explorer.exe 50% cpu usage

[Guest]

Hi, about 5 minutes after logging onto my computer, explorer.exe starts
running at 50% cpu usage, even if I have not started any programs at all. I
notice in Task Manager under the performance tab that the left side of the
CPU usage history graph is running high whereas the right side is running low.
I have run spyware and virus scans, checked msconfig etc, which all reveal
nothing out of the ordinary.
This started a day ago, and the last thing I installed were the TweakUI
utilities, so I uninstalled these to see if they were the problem, but that
didn't help.
Does anyone have any ideas?

thanks

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Task Manager is useful but you could look at another freeware utility
Process Explorer, which provides similar information but adds that
little bit extra towards seeing what the running processes represent.

For further information about Process Explorer see here:

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/procexp.shtml

To ascertain which service is causing the problem select the
image name 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://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Guest]

Thanks Gerry, that Process Explorer is a brilliant program. I found the
culprit, it was a file called webcpl.dll which was using cpu time. A web
search revealed that it has caused some problems for others, but I couldn't
find out how it got onto my computer. After removing the file itself and its
corresponding registry entries, my computer's running fine now.