Very slow laptop which freezes several times a day

[Lincolnshire]

My Envy notebook has an i7-6500U processor, 12 Gb of RAM, 1Tb hard disc and a NVIDIA GeForce 940M graphics card with Windows 10 home but as I have my own licence I upgraded to to Professional.

The machine runs ok when it is running however is takes a long time to load from sleep mode and even much longer from being totally powered off.  It will freeze in any programme (mostly I use MS Office 2019) and will take some time to recover.  As a result I find that simple tasks now take 2 to 3 times longer to accomplish.

I am looking to upgrade to a new machine with Intel 13 generaltion processor and need to decide if I need either an i5 or i7 processor and/or a NVIDIA graphics card.

Appart from the issue of selecting a new machine I do wonder if there is anything in my current configuration that is causing the slowness and constant freezing.

I run Norton 360 as an antivirus and keep Malwarebytes on standby to run as selected.

Any comments as to the slow running would be most welcome as well as on the matter of selecting a new laptop.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Lincolnshire,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you are facing an issue with your HP ENVY Notebook - 17-N152sa configuration, there are a few potential causes for the slow performance and freezing issues:

• Hard Disk Drive (HDD): Traditional HDDs can significantly slow down performance, especially compared to solid-state drives (SSDs). Upgrading to an SSD can vastly improve boot times, application loading, and overall system responsiveness.
• Background Processes: Norton 360 and Malwarebytes, while good for security, can consume substantial system resources. Running multiple security programs simultaneously can also lead to conflicts and slowdowns.
• Startup Programs: Too many programs running at startup can slow down boot times and affect performance.
• Fragmented Disk: Over time, HDDs can become fragmented, leading to slower read/write times.
• Outdated Drivers or Windows Updates: Outdated drivers or pending Windows updates can cause system instability and performance issues.
• Thermal Throttling: If the laptop is overheating, it can throttle the CPU and GPU to prevent damage, leading to reduced performance.

Steps to Improve Performance

Upgrade to an SSD:

• This is one of the most effective upgrades you can make. An SSD will significantly speed up boot times and application loading times.

Manage Startup Programs:

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Startup tab, and disable unnecessary startup programs.

Run Disk Cleanup and Defragmentation:

• Use the built-in Disk Cleanup tool and run defragmentation for the HDD (if you choose not to upgrade to an SSD).

Update Drivers and Windows:

• Ensure all drivers are up-to-date. Use Windows Update to check for and install updates.

Check for Malware:

• Run full scans with both Norton 360 and Malwarebytes to ensure no malware is affecting your system.

Thermal Management:

• Make sure the laptop's cooling system is clean and unobstructed. Consider using a cooling pad.

Refer to this document: HP ENVY Notebook - 17-n152sa (ENERGY STAR) User manual

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. 

[Lincolnshire]

Thank you for your reply.

My previouse computers ran Windows 7 professional and if I left them on sleep mode they would instantly respond with a password request so I could log in.  On Friday I left my laptop in sleep mode and when I attempted to log in today in order to respond to your advise it took me over 35 minutes to get to the stage when I could reply.

When I attempted to get back from sleep mode after about a minute I was shown a screen with the computer's name on it but no password request.  Despite trying several key combinations no such request was shown I therefore had to use a hard log off and then wait for the machine to restart, hence the long long wait so I could get to work.  This issue is not unusual with this particular laptop which is why I wondered if the particular laptop model was no fit to purpose with respect to Windows 10.

With respect to your other points.  I am not competent enough to be able to replace the hard drive with a SSD I have been Quoted £130 plus the cost of the drive by a local IT company and as this is a minumum of 1/3rd of the cost of a new machine I will be looking for to replace (thanks Microsoft for your massive hardware redundancy programme).

I run Norton 24/7 but only use Malwarbytes on request.

I have already restricted my start up programmes to the bearest minimum and yet despite this when I restarted today and only called up one programme the delay was over 30 minutes.

I usually run a utility to clear up any disk issued on a regular basis.

To come back to my original problem.

1. Is there a major issue with this particular laptop model/Windows 10 professional.

2. I do not have any major gaiming programmes running so would I get a better cost/performance ration by upgrading to an Intel i5 or I7 processor bearing in mind that my last two computers had i7 processors.

3. Is there any issue with calling back a computer from sleep mode in Windows 10 ?

Regards,

Martin

[A_Gayathri · Accepted solution]

Hi @Lincolnshire,

Thank you for your response, I appreciate your efforts. As the issue persists, I am sorry to hear that I'm sending out a private message to assist you with the next course of action. 

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.

Please click “Accept as 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!