Computer keeps freezing up

Basically if I shut down all programs and leave the computer alone for a bit, when I come back it lags like hell and I literally cannot do anything except play Minesweeper. This only happens if I leave it alone. Any ideas/suggestions?

Do you have a crazy screensaver set?

Disable your screensaver or stop it from going into suspend/sleep mode.

It's also possible that you have virus-scanning or other processes set to run whenever Windows decides no one is using the computer.

Are you running Vista? That sounds normal to me if that's the case :p

I sussed the problem. Norton was permanently trying to update. I uninstalled it so it now behaves, or will do when I get the Virgin Media PC Guard thingy to obey me properly.

Give it the same treatment as you gave norton :p Though it's hard to believe something's actually as bad as norton :p

At least with this I could turn off the scheduled anti-virus scan. It's behaving now I turned off all the real-time stuff.

Good girl.

Does the real-time stuff serve any purpose except to eat the CPU alive?

It supposedly stops things before the user has a chance to open them and destroy their computer. In actuality, virus scanning software doesn't really stop much. :p

I hates Norton... Why is it so standard these days x_x Which reminds me. I need to kill it too. *Does so* And wow does it take a long time to uninstall...

Okay, it now hates me. Not only is the Virgin Media PC Guard determined to grab every scrap of CPU power it can get, it also seems that Norton is a zombie. I have uninstalled Norton, but the process LuComServer_3_4.exe (which is Norton) still runs. That and despite turning off all real time stuff, RPS.exe eats 80-98% of the CPU according to task manager. Does anyone know how the hell to deal with this?

EDIT: Shutting down PC Guard has no effect on RPS.exe. This is annoying since they should be the same
Would terminating this process from Task Manager be a bad idea?

reformat then get AVG antivirus :p

Reform and re-install Windows? I'm not that desperate. And I would desperately love to uninstall it except my dad only installed it recently so all the computers would have a standard set-up. Right now I just need a bloody compromise.

Locate file. Delete >_>

Well I found a likely looking file. "LUCOMSERVER_3_4.EXE-002E69C2.pf" in C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch. I deleted it but it came back when I restarted the computer.
Oh, and when I try searching for long, Explorer crashes.

EDIT: I just discovered that it wasn't uninstalled. I am an idiot.

run > msconfig > uh... startup tab? uncheck anything norton related and/or anything you don't want/like. Though I'd verify on some things if you don't recognize them

Ignore .pf stuff in C:\Windows\Prefetch normally - whenever you run any .exe, Windows will create a .pf in an attempt to make it start up faster then next time you run that program :p In a way, if you delete all .pfs in there, any that reappear means that that .exe must have been run recently :p

http://www.symantec.com/autotools/

Run #1, it completely uninstalls Norton, including the 90% of the program that Add/Remove Programs leaves behind.

I wonder if norton has something similar to remove symantec products :p

The issue is actually not with Norton proper, but with Symantec's Live Update thingy. I tried to use Add/Remove Programs to remove it last night but after running for 12 hours it didn't do anything. I suspect the fact that the dodgy process was taking up 98% of the CPU was responsible. I'm gonna see if it's possible to uninstall it in Safe mode next, if that's even possible. I know the process doesn't run when the computer's in Safe mode.

The Norton Removal Tool removes LiveUpdate as well. Actually, I think it removes all Symantec software from your machine, meaning if you want to remove just NAV and leave the firewall, you're SOL. You'll have to remove everything and then reinstall the firewall. And then run away, because if you don't, the wolves will get you. Oh golly gee, look at the time, it's time for your pills!

Yeah, Norton can be a pain because of that. It's really irritating. My mother insists on using it, though. :kaoindif:

Old people are stubborn and crazy. Get used to that.

It worked. Thanks everyone.