Hi all, I feel somewhat bad to be asking for help on my first post, but I'm not much of a computer expert (though I use it frequently and know its basic functions) so I do look forward to any solutions.
I've got a 5 yearold laptop computer that started not responding to my mouse-clicking all of a sudden, while I was using the computer. It was working fine at the desk, and I unplugged it, and moved it to a different location (safely without bumps or drops). After the move, the computer didn't respond when I tried opening Internet Explorer. After a while, it didn't respond to any other clicks either.
Computer details:
Intel Pentium M 1.70ghz
Windows XP service pack 2
RAM 512mb
HDD 80gb
Mobility Radeon 9700 128mb
Norton 360 antivirus
The computer was working fine before.
Interestingly, after pressing shutdown or logoff in the 'task manager', the screen showed all the prompts I clicked while the computer didn't react (such as: files opened, windows maximized/minimized) in high speed, before closing them and logging off.
Also, when I double-click to open things such as Internet Explorer, or other programs, the program doesn't seem to load (they dont' open). But when I got to the 'task manager' it shows in the 'Processes' tab that it is running. The program just doens't show up on the screen or 'Applications' tab...
I've tried restarting the computer several times, and it seems to run for the first minute or two before the programs (such as Microsoft Word or My Computer) start to not-function again. I've also tried resting the computer (but I don't usually have the computer on overnight anyway). Through the restarts, the following are some typical scenarios on how the computer doesn't respond.
1. Computer turns on, finishes loading desktop etc. and I connect to the internet. I open MSN, type my password successfully and sign on. MSN then freezes, but I can still return to my desktop while MSN freezes. I can open the 'task manager'. It shows MSN is not responding.
2. Computer turns on, finishes loading desktop etc. and I connect to the internet. I double-click to open Internet Explorer, it shows it's 'busy' for a split second. Internet Explorer doesn't load at the end... I can open the 'task manager'. It shows that no applications are running.
3. Computer turns on, finishes loading desktop etc. and I open a basic text file. All goes well. I open a Microsoft Word document and read through it for a while, that's good too. I try to minimize the window and it freezes. I can open the 'task manager'.
Would anyone know what might be causing this? Please do let me know if you'd like further information about the case.
