Hi daffy688's,
Windows 7 Service pack and other Windows Updates are released to improve the performance, reliability and security of the system, there could be several causes why you are experiencing performance issue on your computer.
I would like to clarify if you have uninstalled or removed Service Pack 1 from your computer.
You may try the following steps:
Method 1: Run the performance troubleshooter and then check
Open the Performance troubleshooter
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Open-the-Performance-troubleshooter
**Method 2:**If a Windows Resource Protection (WRP) file is missing or is corrupted, Windows may not behave as expected.Run System File Checker (SFC) scan to fix any corrupt system files. To do this, follow the steps mentioned in the link below:
How to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files on Windows Vista or on Windows 7
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929833
Method 3: Put the computer in clean boot and then check to see if the issue persists
Follow Step 1 in the link below,
**How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7**
If everything works fine after a clean boot, you can infer that some third party services are causing the problem.
Proceed with the remaining steps to pin-point out the third party service.
After you figure out the problem causing program, you may have to update or install a higher version of the program, if you seldom use that software you can consider uninstalling it.
Important: - Remember to put the computer back to normal startup follow step 7 in the link.
Thanks and Regards:
Ajay K
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer
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