Access using 99% cpu .. help

[John .]

First, I'm not an Access expert, but we have a work order application
that uses Microsoft Access with Windows XP.

There is nothing else running on this PC except the application, but
whenever the customer work-order is open, the application uses 99%
CPU. The software vendor claims "this is normal for Access".

Note, we are not updating the work order, we just opened the name
address basic screen. Even after 5 or 10 minutes, the CPU is still
burning away at 99-100% CPU as measured by XP Task Manager.

Is this a vendor programming bug? Or is this really normal?

Personally, I can't imagine the PC and/or CPU lasting that long when
it runs at 99% all day long!

Please help me with information I can provide to the vendor. Maybe
they are using some kind of coding technique that causes this. Or am
I all wet?

 

[John Vinson]

There is nothing else running on this PC except the application, but
whenever the customer work-order is open, the application uses 99%
CPU. The software vendor claims "this is normal for Access".

They're right. It's normal for Access.

However, Access gracefully yields use of the CPU to other programs
when they need it. It's really more a quirk of the Task Manager and
its interaction with Access rather than actually beating your CPU to
death.

John W. Vinson[MVP]
Join the online Access Chats
Tuesday 11am EDT - Thursday 3:30pm EDT
http://community.compuserve.com/msdevapps

 

[John .]

They're right. It's normal for Access.

However, Access gracefully yields use of the CPU to other programs
when they need it. It's really more a quirk of the Task Manager and
its interaction with Access rather than actually beating your CPU to
death.

I opened the sample Access 2003 database, which contains similar
names/addresses/inventory/orders, etc.

It's using less than 2% CPU.

Why the difference? It's not using 100%.

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

Personally, I can't imagine the PC and/or CPU lasting that long

when it runs at 99% all day long!

On my computer with no applications running AT ALL, I get
'system idle process' running at 99% all day long!

Actually, it is the same process as that run by Access 97,
which is why msaccess.exe appears to have 99% utilisation
when you are not using your computer.

Depending on your PC and CPU, you may find that most of your
PC and CPU is shut down, even though the task manager shows
99%. You can be using 100% of your computer's time waiting
for the next instruction, and not using the memory, graphics,
storage, or floating point subsystems at all.

You don't say, but I assume that the application is built
on Access 97, since this kind of enquiry normally relates
to that platform. Is that correct?

The interesting point is that on your system Access appears
to still have control of the system idle process after 5-10
minutes. You aren't using a screen saver are you? On my PC
(Win 2000) Access 97 normally surrenders control of the system
idle process after 15-30 seconds (more if there are multiple
copies run, more if you are using the file open dialog with
mapped drives).The official explanation is that Access 97 will
surrender control of the system idle loop after 30 seconds,
but that seems to be a little simplistic.


(david)

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

I opened the sample Access 2003 database, which contains similar
names/addresses/inventory/orders, etc.

It's using less than 2% CPU.

Why the difference? It's not using 100%.

Take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/?id=160819

 

[John .]

Take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/?id=160819

I saw that, but we are using Access 2000, and the kb says it applies
to Access 97 and fixed in Access 2000.

"STATUS
This behavior does not occur in Microsoft Access 2000. "

Do you think it's normal and have you seen this 99% CPU in Access
2000, Access Xp, or Access 2003?