Windows 7 forum: Is it malware or Driver issues?

Sorry about this being a long post but ironing out this problem may be difficult even for an experience user like myself...at one time I wrote batch files for DOS and I still frequently use cmd utilities so Microsoft and I have a long and troubled relationship!

My Windows 7 install may be corrupted by something obscure that does not show up in or is not detected by Defender and other software.

Is there a no simple way any longer to log processes and look at the names of the binaries and services rather than just watching them come and go in a Window?

Or see how long it takes for a corrupted system driver to load? Or if the OS is constantly reloading it because it crashes?

Has Windows Pro series become so dumbed down that effective system monitoring and analysis is now almost impossible?

I do have Win7 pro so the system monitor and analysis tools should do more than just a "home" install does...but I cannot find any documentation on logging the activities of system processes anywhere ;-(

My install of Windows 7 seems to be indexing to drive like a dog with a broken hind leg. I was forced into a WGA check and it seems to me that there is something not quite right going on.

I dread having to nuke and re-install because that means setting up all my wifes software and internet passwords, Citrix, office, and the list goes on and on...not to mention hours of updating Windows 7 from service pack one!

My problems are most likely not a device on this machine because the machine runs like a dream with Knoppix, (my favorite OS of all time) Slackware or Mint Linux...but with the Windows7 that it was originally designed for it has recently started to run like a dog!

Could my trouble be something as simple as a flaky wifi driver?

Strangely the Belkin USB wifi that I use runs like a top with Linux though, so I doubt that it is a hardware issue.

The belkin driver is certified for Windows 7 and never acted up in the past.

Because in the past I have seen Windows updates murder communication drivers especially with 2000 and XP it is a possibility that a recent critical update messed up the Belkin .inf ndis settings. Anyone else have a recent problem with 7 and Belkin Atheros USB wifi drivers?

I will try running without the device and see if Windows gets its mojo back before I do anything drastic like nuke it and either dump windows for good or suffer through another ridiculous Windows cleansing re-install!

Other thoughts or suggestions are gladly welcomed.