system idle process at 95 percent and hard drive busy

[DB]

I frequently (3 to 5 times a week) notice my hard drive
is really busy and when I check task mgr I notice the
process that is consuming all the CPU time is the system
idle process. I've tried unplugging the wireless adapter
which connects me to the internet and still it continues
so it is not an intruder or a spyware program calling
home to the mother ship. Most of the time I have to
reboot the system to get it to stop. Today I let it run
and eventually it stopped on it's own. I also have the
latest in virus defs and the latest spybot S&D and the
system looks clean. It seems like a cleanup operation but
if it is why doesn't it suspend when I try to run or
access and application. Whatever it is takes the highest
priority and doensn't let go without a reboot.

Anyone know for sure what this is?

DB

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

DB;
System Idle Process is exactly what it sounds like.
It is the % of processing power you have waiting for something to do,
doing nothing.

If you are having problems, this is not the cause.
Follow this link:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm