These have been driving me crazy, last couple days.I am running windows 8.1 and firefox 45.02 (latest version) on an Aspire laptop tethered to a Tmobile phone. No other software is open. Updates are shut off, windows 10 is blocked, there is lots of free hard drive space.1. I get full bars on phone and laptop, but lots of server not found errors. Restarting both machines helps... for a while.2. Mouse problems. The mouse (trackpad) stops working completely for minutes at a time. Sometimes it works at the very right edge of the pad but nowhere else. Sometimes the buttons work, not always. Task manager insists no background tasks are using up RAM or CPU or network or disk (but we all know it lies). Leaving the mouse alone for a few minutes fixes it. Temporarily. Having fewer tabs open seems to help, but not enough data points to tell, and why the sudden change in how many tabs I can use?Basically the mouse behaves as if I am running some humongous processing task... but I am not.Help? Ideas?

Sounds like driver issues, reload those two drivers and see what happens.

have you tried a Restore, to a know good working date, like last week or last monthusually control panel device mgr, update driver etc..can fix some issues like thisalso software 'hitman pro' see if it finds any malwarealso 'malwarebytes'i did a 'Refresh' Not restore, on mine Sat to fix a DVD rom issue, and accidentally turned updates onwhen i turned it on yesterday, the dang thing installed 156 updates, 150MB of compressed OS changes took 2 hrs for the system to boot up, and I got the Win 10 update Icon on the task bar, something i had been able to avoid until nowi got everything turned off Againsorry to ramble good luck

Gah, MrWizard, that sounds awful, and thanks for the warning!Donn10128. Very good idea, and thank you! Device manager said mouse and wifi drivers were fine, but I downloaded and reinstalled both, will see how it goes. So far internet seems blazingly fast.

another good program is"hijackthis" , its real good at finding things that hijack your browser, copy your surfing, run popups, and ads, things that slow you downjust unzip and rundo be careful, it makes changes in the registry where these bad guys hideI mean delete the bad guys, but don't delete something your not sure ofBHO's Browser helper objects, are safe to delete, they can be restored or re-installedbut somethings you want to be real careful with

Two computer problem, possibly related? | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

Naio
Explorer II
Apr 26, 2016
The mouse is a trackpad built into the laptop.

This laptop, like an iphone, does not have a removable battery.

I looked on Tom's hardware for a network monitor app, downloaded one called PRTG. It is way more complex than I need. And in a tiny tiny font that apparently cannot be increased in size.

Squinting, I can make out error messages at various ports, where I think it is testing internet connection and it is getting timeout messages. Would these port numbers mean anything to you? I don't even know if my laptop is supposed to have all those ports.

I am trying to find some place where it shows me traffic, down and up...

Edit: Found it! It is saying zero. I can see if it changes next time the mouse stops working, if I can get it to click on the app window.
garry1p
Explorer
Apr 26, 2016
Could be something corrupted the bios.

You can turn off, unplug and remove the battery, press the power on and hold for 10/15 seconds.

Reinstall battery, plug in and see if that helps.
MrWizard
Moderator
Apr 26, 2016
is this a wireless mouse ?

did you try a NEW battery ?
Naio
Explorer II
Apr 26, 2016
So, it shows me as having no startup programs at all (not even my antivirus). My mouse got worse, tho. Sigh.
Naio
Explorer II
Apr 26, 2016
Wow, thank you!!!
MrWizard
Moderator
Apr 26, 2016
ok i had to dig thru some flash drive memory sticks, i keep trouble shooting utilites on
it is
"startup control panel" by Mike Lin
and it does work with win 8.1
because i just ran it to check it
there is NO install, just put it on the desktop or in downloads and run it
its small if you can't find it, i can zip it and email it to you

Authors page with download link
Naio
Explorer II
Apr 26, 2016
It turns out it's impossible to google a program called 'startup' :). Any more hints on finding it?

I did check the startup tab in task manager. It says nothing but my antivirus and some Intel service thingy. Obviously that is a lie, and there is more stuff starting up than that.

I'm running windows 8.1, not 10. Never 10 :).

Do you think the ram tester built into windows is ok? I have used it before, tho not recently.

CPU temp I would notice, bec my small laptop was built without a fan.

I guess you figure the network monitoring in task manager is as unreliable as its other functions. I bet you are right.
Naio
Explorer II
Apr 26, 2016
Thanks, MrWizard! I did just now run malwarebites and wise registry cleaner. They found stuff, but didn't help. I will run the stuff you suggested after I cook dinner :).
MrWizard
Moderator
Apr 26, 2016
On XP and 2000
I used a program called "startup"

It found everything that ran when you boot the PC
Things that are system and things added on in the registry or by user
You could disable , sometimes remove, items that have been added on
Its best to leave OEM system items as is and make note and research before disabling those

I don't know if there is anything like this for win 10

As a side note
Try down loading one of the free CPU temp utilities and running it
That will give the CPU temperature and process cycles being used
Also a memory test utility
If active RAM is being filled up, that will slow things down and verify that something is going on
Also a network and web data monitor
It will show you if large amounts of data are being sent out received , like if your PC has been hijacked and become a BOT
Naio
Explorer II
Apr 26, 2016
But, honestly, it's got to be something new, and those mcafee remnants are from when I first got the computer.

Argh, I rebooted and the problem is still here.

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Two computer problem, possibly related?

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