Help updating new laptop.

Hey guys,

Recently bought a new laptop for everyday use and average gaming, however i feel that there is a performance issue for what the laptop actually has and i was hoping for some help and guidance through updating etc. I'm pretty familiar with computers however when it comes to updating drivers I tend to be hesitant in case something goes wrong. (I have browsed through the stickied folders but again im fairly hesitant on which applies)

The laptop has an A10 4600m Quad Core at 2.3GHz with a dual graphics 7670M + 7660G. A few performance issues arise when generally using the laptop, such as going through files and transferring items, or opening programs (task manager tends to takes some time to open). Gaming wise as well, comparing with my previous laptop of 4 years i feel as though the performance is very on par with each other which is very annoying as the previous laptop was very poor graphic wise.

Driver Details

A10 processor - Version Date - 21/04/2009, Driver Version - 6.2.9200.16451 (I suppose this needs updating )
Dual graphics - Currently using the 13.6 Beta 2 Catalyst.

Any help would be appreciated such as pointing me in the right direction for driver updates and settings within these drivers (such as the catalyst).

Thanks in advance.

Hello Professor,

How new is your laptop? Was it fast initially or slow right out of the box?

The performance such as gaming has been the same since the start, the start up and shut down speed i think has decreased quite a bit since out the box. (start-up has decreased due to start-up programs but i think its a little slow for what it is)

How long have you had it? Any chance for an exchange or return due to your issues? I'm not trying to deter your request for assistance but I really think you might be better served in trying to take those routes if available and if you try to work these issues out via Lenovo support, they may have already identified an inherent issue and be in a better position to recommend a fix. Good luck.

Owned it for a few weeks now. I wouldn't say the effects are majorly problematic, I'm just not sure that its running as it should be, be it drivers wise etc.

Professor Badge said:

Owned it for a few weeks now. I wouldn't say the effects are majorly problematic, I'm just not sure that its running as it should be, be it drivers wise etc.

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I also own a Lenovo and I can only tell you that, if I were in your shoes right now, I would do a factory restore, go to the Lenovo website, look for and apply "only" their updated drivers and/or BIOS updates. In fact, I still have most of the original Lenovo drivers installed and they are working just fine. However, once you go beyond the confines of Lenovo's driver recommendations/updates, you could encounter a Lenovo support problem if your issue doesn't get resolved here.

Hello again Professor,

Just a thought, but maybe your slowness issue is being caused by all that unnecessary Lenovo bloatware and I would not be surprised if your performance started to improve simply by removing that junk and maybe get rid of their trial antivirus (if you haven't done so already). They generally use McAfee and that is a real resource hog from my experience. You could also post a screenshot of your task manager so we could take a quick look. Here's mine for comparison:

I may give that a go, there a several processes running with lenovo such as powerdvd and youcam software. One major thing that is easily noticed is that I have a staggering 50 background processes, for which I have no reason as to why or which to remove . Also do you find that task manager takes several seconds (upwards to 10+) to open for the first time (this is reoccurring should I close task manager and wait some time to reopen it).

YEP! Looks like you need to get rid of some of those unneeded programs. The task manager opening slowly is probably a byproduct of your system running not as fast as it should. Why don't you take apeek at your installed program entries, and if you would like to share that view, I'm sure the forum members (including myself) will make some appropriate recommendations. Here's mine on my test rig (used for testing only) :

Ok here is a list of the currently installed programs. Quite a hefty list. (One thing that has caught my eye, is that several programs, those that seem key to the system appear to have been installed on the 3rd month of the year which is 3-4 months before the purchase of the laptop. I'd imagine that was when the machine was assembled ?)

Hello again Professor,

I can't believe all that is installed on your laptop and much of it you have installed yourself. With that said, I can certainly see why your rig is not running at optimum. However, because there are so many, and many of the installations are by your choice, I think you would be best served if you try to figure out what you don't need on your own. However, if you have any specific questions about any specific program, I would be happy to give you a response to your specific question. Good luck.

HAHAHA, it really is bizarre. Here is a list of stuff that im unsure if it is needed;

Apple Application/Mobile Device - I use Itunes with Ipod touch so not sure if mobile device counts
Java Update 25 - (Should i just remove the 32 bit version ?)
Lenovo EasyCam and Mutesyn. Not sure if either of these are needed. I would imagine the camera would work with out them.
Lenovo OneKey Recovery - There is a button next to my power button to start a restore, but not sure if this program is required for it.
The massive list of Microsoft Visual C++ (Not sure where all that came from)
The Realtek and Atheros Items - I would of thought these are necessary for WiFi and Ethernet cable adapters.
Sugarsync manager - unsure of this.

Thank for the help so far as well.

Just curious, is someone else installing all these extra programs? Are you the gamer or is it someone else? None of the above programs would contribute to your issue with the exception of maybe Sugarsync (and I'm not even sure what that is). You have a ton of overlapping security software installed and gaming applications that I am not familiar with (because I am not a gamer). I really don't know where to suggest you go from here but I hope I was able to help you identify some issues that need to be addressed. Good luck.

I have installed the games myself. I think sugarsync is some online backup service with lenovo.

I shall keep chipping at the list of programs, Thanks again for the help .

Professor Badge said:

I have installed the games myself. I think sugarsync is some online backup service with lenovo.

I shall keep chipping at the list of programs, Thanks again for the help .

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Now you're talking! Good luck and you are welcome.

Last few questions though (Off topic to save a new thread). How do i get rid of the Keyboard language choice on the taskbar and how do I add the start menu on the task bar as present in the screenshots you provided earlier. Thanks again

I shall leave the thread open for now aswell should anyone else have something to add.

hello badge, after noticing the installed programs. i recommend you to uninstall the adobe flash player as it isn't needed in windows 8. because browsers these days are coming with built-in flash player & also do a windows update followed by a lenovo update. it is also recommended to disable startup programs. for that open task manager,move to startup coloumn then choose all the idiotic programs & disacle em'. this will improve your startup & restart timings. i personally recommend razer game booster to improve your gaming experience. here is the link.
Razer Game Booster

& for your drivers..? it is always recommended to get the OEM drivers than of the generic drivers given by your hardware companies. so here is the link for lenovo site & drivers for windows 8.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/default.page?
hope this helps you thoroughly.

Ah cool thanks Salim,

For the start-up programs, I'm unsure of what is needed again, could you possibly check the list below and suggest any programs that I can turn off please. Concerning the driver updates, I apologise but I'm completely useless on this as I'm not sure what to update.

Thanks again for any help.

Professor Badge said:

Ah cool thanks Salim,

For the start-up programs, I'm unsure of what is needed again, could you possibly check the list below and suggest any programs that I can turn off please. Concerning the driver updates, I apologise but I'm completely useless on this as I'm not sure what to update.

Thanks again for any help.

View attachment 25157

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many people(like me ) disable everything except antivirus to avoid startup infections caused by usb or anything else. n' if you are regular system tray user... pin the tray icons either to your startscreen or to desktop.