Laptop started running really slowly.....

Okell

cerebus said:

Is it just Internet pages that are slow loading? 

Have you considered it could be your broadband?

Do you have any problems when using your phone at home?

I have wondered if it's the connection.

How would I check that to confirm?

It's a BT connection

(No 'phone problems I'm aware of).


[Edit:  sorry.  My wife's laptop - which she only uses very rarely - appears to be unaffected.  she's watching a Youtube video now, no problem.  But for me it just keeps breaking up and buffering.  She does think her smartphone on our BB is running slower than usual.  Does that indicate anything?  I - of course - don't have a smartphone]

Okell

km1500 said:

you could have a fiddle with the Windows 10 event viewer and see if there are any critical events happening. 

notes that the events viewer normally does show quite a lot of so-called errors so don't get too panicky 

Google Windows 10 event viewer

OK.  I've not used event viewer before - what does it tell me?  It has several panes of information but what am I looking for? 

What's a "critical event"?  Is it a particular term that means something specific in Windows or is it just used in its normal English meaning?

Okell

I can't help feeling that something has happened in the last 48 - 72 hours that has caused this problem.  It wasn't a issue and then it suddently was an issue. 

Perhaps a Windows update, perhaps a Norton update, perhaps a virus - although I presume at least one of MS AV or Norton would have picked a virus up?

I'd like to be able to restore it to the beginning of the week (I've done this before with previous laptops on earlier OSs) but I can't see how to do this on Windows 10.

km1500

Google should tell you how to look at events in order of importance the most important of which is the critical event 

for example if you are getting hard disk read or write problems as suggested by a previous poster they would be listed

cerebus

Can you put a wired connection in between your laptop and your router to rule out a wifi issue?

Okell

km1500 said:

Google should tell you how to look at events in order of importance the most important of which is the critical event 

for example if you are getting hard disk read or write problems as suggested by a previous poster they would be listed

OK.  I'll look more closely at this tomorrow.

cerebus said:

Can you put a wired connection in between your laptop and your router to rule out a wifi issue?

Pass.  I've no idea...  

I thought this afternoon it had corrected itself, but it's started playing up again.

Wondering if it's a connection problem

Don't have time now but will investigate further tomorrow.

Thanks for everybody's help

TimeLord1

Check and change any WiFi cables and filters if you have spares also try the test socket if you have a lower screwed panel. Could be a cable to the router if you're using ethernet cable to WiFi if not test that too. 

cerebus

TimeLord1 said:

Check and change any WiFi cables and filters if you have spares also try the test socket if you have a lower screwed panel. Could be a cable to the router if you're using ethernet cable to WiFi if not test that too. 

You may want to explain what you mean to the op in English they are not technically minded

I am technically minded and I'm struggling to understand what you mean 

TimeLord1

What are you struggling with, if there is a fault between the router and the socket or if its connected via ethernet cable they can cause lots of hidden faults. I have cable testing equipment now because of a similar issues in the past, as for the test socket phone plug socket, if it has a lower screwed panel unscrew and connect WiFi to the test socket, but not everyone has this option. 

Mr.Generous

I'd disable 1 and 2

try www.speedtest.net to measure your internet speed