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What's Causing CPU Usage

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by joe645, 2009/02/18.

  1. 2009/02/18
    joe645

    joe645 Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    When I boot up my CPU running Windows XP my desktop comes up and the cursor hourglass pops on and on and on. I go to my Taskmgr and see that there are no apps running but 100 or so processes causing my CPU to run at 100% no allowing me to proceed. Why so may processes and what can I do about it?
     
    joe645,
    #1
  2. 2009/02/18
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Two possibilities and it is not clear from your post if the computer settles down or not. Do you have the same problem in Safe Mode? ......

    An excessive number of startup items - download Starter and see what is listed and which can be disabled. Process Explorer by MS will do the same, but is more confusing in some respects.

    An alernative and maybe more comprehensible option is to use msconfig ....

    Start > Run > msconfig > Enter - Startup tab and disable (uncheck) all and test.

    Malware running riot is another strong possibility. Download Malwarebytes, update it and run a scan and see what it finds. Follow that up with an online scan - Kapersky is recommended.
     
    PeteC,
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  4. 2009/02/18
    joe645

    joe645 Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    thanks pete,
    no, it really doesn't really settle down. If I run REGcure it finds over 500 Window Startup Items and 800 file/path errors. Once I fix everything the CPU settles down. I've got to have something going on that is not normal for this to happen. I have very little (programs) loaded as I am reinstalling after HD failure.
    I will try your suggestions. Any others after this note?
     
    joe645,
    #3
  5. 2009/02/19
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    You can sort processes in Task Manager according to CPU usage, so what is using your CPU?
     
    Arie,
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  6. 2009/02/19
    WhitPhil

    WhitPhil Inactive

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    A Registry Cleaner is never the solution to a performance issue! And the "errors" displayed, are not errors and have no affect on performance.

    Further, RegCure is by far the worst (read slimeware) Cleaner on the market. There are many posts on many forums where this POS severely damages the operation of the PC. Some to the point, that they no longer boot leaving you with few choices.

    Stay away from all Reg Cleaners, unless you like reinstalling "things ".

    In your case, 100+ active processes is excessive and a large number of them can be UNselected via MsConfig.
     
    WhitPhil,
    #5
  7. 2009/02/20
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Hmm, I'm not running XP, but I've got 90 running right now on my Vista desktop. Only 24 items listed in Msconfig.

    But yes, since I use a lot of stuff simultaneously on my system, 100+ might be a bit excessive, but again, joe645 should post back & let us know which process is using his CPU 'excessive'.
     
    Arie,
    #6
  8. 2009/02/20
    joe645

    joe645 Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    I will try to give you all the best description I can. The excess CPU Processes are either Malware, or Trojan type .exe programs that continue to run and run tying up the computer. Somehow these .exe (they have no specific name just letters and numbers) even wiped out my Internet Connection Profile so I can't even access the internet to download AVG which I was in the process of doing when this happened. I go into Task Mgr and try to disable but cannot. I go into MSConfig and set a Normal startup, it reverts back to a Selective Startup and initiates the .exe. files again. I don't have much on the computer but would hate to wipe what's there and start over. I'm trying to find out if I can load AVG on a CD and clean the computer from that drive.
     
    joe645,
    #7
  9. 2009/02/20
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Joe

    It looks like your computer is heavily infected - head over to the Malware & Virus Removal forum and read .....

    *** READ THIS BEFORE POSTING IN THIS FORUM ***

    If you have lost internet connection on the computer download the program on another computer and transfer across on a USB stick - reverse the operation to transfer the log files to a computer with internet connection to upload to a new thread in the forum.

    Reference this thread by URL in your intro to your new thread.
     
    PeteC,
    #8

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