Re: Help! 100% CPU usage for ANYTHING

At this very moment, System Idle Process has 98% of my CPU and Task Manager (taskmgr.exe) has 2%. Adds up to 100%.

If you want to do a re-installation of Windows XP, here are the directions:

"How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

However, you'll be much better off if you diagnose and solve your problem, which you have yet to describe in sufficient detail for anything other than a hopeful guess.

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Ted Zieglar
"Backup is a computer user's best friend."

Confused but not inept wrote:
Well, despite your very confident tone, that's not true.

Open up your task manager (sounds like you know how to do that), and tell me what your "CPU usage" is. If it's 100%, then you have the same problem I do, and are of no help. For example, when I open the task manager for my firm laptop the task manager usually shows less than 30% CPU usage.

As for the fix it button, let me be clearer - is there a way to re-install Windows XP (i.e. restoring the registries and fixing the windows software) without formatting my hard drive?

"Ted Zieglar" wrote:

No such thing as a "fix it button" for a computer.

To get a good answer, you need to ask a good question. Writing that your computer is "just about worthless" doesn't provide nearly enough detail.

The processes running on your computer always add up to 100%.

Try again, and this time describe in some detail exactly what your problem is.

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Ted Zieglar
"Backup is a computer user's best friend."

Confused but not inept wrote:
I have a Dell Latitude that is almost three years-old. The thing is just about worthless at this point. Everything I do requires 100% CPU. I've updated my antivirus software and downloaded AdAware and Spybot - to no avail. I don't want to reformat my hardrive as it would take days to ensure I have preserved all of my data. Is there a Windows XP "fix it" button? I've been searching for hours. I downloaded the diagnostic tools from the CD, but can't make sense of any of them. I will greatly appreciate any advice.
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