Once I was able to get my son to get rid of IE and put me back onto Google Chrome, I was able to do the rest of the 'fixes' pretty much on my own, but yes, it's very painful for me...lol.
My guess is that some electrical contacts down inside have started twitching. It's been on borrowed time, but it looks like the clock is really running out now. At least it's a good time of the year, pricewise, for her to replace it. I'm researching to find the best that will meet her needs. Fun!