CPU staying at 35-60% usage! Trying to figure this out for days! HELP!!

Someone who knows what they're doing please try to give me a hand here, i would really appreciate it. Just ordered an athlon64 2800 and a new Aopen AK86-L mobo, installed winxp home ed. and ever since installing all my drivers and service pack 1 my cpu has shot to a constant 35-60%. It just keeps jumping around but mostly stays at 45-55%. I've closed every unecessary program running to no avail. Here is my hijack this log if it will help:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7
Scan saved at 5:57:41 PM, on 5/26/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape\Netscp.exe
D:\Downloads 3\hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = URL
N3 - Netscape 7: user_pref("browser.search.defaultengine", "engine://C%3A%5CPROGRA%7E1%5CNETSCAPE%5CNETSCAPE%5Csearchplugins%5CSBWeb_01.src"); (C:\Documents and Settings\Michael\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\ss4isrvu.slt\prefs.js)
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinampAgent] C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG6\avgcc32.exe /STARTUP
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DAEMON Tools-1033] "C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe" -lang 1033
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [AIM] C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe -cnetwait.odl
O9 - Extra button: AIM (HKLM)
O16 - DPF: {9F1C11AA-197B-4942-BA54-47A8489BB47F} (Update Class) - URL

Thank you for looking!

Mike

BTW I have been trying every different scanning program as well, scanguard, scanblaster, ad-aware 6, you name it, and i use avg antivirus but nothing shows up.

Thanks again

Mike

being at 35-60% isnt too bad, not as bad as most people here, at a full 100%
are you sure you don't have ANY programs open?
your log says you have netscape, as well as some ati program open.
In my experience, it has always seemed like netscape has used ALOT of cpu power compared to internet explorer.
One thing that might help speed up start up is not having aol instant messager, grisoft anti-virus, and winamp all starting up with your computer.
All of those programs open could easily account for 35-60% usage, depending on your processor and ram.
And is that the whole hijackthis log?
I'm new to using hijackthis, but it seems short compared to the ones Ive seen from everyone else.

For more suggestions, check out what I've tried, in my thread: URL

And from what I've heard, such things are caused by the sasser, welchia, gaobot, agobot, msblast, and other viruses.
It's not, in my case, but it could be in yours.
Trying using some of the removal tools for these from microsoft, mcafee, or nortons web page.
norton's tools:
URL

Hi Nebula3eb,

I agree with nellanayrb, your log is clean.

Although you certianly do not have too many startup programs. I would not suggest removing AVG from your startup, you would not be protected.

I would suggest using a firewall. Especially if you have cable or DSL. Zone Alarm or Sygate are two excellent, free ones.

See this *Sticky* for a link to Zone Alarm:
http://forums.devshed.com/t141743/s.html

Tom

Hi Nebula3ed,
I cannot see, whether your CPU usage problem belongs to a specific process or if there is only the system idle in “use”.
Of course, the system idle should show about 99% if your PC does “nothing” – that IS ok.
But if you have an excessive CPU usage at the same time – then you have a problem…

But before I come to my suggestion(s) I want to fix this point first:
If there ARE other processes involved (e.g. lsass, svhost…) I would always check for viruses/worms first.
In my case I had checked the system for all these “things” – with no “bad” result – but with the alternating high CPU usage still remaining.

So I have posted my suggestion(s) on other forums. And I hope nobody feels annoyed to give my “advice” here again:


First:
I followed several recommendations and used the "process explorer" (download procexp.exe from the net) that supports the vague displays of the task manager.
And I found "my problem" located in the "Hardware Interrupts" using large amounts of CPU power (sometimes about 100% CPU usage) in alternating cycles which causes a severe slowdown of the system performance.
Although there are several suggestions to fix this point looking at installed software - I can realistically only see a hardware problem behind this.
So I closed down everything in the "autostart"/"startup". I also used the "old" msconfig.exe (from the net) to shut down autostarted tasks/programs that are not shown by "autostart"/"startup".
I also stepped to the control panel and there to the administrative tools.
There I looked at the services and set most of them to “manual” by editing.
Of course I looked at the device manager – but there was no conflict shown !!

But the problem WAS in the device manager !!

I am located in Germany with a DSL (Telekom / T-Com) connection and a 3-PC-home network (with router).

So – what I did was:
I left the programs installed – no changes here.
I tried to work in the “safe mode” – everything’s fine.
Then I brought all “extra” devices like printers, network adapters, infrared devices, imaging devices and modems to “disable” and started in normal mode again.
Everything was fine again.

Now I put the devices one after another back “to life”.
To make it short:
In my case the “modem” was the problem.
There is no modem in use.
And there is no other “similar” device (e.g. ISDN-card) installed.

So now I have everything back in use – with the modem “disabled” and the long time stability in “normal” CPU usage values.

What was the reason for the appearance of “my” problem ?
I had installed an extra software for my online banking account. This program package uses another internet account, which I normally do not use – only for the few seconds of banking. But this package recognizes my DSL-line and installs also the “virtual” modem. And this seems to “collide” with my (also “virtual”) ISDN/modem line from “PPP over Ethernet”…

However: My conclusion for all the others who have this awful problem with the alternating and excessive CPU usage occurring after a “while” – not really depending on any kind of PC-activity – is as follows:
If there are no shown conflicts in the device manager and cleaning up the autostarted programs and many of the services does not fix the problem…

1. Ask yourself what kind of change you have done before the problem occurred.
Is it fixable to only one specific change ?
Then try to bring your system back to the “old good” state.
If you have made several changes before you have been faced with the problem or if the first suggest does not fix it…
2. Disable your devices (do not uninstall – only switch to “disabled”). If necessary go as “deep” as possible – but be careful and keep the machine’s least devices (floppy, at least one CD-ROM etc.) “at life”.
If this has no “good” effect…
3. Uninstall firewalls and antivirus programs. Look for software you’ve thought to be uninstalled but still has “fragments” on your harddisk – move it to a temporary folder or better delete it.
Still unsolved ?
4. Look at your BIOS settings. Is there “something” in use, that should better be off ? (I use an extra sound card – but also have audio on board – so I switched it off in the BIOS !!). Typical devices that could be in “double use” (because you have “forgotten” the on-board-devices of your motherboard) are network adapter, modem, graphics card, sound… (of course – such a double installation CAN work – but also can be the origin for the troubles…)
Not better … ??
5. Demount hardware now. I would suggest – everything that is not really necessary. In my case this would have been the soundcard, TV-FM-card. And if you have an extra graphics-card…pull it out, if there still is an “on-board-solution”. Bring your system to a “raw but runnable” state.
Satisfied now with the stability ?
6. If not - run registry optimizers / -cleaners – and, if necessary work “manually” with regedit(32).exe and look for the above mentioned “fragments” again and clean manually if necessary (I have often found pogram names or company names etc. from software which I had removed by normal uninstall routine. I could delete those lines without bad effects… but plz be very carefull with all kind of registry changes !!! And if you search for company name – be sure you do not run another NEEDED software from this company…;-))).
Still in the “old trouble”…ooops…
7. Now I would say it’s time to save my data and install a fresh OS (really fresh – complete format – new partitions ?? so there should be no trace of old data !!…). Then bring in your devices step by step (think of the “raw but runnable” state) – always let enough time for stability check. Look at these alternating CPU usage values – growing again ???
I think, this step needs your patience if you want to be successful.
Here you should fix it finally… if not…try a prayer…perhaps you can try the warranty suggest ??? I don’t have any further suggestions.

But if you had been lucky in an earlier state…
8. Bring your disabled devices back to “enable” again – one by one…and be patient with the “stability check” here, too. If you have demounted devices before also install the hardware “one by one” – leave everything not in use still in “disabled” mode.
In my case there was no need for the modem (because there is none). So it is still “installed” – but disabled in the device manager – and my PC works fine…
So you should do either with all the devices you are not using (e.g. imaging devices or infrared devices).
9. Re-install software and / or services, and bring your wanted startups back to life.

I know, that was lots of stuff. But I’m quite sure that this will help in most cases, before a complete fresh OS installation is necessary.

Now folks – good luck !

runningbernie