CPU at 100%, explorer.exe hogging CPU usage, SLOW notebook!!

[Guest]

Using an Inspiron 2200. I have a 1.4GHz processor (Intel Celeron M). I use
WinXP Home. 20GB hard drive (I know it's small but I have 300+ GB worth of
externals, but that's besides the point, or is it?). 1.24GB of RAM. I have
every spyware and adware program on earth (the legit ones like Ad-aware and
Spyware Sweeper) and I run them regularly. I have a paid subscription to
Norton Internet Security, and I use it. I defrag and empty my temp files
regularly. I usually have Adobe Photoshop CS2 (and work with very large
graphics), Microsoft Outlook, AIM and a web browser or two open regularly
with my high speed internet connected. Task Manager tells me on average I
have 35-45 processes running at any given time.

My CPU usage is usually at 100%, which is NOT right. In task manager the
process that is hogging anywhere from 95-100% of my CPU is explorer.exe

EVERYTHING I do lately takes forever to load, and sometimes just locks up.
Especially when using Outlook, and when loading large files into Adobe. It's
getting really bad and I don't know what to do to speed things up. Buy and
install a better processor? Is it a virus? My drivers? Should my on-board
hard drive be larger? Memory optimizer programs don't really do the trick,
but something tells me that my memory isn't a problem and that it is my CPU
and explorer.exe

PLEASE HELP!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Using an Inspiron 2200. I have a 1.4GHz processor (Intel Celeron M).
I use WinXP Home. 20GB hard drive (I know it's small but I have 300+
GB worth of externals, but that's besides the point, or is it?).
1.24GB of RAM. I have every spyware and adware program on earth (the
legit ones like Ad-aware and Spyware Sweeper) and I run them
regularly. I have a paid subscription to Norton Internet Security,
and I use it. I defrag and empty my temp files regularly. I usually
have Adobe Photoshop CS2 (and work with very large graphics),
Microsoft Outlook, AIM and a web browser or two open regularly with
my high speed internet connected. Task Manager tells me on average I
have 35-45 processes running at any given time.

My CPU usage is usually at 100%, which is NOT right. In task manager
the process that is hogging anywhere from 95-100% of my CPU is
explorer.exe

EVERYTHING I do lately takes forever to load, and sometimes just
locks up. Especially when using Outlook, and when loading large files
into Adobe. It's getting really bad and I don't know what to do to
speed things up. Buy and install a better processor? Is it a virus?
My drivers? Should my on-board hard drive be larger? Memory optimizer
programs don't really do the trick, but something tells me that my
memory isn't a problem and that it is my CPU and explorer.exe

Please crosspost in the future.
Uninstall NIS for now - see if that helps. Sounds like all files are being
scanned on access or something to me.

 

[Guest]

justin,

I have the exact same problem and I posted here (because 'help' sounded like
the right place) a few hours ago .. but no replies.

I can pretty much assure you that your CPU memory isn't the problem.

After doing some reading at Microsoft, I found that this is a known problem.
It is to do with explorer.exe using too many cycles ..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;317751

The way to fix it, supposedly, is to get Microsoft Windows Service Pack 2.

They recommend that you set your CPU to receive updates automatically (which
mine is set to), and then SP2 will automatically install next time the CPU
looks for updates. This process can also be done manually through
http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

That *should* fix your problem.

However, in the case of my problem, I'm quite the computer illiterate. I
have no idea if this computer even ever downloaded Windows XP SP2 .. and I
don't know how to check. In any case, when I searched for updates on the
site, SP2 didn't come up.

Which leads me to believe that either this CPU already has it and this is a
new problem .. or I just have no idea what I'm doing.

 

[Guest]

i have this problem even when norton is off and disabled. should i really
consider uninstalling it anyway?

 

[Guest]

dragonz... first of all, if you like dragons, you need to check out the band
'dragonforce.' they pretty much OWN music. anyway... i do have service pack
2, and a good way to check is to right-click on your "my computer" icon..
probably on your desktop. the first tab that is opened by default should tell
you. my computer came with it.

 

[M.Meels]

He Justin,

Triggers me, your problems with a EXPLORE.EXE-process that keeps running
at 100 % CPU !

Actually, your Windows-kernel keeps executing a program/application that
hangs !

Find out which program that is by changing the bootup programs one-by-one.

In my case it was a bad Norton Antivirus that was automatically updated:
at one boottime the CPU got up to 100% and I coulnot get it fixed - like
you (Norton System Works 2003 under WinME two years ago, under WinXP SP2
just two weeks ago - Symantec bugs I perhaps ?!).

First I guessed it was Norton because Antivirus did not launch like it
normally should.
Then I disabled the startup-entry for its ccApp.exe: CPU usage averaged
at 5-10 % within minutes after bootup (as it should).
Then I re-installed Norton WITH COMPLETE CLEANUP: look at the
Symantec-site how to do that.

Tip: do updates like Norton Internet Security by hand instead of
automatically !

Several software components tend to run those processes at boottime -
you want some work done and every *x@! application goes out to ask some
site if there is any update available !

Keeps your PC pretty busy !

Kill those unnecessary startup-entries, manual updates once every 4-6
weeks for my USED apps is more than enough !

Try executing Windows Update automatically while apps like Norton and
any Firewall are doing DLL-authentication (never turn that on for home
use !!!): only more problems to solve ...

Keep me posted if this wil help.

Marc

 

[Guest]

when i restarted before, the porblem didnt go away, but then i ran a scandisk
and now it goes away after each restart temporarily. the problem comes back
eventually and im not sure what triggers it.

by killing the uneccasary startup entries, do you mean going into msconfig
and unchecking programs in the startup programs tab? what about the services
tab? do you have any suggestions on any of those processes i should uncheck
that may be checked already by default?

 

[Guest]

i just realized, that since this explorer.exe/cpu problem doesn't occur on
startup, it's not a startup program that's causing the problem. it must be a
process that gets executed later... i have textpad, aim, and outlook open
right now and i am not having the problem.. i know photoshop doesn't cause it
either. i guess i should try and keep a close eye on my running processes to
see where the problem may lie. i downloaded "process explorer" which is an
awesome program to do this with.

 

[Guest]

Using an Inspiron 2200. I have a 1.4GHz processor (Intel Celeron M). I use
WinXP Home. 20GB hard drive (I know it's small but I have 300+ GB worth of
externals, but that's besides the point, or is it?). 1.24GB of RAM. I have
every spyware and adware program on earth (the legit ones like Ad-aware and
Spyware Sweeper) and I run them regularly. I have a paid subscription to
Norton Internet Security, and I use it. I defrag and empty my temp files
regularly. I usually have Adobe Photoshop CS2 (and work with very large
graphics), Microsoft Outlook, AIM and a web browser or two open regularly
with my high speed internet connected. Task Manager tells me on average I
have 35-45 processes running at any given time.

My CPU usage is usually at 100%, which is NOT right. In task manager the
process that is hogging anywhere from 95-100% of my CPU is explorer.exe

EVERYTHING I do lately takes forever to load, and sometimes just locks up.
Especially when using Outlook, and when loading large files into Adobe. It's
getting really bad and I don't know what to do to speed things up. Buy and
install a better processor? Is it a virus? My drivers? Should my on-board
hard drive be larger? Memory optimizer programs don't really do the trick,
but something tells me that my memory isn't a problem and that it is my CPU
and explorer.exe

PLEASE HELP!

What worked for me, after I tried almost everything else in these posts, was
to go into the start menu>run then type %temp% Then, delete all the
files that you can in here. some you can't, but you should be able to get
most of them. For some reason, this completely worked for me and my
explorer.exe and cpu usage is at a normal level now.