Recently our laptop has been experiencing problems with speed and loading programs. It still turns on and loads as quickly as it did before, but it takes much longer for the taskbar to load.

Basically, I can't open anything. IE, Photoshop, folders etc., ... I looked at some other places and the majority of them suggested perhaps there were too many programs running in the background. I managed to open msconfig and I wrote down the names of the ones I wasn't too familiar with and googled them. So far all have checked out, but one said that if I find a "non Windows" program in the c:/windows/system32, it could possible be a virus/adware/bad stuff, and I found this one called "bmwwpf.exe" that I can't find anything on when I search it.

If it is a virus, or something else naughty, how can I go about containing it and wiping it from the laptop if I can't load anything?

Any help is GREATLY appreciated

I cannot find that file listed anywhere either. That in itself is strange. I would suggest running this thru our HijackThis experts:

Please follow the instructions HERE & then post your log in a new thread in the Spyware, Adware, Viruses and HijackThis Logs section.
(Not in this section please).

Can you start in Safe Mode?
Can you get the Start Menu by pressing Ctrl > Esc?
If not you can import HijackThis on a floppy & export the log.

I'm not too sure what you mean by Safe Mode... It rings a bell but I honestly haven't been around computers for a while. From the system config I can choose Normal/Diagnostic/Selective Startup... would that work?

And... the laptop apparently doesn't have a floppy drive... wow, I'm no help at all

Safe mode options are accessible by pressing the F8 key repeatedly after the computer logo screen (or BIOS) & before windows loads.

You can also use msconfig boot.ini > click Safe Boot & reboot.
Afterwards you will need to reset this.

Seeing that you are in windows:
What happens when you try to open IE now?