CPU usage 100% all the time

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I have two computers that are suddenly running at 100% CPU usage. Any ideas
as to what may be causing this and how I can reduce it back to normal levels?
 
lewisevans777 said:
I have two computers that are suddenly running at 100% CPU usage. Any ideas
as to what may be causing this and how I can reduce it back to normal
levels?
Click to expand...

Does Task Manager show what is causing the usage - not svchost.exe by any
chance?
Antioch
 
lewisevans777 said:
I have two computers that are suddenly running at 100% CPU usage. Any
ideas as to what may be causing this and how I can reduce it back to
normal levels?
Click to expand...

No, because you haven't provided any information about your computers.

The First Question Of Troubleshooting: what changed between the time things
worked and the time they didn't?

The Second Question of Windows Troubleshooting: what is the malware/virus
status of the machine? If you think it is clean, what programs (and
versions) did you use to determine this?

Be sure the machine is clean:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

If you want more focused help, please see this link for what details you
need to include in your next post:
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

Malke
 
lewisevans777 said:
I have two computers that are suddenly running at 100% CPU usage. Any
ideas as to what may be causing this and how I can reduce it back to
normal levels?
Click to expand...

Your machines have been invested by trojans that are spewing out thousands
of emails per hour on behalf of some Bulgarian pill-pusher?
 
lewisevans777 said:
I have two computers that are suddenly running at 100% CPU usage. Any ideas
as to what may be causing this and how I can reduce it back to normal levels?
Click to expand...

This is a known problem with XP that Microsoft is working to fix. How
long do they remain at 100% and if it is a short time after loading
Itunes or some large resource consuming application then all is okay.
 
Dan said:
This is a known problem with XP that Microsoft is working to fix. How
long do they remain at 100% and if it is a short time after loading
Itunes or some large resource consuming application then all is okay.
Click to expand...

This is nonsense.

Malke
 
!00% CPU usage is NOT a characteristic of XP--it *does* indicate an
overtaxed system however. Please, check your facts before replying.
 
Curt said:
!00% CPU usage is NOT a characteristic of XP--it *does* indicate an
overtaxed system however. Please, check your facts before replying.
Click to expand...

How do you explain that Windows Vista does not have this characteristic
or Windows 98 Second Edition. Please get your facts straight. I test
and work on numerous XP Professional systems at work!
 
Dan said:
How do you explain that Windows Vista does not have this characteristic or
Windows 98 Second Edition. Please get your facts straight. I test and
work on numerous XP Professional systems at work!
Click to expand...

Dan
Considering the OP gave no hint whatsover as to what might be causing the
CPU usage, I fail to see how you can assume it is a fault on which MS are
working.
As and until the OP comes back with better detail, I think it improper to
make wild guesses.
Even you do not say what is the fault on which MS are working.
Perhaps you might care to enlighten us all.
It could be the recent svchost.exe or the dump.exe.
Are MS sorting out both these after update matters or are you referring to
something different.
Rgds
Antioch
 
Dan said:
How do you explain that Windows Vista does not have this
characteristic or Windows 98 Second Edition. Please get your facts
straight. I test and work on numerous XP Professional systems at
work!
Click to expand...

How do you explain all the XP machines that do not have 100% CPU usage? I
work on numerous XP Pro systems also and not a single one has this issue,
nor do mine at home.
 
Dan said:
This is a known problem with XP that Microsoft is working to fix. How
long do they remain at 100% and if it is a short time after loading
Itunes or some large resource consuming application then all is okay.
Click to expand...
Subject states that CPU usage is at 100% all the time, not just a short
time. I suspect malware, especially since problem occurs on two
computers. However, OP hasn't provided enough information for a
reasonable diagnosis.

Bill
 
Bill said:
Subject states that CPU usage is at 100% all the time, not just a short
time. I suspect malware, especially since problem occurs on two
computers. However, OP hasn't provided enough information for a
reasonable diagnosis.

Bill
Click to expand...

I see your point. I should have been more specific that I was referring
to the recurring issue of XP machines jumping to 100% CPU usage. A user
just needs to bring up the task monitor and try to do a few things at
once like Itunes and inserting a DVD and then it is very likely you will
see the CPU spike to 100% for a short time. The 100% CPU jump is common
on XP machines. The problem that I see with XP machines always jumping
up to 100% CPU usage even if it is just for a short time is that it
should cause more wear and tear on the Central Processing Unit chip and
this could lead to earlier hardware replacement times. I never noticed
that 98SE machines had the need to jump to 100% CPU cycle when
overtaxed. My tri-boot machine (98SE, XP Pro. and Vista) is working
well and I have not yet noticed the issue of 100% CPU cycle in Vista
which I am testing but it may be too early to tell whether it continues
in Vista.
 
RA said:
How do you explain all the XP machines that do not have 100% CPU usage? I
work on numerous XP Pro systems also and not a single one has this issue,
nor do mine at home.
Click to expand...

Are you saying that you have thrown multiple tasks at your XP computers
and viewed the task monitor while doing this and those machines never
jump to 100% CPU usage? Somehow, I find this hard to believe especially
when Microsoft has confirmed that XP machines do jump to 100% CPU usage
when challenged with multiple applications loading all at once.
 
Antioch said:
Dan
Considering the OP gave no hint whatsover as to what might be causing the
CPU usage, I fail to see how you can assume it is a fault on which MS are
working.
As and until the OP comes back with better detail, I think it improper to
make wild guesses.
Even you do not say what is the fault on which MS are working.
Perhaps you might care to enlighten us all.
It could be the recent svchost.exe or the dump.exe.
Are MS sorting out both these after update matters or are you referring to
something different.
Rgds
Antioch
Click to expand...

Yes, it is tied in with svchost.exe and how Microsoft needs to patch it
in order to run the dynamic link libraries more effectively.

See:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314056

http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/svchost.exe.html

Interesting, how many people are upset about how it handles dlls.
 
Dan said:
Are you saying that you have thrown multiple tasks at your XP
computers and viewed the task monitor while doing this and those
machines never jump to 100% CPU usage? Somehow, I find this hard to
believe especially when Microsoft has confirmed that XP machines do
jump to 100% CPU usage when challenged with multiple applications
loading all at once.
Click to expand...


Where, in the original post or in your post, was multiple taks mentioned?

The OP stated that all of a sudden usage was at 100%. You replied that this
was a known problem confirmed by Microsoft. There was nothing said about
multiple tasks in either post, which makes it a completely different issue
with a completely different answer.
 
My computer is doing excatly the same thing- i have about 3 incidents of
svchost.exe running!! HELP! my cpu speed is driving me insane!!
 
Lloydy-Lee said:
My computer is doing excatly the same thing- i have about 3 incidents of
svchost.exe running!! HELP! my cpu speed is driving me insane!!
Click to expand...

Only 3 instances of SVCHOST? My machine normally has 6.

To see what is using the CPU cycles, open Task Manager and go to the
Processes tab.

Click twice on the CPU column header, which will sort the list into
descending order based on CPU usage. The items using the most CPU
time will be at the top of the list. Note that the list sequence may
change as Task Manager updates itself every few seconds.

Post a list of the processes using the highest percentage of CPU time
back here. Disregard the "System Idle Process". If a SVCHOST
instance is included in the high CPU usage items then you should also
make note of the PID number for that instance so as to facilitate
further tracing.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
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