Some Gateways have issues with their own free security, antivirus, and spyware. These issues go away when you switch to non-gateway products.
Otherwise, the most common problem with the hard drive is a defect. You can remove the drive with two screws, or read the BIOS, to determine the brand and date of manufacturer... then go to the website of the manufacturer to download the drive fitness test software for your brand of hard drive. You usually load it to a floppy disc or an ISO CD, then boot to run it... You will get a good review of drive performance, including the SMART status, and will let you know if the drive is a problem, or the difficulty is elsewhere.
