iexplorer.exe runs at 100% CPU download content

[Boz]

I've recently fixed a problem where Internet Explorer was running at
100% CPU when downloading webpage content.

Problem
=======
The iexplorer.exe process is running up to 100% in Windows Task
Manager and web pages download very slowly (despite broadband
connection). Moving the mouse over links, or scrolling with the mouse
wheel has the same effect.

Looking at my virus scanner's system scan activity, hundreds of
accesses were being made altenately to the "Temporary Internet Files"
and "Temp" folders, but no filenames were reported.

Looking in the "Documents and Settings/Local Settings" folder with
Windows Explorer, there was a "Temporary Internet Files" folder in
"Temp" folder aswell as one under "Local Settings" itself. Neither
folder contained any cache files, but did contain several .dat files.

Solution
========
(NOTE: This solution helped my particular problem - be sure you know
what you're doing if you want to perform the same actions!)

Using Windows Task Manager, I killed iexplore.exe and explorer.exe
processes, ran a new instance of explorer.exe. Then I deleted the
contents of my "Documents and Settings/Local Settings/Temp" folder
(explorer.exe was locking a .dat file).

After running Internet Explorer again, the 100% CPU issue had gone,
and my "Documents and Settings/Local Settings/Temporary Internet
Files" folder now contained some cached content.


Not sure how my PC got in this state, I frequently keep my internet
cache purged, run Ad-Aware SE, Spybot 1.3 and HijackThis.exe and at
the time had no reports of any malware/adware. It appeared that I had
two internet cache folders, but neither was being used correctly.

Anyway, I hope this info might be useful to someone in diagnosing a
problem, as there are many reports of Internet Explorer 100% CPU
issues out there with few solutions that are not related to
malware/adware.

Boz

PS My PC has Windows XP SP2 with auto updates enabled.

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

....

Solution
========
(NOTE: This solution helped my particular problem - be sure you know
what you're doing if you want to perform the same actions!)

Using Windows Task Manager, I killed iexplore.exe and explorer.exe
processes

Would iexplore.exe not go away if you just closed all open windows?
That could be a symptom of malware at work in a hidden window.

Also, be aware that other applications also use the TIF.
So a general solution should consider them too.


Thank you for posting your tip and your caveat about its use.


---

 

[Boz]

Just an update to this, since my "solution" the problem has re-occured a
couple of times. No predictability about what causes it, unfortunately.

Boz