100% CPU problem

My daughter's Compaq Vista laptop has developed a bad problem. The CPU
usage is stuck on 100%, making it very slow to use the machine. What I
find hard to understand is that in Task Manager the only process using
any CPU is taskmgr itself, which is using about 10%, but the total usage
shows as 100%. Are there processes that do not show up in Task Manager?

I have just run sfc /scannow, which looks for corrupted system files.
On completion is said that there were errors but they could not all be
repaired. I looked at the log file, CBS.log, which has hundreds of
lines that don't mean much to me.

Any suggestions?

 

It's possible that services/processes can be deliberately hidden from
windows task manager. There is no legitimate reason to do this, so the
symptom suggests malware or virus.
I suggest you boot in "safe mode" and run virus/malware checks from
there if you can.

 

Run a malware checker on it. I use Malwarebytes (free but it nags you to
buy). I assume that they have a virus checker?

Cheers,

Cliff

 

Thanks for the suggestions, Me and Cliff. This machine has AVG
installed and up to date, and when my daughter told me it was getting
slow I suggested that she run Spybot and Malwarebytes, which she did.
Apparently one trojan was detected. Ironically, the super-slow
performance (100% CPU) started after running these anti-virus programs.
I'm sure she didn't run them in safe mode, though. That's worth a try.

 

I forgot to mention that CPU usage is normal in safe mode. I'm now
running Spybot in safe mode, and after that I'll run Malwarebytes, and
maybe do an AVG scan for good measure.

 

Forget Spybot, use SuperAntiSpyware instead - much better.

It has some good fix options too.

You can also get an up-to-date portable version.

http://www.superantispyware.com/portablescannerhome.html

And run an additional virus checker, I find MS's portable one quite
good...

http:/safety.live.com - download the right version! - download on your
PC and put on a mem stick - it will also run in Safe Mode. Preferably,
use a mem stick that has a write protect switch, just to be on the safe
side for yourself - or, when you get home, put it on your linux box and
format it

 

Hmm, did she have update to date AVG virus defs and the same for Spybot
and Malwarebytes? It's probably worth doing full scans too, (may default
to 'quick').

Cheers,

Cliff

 

Yes! I discovered this late last night (stoopidly never noticed that
tick box). Now I see all the processes.

 

Thanks, excellent suggestions.

 

I ran Spybot and Malwarebytes in safe mode last night. Spybot found 128
malicious objects, then Malwarebytes found nothing. I will check that
their databases are up to date and do it again.

When I rebooted in normal mode, and discovered the tick box that shows
processes for all users (duh!) I saw that the CPU usage was still high,
but the culprit was AVG (avgcsrvx.exe). After a while the usage dropped
back to about 15%, which is understandable. I am now thinking that AVG
was the problem, and that installing Malwarebytes created some conflict.
When I suggested to my daughter that she do a scan with Malwarebytes I
wasn't aware that by default she would install the program and it would
stay there performing AV duties. Clearly it's asking for trouble to
have two AV programs running at the same time.

At the moment things seem to have settled down, although I do think AVG
uses too many resources. I'm inclined to adopt a strategy of
scan-on-demand.

Thanks to all for your help
Gib

 

I've removed AVG (for various reasons) and use the Microsoft Anti-virus.

Cheers,

Cliff

 

I no longer use it on my machines either. Time to get it off my
daughter's too, it seems.

 

No one in his right mind uses AVG, just use the Windows one and the Free
Comodo..

 

And what would you know about that?

 

I have to say that I concur with you, Cliff and Woger all at the same time - could be a first!

AVG used to be the best option but now the MS one is much better and lighter on the system.

 

Well, Roger put it a bit strongly, but I've removed AVG from all
machines because of various issues (including a high CPU issue).

Cheers,

Cliff

 

Me too. My daughter has had it on her machine for years, and not
knowing much about these things she has just put up with its poor
performance (until recently). She may not be computer-savvy, but she is
certainly in her right mind.

 

I did the same - until there were issues with the MS one using 100% CPU a
few years back! Since then I've used Avast! with no trouble at all. Small
definitions downloads and nary a worry.
--
/Shaun.

"Humans will have advanced a long, long, way when religious belief has a
cozy little classification in the DSM."
David Melville (in r.a.s.f1)

 

I think you'll find MSE's changed a lot since then - several new engines
have been released, not just definitions (which are pretty mucy daily).

What concerns me most about AVG and Avast, is their one year free
licensing mode. I gave up on Avast several years ago due to their
advertising popups, perhaps that's changed now. But AVG, well they sure
make it difficult to renew the *free* license (all the navigation seems
to point to upgrading to the paid for version) - and for many PC's I've
seen, users just can't do it, and end up just leaving it. Effectively,
as time passes, they have close to no protection at all.

MSE, OTOH, just works, and never expires.

 

I figured it might have. Unfortunately for me one of the PCs that I was
running it on when it had the 100% CPU issue had very marginal CPU cooling
(temporarilly, but I wasn't doing 'heavy' computing on it anyway and was
saving up for a decent cooler). The machine squealed and turned itself off,
then sat there radiating heat - a couple of times as the problem was both
intermittent and not widely known about. I went crazy trying to track down
the problem (yes, that's what made me insane <g>) and, when I finally sorted

Avast! isn't that difficult to renew the free licence - IMO anyone incapable
of doing it shouldn't really be using a PC. Yeah, the pop-up ads get a bit
annoying but they're not *too* intrusive, at least IMO.

I don't know about MSE but one of the things I like most about Avast! is
it's small updates - making it a viable option for folks on dial-up.

Cheers,
--
/Shaun.

"Humans will have advanced a long, long, way when religious belief has a
cozy little classification in the DSM."
David Melville (in r.a.s.f1)