Laptop Computers

I acquired a Compaq Presario laptop last year - a gift from my Dad.

It came with Windows Vista Home Premium (and ain't that a mouthful?) and a suite of the usual crapola - "trial" software and "special offers" for high-speed internet access.

Most of that had been eliminated by my Sis, whom Dad had deputized to be the System Configuration Wizard.

Over the past year, Vista has been getting "flaky" - it would lock up with the busy whirlythingie if I left it just sit there for five minutes. I know this 'cause I timed it. Three or four times, five minutes every time.

I spelunked around the web, and found Gizmo's Best Freeware (HIGHLY recommended by OWW), and once there, found THIS, which led to THIS, which are also both HIGHLY recommended by OWW, with the caveat that if your system is running well, DON'T FUSS WITH IT! If it ain't broke....

Alas, none of these tweaks helped.

At least three other people with identical laptops didn't have this problem, so I decided to do the dreaded System Restore To As-Shipped condition.

The System Restore took most of yesterday (after backing up my data), and most of that time was spent in very carefully removing the stuff I didn't want on the system, such as Office 2007 Student (I use Office 2003 Professional) and adding in the stuff that I use.

So far, so good - I'm back up and running, and it doesn't lock up after five minutes of idle time.

So far.... after all it IS Windows, neh?