Can anyone explain this??

[busch]

I couldn't even make this post on my computer. Can anyone explain why my computer CPU usage spikes constantly. When you Ctrl+Alt+Del and you look at Performance (XP) mine spikes from like 20's to 100% every 3 seconds. It is almost impossible to do anything on it because most of the time it freezes up. I'm pretty computer literate but I can't figure it out. Thanks.



Derby: Content removal.

[Link]

If you look in task manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del) there is one tab which displays running processes and shows the CPU usage for each. See which process is taking up so much processing power. If you know what it is, take appropriate steps to disable or fix it. If you don't know what it is, or you can't fix it, post some more information here and we can try to help.

[busch]

Ok, well I think these pictures should give you a better idea of whats going on. All items in the Processes tab are normal, the only thing I can say is that iexplore.exe is taking up a lot of memory. Also, this computer is less than a year old and only 50% of 40 gigs has been used, though many of that is mp3s but still. Could it be spyware? Because I have had a problem with that latly, but don't we all.. }>

http://www.reactancex2.com/Adam/pos.bmp
http://www.reactancex2.com/Adam/pos2.bmp

[Monolith]

What processes have the highest CPU percentage?

[Link]

There is definitely something going on there, because those are regular spikes. If you watch the process list for a while, one of the processes should briefly display 100 CPU usage when it spikes (not system idle process). This is the one that is causing problems. Make sure you choose to display processes from all users. If none of the processes in the list ever spike, it is probably Windows itself that is doing this. Try some of these suggestions if this is the case:


Boot into safe mode
Uninstall recent drivers
Do a Windows Update
Check for viruses
Check for adware (try AdAware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com))
Reinstall windows


Is this Windows XP Home Edition or Professional?

If you do isolate which process it is, you can select the process priority from task manager. Set it to the lowest as a temporary solution.

[busch]

Hey Link, when you told me to watch the CPU% Usage, I did and found that Kazaa.exe spikes to about 65-75% when CPU Usage is at 100%. Instantly, the CPU spikes stopped. But then, why does Kazaa do that to my system. Could it just be caused by Kazaa or just some sort of incompatibility. Also, my CPU Usage is now at about 35-50%. I don't think that is normal. What else could be slowin my system down??
thanks for the help ;-)

[Monolith]

From the screenshot you posted, it doesn't really look like Kazaa is the problem. As the CPU usage gets closer to 100%, the programs that usually only use a small percentage report larger than usual. However, I guess if you closed Kazaa and processor usage went down a lot, then that was at least part of the problem.

[SteelTalon]

www.lavasoft.com

download ad-aware just in case. pretty good at getting rid of teh spyware

[mikeejimbo]

And delete Kazaa anyway, because it's illegal. :-P

[Link]

www.lavasoft.com

download ad-aware just in case. pretty good at getting rid of teh spyware

That link is wrong. Try http://www.lavasoftusa.com instead.

[Risp_old]

I find that there are some spyware that aren't caught by ad-aware, so I also use spybot S&D- http://www.safer-networking.org.

[Shiverz CC]

I'd delete Kazaa it is illegal and I got a virus from it. Yes it takes up alot of CPU usage.

Derby: Content removal.

[Stijn]

Congratulations, your post has not got edited by Derby. Yet. :(

[Flamepanther]

No, no, no. Kazaa is not illegal. Sharman networks would be in HUGE trouble otherwise. Using Kazaa to pirate MP3s, movies, and/or software is illegal. Owning two VCR decks is not illegal. Hooking them together and using them to bootleg copyrighted tapes is. Get it? :)

[Radium]

No, no, no. Kazaa is not illegal. Sharman networks would be in HUGE trouble otherwise. Using Kazaa to pirate MP3s, movies, and/or software is illegal. Owning two VCR decks is not illegal. Hooking them together and using them to bootleg copyrighted tapes is. Get it? :)
It's much harder than that to conclude. Let's use drug dealers as an example. If someone smuggles drugs in a Subaru car, you can't get Subaru in trouble. If Subaru starts a business where they drive drugs around for people, THEN they're screwed. The internet's so new that it's hard figure out how laws affect it.

[Kaz]

Make sure that you're not functioning as a supernode.