very slow Core Duo TM 5612WSMi >>> HELP!!

I have a pretty fast laptop (ACER Travelmate 5612WMSMi with Intel Core Duo Processor 1.66 GHz x 2, 667 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2 cache, 1GB DDR2 (support dual-channel) memory).

After a week of working, it started slowing down terribly: Start-up times grew from 2 minutes to 5 minutes, shutting down from 30 secs to 2 minutes, hibernation from 17 secs to 4 minutes. Starting Outlook and Firefox, etc. takes much longer than usual as well.

The Acer Telephonic Helpdesk agreed that this slowdown is unacceptable and suggested to restore the factory defaults (which brings the laptop back to the configuration when I received the laptop, without all the added programmes installed). This process is very easy (well done Acer!) but of course the subsequent reinstalling of all favourite programmes (MS Office, Firefox, Skype, Picasa, GDS, FMA, SecondCopy, XTNDConnect, WinRar, WinZip) and all its required updates, incl. Microsoft Update) takes a hell of a long time. Acer suggested to track to changes in performance after each and every programme installation. That's what I did, and after the Restore to Factory Default the laptop was running like brand new again. VERY FAST!! Made me very happy again. And subsequent install of MS Office + updates, MS Windows update, NAV + update, GDS and several other programmes. did not significantly slow down the computer.

But all of a sudden (AND unfortunately I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE AFTER INSTALLATION OF WHICH PROGRAMME) the computer went back to its previous very slow performance.

I tried to restore to a previous system restore point, but since I did not do that the same or next day, the relevant system restore point had already been deleted by the system and replaced by automatic system restore points on the days after (while I have my space allocation for the system restore set to maximum = 6.6GB on each disk x 2 = 13GB!!) .

I then un-installed all programmes I remembered I installed in the days around the moment the laptop slowed down, but to no avail.

Before I do Acer's Restore Factory Defaults again and re-install all requires programmes again (and even more consistently monitor the impact of each programme installation on the system's performance), I call upon the your very experienced support team to help me out! Which programme is causing the problem, why, and how to solve the problem?

I installed Process Explorer to trace the activities of my 2 CPUs and memory. At start-up the 1st one is generally working to its maximum while the second CPU is much less active. Is that normal, is this an indication where the fault is?

I then installed the Core Duo Hotfix (MS Windows website, on recommendation of Acer Helpdesk) (after backing up the registry and making a restore point), restarted the laptop, and the result: no change in performance. Still the same: when CPU 0 is 100% busy, CPU 1 is very lazy (often, not always!). Start-up takes ages as well. Now, 21 minutes after restart the CPU(s) are still very busy. Most of the peaks are "Interrupts", while only on I/O graph I see the programmes that trigger the high load.

I then run msconfig and in Startup deselected all. No better! Anyway the slow process is already during EARLY boot phases in the startup!!!

Here are the astonishing time figures (after HDD defrag + registry defrag):
0.00 Acer screen
0.07 WXP screen
0.46 black screen
1.54 Welcome screen
2.47 plain desktop
3.10 Windows sound
3.50 desktop icons
4.10 MSConfig message

These are figures that are a duo-core 2x1.66GHz CPU unworthy!!!

No hard-disk problems, enough space + all de-fragmented
Start-up folder empty.
And the lazy second CPU issue has not been resolved either…..

Please help me out. What info do you need more to help me out??? Tell me and I'll send you.

Wim
Durban South Africa

Thanks for your reply.
I ran CCleaner and other anti-spyware programmes, but no improvement. My biggest worry is about the very slow start-up BEFORE Windows starts up = before the desktop appears..... Could that be spyware as well??

Wim