Extremely poor performance

[geos]

Programs open slowly, sometimes not at all. iTunes constantly stops playing. Internet pages don't open. I've updated all drivers and programs, removed RGB apps, run Memtest86 and a full Norton scan. Very frustrating and ready to throw this box out the window. Could it be the motherboard settings? Is there a troubleshooting program other than Microsoft's worth trying?

My setup:  ProArt Z690 Creator, Intel I7-12700k, 64 Gig Corsair Vengeance RAM, ROG Strix FeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, AT&T fiber Internet, speedtest @ 950 Mbps, Windows 11.

[JohnAb]

Have you looked in Task Manager to see if anything is using a lot of CPU resources? Sound like a possible virus infection to me. Is it the same after a fresh install?

[geos]

Thank you for your suggestion.I have looked at Task Manager. There are four items that seem to take up the most memory, Windows functions such as Service Host, Desktop Window Manager, Runtime Broker and Widgets, Norton 360, NVIDEA Container and Share, and Microsoft ClicktoRun. I deleted Razor Synapse and Chroma as I do more video editing than gaming, therefore the ProArt motherboard. Also, 9 instances of Firefox open even though I only open 1. I understand there are features preloaded, but that seems excessive. I will try using Chrome to see if that makes a difference.

[JohnAb]

OK, seems like an odd problem. Do you have an anti-virus program? Otherwise I'd suggest that you backup your OS using a backup programme like Macrium Reflect of similar and then try a fresh install. If no better, you can then easily restore back to where you were before. I find Macrium to be excellent, but don't forget to make the boot USB once installed to be able to do the restore. 

[JohnAb]

I meant the free version by the way...

[Nate152]

Hello geos

You could try resetting the bios to defaults.

If your pc is still running slow then I'll agree with JohnAb, it sounds like it's time for a windows reinstall.

I'd scrap Norton, all you need is windows defender.