Explorer.exe taking up to 99% CPU Resources

[Richard Harris]

Hi everyone:

I've had a problem the last few days that is rather annoying me. I did a
fresh install of XP yesterday as it had been a few months since I had done
one and I've installed all manner of applications on my PC.

Basically - at least once an hour my system grinds to a halt, and if I open
up task manager, I can see explorer.exe taking up to 99% cpu time. If I end
the process and reopen it, it's fine, until next time.

My PC is running Windows XP SP1a with all critical updates and hotfixes
installed. (I ran Windows Update first thing after the reinstall). I have
also done an extensive virus scan on drives using the latest Symantec
Corporate Edition visus definitions. I've run Lavasoft's Adaware and found
nothing either.

Could someone please suggest something I can try?

Thanks in advance

Rich

 

[D@annyBoy]

how much RAM do you have?

 

[Richard Harris]

1GB Dual DDR PC 2700

Rich

how much RAM do you have?

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Hi everyone:

I've had a problem the last few days that is rather annoying me. I
did a fresh install of XP yesterday as it had been a few months since
I had done one and I've installed all manner of applications on my PC.

Basically - at least once an hour my system grinds to a halt, and if
I open up task manager, I can see explorer.exe taking up to 99% cpu
time. If I end the process and reopen it, it's fine, until next time.

My PC is running Windows XP SP1a with all critical updates and
hotfixes installed. (I ran Windows Update first thing after the
reinstall). I have also done an extensive virus scan on drives using
the latest Symantec Corporate Edition visus definitions. I've run
Lavasoft's Adaware and found nothing either.

Could someone please suggest something I can try?

Thanks in advance

Rich

Recommendations:

Check the Event Viewer for possible information. Go to start/Run and type
eventvwr.msc and press OK. Click the 3 menu items on the left and look for
any "X" error messages. Double click the error entry to see the details. If
you find an error that is coincidng with the behavior, click the Copy Icon
on the details dialog screen and paste the error details in a reply to this
message.
----
Go to Start/Run and type msinfo32 and press OK. Click Components/Problem
Devices to check for possible hardware problems.

Check the following articles for troubleshooting.

How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560

How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310353

A Description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315222



--
Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

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