Running out of ideas Sony VAIO VPCEF3E1E

[tommy2k14]

I am a computer engineer and am looking at a client's laptop, which is a Sony Vaio VPCEF3E1E.  It was working perfectly until I got a call from him, saying it was slow at times, did all the usual checks, viruses, malware, hardware, but it was still slow erratically. Ran chkdsk /r, which found and fixed errors in the file system.  

It was still happening after a couple of days so I decided to reinstall the OS using the recovery DVD's I'd created.  I gave it back to him, it behaved itself, everything was fine, until a couple of days later the same thing happened.  I did the same things, this time I did a chkdsk /r, which repaired errors in the file system.   

Another phone call, same thing happened.  This time I will give a list of what I have done:

Disk diagnostics - Disk fine.

Drivers all up to date.

Not overheating, as I have a friend (I have a disability so I can't) take it apart to see if anything was clogging the fans, fans are clean.

Core Temp reports the processor temperature as 51C (which is normal for an AMD Dual Core, I think.) and disk temperature between 29C and 36C.

He uses AVG 2015.

No rogue processes running.

I have tried a spare power supply, makes no difference.

Another thing that has just started happening in the last 5 days is that the W7 splash screen (when loading) jiggles up and down for about 2 seconds!

The only thing I haven't tried is a memory test (although normally the Event Log picks up on memory problems.)  No software / hardware problems logged in the Event Log either.

My client only uses it for a bit of light surfing and checking emails.

It was purchased in 2010.

I am running out of ideas.

Any help please?

It has 4GB RAM and W7 Home Premium 64-bit.

[Marino.Manolo]

Only one, uninstall AVG.

Manolo

[tommy2k14]

I will do that - then I am going to give it back to him. 

If he comes back to me, I honestly don't know what else to suggest?!

[Marino.Manolo]

Try to install Windows 10.

Manolo

[rinninja]

I have the same laptop, its overheating on one side (even that i clean it up from little dust), on the second, the parts are already old, on the third side, have the screen flicering , pixels and vertical lines and freezing from 1 month. The problem is probably around the cooler and the VGA card, but usully dnt have the problem when I load up the windows in safe mode, only in normal mode with all the drivers up, so why sudenly ppl start having problems after win 10 release... or maybe its the bad parts that are not ment to last more than 3-4 years?

[Nobody-in-particular]

If the erratic behaviour appears only after you give the VAIO back to your friend then I would be questioning if the problem arises after they are installing any further programs.

Although from reading both of your previous posts I would hedge a guess that this could be hardware rather than a software problem. 

Maybe try blasting the vents with some compressed air. 

[tommy2k14]

I did try and roll back the VGA driver but it didn't work.  What did you do to resolve the situation?

[tommy2k14]

Well, I thought changing the disk wouldn't hurt, so my friend helped me to change it, and I installed Win 7 on it.  The new disk (I have had it in since this morning) has worked fine!  No more problems (so far!) 

However, now I cannot use the Recovery Partition, or the Recovery Media, as there is an 'error'!

I rang Sony, asked them if I can order Recovery Media, and they said because I changed the disk, I can't, because the recovery media is embedded with an encryption algorithn for the original disk and the recovery media won't work on any other disk!

[tommy2k14]

It's a pain that Sony won't let me do this!

[tommy2k14]

I rang Sony yesterday, explained to them that the old hard disk failed, and I couldn't use the two recovery methods. I tried once, then again! They said that as I had changed the disk, even Recovery disks wouldn't work, as the product key is linked to Sony's operating system on the original disk!

Is there any way I can get round this?