How much RAM do you have?

Right now: 8GB RAM, dual 4GB.

Weird, should be enough.

Yeah... I did all that's written on the journal, on that order, and still!

So you're using an HP laptop. Your CPU seems powerful enough and with the new RAM it seems that your problem lies somewhere else, like for example the mainboard itself. Are there any driver, firmware or even BIOS updates available? Also the problem could be caused by software. Are there any useless HP programs installed? Another thing that causes heavy slowdowns is anti-virus software. Especially the ones that start scanning the whole computer in the background without telling you, which causes severe slowdowns. Check the scheduler of the anti-virus program. Also if you encounter another slowdown, check the Task Manager to see what is eating up all your performance, maybe you can find a hint there.
Well, at least that's all I can think of now.

Okay: where do I get these updates? I am really not sure what's up right now...

About the useless programs, I don't know if they are really safe to delete.

It's not an anti-virus problem.

From the Task Manager, it usually shows MSN, Skype, Google Chrome and Steam eating RAM like candy when it slows, but the computer doesn't get better when they are finished.

Reiterating: I don't know which HP programs are really useless to delete, so I am afraid to cause more errors.

The updates for your mainboard can usually found on the manufacturers homepage. In this case I'd check the HP page for your laptop and see if there are any updates or something. Some companies even provide tools to check which version you have currently installed and if there's an update or not.
Which anti-virus program are you using?

The current anti-virus is Avast. The one from before was Avira, both free but active for eventual viruses.

I will check HP when I get home.

Checked HP for drivers or BIOS updates... Let's just say there's nothing for my model in their own database.

Also you might give Hijackthis a try. I explained how it works in a response to Aemi's comment below. Scans your system for unnecessary tasks and fixes them.

Hmmm. Sure, I will give a try.

I'm having the same issue (from what i can tell). Ive done virus scans, bios scans, defrags, cccleaner... you name it.
you seem to know your ass from a hole in the ground (much more so than me at the moment) so maybe you can provide an answer where google has epically failed me.

does this seem normal?

svchost.exe(localsystemnetworkrestricted)
committed memory: 139,408
Working memory: 145,296

i have anywhere between 3 and 8 of those going at any one time. I know they are essential to the computer, but this one at the top of the list is nomming ram like its a cocaine frosted cookie. I was told its safe to nuke, as it only handles my net connection and the fancier bits of my desktop (colors of the screen borders and stuff i dont usually use) so I shut it down. But it only dropped my overall memory use down by 3% and didnt help the slowness at all. it's the only process thats eating up more than it should. That and it rebooted itself like a half minute later anyways.

I don't think that the svchost.exe tasks are responsible for that. A lot of these are running on my system almost all the time, causing no slowdown at all. Maybe there are other tasks that cause the slowdown. There is a neat tool called Hijackthis. It scans the running tasks on your Windows, then it generates a logfile, remember to keep the program open. The text of the logfile or the logfile itself can then be uploaded here http://www.hijackthis.de/en . After the website has analyzed your logfile, it'll tell you which tasks are unnecessary or even dangerous. Then you can check these specific tasks in the program and let it fix them.
It might be worth a try.

...I did that, but I still doesn't know what to do to fix the "nasty" files.

yeah im up the same boat. even if I knew which files were causing an issue, i wouldnt know what to do to fix them :(

but im downloading this anyways

The website that analyzed your logfile shows you, which tasks are unnecessary or maybe dangerous. Then you can just go back to the program itself and check the boxes in front of the tasks you want to have fixed and click on "Fix it". You don't have to fix them yourself ;P

Yours too? within the last little while, my laptop only registers my power chord when the lid is closed and it randomly slows to an unuseable speed for no apparent reason. My techie just shrugs. T_T

Yours is a HP too? Because sounds sort of like mine...

yep that it is.

So, today I talked with one teacher of my college and he said he had two HP laptops, both had overheating problems enough to make him send to the assistance within one year of use...

i would bring mine in but i totally cant afford it right now. Giving this baby an overhaul is a couple hundred bucks i simply do not have >_<

Sorry for that... At least mine is still covered. Need to call HP to fix this one...

1. Open taskmanager, processes tab, sort by cpu usage descending
2. Wait till slowdown
3. Check which process has high usage while slowdown occurs
4. Kill the process
5. ???
6. PROFIT!!!

Alternatively check event log vor errors happening while the slowdowns are present

Already did that. Unfortunately, it's inconclusive since they are programs I had ever used before without problems and closing them doesn't weigh down.

Random thought... i know Intel CPUs would throttle themselves down if they got too hot.. and in my experience HPs tend to love to clog up almost as often as Toshiba's... im prolly wrong but just thought id throw that out there.

Hmmm... Maybe, maybe.

there is a program known simply as Fixit<current version number> it goes through and clears out clutter, Registry errors and abandoned registry keys are checked and removed or attempted to be repaired. as well as several tools designed to boost performance by dealing with fine tuning programs. might help

Maybe...