SP2 and CPU usage

[John Corson]

It seems that SP2 is causing intermittant 100% CPU usage. For instance,
while listening to an mp3 file on any application such as Media Player,
Winamp or Real Player, the music slows, stops and starts several times in a
few seconds and then continues playing. This happens mostly when starting
another application such as Internet Explorer, Word or even a small app like
notepad! During the execution of a file, the CPU jumps to 100%, and the
music stops or jumps.

This also happens when using two other apps like, while entering in data to
a Word document, when IE is being brought up, I can continue to type in
word, but nothing shows up on the screen until IDE has finished loading.

Configs include MSI MB with 512 mb of DDR 2100. Athlon XP +2700. Using
onboard Audio Legacy sound card with ATI Rage Fury AGP. Settings in Control
Panel under the perforamnce tab has been modified to allow for more virtual
memory (although it didn't appear to need it) and the visual effects have
been adjusted for best performance. Memory usage and processor scheduling
have been set for best performance for Programs. All VIA chip set drivers
are up to date and all other hardware drivers have been updated as well.
The Bios was flashed to the latest before SP2 was installed and there are no
other BIOS updates from the mb manufactorer.

Any suggestions or answers will be most appreciated.

---John---

 

[Paul Heslop]

It seems that SP2 is causing intermittant 100% CPU usage. For instance,
while listening to an mp3 file on any application such as Media Player,
Winamp or Real Player, the music slows, stops and starts several times in a
few seconds and then continues playing. This happens mostly when starting
another application such as Internet Explorer, Word or even a small app like
notepad! During the execution of a file, the CPU jumps to 100%, and the
music stops or jumps.

This also happens when using two other apps like, while entering in data to
a Word document, when IE is being brought up, I can continue to type in
word, but nothing shows up on the screen until IDE has finished loading.

Configs include MSI MB with 512 mb of DDR 2100. Athlon XP +2700. Using
onboard Audio Legacy sound card with ATI Rage Fury AGP. Settings in Control
Panel under the perforamnce tab has been modified to allow for more virtual
memory (although it didn't appear to need it) and the visual effects have
been adjusted for best performance. Memory usage and processor scheduling
have been set for best performance for Programs. All VIA chip set drivers
are up to date and all other hardware drivers have been updated as well.
The Bios was flashed to the latest before SP2 was installed and there are no
other BIOS updates from the mb manufactorer.

Any suggestions or answers will be most appreciated.

---John---

I'm a bit tired and not exactly a techy but have you tried keeping the
windows task master (ctrl/alt/del) open on it's process page? When you
run the apps you describe to get the 100% cpu something should show up
in there as the guilty party. Knowing the way things happen with XP it
will probably be something trying to connect to the net, it seems like
EVERYTHING tries to connect to the net, and you'll be blocking it, but
really there are just so many things it could be and doing this may
pinpoint one prog or service... hopefully

 

[Kelly]

Tired or not, Paul.....you are case in point. )

--
All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Paul Heslop]

Tired or not, Paul.....you are case in point. )

Maybe I should be tired more often :O)

 

[Kelly]

<LOL> We will have to see. )

--
All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[John Corson]

Task Manager stayed open during the testing to look for the offending app.
An app opening will trigger 90 to 100% CPU usage and after the app has
completed initiating everything goes back to normal. Zone Alarm is in use
and is keeping certain apps from accessing the net. I fear it may be more
hardware than software, but the problem was not present before SP2 was
installed. The Windows Firewall, by the way, is off since Zone Alarm Pro
5.5 is being used. That, too, is the latest upgrade to ZA.

---John---

PS I am tired too! Of messing with this infernal machine. Five days
troubleshooting and counting!

Thanks all!

 

[Unknown]

Try getting rid of Zone Alarm and turn on the windows firewall.

 

[...D.]

Task Manager stayed open during the testing to look for the offending app.
An app opening will trigger 90 to 100% CPU usage and after the app has
completed initiating everything goes back to normal. Zone Alarm is in use
and is keeping certain apps from accessing the net. I fear it may be more
hardware than software, but the problem was not present before SP2 was
installed. The Windows Firewall, by the way, is off since Zone Alarm Pro
5.5 is being used. That, too, is the latest upgrade to ZA.
---John---
PS I am tired too! Of messing with this infernal machine. Five days
troubleshooting and counting! >Thanks all!

Well John. Not an expert here. But what another guy said - if Zone alarm
is stopping certain programs from accessing the Internet, and a program
starting up uses a lot of CPU, and a program that is being stopped from
doing it's job - dialing out on the Interent to report back, then perhaps
<???> the program keeps trying & trying & trying because it has not
reported back since you installed it.. Like I said, no expert. Just
something I thought I'd point out that might be the culprit. But since
you were testing with the task manager & saw no abnormal CPU useage,
mayber it is a timing thing then..

BTW to open the task manager you do not need to hit cntrl-alt-del as
pointed out, an alternative is to right-click your Windows start-bar at
the bottom to get a little menu, and one vhoice is the task manager..


...D.

 

[Kelly]

John,

IMO and hands on experience, third party programs cause more harm than good.
Not saying that you should use native programs, either....but am saying that
'none' in particular areas are needed.

Get to the root of the problem.

--
All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Alex Nichol]

Task Manager stayed open during the testing to look for the offending app.
An app opening will trigger 90 to 100% CPU usage and after the app has
completed initiating everything goes back to normal.

I find that loading a program does take a significant CPU usage while it
loads and initialises - that is to be expected. IE when I used it as
guinea pig a moment ago, peaked at around 65% for a few seconds. I
think what may cause this to be more noticeable since SP2 is the setting
up of software Data Execution Protection in relation to the program
being loaded - but that is intelligent guesswork

 

[John Corson]

Zone Alarm is not - repeat NOT the problem! I am wonder if there are issues
involving SP2 with onboard LEGACY audio? I have a brother-in-law with the
same issue and is not using a firewall except for a router and he is using
his system for e-mail and internet only. His system is an ASUS mobo with
512 mb DDR 2700 and Pentium III 1.33 GB. The onboard LEGACY seems to be the
only common link as his other system has onboard audio on an Abit mobo with
Athlon XP +2400.

Have there been any postings regarding SP2 with onboard legacy issues?

---John---