high CPU usage after installing SP1a

Hi all,

a few days ago I changed the version language of my WinXP Pro from Polish to English. It was a clean install on a fresh formatted partition.

My previous setup, ie Win XP Pro PL with SP1a kept running fast and smoothly but after having installed the English version of the same O/S I've been experiencing problems with too high CPU usage. This occurrs when I launch or close a program as I did using the old Windows configuration. I din't install any new applications.

I suppose that it is the Service Pack 1a which is slowing down my system but I cannot determine this by uninstalling it (I chose the appropriate option at time of installation). Other hot fixes rather don't cause the problem, because I did uninstall them step by step.
The problem is quite annoying, because when Windows uses more of the CPU, then my mouse cursor slows down and halts for a moment.

Any ideas how to get rid of the problem?

Ralf

 

Can you quantify the nature of the slowness. You said that your CPU spikes when you shutdown, have you looked in Task Manager or Perfmon to see which process is using the CPU? What is the duration of the spike?

 

I have CPUIdle, a cooling program that's running in the systray all the time. It's difficult to explain the problem, but I'll try once again: it seems to me that Windows is using too much of the CPU while I'm launching a program (sometimes also, when I'm closing that program). It needs then almost 100% of the CPU to open/close an application which is not normal. Even opening an empty .txt file cause the CPU to be too active. Everything returns to normal when the programs are launched.
Taking a look at the Windows Task Manager|Performance it shows:
Processes: 35, CPU Usage: 100%, Commit Charge: 260640K/698852K

 

As an addendum to my previous post: the instant CPU usage of 100% is not a true value - it depends on running CpuIdle.

This can be read in the FAQs to CpuIdle:

"Q: When I start CpuIdle, the CPU usage immediately climbs to 100%- what's wrong?
A: When CpuIdle is running, it will use all otherwise idle time to keep the CPU cool, by executing the HLT command. Unfortunately Windows does not recognize the difference between normal CPU usage and CpuIdle's cooling commands that only consume otherwise "spare" time. This does not affect normal applications. "

 

Why are you associating the MS updates with the slowdown?

Before you dump all the MS updates, unplug all the peripherals- printers, scanners, cameras, etc, and try rebooting and letting XP find them one at a time. Also, disable or uninstall your cooling program for diagnostic purposes.

Johanna

 

I am still very much unclear on the nature of the phenomenon.

Forgive me if im stating the obvious here, but my expectation would be that when launching a program, it should use as much of the CPU as is availible to perform that operation. Launching an app is expensive, and should cause a dramatic spike in an otherwise idle system.

My questions are trying to lead you to explaining the deviation from the expected behavior. I still do not understand the nature of the spike you are seeing in CPU usage, as compared to previous behavior. Ideally I'd like to know "Launching notepad takes 80% CPU usage for 11 seconds, previously, it would use 30% for 2 seconds ". How are you measuring CPU usage if your task manager shows 100% all the time? Can you disable that utility for the purposes of collecting some data from a source we are used to trusting (taskman/perfmon)?