Laptop slow to start and slow to shut down

[gingernut]

Good morning, my trusty laptop (Aspire 5332) has suddenly become very slow to start up and shut down. It works okay when it's "warmed up." It makes a slow whirring noise when it's starting up.

I haven't installed any new hardware or software recently, and last night a virus scan was okay.

I've backed up all my files and all the programmes I have are easily re-installabe so was thinking of restoring it back to it's factory settings (that helped last time.)

It's windows 7. Wondering if anyone had any ideas, be gentle, I'm not that computer minded.:)

cheers,

ginge.

[Keef]

Shouldn't be necessary (in theory). Have you blown the dust out of the cooling system? That was usually the cause of my old laptop slowing down: the overheat protection doing its stuff.

[gingernut]

thanks Keef, will give it a go.

[mixture]

Does it boot/shutdown ok in Safe Mode ?

If so, then it points to something in the software you've installed (e.g. check your startup items).

[LookingForAJob]

It makes a slow whirring noise when it's starting up.As Keef suggests, it could be a cooling issue if the whirring is coming from a fan. But it could also possibly be coming from the HDD - although the characteristics of the noise and whereabouts it's coming from might rule this out. But scanning the disk surface will do no harm and may show up a failing HDD.

Right-click on the drive in Explorer and select Properties, select the Tools tab and click on Error checking/'Check now' - select the checkbox that is not already checked (the one about scanning and attempting to recover bad sectors) and set it going. The results are fairly self-explanatory as I recall. If it tells you about having to recover data from bad sectors you've probably got a failing drive.

[gingernut]

Thanks mixture, it didn't make any difference.

Got the "Dyson" on the fan this morning. (I daren't take it apart:E) Been at work for a while today, so maybe was cool, but seems to be running okay now).

[ExSp33db1rd]

Got the "Dyson" on the fan this morning.I've been warned not to use a domestic vacuum cleaner with a plastic nozzle, static y'know.

Was advised to take it to the local garage tyre pressure thing, remove rubber soled shoes and ensure a metal nozzle. ( trouble is mine only had an end to attach to a tyre valve before air would exit, so thought of using a mate's workshop compressor )

The local computer retailer sells cans of compressed air, but they have a plastic tube - he reckoned I was something of a nutter, and sold me one !

Paranoid ? Moi ?

Any comments ?

[Heathrow Harry]

Any grinding noises coming from the machine mean something that rotates isn't OK - it could be the fan, or the DVD drive but it might be the hard disk :uhoh::uhoh:

First thing is to make a full backup ASAP

In 30 years I've had two hard disk crashes and they both started to make noises before they gave up the ghost - luckily I'd made the backups in time

[Saab Dastard]

cans of compressed air are what you want. Anything else is probably too strong a blast, and can damage the innards. An artists airbrush compressor can also work.

Static is wildly overrated as a problem, IMHO. Especially as there's no contact between the plastic tube and the computer.

Paranoid ? Moi ?
Yes, you are.

SD

[papershuffler]

Ooh, that's made me think, I could use my track pump. Hmmm.

[Keef]

A half-decent vacuum cleaner on "suck" and careful use of hands to "channel" the connection can work.

A can of compressed air is conclusive: a blast of that into the laptop "out" vent resulting in a cloud of fog from the "in" vent proves something happened. Then a good blast in the "in" vent just to even things up...

[gingernut]

Suspect it could be a heating problem, the battery gets really hot, and if I take the mains lead out, the laptop goes blank within seconds. (have ordered a new battery.) Also, it works better if I place the left hand edge, (where the fan is), on a roll of tape.

It's not grinding, just whirring slow.

[papershuffler]

If you're DIY-inclined, make yourself a laptop stand with vents underneath.

I've made several of these, I'm using one now and I've given a couple to family as presents:
A better laptop stand for bed (http://www.instructables.com/id/A-better-laptop-stand-for-bed/)

Sooooooo comfortable to lie in bed and type on it. :8
Also means I'm not putting it down on a dusty surface, or blocking the vents.

[Biggles78]

Just remember that when compressed air is applied in the direction of any fans, they tend to hit a rather high rotation speed VERY quickly which isn't good for the fan. I use a wooden pencil to stop the fan(s) from spinning and damaging themselves.

The Acer machine, assuming I have the correct model in my mind, has about 5 or 6 screws that allows you to remove the bottom cover that then exposes the HDD, RAM and fan. Mostly it is a failing fan rather than it getting filled with fluffy substances and dirt.

If you do venture into the belly of the beast, remove the battery first and don't have the power connected. Also be careful about static discharges from yourself to any of the components. Try and earth yourself to a metal part of the laptop before opening and then avoid rubbing your feet back and forwards on the carpet. := :)

[Keef]

A blocked fan is the most likely cause of it slowing down. There are others!

Some software that you might load to "try" may have set itself up to run every time you power on. You can check this:

Click on the globe bottom left, and in the "search" box type msconfig and press Enter.

Click on the "startup" tab and look to see what's there. If you don't recognise any items there, untick them, then "Apply" and restart the machine. Check that they have stayed unticked, and see if it works any better.

Skype and iTunes are very good at adding themselves back in :(

[mad_jock]

If its an Acer aspire and over 2 years old you on borrowed time anyway.

They normally fail at the 2 year point. The last three months they start acting up usually because the graphics processor is cooked. .

if you install something which allows you to get the cpu tempratures such as open hardware monitor and let us know what the temps are I can tell you how long its got left to live.

[Saab Dastard]

if you install something which allows you to get the cpu tempratures

I can recommend SIW - System Information for Windows - which is free and very helpful.

SD

[mad_jock]

Saab have you got a link to a sensible download site for that please.

I did a search as well and there was nothing in the first 3 pages which I would click on to down load from.

Hardware monitor has the advantage you don't have to install anything. You just unpack it and run the executable with admin rights and it works.

[Saab Dastard]

Sure - SIW | System Information for Windows by Gabriel Topala (http://www.gtopala.com/)

There used to be a free version, maybe not any more. Shame.

SD

[mad_jock]

Open Hardware Monitor - Core temp, fan speed and voltages in a free software gadget (http://openhardwaremonitor.org/)

This is what I use to get the temps etc.

It only gives the basic stuff you need but its just enough for me to be looking at when I need to.

I think sometimes there is to much data given by some of these apps and it takes to long to work out what on earth you are looking at. I have stuck with that because after starting you just see what your interested in and nothing else.

[Saab Dastard]

Thanks MJ, that's a neat application for the specific purpose. :ok:

SD

[flight191]

All the cleaning suggestions are good. Depending on your mobo, Speedfan may also help through its automatic fan controls. I've used it in the past and it has helped to bring some old systems down to a moderate temp. Also, as others pointed out here, reduce the apps you don't need on startup. The less drain on your memory the better.

SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer (http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php)

[llondel]

If its an Acer aspire and over 2 years old you on borrowed time anyway.

My Aspire One is getting on for six years old, having been acquired in mid-2008. It's still going, currently running Mint 13, although I've upgraded to to 1.5GB RAM (max), added an internal Bluetooth adapter and replaced the SSD with a faster 32GB unit. I'll be really sad when it finally expires, it's done sterling service.

[mad_jock]

I agree the original aspire ones are cracking wee machines and we haven't had a problem with any of ours. I have 3 in the engineering hanger because they have RS232 ports. Apart from the black screen of death happening every so often. But you just re-blow the BIOS and it works again.

Its the consumer laptops which seem to have taken a nose dive over the last 4-5 years. Especially the G versions.

When they come new out of the box and they are just sitting there doing nothing the temps are up over 65-70. And over the two years they just seem to go up and up. Cool pads and spacers to keep the fan clear don't seem to make a difference. Two years later they are up over 80 at idle and anything mindly graphical and it will thermally shut down.

The gf's brother got one recently against my advice because it was 600 quid for a 7i with a NVidia GPU so in theory he could play half decent games on it and the first thing I did was strip it down and put a copper shim in between the GPU and CPU heat sink and replaced the thermal paste. The copper bridge from the GPU is under 1cm wide by 5mm thick. The first time he played a game on it the temp was over 85 deg now with the shim and new paste its a more respectable 70degs.

My ROG asus G750 sits at 45degs normally and goes up to 65 degs when kicking the backside out of it on ultra settings in tombraider. The only way to get the temps above that and the fans to kick in is to use a benchmark prog. But it does weigh nearly twice as much and costs 400 quid more but does have a bigger screen etc.