Weird Typing Problem

[EvilEmpryss]

I've got a laptop at work that is slow on loading programs and webpages, but the biggest problem is when I'm typing. Whether it's in Word or my Yahoo mail, I'm getting this weird sluggishness. I'll be typing along only to realize that the computer has lost track of where I am: the curser will freeze, then when it unfreezes it jumps ahead, but when it does it loses letters along the way. I tried typing an email today, and it got the first two letters and the last two letters of the person's seven-letter name, missed the comma, went down one line instead of two, and then started with the second word on the introductory line.

I don't type fast enough for a computer to lose track of me, and I know I don't type that bad that I'd be making all these mistakes (because it only happens on this particular computer of all the ones I use during the day).

I'm working on an Asus Intel Celeron N2830 2.16 GHz, Windows 8.1, IE 11, with 4 GB RAM.

Anyone have any ideas on what's going on?

[Buzzard]

It sounds like something's taking up stupid levels of processor power and/or insane HDD traffic.

Is the hard drive perhaps out of free space?
Have any antivirus/malware scans been done recently?
Is damn near every program on that thing trying to run at once?

[EvilEmpryss]

I checked the harddrive, and it's only got something like 80 GB out of 500 GB being used.

The thing doesn't have spyware/malware software, and I've been holding off buying it until Boss Lady decides if she's even keeping the thing for the office (it's currently the computer *I* use, though).

I don't think any other programs are running. I had IE and intermittently a scanning program running the last time it happened, but the typing errors didn't line up with the scanner usage. I'll check check what processes are running the next time it happens.

[Gizmo]

One culprit I have seen before doing this is windows update downloading in the background and causing issues.

There are free versions of antivirus and antispyware which you could install to make sure that its not a virus. I used 360 Total Security at the moment.

[ComputerNecromancer]

One culprit I have seen before doing this is windows update downloading in the background and causing issues.

Adobe's updater is even worse. That's why I quit using the free Adobe PDF viewer.

I'd checked in task manager and found that not only was it taking a couple of *days* to download updates in the background (if I went and fetched them manually it took less than 10 minutes), but it was using something like 70-90% of the CPU cycles in the process!

[Buzzard]

For a free antivirus, get AVG's free version. It'll nag you to buy the full version occasionally, but just keep with the FREE (not trial)
For extra cleaning (and no single product protects/cleans everything) Malwarebytes (again, go for the free, not trial) as a supplemental sweep.

[LionMan]

Adobe's updater is even worse. That's why I quit using the free Adobe PDF viewer.

I'd checked in task manager and found that not only was it taking a couple of *days* to download updates in the background (if I went and fetched them manually it took less than 10 minutes), but it was using something like 70-90% of the CPU cycles in the process!

You can use the command "msconfig" to remove programs from starting up on boot. Removing various updaters you really don't need running (adobe, java, etc) should help with that.

[EricKei]

Seconded on msconfig. The Services tab has a handy-dandy "hide all Microsoft services" checkbox -- as it's generally wise to leave MS Services alone, and it's *usually* safe to disable any NON-MS services...most of them, anyway. Use caution. The overwhelming majority of items on the Startup tab are usually safe to kill, as well -- most are "accelerated startup" TSRs, a type of applet which really hasn't been useful since...oh, 1999 or so.

If in doubt, disable one, reboot, if all is well, disable another, reboot...