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Question

High CPU usage killing browsers

Jul 9, 2017 11:45PM PDT

A couple weeks ago, I had to download an update (one of those Microsoft ones that keeps bugging you for days to restart to install it before eventually taking matters into its own hands). I've had problems since then with my browsers lagging or slowing to a snail's pace and dragging the rest of the computer with it, usually after a couple hours of working fine. This happens in both Opera and Firefox, both of which are up to date. It often happens if I'm using Netflix or youtube, but it also happens when I'm just on text-based websites. As soon as the browser starts lagging, I open the task manager and see that CPU usage has spiked. When I look at the resource monitor, it's either the browser or perfmon.exe that's eating up the bulk of it. When I close the broswer, the CPU usage immediately drops.

When this started happening, I didn't immediately think it was an issue because my computer dislikes updates, and it always takes a day or two to work out the kinks after doing one. Usually this manifests as getting high CPU usage for a day or two after, at which point I usually get irritated and system restore to an earlier time, which takes care of the problem.

I've tried to system restore this time, but the only restore points from before the update say that the backup drive cannot be found (I regularly back up files to an external HD but I've never created a restore point on a different drive, so I don't know where this is coming from). I also ran AV and malware scans just in case, but they both came up empty. I'm doing grad school online right now, and I can't have my browser quitting in the middle of tests. Any help would be much appreciated.

I'm running Windows 7 64-bit. I use AVG free for AV and malwarebytes free, though I switched to MSSE yesterday just to see if it helped at all.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
High cpu
Jul 10, 2017 6:55AM PDT

Grab a copy of adwcleaner.
Run a pass and see if you have some uninvited guest.

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adwcleaner helped but didn't solve it
Jul 11, 2017 7:11AM PDT

Adwcleaner found a few things yesterday morning, including an apparently empty folder that was created the day the trouble started. I let it clear everything off, and I had no problems yesterday despite using my laptop pretty much nonstop all day. It just froze up again while I was watching Netflix. Hopefully it's a fluke, but we'll see.

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Answer
Is There A "perfmon.exe" Task in Task Scheduler
Jul 10, 2017 10:31AM PDT

Open Task Scheduler, then check the Task Scheduler library... .If there is a scheduled task for perfmon.exe, then simply remove it.

Or.. follow the instructions in the second post in the link below to check the Performance Monitor to see whether it's been scheduled.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/cpu-running-at-90-100-possibly-due-to-perfmonexe/958d444d-5596-4b86-b570-bb20378140c1

It's not unusual to see high CPU usage when perfmon.exe is running. It can occur is you have the Resource Monitor open. Some of these issues were corrected with Service Pack 1 and other updates afterward. Hopefully, you have SP1 installed. If not, please do.

Another thought.. If you're running MS Security Essentials AND AVG at the same time, they can cause CPU usage problems also. Only run ONE AV real-time scanner at a time. Conflicts arise and will cause issues..

Hope this helps.

Grif

Post was last edited on July 10, 2017 10:34 AM PDT

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Nope
Jul 11, 2017 7:20AM PDT

I checked the task scheduler, but there's nothing for perfmon. Opera (my primary browser) is scheduled to auto update at system startup and at a certain time every day, but neither of those parameters corresponds to when I'm having issues. The only other thing scheduled is AdobeAAMUpdate, which runs at a certain time every day. Again, it doesn't correspond to my issues.

I have Service Pack 1 installed.

I uninstalled AVG before I downloaded MSSE. There has always only been one running.

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Re: uninstall AVG
Jul 11, 2017 7:37AM PDT
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Removal
Jul 15, 2017 7:54AM PDT

I started the uninstall from the Control Panel, which opened up AVG and had me continue through there.

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Avg
Jul 15, 2017 8:08AM PDT

Now run the removal tool that's mentioned above.

It might be best to run the tool in safe mode.

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Answer
was this fixed?
Jul 17, 2017 8:43PM PDT

i maybe able to help