Windows Vista Intermittent missing drive- Card Reader, 'Unknown' processes running

I am having a few issues with my computer that I can't seem to "fix" or discover what is causing the problem.

#1. A lost drive: One of the reasons I bought THIS computer was because it had a built in SD Card reader. All has been going just fine, and then suddenly, and recently, it has not always seemed to recognize the drive was even there. I go to upload pictures from my SD card and it tells me Windows can't find or does not recognize this drive. So one day I boot up and it's there and working great. Another day it's gone and not recognized! What gives???

#2. System Idle Process?? What is this?
#3. dwm.exe?? Another ??

I am working on my computer when suddenly there is a sound of something winding up, or a louder humming sound. If I check my task monitor I will find that either the System Idle Process or the dwm.exe are causing the CPU usage to soar, and at times it will stay elevated for no known reason.

Now I will be the first to tell you I don't totally understand CPU and what it does or what it measures, but I know it has something to do with the "heartbeat" of my computer. I know it's important. So you don't want it soaring and sitting at 95% for long periods of time. I understand that when I start up another app or open a program or play a game, that when each program starts up it takes energy and causes the CPU usage to go up for a spell, but then it settles down and generally sits calmly on a low even reading. But when one of these two processes are acting up, it doesn't go back down and sit calmly on a low even setting. It continues to spike up and down, and it worries me.

I mentioned once before about the dwm.exe doing this and someone told me it was a virus or a worm or some other horrid thing. Well I had done several checks to make sure that is not the case. I've run the anti-virus program in the boot sector just to make sure and nothing was found. I have at least 3 or 4 anti-malware or anti-spyware programs that I run (separately) about once a month. Last week I ran each one and never found anything . About the worst thing on my computer was a few harmless "cookies. "

I have the program System Mechanic, and that runs once a day to check my system, registry, and what not, and it has System Guard running all the time to make sure things don't creep in without my knowing about it. I make every effort to keep a clean and well tuned machine.

So whatever these processes are for, if this is normal behavior I would like to know that so that I can stop fretting over it. OK? Yes, I am a "worry wart."

Any help or suggestions are appreciated.

Sandie

 

Thank you Evan Omo

For the links you provided. It sure does help to know what a process is for, but now I am thinking something else must have been going on.

I just checked both processes when reading those articles, and I noticed especially in the System Idle Process that what it says about CPU ussage was really no different than what it read the other day, but this time there was no loud humming sound from the hard drive, and the task manager try window was not all green like it was the other day.

I open the task manager and it says under CPU is 97, but at the bottom it states that CPU usage is only 2%. The little window that sits in the task bar is not all green and I hear no loud humming as I did yesterday. So whatever was causing that to happen apparently is not the System Idle Process.

Guess I need to do some more research.

Thank you so much for your help.
Sandie

 

Thank you both very much.

I understand now that in regard to the System Idle Process, that was freed CPU usage, not in use usage. I didn't realize that before as I didn't understand it at all. Now I do. Thank you so much.

I do have several programs running in the background, and it is more than possible that loud humming could be from the fan. Today everything is calm and quiet. No humming, and in the task bar, the little manager window shows a steady LOW CPU usage consistently. That's the way I like to see it.

When it turns all green and stays there for some time, and then I hear the whirling or humming I get to thinking something is seriously wrong and I need to shut something down! LOL I'm so glad we keep on learning or I would be in big trouble.

Thank you both very much. I can't begin to tell you just how much I appreciate your help and suggestions.

Sandie