Next time this happens to me, I'll do the following:
1) Think if anything has changed. Consider a System Restore.
2) Run Process Explorer (free download from sysinternals.com). Sort by
"Context Switches" (more accurate than "CPU" for fast machines!). Identify
busy processes (plural). Pause (using Process Explorer) several
candidates - sometimes the busiest process is being driven by another.
Study "Properties" to see what you can find out about the likliest
candidate. Look especially at the "Threads" tab for a SVCHOST process -
sort by "Context Switches" as before to see which thread is the busiest.
Try killing that thread and see if the system comes back to normal.
3) Based on clues you get from step (2) above, use msconfig.exe (type into
the Start/Run box) and disable services on startup.
Doesn't guarantee a full fix - I tracked down a rogue Terminal Services
process (running from termsrv.dll in a SVHOST process) but couldn't find a
way to sort the machine out without disabling this service (and, in the
process, Remote Assistance).
Virus scanning was all negative, even the (excellent) Panda online scan!
--
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## PH, London
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TJF said:
ok maybe if I can be clear and complete on my explanation I can get a
better response than most people who post this problem. The cpu will almost
always be at 100% usage and it is either svchost.exe or explorer.exe that is
the process that hogs it all. I have scanned my drive with norton
anitvirus, with the most recent update at the time, scanned for spyware
using the most recent update of spybot, I have also scanned for adware using
the most recent version of ad-aware 6. Once and a while I can restart and
it will be fine for a while. I have searched microsoft's downloads and they
have several hotfixes for "cpu usage 100%" but they are for specific
processes causing it and none of them are for the 2 that are giving me and
most people that have this problem.
