Sluggish laptop -- any suggestions?

1) Uninstall everything AMD using Display driver uninstaller and install new drivers from the AMD website.

2) On the AMD web site be sure the "clean install" box is checked and only install the graphics driver.

Official Display Driver Uninstaller DDU Download

Display Driver Uninstaller Download version 18.0.1.9 (or newer version if available)

Display Driver Uninstaller: How to use - Windows 7 Help Forums

http://support.amd.com/en-us

3) Please uninstall Oracle Virtual Box during the troubleshooting process

Code:

Name	Radeon RX Vega M GL Graphics
PNP Device ID	PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_694E&SUBSYS_83BB103C&REV_C0\4&24C842DC&0&0008
Adapter Type	AMD Radeon Graphics Processor (0x694E), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. compatible
Adapter Description	Radeon RX Vega M GL Graphics
Adapter RAM	(1,048,576) bytes
Installed Drivers	C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0338121.inf_amd64_85e088bb254b43ed\B337654\aticfx64.dll,C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0338121.inf_amd64_85e088bb254b43ed\B337654\aticfx64.dll,C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0338121.inf_amd64_85e088bb254b43ed\B337654\aticfx64.dll,C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0338121.inf_amd64_85e088bb254b43ed\B337654\amdxc64.dll
Driver Version	25.20.15008.2
INF File	oem64.inf (ati2mtag_VegaMDS section)
Color Planes	Not Available
Color Table Entries	Not Available
Resolution	Not Available
Bits/Pixel	Not Available
Memory Address	0xE0000000-0xF01FFFFF
Memory Address	0xF0000000-0xF01FFFFF
I/O Port	0x0000EF00-0x0000EFFF
Memory Address	0xDE400000-0xDE4FFFFF
IRQ Channel	IRQ 4294967282
Driver	C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERSTORE\FILEREPOSITORY\C0338121.INF_AMD64_85E088BB254B43ED\B337654\ATIKMPAG.SYS (25.20.15008.2, 584.42 KB (598,448 bytes), 1/16/2019 10:51 PM)

Code:

atikmdag.sys Tue Dec 25 06:27:13 2018 (5C222221)
atikmpag.sys Tue Dec 25 06:16:05 2018 (5C221F85)

Code:

VBoxDrv.sys  Thu Oct 10 13:45:05 2019 (5D9F7C31)

Code:

VMMR0.r0     Thu Oct 10 13:45:12 2019 (5D9F7C38)

Code:

VBoxDDR0.r0  Thu Oct 10 13:44:31 2019 (5D9F7C0F)

I will uninstall the ATI stuff. But is it really necessary to uninstall VirtualBox too? That's the basis of my work right now.

It is not absolutely necessary to uninstall V Box.

AMD GPU drivers were the cause of the BSOD.

The latest BSOD occurred while using V Box.

At sometime it would be useful in evaluating computer performance.

The software can be reinstalled.

Computer stability / instability (BSOD and unexpected shutdowns / restarts) and performance can be evaluated.

OK. I can't do it tonight or during the workday tomorrow, but I'll try to get to it tomorrow night.

Bloody hell. I finally got a chance to do this, and DDU told me to reboot to safe mode. I did, and I found it would not accept my normal login password. Apparently it wants my Microsoft account password, which I don't know offhand since I use a password manager. Which of course I can't access until I log in. I tried changing my Microsoft password using my phone, and that still didn't work. (Apparently it requires a wired network connection, and my laptop doesn't have one.)

So I can't log in, and I can't get out of the safe mode login prompt. I tried booting into the diagnostic mode and selected Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, but I don't see anyway to turn OFF safe mode from there.

I don't have a Windows install disc, nor a Recovery USB key. I have an image backup, but I would prefer not to restore from it, since it's about a week old. I may have to resort to that. Except I can find my old Acronis backup recovery boot key, but not the boot key for Macrium, which I use now. 😡

So I'm stuck in this Catch-22 and I don't know how to escape. Help!?

Thanks, but I tried that already. It just takes me back to the safe mode login prompt.

A thought: could I burn a Windows boot DVD on my son's desktop system and use that to repair my laptop? Of course, I have no optical drive... But I could find one.

- - - Updated - - -

f14tomcat said:

When you set up your MS account, did you also set up a PIN number?

Not that I remember, and the logical candidate didn't work. Neither did resetting my Microsoft password through my phone. I believe both of these login methods require a hardwired network connection, which I don't have.