Windows 7 locking up

to start out, my laptop is an Asus A53E-TS52 running windows 7 home premium 64 bit. Last week i updated everything (any windows updates, driver updates that Asus LiveUpdate, etc). ever since i updated, i havent been able to :
-view pictures using windows picture viewer (it makes it through a few and then says "COM surrogate has stopped working").
-attach files (when the box pops up the whole computer locks up) this happens in chrome. i havent tried another browser yet.
-windows taskbar will randomly lock up and wont restart (i have to hold down the power button to restart everything)

i have no idea what the deal is, but it is getting worse. i keep trying to run Avast, but i can never complete it because something locks up before it can finish. any help is very much appreciated.

Do a system restore back to a day prior to doing the updates and see if it works correctly.

i will try that. i did a scan with Avast and Malwarebytes and both came up with nothing.

I don't think it has something to do with a virus. Try to disable Thumbnail previews.

i took and did restore point, and so far it hasnt locked up, just has lagged at times. but i havent been on my laptop much to find out more.

Hi there,

I am interested to know if it actually was a Windows update which caused this. I am currently running my own WSUS help forum and am looking for updates that cause errors, and see if I can find their possible fixes.

If it is indeed a Windows update issue, I will try and assist you if possible. One way to find out what may be causing it, is by installing one update at-a-time. This is for both your Windows updates and your driver updates. I know it can be tedious and time-consuming, but that is the best way to find out which update is causing the problems (if it was an update at all).