CPU keeps going to 100%--any suggestions to remedy?

I had the same problem and found it seemed to be caused by my Spyware Doctor program. I had let Spyware Doctor run on background and found CPU often operating at 100%, with most other functions running very slow or not usable at all. I now keep Spyware Doctor off, only turning it on every other day or so, then update it, run a system scan, then turn it off again. This seems to have solved the problem. (Of course, it leaves me open to some spyware for limited periods.)
Dave R

Software is hanging up. For a better process viewer than Windows, I've been using TUT, The Ultimate Troubleshooter by AnswersThatWork
http://www.answersthatwork.com/
and it's worth the money. You get solid advice on programs that run in the background. It'll tell you what most are, tell you if somethings running that you don't need and warn if you have a trojan or virus running along with several other utilities. Too bad there's not a free trial. There are many you can get here but I can't recommend any.

You can try these fixes
Overheating (have you vacuumed out your pc lately),
Clutter and you just need a defrag.
Virtual Memory is too small or too big and fragmented. Should be equal to RAM
Underpowered pc, no room on the hard drive - need more hardware

Disable all automatic updates other than your Anti-Virus and Spyware. You don't need any applications that start up with Windows, checking you out and calling home whenever they want. Dell, HP, Compac, all computer makers overload pcs with spyware to "keep you updated." It's spyware no matter who makes it. Google, and Yahoo are the worst. And disable those browser toolbars too.

And last, have you used a Registry cleaner. They can delete needed registry entries. If the program can't find it, it'll hang. If you can find what application is hanging up, reinstall it.

Maybe time for a reformat.

Hello
Check process in the Task Manager and tell us what process is the one that is using 100% processing power.

Also Run HijackThis, you can get it from here: http://hijackthis.softonic.com/

and paste here the results so we can know what is your computer running actually.

it could be simple things, for example, a printer driver (happened once with a minolta printer, when I turn'em off the driver goes to 100% process and I have to reboot), could be a spyware, a bug of some sort, lot's of things, so plz do what I ask you so we can figure it out
Indkt.

Your Q is an Unstoppable Avalanche of factual Data commencing with the invention of typewriter, calculator leading to

The first thing I would check is what programs is running in the background
The more you have running the possessor power you are going to use
I have to admit though that the only time I experience this problem is
When I am using my Amiga emulator.

Try using Advanced System Optimizer

I find this program is one of the best out there
It has a huge range of tools from registry cleaner to
Startup optimizer it can also defrag and optimize your hard drive
And the best of all you can get a fully functional 30 day free trial
Try it out and see if it helps

http://www.systweak.com/asov2/

Download the free trial and give it a go

Have you checked the bios for any settings you might have to change? also checking the core temp, if you did not change the fan with the cpu or applied thermal compond it will overheat and cause a shut down. A small powersupply will cause trouble as well.

run a good spyware cleaner on your computer, like PCTOOLS Spyware Doctor, looks like everyone is phoning home.

Hardware? Unlikely. The most common hardware problem with CPUs is overheating. The system would lock up and require "hard" reset or "cold reboot". Those are old terms for "turn it off". XP is robust enough to handle a few of these every now and then.

Software? Most probably. First check Task Manager to see which program, utilitiy, process, etc is hogging things. Could be a Trojan, could be Windows. Best thing to do is follow the advice given in the other posts. There are a number of programs, utilities, which list the processes, with explanations, of who and what the process does. Then you can "End Task" on each one and see what happens. NOTE: If it's important to Windows, it won't allow you to stop the process or service, with the of exception of "explorer.exe". And killing "explorer.exe" every now and then won't hurt things, unless you don't know how to get the "desktop" back. Hint: File. New Task. explorer.exe. Enter

After that it's a matter of cleaning up or stopping a process from running in background. Windows and a lot programs now, or should I say programmers, believe their program, utility, widget is a "must have" and needs to be there for the user, even if you don't know it because it will just run in background not taking up any space or CPU cycles. HA!

Best wishes in your computing endeavors

Look in task manager under the tab 'processes'. It should list the memory usage, CPU time, and the filename. Look for the file that is taking up all your CPU time. I assume that you will find a file that is taking up 90+ CPU time or a handful of processes that are working concurrently to bog down your system. Once located, take note of the process or processes taking up all your CPU time. This will give us more insight on how to correctly suggest appropriate action on how to resolve the issue.

I have XP Pro installed in 2002 on a Dell Latitude C840 laptop that also showed severe signs of slowing. I upgraded the memory first, maxing the computer at 1 gig. Next, I installed 2 registry cleaners, one the PC Pitstop Optimizer and the other the Uniblue Registry Booster 2. Both cleaned up the registry, I guess, but neither made the computer run faster. Finally, I did a clean install to reinstall the operating system, and this has worked nicely.

First, a newer computer with better architecture and more RAM wouldn't hurt. You can reformat your hard drive and reload your operating system and all your programs and files. That's a real nightmare unless you have an external hard drive. However, I've found Norton System Mechanic (particularly 1 button check up) to be very effective. You can go to start-run and type %temp% and delete the temp files by hitting control-A to select all. For the ones that won't delete, hold control to deselect them (some are program generated). To get rid of them, boot up in safe mode (tapping F8 when initially booting) and %temp%, and then delete. Also, as a back up, go into control panel, internet options, and delete temp and check offline files. Lastly, you can also use a program like PC Tools Registry Mechanic which helps resolve registry issues.

Jack

If you have things like adware 2007 or sbybot & destroy and windows defender or a mac equivilent agree with the tight ship. Have the wall up and all that still had to run this because got a zlog malware. windows defender will take it out of restore in it's scan defenders be free download. nest the scv host thing not sure about this but have a fix here they say

There a some things you need to look at:
First and foremost what size is the CPU, is it capable of running the software you have installed.

Next, how much RAM are you running

Next you need to look at what programs are running in the background, go to start, run, and type in msconfig in the text area, then select the startup tag in the popup. This tells you what is running from when you boot the system. Most ogf the stuff doesnt really need to be there. have a good look at what is running and you can decide whether to allow it to run at startup or not things like iTunes helper QTTask dont need to run and can be disabled by unchecking the boxes. Yahoo IM is a real pain as everytime you start it up, it places itself in the startup menu, but it doesnt have to be running at startup.

There are so many causes for your situation but these are the first ports of call.

Cheers, Keith

This happened to me before too.
I am assuming you've used task manager or other similar process monitors to look at what processes are taking up your cpu but was unable to stop it/find it/or it was attributed to System.exe

I would recommend going to run->msconfig to check the list of things that are run. Also, for the first step, if you have access to another computer w/ internet connection, then disconnect the first one.

First, using msconfig, check the list of processes being started on startup using
http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/
and turn off anything that isn't windows required or something you trust.

One of the most common problem I've seen people encounter is that they get a mail spam virus. It starts some weird time after the computer does and starts starts to send email to tons of receipients in the background without you knowing.
I recommend using PortPeeker for more advanced users -
http://www.linklogger.com/Software/PortPeeker.exe
or Network Traffic Monitor,which is simpler -
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ntm
to check if there is a huge amount of network traffic without you doing anything. If so, you will need to use some anti-virus and anti-trojan software to get rid of it.

Also, make sure you have enough space on your hard drive for your paging files (rule of thumb for me is ~5-10% free, which is quite a bit more than enough).

I am pretty sure you already know this, but just in case, make sure you don't have a lot of programs/processes requiring processor power on at the same time.
This would be like:
games
media/music players (both independently and on internet explorer
file sharing software (bittorrent, limewire, etc)
anti-virus (which is just a necessity... but don't use Norton because it will only contribute to the problem)
monitoring programs
chat programs
desktop themes (like... desktop theme programs that lets it have different layout and effects tend to kill processors)
command prompt (for some computers)
and stuff I've left out that you know about.

Remember. These things keep running even when minimized (even to tray).

If problems remain or you can't delete the virus I recommend taking out your hard drive and putting it as secondary for another computer (it should not infect that computer). This way, you can use the other computer's antivirus to delete it fairly simply. Make sure you do not get rid of important system files though, as this is easy to do in this situation.

just shut down your computer and never go near it again.

This may occur when you have multiple sites open and not enough memory, a registry that slowly gets corrupted and inefficient, or spyware. Control-alt-delete will bring up the task manager and you can attempt to end the process that is causing the problem. You might get "program not responding". Try ending it multiple times and it will close out of windows. If you have mozilla firefox, you'll have the option of restoring your previous session. If your system is old, replace it. If you want to save money, reinstall windows. Also, start-run type msconfig and look at your start up tab. Uncheck programs that you can easily access instead of having them run all the time. If not sure, do a Google check to see what each one does. Also, download Ad Aware which is free. This will help get rid of spyware. It's a legitimate program and works reasonably well.

I used that CCleaner? That seemed to do the trick? You sent that to me last week. Also have registry cleaner I bought years ago? I lost that when my hard drive fried. I didn't get the new code from the company so I just read everything that C-Net puts up?? GREAT stuff. Seems to be more speedy when I used CCleaner? I do NOT get freezes at all? Using the XP-PRO- SP2. Did you install any software before this started?? . Did you try system restore to that date right before? Sometimes that places it back before it was messed up??? ah, don't you love it??? BRAIN FREEZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For Troubleshooting your Problem you can do the following step by step----->
i)Are you confirmed that your machine doesnot have any virus or spyware? Whether you are confirmed or not AT FIRST THOROUGHLY SCAN THE WHOLE MACHINE WITH A GOOD ANTIVIRUS (Like AVG 7.5 Internet security,Avast Pro etc)
ii)Collect or Download TUNE-UP UTILITY 2007( or 200(You can download it from any website like www.isohunt.com etc.)
iii)After installing Tune-up Utility 2007 atfirst click on "TuneUp Start up Manager" and DISABLE ALL PROCESS EXCEPT ANTIVIRUS.
iv)Then CLEAN UP THE DISK with "TuneUp DiskCleaner"
v)EMPTY THE "Temp" FOLDER.(The "Temp" is hidden folder and its address is " C:\Documents and Settings\Admin\Local Settings\Temp")
vi)EMPTY RECYCLE BIN.
vii)KEEP YOUR DESKTOP CLEAN.Delete every thing except "My Computer","My Documents","Recycle Bin".Because the shortcuts of programs on Desktop slow down your machine.
viii)DEFRAG YOUR DISK with Windows XP or any software like Diskeeper Lite.
ix)CLEAN INVALID REGISTRIES with "TuneUP RegistryCleaner"
x)CHECK ERROR OF YOUR DISK with "TuneUp Disk Doctor" or through Disk properties-->Tools-->Check now(select the both options)
xi)Run "TuneUp RegistryDefrag"

Probably these steps will solve your Problem. If even it doesnot solve your problem you have to do the following----->
i)Are you using Windows XP using crack or any nonrecognised serial number? You can DOWNLOAD WINDOWS XP BLACK.This operating System doesnot require any serial numbers.It has inbuild valid serial numbers.IT IS GENUINE AND PASSES WINDOWS GENUINE TEST AT THE TIME OF WINDOWS UPDATE AND EASILY INSTALLS UPDATE FROM MICROSOFT.IT ALSO PASSES THE VALIDATION TEST AT THE INSTALLATION OF INTERNET EXPLORER 7 AND WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER 11.IN ONE WORD IT IS GENUINE MICRSOFT WINDOWS XP PRO WHICH YOU CAN DOWNLOAD FREE FROM ANY WEBSITE LIKE www.isohunt.com.(You may need to install Utorrent)
ii)After Downloading Windows XP Black ,install the windows and take the advantage of Genuine Windows XP Pro.

I think this would solve your problem UNLESS IT COMES FROM YOUR HARDWARES

HI, I'm Oertel, I've had this problem countless of times, i have 2 machines and what's going on with yours is 10-to-1 overheating of your hardware, which is caused by dust and partials that collects and sits on your hardware and in the event over time blocks airflow to your hardware, especially your c.p.u heat sink, fans and so on. Take the whole thing apart and clean every part with soft brushes, rid all dust with the help of compressed air. clean c.p.u. heat sink thoroughly, and ALL FANS. Start it up, and see the difference, works every time, it will feel look and work like new again. I am running a P4 with over 40 processes including system and my c.p.u. runs at 30 degrees celcius. Don't forget to reapply fresh heat conducting paste (a paper thin layer) between heat sink and processor. Recommend to repeat this whole procedure at least twice a year.

This sounds like a software problem. A program that is misbehaving can often cause this sort of problem. The first step is to try and figure out what program is causing the problem. Pop up the Task Manager (ctl-alt-del) and go to the Processes tab (if you can't get this to work when the problem happens, try leaving it running in the background). Task Manager might be very slow to appear, but it usually does eventually - do NOT click Task Manager repeatedly if it's slow to load as this will load multiple copies - which will slow things down even worse. The Task Manager will list the amount of resources that each process is using - so look for one that is using a LOT of CPU. Odds are you will see one process that is using a major proportion of your resources. With luck, you will be able to tell what program the process belongs to (some have reasonable names), and you can check the support site for that program for known problems and interactions. If not, or if you are in a hurry, try Google-ing the process name - there is a very good chance that someone else has had this problem before... with luck you'll find a page with a description of the problem AND a solution, or, at least, a pointer to the guilty program.

Also, you should be aware that this type of behaviour is sometimes simply a symptom that you are doing a lot of processing. I have seen virus scanners do this during very large high-speed downloads - and then return to normal later when they actually finished what they were doing. If this is the case, the machine will eventually return to normal, but it might take several minutes. If that's the problem, you might consider switching the scanner off for the duration of the download, then manually scanning the files afterwards. It also sometimes happens if some intensive task starts running in the background, such as a scheduled full virus scan. Sometimes "live updates" start off invisibly, and at unexpected times. In that case, you'll have to reschedule things for more appropriate times - if possible.

The CPU goes to 100% capacity because you have a lot of programs operating in the background. YOu first need to decide what are the important things that you want and have to keep and then delet the rest.

I work for a small company that has about 30 desktop computers, the same number of laptops and 4 servers. I have run into this problem 2 times so far. I have found the culprit to be Windows Update. For whatever reason, your computer cannot connect to the Microsoft server and determine what updates are needed. To verify this, you need to download and install Process Explorer from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx Make sure once you install, put a shortcut to the program on your desktop to easily find it. Reboot your computer and launch process explorer, it may take a minute of so to load because it is wating for CPU cycles. Once it loads, look for any large percentage under the CPU column, I have found when it's Windows Update you will see over 98% running. Look to the left under the process column and you should see the associated program which will be wuauclt.exe. This is the windows update program that runs in the background. Kill the program from here by right clicking on that line and select "kill Process". You should see an immediate speed up of your computer. Now, open you security center, an disable Windows Update, reboot your computer, it should be running more normal. Go to the Windows Update site by launching Internet Explorer and go to Tools>Windows Update. Cluick on Express and your computer should update if anything is required. Once updates has finished, turn back on Windows Update, and reboot. Everything should be fine. If it still seems bogged down, run Process Explorer again and see if the Windows Update is still the culprit, if so kill the process again, turn it off under the security center, and go about your business for a day or two and try running windows update from IE in a day or two, and run the steps outlined above again. Eventually, your computer will sync with the microsoft server and will return to normal.

Good Luck,

Peter

Anthony,
Seeing as it is a recent development and not something that has been happening since you had the computer, it is likely that some program you have recently installed is using up your processor speed, or worse yet, you accidently got some spyware and it is hogging your cpu. i would recommend thinking back to when the problem first started occuring and uninstalling any programs you might have installed in that time frame. Also, if you do not have an anti-spyware program, I would highly recommend that as well, there are many different programs that can do this, the one I use is Windows Live OneCare (though you might want to check out Norton 360 or many other ones, just do some research). Another issue with most spyware is it attaches itself to your registry and can be very problematic to remove. I'm sorry I can't recommend anything for registry fixes, I stay away from that stuff. Hope this helps.

one by one. Press Control-Alt-Delete and see a table showing Apps, Processes, and two other tabs. Click on the Processes Tab. If you dont see a 'CPU Time' Column, pull down the View menu and pick Select 'Columns'. Then add 'CPU Time' to that. Now Click once or twice on that column, whichever sorts it descending by CPU Time, it maybe be far off to right, you can click and hold and move it to left. Now note the processes that are maxing out CPU time and the problem is likely related to one of those at the top. Do this B4 it hits 100%+ and freezes. You probably are infected with spyware is my best guess and you PC isnt powerful enough to do their bidding and let you work at the same time. It may not be listed so if all are low, close out the Apps and recheck. Plan B, hire me if you live on the Treasure coast of Florida. Good luck,... Dave.

If you are using Norton Antivirus or Antispyware, I would suggest disabling it to see if there is an improvement. Norton is notorious for bringing a system to its knees. I have also experienced the same when CounterSpy is doing it's thing checking for and installing updates.

If you are a consciencious user, I would suggest disabling all automatic updates, and running them manually once a week yourself at a predetermined time when you are not running anything else.

Paul

Hi,
I just recovered from the same problem. I'm running XP Home/SP2 with Intel Pentium dual-core processing. My computer would work fine for about an hour then, fan would run like crazy, computer would slow down, freeze or restart. After shutting down for a while (15 - 20 min.). It would work fine for about another hour. Ended up taking it in for service, turns out one of the 2/512Mb RAM went bad. Had to replace both to upgrade. Now I have 2/1G RAM and computer runs like a champ. Hope this helps.

Hi Anthony,
I think that you have this problem because of the services started on starting of your system. If you have this problem then do below operations...
click on start/run in which write services.msc then ok
You will get list of services. stop some of the services which are unnecessary. Your system will automatically speeds up.
You can make some of the services manual instead of automatic.