Laptop - shutting down problems

DollyDee_2

Wonder if anyone can help me please.

Laptop is HP Pavilion 17 Notebook PC, Product No. F2T92EA#ABU, Windows 8.1 64 bit, Intel Core i5-3230M CPU 2.6 GHz,
Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000. I did recovery disks after updating from Windows 8 to 8.1.

It was purchased April 2014 and I've installed Google Chrome, Libre Office, Classic Shell, Avast free version, Malwarebytes Anti Malware free version, couple of Adobe things and I did have CCleaner (I'll come to that) and a Mouse & Printer.

I've got the Windows 10 notification but I haven't even registered yet as I had a lot of problems with my Epson DX7400 printer
when we got this laptop as the drivers were out of date but I had just bought a lot of Ink! Managed to get up to date drivers.

I'm not at all technical so please bear with me. Things haven't seemed quite "right" for a few weeks. The main problem is
it won't shut down using the Charms. I position the cursor top LH side and the charms pop out, click on "Settings" and nothing happens. Sometimes, after a few tries, the Charms won't even appear. When that's happened I've done Crtl-Alt-Delete to force a shut down and it says there is something running (App?) but I don't know what it is. I can shut down going through Classic Shell. On one occasion I did have to use the Power Button to make it shut down. I've looked in Task Manager but I am none the wiser, nothing stood out but I don't know what I'm doing. I was better with Windows Vista, honestly.

I noticed yesterday that Internet Explorer isn't working. I don't use it normally but I was having problems paying the Amex bill
yesterday - I logged in, clicked on Pay My Bill and got an error message. Logged out, tried again, same thing. I managed to do it
in the end. I then remembered something similar last month. I know I used IE a short time ago thinking it maybe a problem with
Chrome (don't know why, don't know what I'm doing really) and it worked then but it's not working now.

Last week I thought I'll run CCleaner and AntiMalware to see if that would solve the Charm problem. CCleaner, had to download a newer
version, noticed something called Dropbox pre-ticked, unticked it, downloaded and ran CCleaner. It stuck on 6% so I closed it.
I actually uninstalled it in the end.

Dropbox - this must have installed itself when I updated CCleaner previously. I had noticed it in the Programs and clicked on it to
see what it was. You had to register etc and as I didn't know what it was, I didn't register so the damn thing appeared everytime I
switched the computer on. After googling and finding out what it was I uninstalled it.

Ran AntiMalware & that found 14 (I think) PUP's so got rid of them.

Things seemed a bit better for a few days but it's playing up again. Today I tried to install CCleaner, it downloads and does nothing. If I click on it in the Downloads I get the blue circle and it doesn't respond. I have run AntiMalware again and it found nothing. I have run a smartscan with Avast and it found Performance issues: System settings - 5, 670 mb Junk, 30 unnecessary apps.
Clicked on Activate but then you have to have the paid for version I think.

I know it might sound daft but I have a suspicion this is something to do with Windows 10. I was reading yesterday that Microsoft
are installing it when people haven't asked for it although this may only relate to Windows 7 users. Out of interest I checked Windows
Update and in August there were a lot of Windows 10 updates in the history, they all failed but it's funny that the laptop seemed to
start playing up about that time. A lot of the Windows 8.1 updates failed as well (I've got it set on Automatic updating) but I think
they may just keep trying the same ones until they are successful? Should I go through the failed ones and do them manually?

Anyway, if you still have the will to live after all that waffle, has anyone got a clue what is going on with the uncharming "Charms"
and CCleaner?

Thank you - Dolly

[Deleted User]

I'd start by running Recovery, making sure to use the option to "Refresh you PC without affecting your files".

Also, did you remove/disable the supplied AV program , before installing Avast?

DollyDee_2

Thanks Bob, I'll try the Recovery thing.

I can't remember whether I disabled the AV program that was supplied as it was 18 months ago but if there was any sort of alert from Windows I would have done.

Just minimised this tab and clicked on Classic Shell to get to Recovery and it won't open. Charms aren't appearing either.

Can't remember how to get the "Tiles" screen back. Help!

bsod

system restore

DollyDee_2

I'm sorry but how do I do that. I can't get to the programs.

DollyDee_2

Think I can do it through HP support assistant but will have to close this.

[Deleted User]

DollyDee wrote: »

Just minimised this tab and clicked on Classic Shell to get to Recovery and it won't open. Charms aren't appearing either.

Go via Control Panel>System.

DollyDee_2

Bob, I had closed MSE before I got your message.

I couldn't get at Control Panel or anything at the time, Classic Shell wasn't opening. If there was another way I don't know it. I've forgotten how you get back to the Tiles screen.

However, I have done a system restore through the HP Support Assistant. There were 3 restore points:

7/9
28/8
21/8 Windows Update (Critical)

I tried 28/8 first and it wouldn't work so I tried 7/9 and it installed 1 update, restarted and then "Windows files/settings being restored. System restore is initialising" with the rotating circle of dots. It took ages and ages and I thought it was stuck but it finally finished. System Restore reported it failed to restore one file which was Avast. It said your AV could be blocking it and could try again directly through Windows which I haven't.

I would have gone back to July if there had been a restore point for that month but there wasn't.

The charms popped out when I put the cursor top LH corner of screen and when I clicked on Settings I got the options etc.

Also Classic Shell opened.

Thank you so much for your help (and bsod).

I will have to see how things pan out because I think the problems began before 7/9/15.

Thank you again - Dolly

DollyDee_2

Oh, just checked, Windows Defender is turned off so is that OK as I have Avast?

[Deleted User]

Windows Defender isn't an AV program. It's an anti-spyware/malware program.

Which ant-virus program did it come with?

DollyDee_2

It would have come pre-installed on the laptop with Windows 8. Avast spyware and unwanted software protection is on as well as Avast Anti Virus. I installed Avast because (almost) everyone on here recommends it.

Sorry Bob.