CPU usage permanently 100%

[Cuzman]

I don't know why this is happening, but I often find that my CPU usage
goes up to 100% and will not come down until I reboot. If I get the
Task Manager up it says that no applications are running, so it must be
from a background process. I've run full scans with Kapersky
Anti-Virus, Ad-Aware and Spybot and it seems to be all clean. XP is
fully updated too. Is there a way I can find out which program is
causing this? It's annoying to have my system slow to a crawl every
day, and with the CPU temperature going through the roof.

 

[Guest]

In the task manager, click "processes" tab. In this screen, go to the "title"
bar, click CPU, and it'll give CPU usage by "%", either ascending, or
descending depending order, based on the number of times you click.

For instance, I have AOL software I use, and they got these annoying
processes running in the background on bootup, whether I have AOL on or not.
Right now, it's eating up about 50% of CPU usage, which means if I don't turn
it off, anything else I turn on would get CPU up to 50%, meaning, slowwww.

After you figure out which of these processes are, and they usually get
there on bootup, then, you'll have to eliminate them in the bootup process.

 

[Gerry]

Download Process Explorer.

For further information about Process Explorer see here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/ProcessExplorer.mspx

To ascertain which service is causing the problem select the image
producing the high CPU usage, right click, select Properties,
Services. Note there are the full names and some explanation of what
each service does.

You will find further information on Services here:
http://majorgeeks.com/page.php?id=12

To trace the particular Service involved you need to turn off each
service in turn and then restore it noting what effect it has on CPU
usage. However, you need to take care and watch what other Services
are dependent on that service. When you click on the Dependencies
tab allow it a little time to display the information.



--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[RalfG]

You have to look at the processes list in Task Manager to see which one is
hogging the CPU cycles. At any given time you will have 30-60 processes, or
more, running in the background. These are typically Windows services,
drivers, software background processes, TSRs etc..

If you install Process Explorer or a similar program it will also the
identify handles and DLLs associated with each process, which may help you
further to identify the problem. For example if Explorer.exe is using 90% of
CPU cycles for no apparent reason it is often due to a problem media file or
the CODEC associated with the file type. Process Explorer would show the
active file handle and allow you to close it (thus releasing the CPU). Then
you can correct the problem, one way or another. Alternatively some software
you installed might have placed an obsolete version of a Windows system file
on your computer and that could be the source of the problem.

 

[Kayman]

I don't know why this is happening, but I often find that my CPU usage goes
up to 100% and will not come down until I reboot. If I get the Task
Manager up it says that no applications are running, so it must be from a
background process. I've run full scans with Kapersky Anti-Virus, Ad-Aware
and Spybot and it seems to be all clean. XP is fully updated too. Is
there a way I can find out which program is causing this? It's annoying to
have my system slow to a crawl every day, and with the CPU temperature
going through the roof.

The most usual cause recently for the 100% svchost usage is
a problem with the Windows Update Service which is fixed by upgrading to the
Windows Update Agent 3.0, v. 7.0.6000.374, for 32 bit machines is available
here:
http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe
and installing the updated KB927891 hotfix, here:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=927891 for a complete fix.

 

[Cuzman]

RalfG wrote:

" If you install Process Explorer or a similar program it will also the
identify handles and DLLs associated with each process, which may help
you further to identify the problem. For example if Explorer.exe is
using 90% of CPU cycles for no apparent reason it is often due to a
problem media file or the CODEC associated with the file type. Process
Explorer would show the active file handle and allow you to close it
(thus releasing the CPU). Then you can correct the problem, one way or
another. Alternatively some software you installed might have placed an
obsolete version of a Windows system file on your computer and that
could be the source of the problem. "


I used Process Explorer when the problem came back, and it was
immediately clear that AdobeUpdater.exe is permanently using between 96%
and 99% of the CPU cycles. I have not long updated to the newest
version of Adobe Reader, so I'm sure that is the problem. As soon as I
come across the need to view any Adobe content, either online or
offline, it appears to be that is when the problem starts. Even exiting
all adobe software does not stop the problem, as AdobeUpdater.exe still
runs in the background until I reboot. Just Googling the file name
brings up multiple similar experiences. Thanks for everyone's advice
and help.

 

[Gerry]

If you only use Adobe to read document you might find Foxit Reader
a more satisfactory programme:
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php


--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~