What's utilizing my CPU?

  • Thread starter Thread starter -Nisko-
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-Nisko-

I have two PCs networked together - both using XP. On one of them,
something is occupying close to 100% of my CPU. How can I tell what it is?
Or is there an app that will tell me what portion of my CPU is being used by
each app? Thanks........
 
|>I have two PCs networked together - both using XP. On one of them,
|>something is occupying close to 100% of my CPU. How can I tell what it is?
|>Or is there an app that will tell me what portion of my CPU is being used by
|>each app? Thanks........
|>

Folks will tell you look at the taskmanager but....

download and run Process Explorer
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html


Right clicking on the Process and selecting Google will describe the
process.

The CPU display in the upper right (click on it) it has a history you
can move your cursor above it.
 
-Nisko- said:
I have two PCs networked together - both using XP. On one of them,
something is occupying close to 100% of my CPU. How can I tell what it is?
Or is there an app that will tell me what portion of my CPU is being used by
each app? Thanks........
Click to expand...

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete) and go to the Processes tab.

Click twice on the CPU column header. That will sort the list of
processes into descending order based on CPU usage, with the highest
usage items at the top. The list will automatically resequence itself
as CPU usage changes.

Disregard the reported value for "System Idle Process". That is just
a bookkeeping item to keep track of the time that the CPU has nothing
to do.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
In addition to all that has been mentioned, go into Task Manager | Processes
and add the Column CPU Time. Then sort on that column. If that column is
constantly changing for a specific process and the CPU % is high, you may
have found the culprit. You can then use Process Explorer to 'explore' that
process.
 
Thank you all - Process Explorer showed over 90% hardware Interrupts and I
recall setting Diskeeper to defrag my drives. I probably forgot to tell it
to only defrag when the CPU was idle. Problem solved!!!
 
|>Thank you all - Process Explorer showed over 90% hardware Interrupts and I
|>recall setting Diskeeper to defrag my drives. I probably forgot to tell it
|>to only defrag when the CPU was idle. Problem solved!!!

If you show over 90% for hardware Interrupts you've got some real
problems.

Start | Run <type in> msinfo32 <enter>
Under Hardware resources see if you have any forced hardware. (fix it
if so)

|>|>>I have two PCs networked together - both using XP. On one of them,
|>>something is occupying close to 100% of my CPU. How can I tell what it is?
|>>Or is there an app that will tell me what portion of my CPU is being used
|>>by each app? Thanks........
|>>
|>
 
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