Updates and scans take days

[bwsc98]

Each time I do an update it takes over a day and when I try to do a scan it takes many days and never completes.

[Bill_To]

Greetings @bwsc98 

Welcome back to the Forum.

Could be a hardware problem or Windows is slowing down due a lot of processes running in the background or a lot of startup programs.

Check Processes and Startup in Task Manager. Look at CPU, Memory, and Disk usage.

Check your PC's hardware using HP Diagnostics as follows:

Start the PC. Repeatedly tap the "ESC" key.

Select "F2". Run extensive system and component tests to confirm: a drive problem, a memory problem, or other component problem.

Check System Files:

Open an Admin command prompt as follows:

Open Search then enter "command prompt". Right-click on the search result.

Select "Run as Administrator".

Enter the following commands, one at a time. Wait for each command to complete before running the next command.

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth note: the PC must be connected to the network when using the DISM command.

Enter the next command to verify system files are okay.

sfc /scannow

Let the Forum know how it goes.

I got some W10 PCs and W11 PCs. W11 seems to hit PC system resources harder when compared to W10 on my PCs.

Regards

[bwsc98]

Did  check on start up. Not much running at all and the usage is low. Most recent update had to be undone as it was the worst ever. I then reloaded it and it was better or like always.  I did the restart and esc. All tests came back as normal  or okay. Nothing was abnormal anywhere but still working at a snails pace.

[Raj_05]

Hi @bwsc98,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

Since you've already tried basic and hardware-level diagnostics with no abnormalities reported, let's move on to some advanced troubleshooting steps for improving the performance of your HP ENVY 17 laptop.

Check for Corrupted Windows Files

Run the System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tools to repair potential corrupted Windows files:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each:

sfc /scannow
 

1. After completion:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
 

1. Restart your computer and check performance.

Optimize Virtual Memory (Page File)

Improperly configured virtual memory can cause slowdowns:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the Advanced tab and click Settings under Performance.
3. Go to the Advanced tab and click Change under Virtual Memory.
4. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
5. Select your OS drive (typically C:), then choose Custom size.
6. Set:
   • Initial size = 1.5 x your RAM (in MB).
   • Maximum size = 3 x your RAM (in MB).
7. Click Set, then OK, and restart.

Check for Background Tasks Using Resource Monitor

Some hidden tasks might not show high usage in Task Manager:

1. Press Windows + R, type resmon, and press Enter.
2. Check CPU, Disk, and Memory tabs for any spikes or processes that are consuming resources abnormally.

Update Storage Driver and BIOS

An outdated storage driver or BIOS could affect performance:

1. Go to the HP Support page and enter your laptop's model.
2. Download and install the latest BIOS and storage drivers for your device.

[Raj_05]

Disable Windows Indexing for Storage

Indexing can slow down performance on some drives:

1. Open File Explorer and right-click on your OS drive (e.g., C:).
2. Select Properties.
3. Uncheck Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties.
4. Click OK and apply changes to all subfolders/files.

Perform a Clean Boot

Eliminate conflicts caused by third-party software:

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. Go to the Services tab and check Hide all Microsoft services.
3. Click Disable all, then go to the Startup tab and open Task Manager.
4. Disable all startup items.
5. Restart your computer and test performance.

Check for Failing Drive Performance

Even if hardware diagnostics passed, the drive could still be underperforming:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Run the following to check the drive:

chkdsk /f /r
 

1. You may need to schedule this on the next reboot.

Reinstall Windows as a Last Resort

If none of the above resolves the issue, consider a fresh Windows installation:

1. Backup your important files.
2. Create a Windows 11 installation media from the Microsoft site.
3. Boot from the installation media and perform a clean installation.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[Bill_To]

Greetings

How many Startup items does your PC have in Task Manager?

How many processes running in: Task Manager>Performance Tab?

Your PC's specs Here list a 1 TB platter HDD at 7200 rpm. An operating system HDD can be upgraded to a SATA SSD to improve drive performance.

Your PC's MB may have an open M.2 socket to install a very fast PCIe NVME SSD. I did not see this listed in the specs at the above link.

Watch the non-destructive W11 In-place upgrade video at this Site. Back up system drive data in your user folders then try the in place upgrade.

An In-place upgrade might help.

Regards

[bwsc98]

Did all above. Setting the 3rd request had good results although I had no idea of ram size. Step 2 put me back into slow mode. 1st step found many errors. In the end I think it is better by enough to notice. Still believe it could be better as it is sporadically better.