Help Laptop very very slow

[langland]

Hi guys.
I was at my brothers last night, he has avgfree 7.5 and I asked him if he had upgraded to avg free 8, which he hadn't.
He's not much of a PC person so he asked me to do it.
When I switched on the laptop indicated updates to install.
So I went to grisoft website and downloaded avgfree 8 and installed it.
It then asked me if I wanted to restart, so I chose later, I then installed the updates, which appeared to be internet exlorer7.
I then re-booted and although it got to windows at about the same speed from then everything was very very slow.
I tried to get to system restore but it wouldn't go past the small screen that appears when I press the start.
I tried to get to control panel but it wouldn't.
It won't let me on to the internet.
I tried "word" and that did load.
It won't let me shut down unless I go via Task Manager.
My brothers wife has a lot of work in office on this laptop and although I to told her to back it all up and bought her a memory stick, she hasn't done it, so I am desperate not to lose it.
Any help would be much appreciated

Regards
Langland

 

[MH]

Back everything up onto DVD.

All my docs, emails, favs, bookmarks etc.

Then do a fresh install of the OS, remembering to format the drive 1st.

MH

 

[davelichfield]

Try starting in "safe mode" and then use system restore to set to an earlier date, back up all data, then as already suggested I would do a complete re-install.

 

[langland]

Thanks guys.
Done the system restore, so at least it is now working.
Am taking it back now, and will suggest he gets someone to re-install O.S

But I aint gonna do it because if anything goes wrong with it in the future he will blame me and probably expect me to buy a new laptop

 

[bodser]

sod him. lol.

Seriously, we people who know about pc's always get friends asking us to do things for them. Fine, but if it gets shagged, its your problem not mine. you have to make them aware of this.
If they're not happy, tell them to take it to PC World (*spits*), and they can screw you for your money whilst doing basically f'all to your pc. Trust me.