Re: 100% CPU Usage in XP SP2

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

Stay away from an automated Registry Cleaners!

What process is generating 100% CPU. This will be obvious from Task
Manager but it can often be svchost.exe.

Process Explorer provides more information than Task Manager.

Download Process Explorer.

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

To ascertain which service is causing the problem select the svchost
producing the high CPU usage, right click, select Properties,
Services. Note there are the full names and some explanation of what
each service does.

You will find further information on Services here:
http://majorgeeks.com/page.php?id=12

To trace the particular Service involved you need to turn off each
service in turn and then restore it noting what effect it has on CPU
usage. However, you need to take care and watch what other Services
are dependent on that service. When you click on the Dependencies
tab allow it a little time to display the information.

It would be helpful if you could post the Command Line of the svchost
process generating the excessive CPU usage. In Process Explorer place
cursor on Process and select Properties, Image.


--



Hope this helps.

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



AIANDAS wrote:
Don't know to be honest if it wasn't always @ 100% CPU usage or not.
It's that I noticed it recently. Having said that, I had installed
VMWare and Linux Ubuntu. This could very well having the culprit, but
can't say it with 100% confidence. However, even after I got rid of
those programs there is still 100% CPU usage. I have gone into safe
mode, just before I left home and used Search & Destroy with all the
latest and the greatest definitions. CLEAN! Just before I left, I
initiated AVIRA http://www.avira.com/en/pages/index.php to commence a
complete virus check, so we'll see.
You didn't respond as to whether I should use a Registry Mechanic
type of tool to clean up the registry as the trial tool I used pulled
up hundreds of bad files?

"Malke" wrote:

AIANDAS wrote:
Hi,
I have an IBM R50p I recently bought. SP2 was installed, as I see
it in my add/remove section in the control panel. Lately I've been
suffering 100% CPU usage to no let down.
When I google it, there are companies that pop up that hint maybe
the registry needs to be cleaned. To be sure when I run the trial
hundreds of errors pop up.
Is this the solution? Or what's the way to troubleshoot this
nuisance?

Those "registry cleaners" are malware. Since you installed a trial,
your computer is infected. It may have been infected before you
added more malware too it or it might have been clean and
experiencing the "100%
CPU" error connected with Windows Update earlier this year, or simply
had too many legitimate programs/processes running in the background
and perhaps too little physical RAM installed. I'm sorry, but at
this point with the little information we have, there is no way for
us to give you
a definitive answer. The original problem may have been caused by a
legitimate program/process, but the waters have definitely been
muddied now.

I would start by answering the classic and vital Two Questions:

The First Question Of Troubleshooting: what changed between the time
things worked and the time they didn't?

The Second Question of Windows Troubleshooting: what is the
malware/virus status of the machine? If you think it is clean, what
programs (and versions) did you use to determine this?

Be sure the computer is clean:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

To go along with the Second Question, look up the name of the
"cleaner"
you installed at this link and go through removal steps:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum55.html

Standard caveat: If the procedures look too complex - and there is no
shame in admitting this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a
professional computer repair shop (not your local version of
BigComputerStore/GeekSquad). Please be aware that not all local shops
are skilled at removing malware and even if they are, your computer
may
be so infested that Windows will need to be clean-installed. Have all
your data backed up before you take the machine into a shop.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


.

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