CPU usage very high and errattic

[Jasand]

Hello,

 

I have been passed onto your good selves by Ken from helpwithpcs.com. His actual words were "They have a couple of very good techs who may be able to advise further"

 

I have had this issue for some time and now im really getting annoyed. I have posted several times on the other site and here is the link to this to save going over old ground. PC gone slow and CPU all over the shop??

 

I have done clean of malware and viruses (security expert) as well as plenty of help from Ken but with no avail.

 

Here is a screenshot of my CPU this is what happends with no open programs other than what is in the taskmanager.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/x2jmmj1hgk3/CPU screenshot2.rtf.

 

I have tried disabling all startup prgrams and then reboot but still the problem exists.

 

I have tried also removing the ram both sets and uninstalled my Nvidia Gforce6200 graphics card and am running back on the motherboard.

 

I have also started the comp in safe mode and all was ok also started in safe mode with networking still all ok but when started in normal its back to normal.

 

I have uninstalled numerous programs from the pc still no help I have 66.3GB free space and only using 40.7GB

 

It seems to be a software issue but am unable to find it. The pc is otherwise of good health fully updated and scanned weekly using Mcafee and spybotS&D also a defrag is ran as and when needed.

 

How is this sill evading me? am i missing something?

 

Please help and thankyou for all your time.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

What's the mem size and how big is the cpu Jasand?

[Jasand]

Mem 1024MB (2 X 512MB)

 

CPU, Intel penitum 4, 3.00GHz 2.99GHz 0.99GB Ram

 

Cheers

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Jasand, I have followed this with interest from over there actually, and just to clarify something for me, as well as answering Wolfeymoles question, I wonder what size your page file or virtual memory is, Microsoft recommend a page file of 1.5 times the total RAM, have a look here for a guide to how to find out and adjust as necessary- Change virtual memory settings: Management Services If the page file is too small the CPU will be constantly shifting stuff around trying to compensate. Forgive me if this has already been covered and I missed it.

Nev.

[Jasand]

Hi Plastic Nev

 

Thank you for your help. this has not been covered before the virtual memory or paging size is 3042MB :confused:

 

This goes beyond me now so is this ok?

 

Just to note the PC ran fine and then this problem appeared its not like I had this from day1. The PC is 2 yrs old from New.

 

Thanks

[Plastic Nev]

OK Jasand, that is more than enough, so not the problem then. It was just a shot in the dark anyway, I am now beginning to think that maybe there is a hardware fault somewhere rather than software, but I shall have to leave that for the more savvy amongst us.

[TheSlee]

There could be a virus or downloader on your comp. When was the last time you ran a virus scan? Also, maybe your HDD needs defragmenting as this can cause a PC to run slowly, so maybe that could be considered.

[BeeCeeBee]

paging size is 3042MB

 

Just to be sure, that would be the maximum, correct?

 

The minimum should be half that or 1.5 times your ram.

 

It is probably right on but just checking.

[Jasand]

I have no idea if this is the "perfect setting" for paging size

 

The PC is perfectly cleanI have had a malware and virus clean done by security experts also the pc is fully up to date and scanned weekly and defragged every month or so or when required.

 

This is why its so difficult to find. The PC is under warranty but only for hardware if I send it to dell and its not Harware I get a BIG bill so I need to get proof before sending it off. They will not check the software.

[Plastic Nev]

OK Jasand, I know Carolyn looked you over and found nothing (She is good) so a lot puzzled. I have had a look at your screen shot, I expected a steady line not the millions of extremely high spikes that are there. It actually looks like something has sent the CPU into some sort of crazy loop. This actually suggests a faulty driver for something but what? Have you had a look for that in driver management?

[Jasand]

No

 

How would I do this?

 

All drivers are up to date as far as im concerned. Is it really a case of going through one by one? Or is there a program I can run to check this?

 

thanks

[Plastic Nev]

OK Jasand, If you are happy that the drivers are up to date, and no yellow or red marks against any in the list. I will suggest leaving it till one of our CPU experts is on line to have a look. That screen shot is a mess and something must be causing it, but it is beyond my level of knowledge.

[Jasand]

Thank you i will double check the drivers tomorrow. Getting late now.

 

I really appreciate all your help

[Tootech]

You mentioned you have McAfee and Spybot....

 

Which parts of McAfee do you use - the full suite plus Spybot may be an issue - they may crossover in what they do.

 

McAfee has been updated quite a bit in the last 2 years and I wonder if they have added more overhead to the software. Add Spybot to that and you may be into a system that quite a high CPU overhead.

 

If I had this one in for repair, I'd remove Spybot, see how it behaves, then remove McAfee and have another look.

 

I think it's worth having a go at doing that - once you have removed those, I guess there's not alot left running all the time.

[Jasand]

Hi,

 

I have uninstalled spybot previously with no effect. I do have the full macafee suite but this does not seem to pick up all the spyware on the system.

 

I shall remove spybot again. (after this post)

 

I have not uninstalled macafee as yet as I have no re installation cd. However I have disabled it previously still with no effect. I will go through this again if you wish.

 

Just to ask a question when you press ctrl,alt,del, bring up task manager and select processes it shows CPU as 00 and the numbers alter every now and then. Like system idle process is up and down from 00 to 95 very quickly. What does this mean?

 

Is 00 as no activity and 99 as full activity?

or is 00 full activity and 99 no activity?

[Jasand]

Just to add I have took two screenshots of my processes running in task manager. Both pics make up the entire list

 

Free File Hosting Made Simple - MediaFire

 

spybot has been uninstalled

[Guest Wolfeymole]

It would be simpler if you were to use Manage Attachments with regard to uploading pictures Jas.

[Jasand]

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/61cd013a2e357cdfcb9db766b81668cc2g.jpg

 

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/597e1a1d5bba84ced4ee09435d7e572d2g.jpg

 

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/aacd3cf71ddf733a05d9645370b9e5a72g.jpg

Edited February 8, 2009 by Jasand

[Tootech]

Hi Jasand,

 

Thanks for all the info. Have to say that I'm really not sure what is going on, but we'll go through it bit by bit.

 

You can go back to using your video card, if anything it will speed it up just a little.

 

Can you pinpoint when it started to slow down?

 

Might seem a daft question, but have you used something like ATF Cleaner or CCleaner to remove all the temp files?

 

Can we assume that McAfee isn't running some kind of scan in the background?

 

If you don't have a McAfee CD, do you have an account with them - like an email address and password.

 

Looking at your running processes, here's a list of what is running, that is more or less added to the standard Windows install:

 

Logitech Software

Active Sync

Spybot process – teatimer.exe

CD-RW software – DLA

Dell Device Monitor

Media Center background services

Realplayer and Quicktime background services

McAfee services

Windows Live Login Helper

Bluetooth service

America's Army service

Messenger Journal Reader service

 

That's quite a lot, but perhaps not excessive once your PC has settled down.

 

Notice the teatimer process for Spybot is still there - not sure why as you have removed it, that needs dealing with.

 

Are you connected to the Internet using a router and ethernet cable?

 

Have you looked at the CPU when the Internet is disconnected? ie you have pulled the ethernet plug out.

[Jasand]

Thanks for the information.

 

I cannot pinpoint when it slowed down unfortunately. it seemed to just creep up on me. Thats why im stuck on what it is.

 

Nvidia card re installed ok,

 

Restart of pc seems to have disabled teatimer.exe,

 

I have used the internal cleaner on spybot before but not ATF Cleaner or CCleaner to remove all the temp files,

 

No scans running on macafee at the mo but program probably has services running somewhere,

 

I do have an account with macafee,

 

What is America's Army service? and where did it come from?

 

What is Messenger Journal Reader service?

 

I am connetced to a wireless secured router via an ethernet cable. Removing this does nothing however after this post i will try again and wait a few miutes before plugging back in.

 

I can attatch new screenshots of processes and other information if required.

Edited February 8, 2009 by Jasand

[Jasand]

Please view previous post on first page

 

Here are antother set of screenshots ater re installing graphics card, doing a restart and unplugging network cable.

 

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/eee956c6807183ffe7dd4808143a22ad2g.jpg

 

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/26b271cc1789f08a6c6021743f9341432g.jpg

 

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/ee9adefb74d9d449af413dd98673327d2g.jpg

 

 

THANK YOU

[Tootech]

You have your McAfee details, so if it came to it, and it was uninstalled you could log in and download your product - don't need to do that now, just making sure.

 

The America's Army reference came form this process.

 

pnkbstra.exe

 

Have a look here for more detailed info, it is used by other gaming software also

 

pnkbstra.exe - What is pnkbstra.exe?

 

The Windows Journaling I think is to do with a Tablet PC - you have active snyc, so I guess you have a Windows Mobile device.

 

The two processes that still have high CPU usage are MWSnap and services.exe.

Not being connected to a network counts out any internet services talking or updating.

 

I guess you were using MWSnap to capture the screen - can you confirm that - if so that's why at that moment it's CPU use is high.

 

That leaves services.exe as a quite high CPU use - on both screenshots too.

 

Can you also confirm that you are up to date with Windows updates.

[Dalo Harkin]

a CPU slowdown of it being irratic normally indicates you dont have a CPU driver installed - have a check on the MOBO chipset drivers if there is a later version.

[Jasand]

Thank you for the replys,

 

We can download macafee again of required,

 

I do have COD4 and Counterstrike as well as Halflife box set and Steam so this is where the online gaming came from i think. I have however uninstalled COD4 and Counterstrike source as my PC will now no linger run them effectively.

 

MWsnap is ok as I only used it for the screenshots here otherwise I would not have it.

 

Windows updates are up to date as far as im aware. Its set on automatic updates at 9.00pm everyday so no reason why its not up to date.

 

MOBO chipset drivers? I checked on device manager and selected update driver for the CPU this says I have the latest update. Here are the details:

 

Driver version, 5.1.2600.0

Date, 7/1/2001

Digital signer, Microsoft Windows Component Publisher

 

So really there is nothing out of the ordinary?

 

Thank you again

[Tootech]

Thanks for all the info.

 

There is a chipset update available on the Dell site. Have a look here

 

Drivers & Downloads

 

That's for the Dell 3100. The list of fixes doesn't include a high CPU fix, but nontheless, download and install it.

 

It would be better if you went to the Dell UK: Laptops, Desktop Computers, Monitors, Printers & PC Accessories page, Service & Support options, and types in your Service Tag to get to the correct downloads - it's more accurate than just using the model number.