Windows 7 Poor performance

[Amnesiac]

The past 3-4 months my PC’s performance has been very unimpressive indeed, without my making any more demands on the resources now than e.g. a year ago.

It has the same amount of ram, the same CPU as then, no adware, spyware or trojans to slow it down and the absolute minimum of software installed.
- - -
Literally anything, such as starting Chrome, opening another webpage, starting and running for example Freemake Video Downloader, copying or moving files in Explorer and other routine, ‘normal’ tasks sends the Task Manager CPU usage Indicator, generally hovering at 8 to 12%: Link Removed to 85-90%: Link Removed and often to 100% for 20-30 seconds at a stretch and, it appears, completely and thoroughly overwhelms the hardware.

It is as if I were, say, expecting a 3 horsepower engine to pull my '59 Cadillac up a 45 degree incline kinda quicklike.

Like I say this is a fairly recent thing. It's like the system resources have been reduced by 70% overnight or else as if my trusty AMD Athlon CPU has had a massive stroke.

As for system specs, here’s the Piriform Speccy report...

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...and disk map (plenty of free space it would seem):

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Any ideas why I get this underwhelming performance?

 

[holdum333]

Hi Amnesiac! Welcome to the forum. There are a ton of reasons that a PC slows down. Usually a little maintenance will get your speed back.
Have a look here! I'm lazy and I let someone else do my foot work for me. Lots of stuff here in this link!
My computer is running slow, what steps can I do to fix it?

 

[Amnesiac]

Hi Amnesiac! Welcome to the forum. There are a ton of reasons that a PC slows down. Usually a little maintenance will get your speed back.
Have a look here! I'm lazy and I let someone else do my foot work for me. Lots of stuff here in this link!
My computer is running slow, what steps can I do to fix it?

Thank you hoodlum333...sorry - holdum333. Well, if you're half as lazy me, then I'm twice as lazy as you I'll bet. I'm lazier than a veteran Teamster long-haul trucker - so there! Sure I'll check out your link - later. Much later. Thanks though.

But seriously, in the time since I posted the PC went to its maker. I tried hammering some sense into it by way of sledgehammer - and it just went dead on me, the traitor.
So, I'm writing this from the local library where I reckon I'll be spending quite some time from now on. All in all - the issue died along with the PC so I guess that's it. Goodnight Irene.

But thanks just the same and thanks for the welcome! That warms the heart of this this old coot!
For true.

 

[holdum333]

Here you go!!

 

[Amnesiac]

Here you go!!

Yeah, something like that. Fast thinking on your part! Sometimes enough will just have to be enough. You've, like, had it. Yes' walk tall out through the settling dust, leave that sh*t behind and move on.

And where is the Anykey anyway!...makes me so mad I could...well, it's all academic now. I'm moving on as I said.
I likes yo' style, holdum.