Laptop Repair---need a geek with parts.

Hi Gunner,
Just a quick update to laptop problem.
I cleaned it.
I unpowered it, then held the reset button for 15 sec., plugged in adapter, then pressed reset.

Puter screen came on with "starting windows". It sat like that for about 15 min.
Then it went dark with the white arrow visible and movable---sat like that for about 10 min.
Then Windows icon came on screen and within a few minutes, my screen lit up with all my desktop icons.

I thought I was back in business---BUT---
dwm.exe box kept coming on saying it could not be found.
Trying to get ANYTHING to open such as a word doc, a program, or even task manager would take like an hour for it to open.
In the meantime the dwm.exe (desktop windows manager) kept popping up.

The fan and hard drive were running, but the hard drive was making a clacking sound...in other words,
the fan was running ALL the time (but not getting HOT)
and the drive never purred like it should.

I've called the geek here in Ontario---he's very nice and thorough over the phone.
We're talking about just getting my data onto another external device, and then when I have the money, getting new laptop.
He mentioned reinstalling Windows as a fix, but someone posted on here that a fix like that could do more harm than good b/c of OEM issues, and incompatibility etc.

We're finished w/our 34 restart in the am., so the geek is coming to the TA to pick up my machine.

Any last bit of advice before I leave Ontario?

Thank you.