download Speccy from here - click here - you want the FREE option.

install and run it.

 

Then click on File > Publish Snapshot

It will save it on-line and give you a link to the summary.

Copy this link and post it here please.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[karlosthejackel]

http://speccy.piriform.com/results/hwoq7m58pZqUH1RpqSJ46AJ

 

The antivirus im now using is avast. I had to and always ditch Norton I cant put up with its constant bugging! The computer was exactly the same before they tried to change it. Its been this bad since the day the box was opened!

[KenB]

Hi Karl

 

Thanks for the link - it saves a lot of questions and answers :)

 

Your temperatures are all OK.

You have loads of free space on your hard-drive.

 

You only have 4GB RAM and your OS is 64 bit.

This is OK ....but normally manufacturers put in 6 or 8 GB on a 64 bit system.

 

From Speccy it looks as if you only have one RAM module.

Often there are two.

I was going to suggest taking one out and running on just one.

Sometimes if a RAM module goes down it can cause the problems you describe.

However, with just one module in place this is not possible.

 

If the problem existed from new - and you have re-installed the OS and still have the problem then you can assume that it is hardware.

 

I am suspecting RAM or CPU.

The RAM is usually located underneath a panel in the base of the machine.

 

1. Do you have another machine that you can swap the RAM over to test on the problem machine ?

[ not all RAM is compatible ]

 

There is software that we can download to test the RAM - but this involves burning an ISO to disk.

The disk is then used to run a test on the installed RAM.

Are you happy to do this if you don't have other RAM available to swap ?

[RandyL]

I notice this computer is HP. It might have the HP Hardware Diagnostics UEFI tool. If it does there are a number of tests that can be run. Check out the video from HP.

 

Testing for Hardware Failures in Windows 8 on HP Computers

[KenB]

Thanks Randy - that may prove very useful.

 

Karl - you would need to run a test on the Processor and the Memory from "Component Tests"

Let us know how you get on.

 

The best test for RAM ( "Memory " ) is to swap it over if this is an option.

[karlosthejackel]

Sorry ive been busy with work but anyway ive opened it up. The new laptop only has 1 ram slot. Ive opened up my old one and swapped the 4gb ram for the original one and its made no difference still the same slow machine.

Why does it only have 1 slot? My old lappy has 6gb in total...a 4gb and a 2gb. I gues now im going to have to buy a 6gb ram or bigger?

[karlosthejackel]

Ive also run the diagnostic check on memory and hard drive and it passed both!

[KenB]

. Ive opened up my old one and swapped the 4gb ram for the original one and its made no difference

That confirms, better than any software-test, that your RAM isn't the problem.

 

Why does it only have 1 slot?

It is not uncommon for there to be just one RAM-module.

According to Speccy there are 2 slots so you could add more if you wish.

 

Try adding the old RAM to the second slot - making 8GB in total.

See how it performs now.

 

I gues now im going to have to buy a 6gb ram or bigger?

See how it performs with the 2 RAM modules in place.

 

4GB should be OK and it doesn't matter that it is all in one module.

Your machine should not be running this slow.

[karlosthejackel]

That confirms, better than any software test, that your RAM isn't the problem.

 

 

It is not uncommon for there to be just one RAM module.

According to Speccy there are 2 slots so you could add more if you wish.

 

Try adding the old RAM to the second slot - making 8GB in total.

See how it performs now.

 

 

See how it performs with the 2 RAM modules in place.

 

4GB should be OK and it doesn't matter that it is all in one module.

Your machine should not be running this slow.

 

There is definately only one slot. They normally stack on top of each other dont they. I can see on the pcb that there is space for another but there is nothing there

[KenB]

Hi Karl

 

The second slot could be inside the casing and awkward to access.

 

If you post the make and model number of the laptop we will be able to confirm.

 

Your slow machine must be down to hardware if Win-8 has been re-installed - and it was doing the same thing with the previous installation.

 

Try this:

 

This will allocate specific cores from your CPU to the program - in this case Internet-Explorer

It looks like your CPU only has 2 cores ( from Speccy ) so try them one at a time.

If Speccy is wrong and you have, say, 4 cores, then try them in pairs.

 

This is what you need to change:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1404.vB5-legacyid=2478[/ATTACH]

 

Try one core - then the other and compare CPU usage.

 

This is how to do it: - click here

 

If there is no significant change in the processor usage - then simply go back and tick the boxes again.

 

This controls ONLY Internet Explorer in this instance.

Other programs will be using the default - usually all cores.

 

=========================

 

I should have had you check this earlier:

 

Open Task Manager > click on Processes > Then click on the CPU at the head of the CPU column.

This should sort the processes into order - the one using most should be at the top.

 

What are the top 3 and their percentages please ?

[or list the ones using the biggest percentages if these are significant ]

[karlosthejackel]

Thank you for your time again! Ive done the processor affinity. There are only 2 in there cpu0 and cpu1. I checked them 1 at a time and there didn't seem to be any real change to when they were both checked or individually checked.

As for cpu processes internet explorer is at the top. Ive opened ebay page and its gone up to 88.1. The next two keep changing between avast at between 5 and 8, task manager at around 5, WMI provider host around 6.

The next ones all fluctuate between 1 and 6.

 

If I open a page i.e ebay then total cpu usage goes to 99%

 

Sorry about all this I think im being a pain in the backside!

[karlosthejackel]

As for model of laptop its a 15a003sa Compaq. it has HP stamped under it as well.

[karlosthejackel]

Can anybody help me further with this issue at all?

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, is this all just with Internet Explorer?

Have you tried a different browser if only to see what percentage it uses, try Firefox for example and see what the CPU use is with that..

 

Nev.

[karlosthejackel]

Hi there. I tried firefox and google chrome it was exactly the same!

[Plastic Nev]

OK thanks, it does now make me wonder if there is something in the background that is using resources as soon as it sees a browser opening, maybe communicating with some other server, it doesn't necessarily mean malware, it could well be a legitimate program perhaps.

 

Go back to the Windows task manager as shown by Ken, then click the networking tab, lets see the graph and if any heavy network traffic which might give us a clue.

You should see something similar to my screen shot, if showing a high continuous use instead of the odd blips as mine shows we may be on to something.

 

http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/14/68/69/96/networ10.jpg

 

Nev.

[karlosthejackel]

sorry about the picture!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c14/karlos100/64C1AAA5-E47D-4BB7-8DEC-6BB709437487_zpsmwkbhmws.jpg

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, Although that is the resource monitor rather than the task manager, it is showing quite a large amount of internet traffic.

Having since looked at running services and processes shown in your previous Speccy report I can't identify what it is that might be causing this high level of activity.

I will consult with other staff.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

Hi again

 

Nev and I have had a brief chat - and we both think that there is a lot of internet activity in your last pic.

 

Disconnect from the internet completely.

If using a cable - disconnect this.

Turn wireless capability off.

( You could simply unplug the router )

 

Now test the machine again.

What are the results ?

[karlosthejackel]

ive disconnected it before and switched off wireless even used it at other peoples houses because I trade the markets. The router I also have to reset several times a week. There are 5 of us in this house and all have ipads,phones,laptops and games consoles so it over loads it now and again I think. Every other device is fine its just this one

[Plastic Nev]

OK, what we want to know though is it back to full speed or still very slow with everything else when not connected to the internet, which is what you haven't answered.

 

Nev.

[karlosthejackel]

Ah sorry my apologies. Its only slow at browsing,when not connected the other features work ok. There is nothing on the pc to slow it down. I only have two programs installed which were not on it when new which are car information programs-the pc was slow before these were installed. Other than that there are no pictures,music or anything. I will say browsing forums etc is not too bad unless there are pictures or advertisements. If its a plain page with just text its not bad-although still slower than should be. If I open a page say like ebay or amazon then it stops and sometimes brings up an error about not being able to load the page...or if I try to scroll down it just sits still then 10 seconds later catches up