system process hangs at 99%

[Bob W]

I have one computer (an HP) that hangs, 100% CPU usage, system process
shows 99%. Nothing else running, CPU fan racing. WinXP Media Edition
The only thing that works is to force a shutdown with power button.
Any ideas what is going on here?
Bob

 

[Gerry]

Bob

What are your anti-virus and anti-spyware arrangements?

Can you be more specific about the process using the CPU? Use Process
Explorer to investigate.

What is the Image Path of the Process generating excessive CPU activity?
Right click on the Process, select Properties and click on the Image tab
to get this information.

Download Process Explorer.
For further information about Process Explorer see here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/ProcessExplorer.mspx


--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Daave]

I have one computer (an HP) that hangs, 100% CPU usage, system process
shows 99%. Nothing else running, CPU fan racing. WinXP Media Edition
The only thing that works is to force a shutdown with power button.
Any ideas what is going on here?

We will need some clarification.

"System Process" does not appear on that list in the Image Name column
in Task Manager. There is one entry for "System" and one entry for
"System Idle Process." Which one are you referring to?

Also...

How long have you had this problem? Are you able to identify anything
significant that occurred right before the problem -- such as the
installation of a new program or update?

Have you ruled out malware? What antimalware programs do you run and do
you have the most up-to-date definitions?

How large is the hard drive and how much free space do you have on it?

How much RAM do you have?

Do you get the same situation when you run in Safe Mode?

What Service Pack level do you have?

 

[Bob W]

That is system on the process tab of task manager.
Bob

 

[Jose]

I have one computer (an HP) that hangs, 100% CPU usage, system process
shows 99%. Nothing else running, CPU fan racing. WinXP Media Edition
The only thing that works is to force a shutdown with power button.
Any ideas what is going on here?
Bob

Do you mean that when you look in TM at the Performance tab, the CPU
Usage graph shows 100% but on the Processes tab your System Idle
Process is in the high nineties?

If you look at the Processes tab in Task Manager and sort by the CPU
column it will add up to 100% at any given moment.

If System Idle Process reads 100 on yours, I'm jealous!

Process Explorer is a good tool to have. It will not fix your problem
but perhaps help you identify it.

Maybe something has hijacked your system and is disguised (like a
service), so do some basic scans first with these anti- arrangements:

Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware
detection programs:

Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/
SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

They can be uninstalled later if desired.

 

[Daave]

Thanks for answering one of my questions, but there are eight others!

 

[Bob W]

Sorry about the late reply, been out of town. Hope you see this.
The computer with the problem has had this behavior for a couple of
years, been used by another operator. I am trying to get it back into
shape. So I don't know of any update or add-on that might have caused.
I have scanned with the latest ad-aware and spybot.
Smallish hard drive, C: is NTFS, capacity 175 GB, 57.56 GB free.
WIN XP SP3. I just upped to SP3 a week ago from SP2.
Processor AMD Athlon 3800+, 2.93 GB Ram.
Since the situation only occurs randomly, I can't create it so I don't
know about safe mode.
Computer is an HP, apparently has a temp sensitive CPU fan. Will hang
with fan on high, CPU usage 100%. processes tab shows an item called
system at 99%, no programs running.
Bob

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

1. Cleaning the Interior of your PC:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial118.html

2. Format the HDD & do a clean install of Windows.

 

[Bob W]

Thanks, I think you are giving the 2 probable options. I am wondering if
they might have skipped on the heat transfer paste.
Bob

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

I'd do both myself.

Thanks, I think you are giving the 2 probable options. I am wondering if
they might have skipped on the heat transfer paste.
Bob