My computer starts off ok when I turn it on, but after a while it starts running very slowly. Pages and programs take a few minutes to load/close. I sometimes shut the laptop and put it on standby; it starts off ok, but at some point it starts slowing down again. When I open task manager I don't see the tabs anymore. It even loses the title bar that should say "task manager" on it. I've run different spyware programs (Ad-Aware, Spy Eraser, AVG, the Pre-work) and have removed what has shown up, but nothing fixes the problem.

Hello.

Your computer appears clean. I'm moving this to the WinXP forum for the tech team to have a look at it.

Try running an anti virus scan in Safe Mode. Resart ytour computer and tap F8 untill you see an "Advanced Options for Windows" screen appear. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard and highlight Safe Mode. Then login as the Administrator.

is the fan constantly running?

Yes but I have a cooler that keeps the temperature low.