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Resolved Running very slow, always 100% CPU

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by JGB, 2015/12/14.

  1. 2015/12/14
    JGB

    JGB Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    I've kept the CPU/RAM usage widget running. (for a long time)
    PC always ran smooth and fast (usually 15-30% no matter what was running), until I downloaded but NOT installed Win 10 a few months back.

    I'm not ready to install Win 10 just yet.

    Now when I cold boot it runs at 100% for about 2 or more hours before settling down to about 40-60%. Then down to 10-20% after 3 or 4 hours more, again no matter what is running. It will peak up when I load a program, but then drops down, except for Firefox. That is almost always running at 95-100% cpu. Similar with Thunderbird, but TBird (alone) will drop down to 50-60% after about 10 minutes.

    Even with nothing loaded, the cpu is at 100% for quite some time. AVAST says I am clean. I have cleared my Start Menu of unneeded apps. Task manager does not show anything unusual running as well. And nothing running more that 3% at any time.

    Shut down and cold boot now take a long time, far longer than it took before Win 10 was simply downloaded (just to get rid of the nagging all day)

    I have recently put the CPU to sleep mode rather than shut down, which is faster than a shut down. I then power off. On resume, it is very quick to start up , and the cpu is between 50-65% after about 10 minutes. But the cursor is jerky and videos stutter most of the time. During the day, the cpu will jump to 100% for a few minutes even when nothing is running.

    Yet when I run a cpu/graphics intensive app (Sketchup 3D) the cpu usually settles down to about 10% after an hour or so.

    Frustrating as all get out. Any ideas??
     
    JGB,
    #1
  2. 2015/12/14
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I'm having similar problems but not directly connected to the "get windows 10 disaster" which I have avoided but to Windows Update. When I start the computer, it runs at high CPU- and RAM-usage for over an hour and the culprit is TrustedInstaller and an associated svchost process. On my system, disabling Windows Update gets it under control. I know it's "a shot in the dark" but try it, temporarily, to find out what happens.
     
    Christer,
    #2
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  4. 2015/12/15
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    Hi JGB. Please follow the instructions in my guide for optimizing Windows 7 and post the requested logs in your next reply, How to optimize Windows 7.
     
    Evan Omo,
    #3
  5. 2015/12/15
    JGB

    JGB Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Christer;
    That had an almost instant POSITIVE result.
    My cpu went from 85% to 24% a few seconds after I hit enter and Win 7 complained.
    Now Firefox is running at about 10-35% except; during a video it is about 85-95% and not stuck on 100%.
    And my modem activity LED is quiet except when I would expect traffic.
    Thank you for that quick response.

    Evan
    I looked at your long set of instructions and when I get some time, I will do as much as I can. Since I will go to Win 10 (someday) I'm not sure if all that Win 7 tweaking is worth doing. What say you?
     
    JGB,
    #4
  6. 2015/12/15
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Well, in my opinion, Windows Update is a total disaster. Since June this year, Microsoft has released a new version on a monthly basis, the most recent one is KB3112343. I'm a Ghost user and can roll back my system by restoring an Image. Those updates to the Windows Update Client are not included in my Images. This means that when I tested each one of them in succession, they were easy to get rid of. After installing KB3112343, the first run of Windows Update took 75 minutes and it seems like Microsoft is poking its nose into every corner of the system. The second run took only 30 minutes but even that is much longer than when my system was a fresh installation with the original version of the Windows Update Client. Checking for updates to Windows and other Microsoft software, including Microsoft Security Essentials took some 10 minutes. I don't understand what Microsoft are doing ... :rolleyes: ... and I doubt that they do!

    Assuming that you have the mentioned updates installed, there is a registry edit that prevents Windows Update to do any system upgrades. If you would like to try it, I've attached a zip-archive with two reg-files:

    Windows7-DisableOSUpgrade-ON.reg - creates an entry in the registry that activates (ON) the prevention.

    Windows7-DisableOSUpgrade-OFF.reg - sets the entry to 0 (OFF) and the entry has no effect.

    After adding the regfile (extracting and double-clicking on the correct one), go to Windows Update and set it to "check for updates but not download or install ". Restart the computer and see what happens.
     

    Attached Files:

    Christer,
    #5
    JGB likes this.
  7. 2015/12/15
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    Well Windows 7 is still being supported until 2020 so there is no rush to upgrade to Windows 10. Personally, if Windows 7 is running fine and you are not having any problems then I would just stick with Windows 7 as there aren't any major benefits with upgrading to Windows 10 other than DirectX 12, security improvements, and an improved Task Manager and Action Center.

    If you can benefit from those features then I'd say go ahead and upgrade but you should still look at your hardware and make sure your devices have compatible drivers that work with Windows 10.
     
    Evan Omo,
    #6
  8. 2015/12/15
    JGB

    JGB Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    I noticed Win updates (on notify only) took an inordinate amount of time, then after Win 10 D/L (not installed) there were no update notifications at all. Unusual, but welcome.

    But that's when the slow started and my modem activity LED was constantly blinking, even with no apps running and me doing nothing but staring at a stalled desktop.

    I ran AVAST more than once and other than its desire to clean up my system (for a price) it found no malware anywhere. Also noticed some Win 7 updates were getting installed even though I turned off auto update and was on notify only.

    (As an aside, Apple is now doing phantom updates on my wife's IPad)

    So far this morning my system seems back to normal. Responsive like it was before Win 10 D/L. We will see tomorrow am after I do a cold boot.

    If OK, then I will leave this sleeping dog lie. If not I will try more stuff mentioned above.

    As for going to Win 10, after reading the install horror stories and my own marathon 11 hour upgrade from Win 8.1 to Win 10 on my ASUS notebook, I am going to wait a bit. When Win 10 did an analysis of my system it found no compatibility problems with my H/W. But I do run quite a few apps from my XP days so I am leery.

    Thanks again for the fix.
     
    Last edited: 2015/12/15
    JGB,
    #7
  9. 2015/12/15
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    If you by that refer to a missing Windows Update icon in the Notification Area, then yes, that's another ill effect of the updates to the Windows Update Client. You can access WU only via the programs menu or via the control panel. The regedit, however, should put the icon back in the NA. I haven't verified that it works with the most recent update, KB3112343 but I will do that tomorrow. (Even though MS state that KB3112343 doesn't replace a previous update, they are cumulative and it should work.)

    Remember that no two systems are exactly the same. My experience is that it takes at least one search for updates (WU) for the icon to get back.

    You're welcome ... :) ... !
     
    Christer,
    #8
  10. 2015/12/16
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    The WU-icon in the Notification Area returns but it seems to require a second restart for WU to check for updates. The delay may also be due to too short time elapsing since the previous check.
     
    Christer,
    #9
  11. 2015/12/16
    JGB

    JGB Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    After a (long) cold boot this morning the system is operating at near normal.
    CPU is averaging 20-50% within a very few minutes of IPL when it used to run at 100% for 2+ hours. As I type this it is running 18-24%

    Streaming vids start at 100% then back down to 80% without the stuttering.

    And my modem activity LED is steady except during actual traffic.

    So yes, I would say that Win Update was the culprit, and is now put to bed.

    Thank you all again, I say this thread can be closed.
     
    JGB,
    #10
  12. 2015/12/16
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Don't forget to reenable WU when the next batch of updates is due on the second tuesday in January!

    Near the top of your thread you'll see Thread Tools. Click the down arrow to expand the drop down menu, at the bottom of it You'll see "Mark this thread as solved ". Click on it to mark your thread as solved.
     
    Christer,
    #11
  13. 2015/12/17
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    A final comment to maintain Your current system updated:

    Yesterday, I checked a system (Windows 7 Ultimate) that is ready for installation of Windows 10. Everything has been downloaded and it is nagging about "hitting the button to get on with it ". It appeared that no updates to Windows 7 were available but there were several to both Windows and Office. They are "hidden" by the "all important" upgrade to Windows 10. Click to display other updates (I don't remember exactly how), uncheck the one for Windows 10 and check those for Windows and Office to keep Your current installation up-to-date.
     
    Christer,
    #12

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