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CPU Usage at 100% most of the time...thus PC is slow.
Ok, I started another thread, the title was misleading, so I deleted and started this one.
Anyways, I recently came back from vacation and I fired up my PC (I usually leave it on, but shut it down over the weekend) and when I came back, my PC was terribly slow. It took a good 5-10 minutes to boot.
I have Windows XP with 1 Gig RAM and 3.x GHZ processor. Not sure of all the specs off-hand.
Anyways, When I look at my Task Manager the CPU Usage seems to stay at around 80-100%, which makes everything rather slow.
I ran, SpyBot, Ewido and AdAware and it is still slow. A little better, but slow.
I also removed Norton and installed AVG as my virus software.
There are NO weird processes running in Task Manager either. Everything seems like normal processes.
Would a loose connection on the motherboard or something like that cause the PC to go slow? A bad Power Supply? I'm lost at what to do next besides formatting...which is my LAST resort. But I just did that probably less than a year ago...so it's not loaded up with ****.
I also turned off my Start-Up processes, which were few anyways.
I still can do some things with it, but it's slow. I tried to burn a DVD and it basically came to a crawl....which I normall can do other things while I burn a CD/DVD.
Any Suggestions? Help!
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Try running the tests at PCpitstop www.pcpitstop.com, they may tell you where the problem is.
Before formatting
Try running a registry cleaner (search this forum for suggestions).
Try making a different user account.
Try running System File Checker.
Try a repair/reinstall of Windows and update major drivers.
I tried the New User Profile...no luck. I will try a repair/install later today also.
Would a HARDWARE malfunction cause the PC to do this? I noticed my Power Supply fan makes some noise when I start it up. A loud whining noise, when I tap the case it stops. Just wondering if HARDWARE can cause the problem I'm having.
Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 4:29:46 PM, on 9/7/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
I also did the PC PitStop thing and it said that my C: drive should be defragged. I already did it once earlier this week, so I'm doing it again. This shouldn't bring my system to a crawl though, should it? You can only defrag so much, right? Also, why wouldn't the first time I defragged be good enough? I did get another power supply, but have not installed it yet. Nothing has really improved though, I can really notice it when I burn a DVD/CD, since I can usually do something else....but that brings my CPU Usage to 100% for sure.
Any more help....not sure what the HIJACKTHIS means, I'm sure someone will tell me.
Hijack describes exactly how some malware operates: it forces its way onto your system and takes over some of its aspects for bad ends.
What the Hijack This log shows to the viewer is running processes, many of the registry RUN entries, and some important aspects of your Internet Explorer setup.
2. Add RAM. This is the single biggest speedup you can do.
3. Scan for malware. I see you are running Ewido.
. Set the default scanning type to its highest, most thorough setting
. Manually download new definitions. I believe this forces a rescan, but if it does not manually order a scan. Do this right before you go to bed and let it work at night.
4. Reboot in the morning. Come back to the forum and highlight the line below with your mouse. Right-click and Copy. Then Start button, Run, and in the box that appears left click and Paste the line:
Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks
Nothing obvious will happen, although your drive light should flash occasionally. The command starts the idle time optomization manually. It will take about fifteen minutes to complete. Just do not turn off your machine for fifteen minutes or so to let it do its job. This routine is the basis for the old Bootvis.exe Trace, Optomize command.
I can't spot any problems with the Hijack This log. See if anyone else can. You have a lot of "helper" programs though. Try disabling them with msconfig (Start -> Run -> enter msconfig -> Startup tab). You can uncheck all of them as a test.
Quote:
Originally Posted by doubledown88
Anyways, I recently came back from vacation and I fired up my PC (I usually leave it on, but shut it down over the weekend) and when I came back, my PC was terribly slow. It took a good 5-10 minutes to boot.
It could be just a bad connection. Pull out and reseat the data cable connections to the drives (including the motherboard connections). You can reseat the RAM modules (sticks), they unclip at both ends, then push evenly on both sides to reseat them until the clips lock all the way.
A drive connection problem may be why pcpitstop suggested another defrag.
Is it a lot slower even before Windows starts loading? This will be a problem setting the hardware by the BIOS. What stage seems to take the longest during startup (does it get "stuck" anywhere)? (Ahh!, go into the BIOS settings at startup and look for a setting "Quick Post" or something similar, disable it (full POST). Get a replacement CMOS battery.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by doubledown88
Nothing has really improved though, I can really notice it when I burn a DVD/CD, since I can usually do something else....but that brings my CPU Usage to 100% for sure.
You can try uninstalling the DVD drive in Device Manager, in fact, try uninstalling the IDE Controller, although you should reseat the connections first, as I said above. The drivers will be reinstalled automatically.
I forgot to mention. Uninstall Logitech Desktop Messenger.
What a mess it is creating.
Yeah, I was wondering why that was in there so often. It's basically a program for my Logitech Harmony Remote. I can uninstall.
I know my 1 GIG of RAM should be fine for what I do. It basically boots up slow and if I only have ONE IE window up, then it takes a dive in speed also.
I also noticed I had some power surges lately. DTE shut off my power....they have been upgrading something lately, and killed my power, which may have messed with my system.
I'll try copying that line into RUN and try that.
I'll also put a NEW power supply in and see if that helps since my fan sounds like it's about dead.
EDIT: Thanks for the Logitech tip. Should I just do the ADD/REMOVE for this or should I do the HiJackThis and put a check in the Logitech items, THEN do a Add/Remove. Should it matter? I don't really need the program, as my remote is setup.
Last edited by doubledown88; 8th September 2006 at 13:16.
Have you used the norton remove software when you removed norton anti virus? I only did it with the add/remove programs and it was a real mess after that, it started fighting my new virus program (kaspersky) and took a lot of cpu power. after I used the tool to remove norton it went back to normal.
