Windows XP 100 Percent Processor Usage (Fresh Install !!)

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Mercenarie

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Jun 27, 2006
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i just installed windows xp and i have 12 processes running with 100 percent usage... wtf is going on? how can i resolve this
 
You don't have Windows Defender installed do you? If so, That would be the first that I would remove. I've seen it take over the CPU before...:rolleyes:

Ax
 
I'm confused. Do you have a total of 12 processes running, and one of them is using 100% of the cpu, or are there 12 processes that show 100% usage, or do the 12 total 100% combined?

And, have you been online with this machine yet?
 
theirs 12 processes and theirs like 2 or 3 that takes alot from the cpu. explorer.exe & svchost.exe,apache.exe, no i havnt been online
 
I am confused. How are you running Apache on a clean install of XP? That's the first thing I'd be investigating.
 
apache.exe? That's not an XP file. That is http apache server. You installed that?
 
I was wondering that myself......but, you know.....

So, I'm assuming this is a legit Windows install.......right??
 
i removed apache but it dosnt resolve it. system idle proc is taking 70 percent and taskmgr is taking 20 explorer is taking 5
 
Install it again, this time disconnect all network cables, etc from the machine. Just have the bare machine with the keyboard and mouse attached to it, and no other hardware at all, period.

Give that a shot and report back.
 
bbz_Ghost said:
Install it again, this time disconnect all network cables, etc from the machine. Just have the bare machine with the keyboard and mouse attached to it, and no other hardware at all, period.

Give that a shot and report back.
Click to expand...

install windows xp again? last night i installed it at 11 and ended at 3 am
 
Is this a fresh build? Do you have any older HDD with data on them already? Would COMPLETELY format the drive and start all over. And there is NO way that installing windows on that machine should take 4 hours. 20-30 min...tops.
 
LaTech said:
Is this a fresh build? Do you have any older HDD with data on them already? Would COMPLETELY format the drive and start all over. And there is NO way that installing windows on that machine should take 4 hours. 20-30 min...tops.
Click to expand...

QFT.

Looking back now, the only reason such a thing might happen realistically - the extremely long install time and the constant CPU hammering - would lead me to suspect your hard drive and possibly the CD drive too are either stuck or operating in PIO mode and not DMA. PIO mode would slow the entire data transfer chain down to around 16MB/s tops, which would most definitely require a shitload of time to install XP.

Worth checking out I'd say...
 
Mercenarie said:
i removed apache but it dosnt resolve it. system idle proc is taking 70 percent and taskmgr is taking 20 explorer is taking 5
Click to expand...

system idle always takes up whatever percent is leftover.

Explorer = 30%
Idle = 100 - 30 = 70%

If nothing is running, System Idle Process should be around 95-99%

What does CPU Usage say at the bottom of the Processes tab?
or click Performance tab and whats the CPU usage say there?
 
My first impression based on the way the topic was written was "Ok, here's another person that thinks the System Idle Process is using up all his CPU time," but I let my assumptions go because we all know what happens when we ass-u-me things, right? :)

I'd still suspect PIO mode but there's no way to know for sure till he checks on it, if he even knows how.

Doesn't matter if the CD drive and hard drive work in another machine, the point is they might not be working properly in the machine you're having issues with.

I recently got a brand new 80GB 7200 rpm drive and when I plugged it into an old Asus A7V mobo it simply will not function in DMA mode using the shitty VIA hard drive controller. But if I plug it into the onboard Promise Ultra100 controller, wham, UltraDMA Mode 5 just like it should be.

So... it could be PIO mode and the IDE controllers just being flaky... unless of course you tell us it's an SATA drive, then that would open an entirely new can of worms. :D
 
chrisf6969 said:
....

What does CPU Usage say at the bottom of the Processes tab?
or click Performance tab and whats the CPU usage say there?
Click to expand...

Lol, never thought of that. One thing he has to figure out if its 100% usage, or 100% idle.
 
oneils said:
Lol, never thought of that. One thing he has to figure out if its 100% usage, or 100% idle.
Click to expand...

100% usage. at the moment im re installing windows xp with just a keyboard and mouse. and hey btw how can i find out if my hardrive is the problem? what should i do
 
Once you get it installed, fire up Device Manager, go into the IDE Controller properties, choose the Primary one (here I'm making the assumption - damn them! - that you're using IDE drives since you still haven't said yes or no) and check the Advanced tab. If it doesn't say DMA mode and what DMA mode is enabled for the hard drive. Should look something like this:

ideam5.jpg


Check the Secondary channel for the CD/DVD drive also; it should basically say the same thing. If however either of them say PIO Mode anywhere then you've got a problem someplace.

PIO (Programmed Input/Output) mode was the oldest IDE transfer standard, and tops out at 16MB/s and also requires a LOT of CPU power/time to do data transfers, hence my belief that could be what's causing the high CPU usage. DMA (Direct Memory Access) lets the hard drive controllers transfer data directly into RAM with minimal CPU intervention.
 
Great work bbz_Ghost, I'll have to remember this if I ever encounter similar problems.
 
Note that if he says he's using an SATA drive (entirely possible) all this is meaningless. :D
 
i would get a drive utility and do a low level format, Write 0's to the drive then try a reinstall
 
Well, since he's currently doing a reinstall anyway at this moment, and low level formatting won't "fix" DMA issues if that's what the problem really does turn out to be.

Real low level formatting is hard to do anymore; typical formatting tools are actually high level since true low level is only supposed to be done once in the lifetime of a hard drive. It can be a destructive and damaging thing to a hard drive, so it's done basically when the drive is created and very rarely if ever needs to be done again.
 
What version of XP? (Plain, SP1a, SP2, etc). If its not SP2, pre-download SP2 and install SP2 before you connect a network cable. Otherwise, you're a sitting duck wearing a bright orange traffic controller vest.
 
When you install the Nvidia Nforce Drivers click no to install Nvidia Forceware Access Firewall thingy. That is what is generating the apache.exe
 
is this a new machine and first time install or has it worked ok before?
 
Mercenarie said:
i cant do that im on my laptop and not on the desktop with the problem. like i said its too slow to even browse the internet on there
Click to expand...

Well, how about you download it on your laptop then copy it over to the desktop and run it?
 
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