Linux trouble shooting help needed

[the86d]

Just like Windows, do the updates I guess.

Unless it's Vista, then just install something else. (Nobody needs a full-day of installing updates on anything that isn't an i5, or i7...)

[problemchild]

This is what I am currently running..........

user@laptop:~$ uname -r
3.12.0-031200-generic


Its now switched from full HD write, which slows computer to a crawl, after an update to just random times during the day. A reboot solves it till the next time. Very frustrating!!!

I have googled it for 2 weeks and cannot find a solution. Im ready to move on. Is there a better linux for a 4yo laptop? Firefox seems to lock up every once in a while to, firefox is getting really old!
No issues when running win7 but did have issues with Firefox (Im getting sick of FF)

Need:

Email- PGP
Web
Office (open or ??)
Firewall
SECURE!!!!
T-O-R- (will not run on my copy of linux, cant figure why?)

[njineermike]

The reboot is a clue. Reboots flush all memory usage. It really does sound like you've got an issue wih memory allocation. When the machine needs RAM and no more is available, it uses HD space instead. This results in high read/write cycles and a marked slowdown in machine speed due to the access times of the HD being so much longer than RAM. I'm about 99% sure you're dealing wih a hardware issue.

[remusrm]

Well I spoke too soon. The darned hard drive went to 100% activity again today.

what laptop/pc is it? send me a message and i'll help ya out. Mint Maya 13 on my older 5+ yr old pc works fine

[problemchild]

what laptop/pc is it? send me a message and i'll help ya out. Mint Maya 13 on my older 5+ yr old pc works fine

dell latitude

[problemchild]

OK so its doing it again. I have isolated it to Installs and updates.

Right now I popped open task mgr.

Results

41% mem use
.7% swap use
cpu 1-2 6-7%

sudo iotop --processes shows......

kworker u/4:2 is hammering something at 14%

Saidar shows something weird......

Swap and write- page-in page-out to drive happen at same time as an rx-80kb tx-30kb chunk comes across my eth0 connection....wtf?