100% CPU usage ... taskmgr.exe hogging CPU

I have the dreaded 100% CPU usage problem

Have eliminated various malware etc but the problem remains. taskmgr.exe itself seems to be the problem which is consuming 50% + of CPU. I used to be able to eliminate it for a day or two by running Spybot. Now the problem wont even go away temporarily

I searched the web forhours and have not been able to find any similar problems

Any ideas much appreciated


Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7
Scan saved at 21:02:07, on 03/09/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
D:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
D:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
D:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
D:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
D:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
D:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
D:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
D:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
D:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
D:\WINDOWS\System32\CTsvcCDA.exe
E:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
D:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
D:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
D:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
D:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
D:\WINDOWS\System32\MsPMSPSv.exe
E:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\SAVScan.exe
D:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
D:\WINDOWS\Cyb2k.exe
E:\Program Files\MUSICMATCH\MUSICMATCH Jukebox\mm_tray.exe
E:\PROGRA~1\MOUSE&~1\Mouse\Amoumain.exe
D:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
E:\Program Files\MUSICMATCH\MUSICMATCH Jukebox\mmtask.exe
E:\PROGRA~1\MOUSE&~1\Keyboard\Ikeymain.exe
D:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb09.exe
D:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2\Surround Mixer\CTSysVol.exe
D:\WINDOWS\System32\CTHELPER.EXE
D:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2\DVDAudio\CTDVDDet.EXE
E:\Program Files\iPOD\bin\iPodManager.exe
D:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
E:\Program Files\iPOD\bin\iPodService.exe
E:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
D:\Program Files\Creative\MediaSource\RemoteControl\RcMan.exe
D:\WINDOWS\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE
D:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe
E:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\WCESCOMM.EXE
D:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
E:\Program Files\MICROSTAR\Bluetooth Software\BTTray.exe
D:\WINDOWS\System32\taskmgr.exe
E:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SpybotSD.exe
D:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
D:\Documents and Settings\David\My Documents\My Downloads\Hijack This\HijackThis.exe
D:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.google.co.uk/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by BTopenworld
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = 127.0.0.1;<local>
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - D:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.ocx
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - E:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Web assistant - {9ECB9560-04F9-4bbc-943D-298DDF1699E1} - D:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\AdBlocking\NISShExt.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - d:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - E:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - D:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - d:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Web assistant - {0B53EAC3-8D69-4b9e-9B19-A37C9A5676A7} - D:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\AdBlocking\NISShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - E:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [C2K] D:\WINDOWS\Cyb2k.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MMTray] e:\Program Files\MUSICMATCH\MUSICMATCH Jukebox\mm_tray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WheelMouse] E:\PROGRA~1\MOUSE&~1\Mouse\Amoumain.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdReg] D:\WINDOWS\UpdReg.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "D:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE D:\WINDOWS\System32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [mmtask] e:\Program Files\MUSICMATCH\MUSICMATCH Jukebox\mmtask.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KernelFaultCheck] %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iKeyWorks] E:\PROGRA~1\MOUSE&~1\Keyboard\Ikeymain.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPDJ Taskbar Utility] D:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb09.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTSysVol] D:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2\Surround Mixer\CTSysVol.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTHelper] CTHELPER.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTDVDDet] D:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy2\DVDAudio\CTDVDDet.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iPodManager] E:\Program Files\iPOD\bin\iPodManager.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "D:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [URLLSTCK.exe] E:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\UrlLstCk.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [BootWarn] E:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\BootWarn.exe /a
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] E:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [RemoteCenter] D:\Program Files\Creative\MediaSource\RemoteControl\RcMan.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE D:\WINDOWS\System32\NVMCTRAY.DLL,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [msnmsgr] "D:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [H/PC Connection Agent] "E:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\WCESCOMM.EXE"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] D:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Tracks Eraser Pro] E:\Program Files\Acesoft\Tracks Eraser Pro\te.exe min
O4 - Global Startup: BTTray.lnk = ?
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = D:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://d:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward Links - res://d:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cached Snapshot of Page - res://d:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://D:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O8 - Extra context menu item: Similar Pages - res://d:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate into English - res://d:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmtrans.html
O9 - Extra button: Create Mobile Favorite (HKLM)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Create Mobile Favorite... (HKLM)
O9 - Extra button: Real.com (HKLM)
O9 - Extra button: Messenger (HKLM)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger (HKLM)
O12 - Plugin for .spop: D:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: {02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B} (QuickTime Object) - http://www.apple.com/qtactivex/qtplugin.cab
O16 - DPF: {166B1BCA-3F9C-11CF-8075-444553540000} (Shockwave ActiveX Control) - http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/director/sw.cab
O16 - DPF: {9F1C11AA-197B-4942-BA54-47A8489BB47F} (Update Class) - http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/CAB/x86/unicode/iuctl.CAB?37863.2876736111
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab
O16 - DPF: {E855A2D4-987E-4F3B-A51C-64D10A7E2479} (EPSImageControl Class) - http://tools.ebayimg.com/eps/activex/EPSControl_v1-0-3-0.cab
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain =
O17 - HKLM\Software\..\Telephony: DomainName =
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{B0E64850-4805-4AB3-96D1-C8005D2B749E}: NameServer = 192.168.0.1,4.2.2.2
O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain =

Have you tried scanning your comp for a virus yet? Taskmgr.exe should only take up that much usage when you call it. Any other time it shouldn't be taking up that much system resource. Other than that all I can tell you is to change some of the exe's to run only when needed. Hope this helps.

Thread moved.

When I ran my intervideo winDVD software I noticed a reduction in system performance and saw the taskmgr.exe using 100% the of CPU cycles. I used various adware / spyware (hijackthis, adaware, spybot, spyware blaster) programs and didn't find anything odd.

I tried to determine what had changed. I remembered I had installed XP SP2 recently so I determined that was likely the cause. I updated the BIOS on my system from A06 to the latest A32. Worked like a charm!!!! No more issues.

Hi nitro76,

If you would like to post a fresh HijackThis log for final review, someone will take a look at it for you.

Tom