Brining processor usage down

[JW310]

I am trying to figure out what is causing my processor usage to be 100%. Here are the specs for the computer:

Pentium II 350Mhz on Abit BH-6 Motherboard
64 MB RAM
ATI Xpert98 AGP video card
10 GB Maxtor hard drive (running in DMA mode in Win98)
Windows 98 (first edition)
LS/120 drive for floppy drive
Actima 44x CD-ROM drive
very few programs running

Can anyone give me any ideas why my processor usage is 100% and how to bring it down? On my other computer, it's almost nil.

[Mntsnow]

You are maybe using a "cpu cooling" program such as RAIN or CPUIDLE ? If you are that is why is shows up as 100%. (just a flaw in the design of the software) but dont worry it's truly working /forum/biggrin.gif

Mntsnow

[JW310]

Nope.... I don't have either of those programs running. Even if I Ctrl-Alt-Delte and close all running programs except for the bare minumum required to run, I still have 100% processor usage /forum/frown.gif.... thanks for the info, though...

Any other ideas?

[a Bill]

Somewhere on your Win98 Cd there is a program called wintop. Install it and then run it in Windows, it gives you ALL the info on CPU usage. This will tell you exactly what is eating your cycles.

[JW310]

a Bill,
Thanks for that info... I'll have to check that out! Will post update if that helps!

~Edit~
Can't seem to find the file.... are you sure you're not talking about Win98SE? I don't have that one... I have the Win98 that was released back in June 1998.

[This message has been edited by JW310 (edited 10-24-1999).]

[Nathan]

Curious, what program is telling you that you're processor is at 100%? Is it all the time or just part of it.

[AuraEdge]

Im gunna go out on a limb here and say hes talkin about Sandra...No matter what it always reports 100% usuage for me, whether im running RC5, CPUIdle, both, or niether, or nothing at all..I think its just flawed

[deep_sky]

a Bill,
I have win98se and I cannot find anything called wintop on the cd. are you sure that is what it is called??

how does one find out what cpu usage sandra reports. the only way i know how is to look under system tools....

[JW310]

Nathan and AuraEdge,
Whether I go to the System Monitor under 98 or use Sandra 99, it shows a Processor usage of 100%. On the other computer that I have (a 233 MMX), it shows almost nil processor usage under System Monitor (don't have Sandra installed on that one)

[Nathan]

1. What do you have in your startup group that's loading?

2. What is there loading in the win.ini file under run= or load= ?

3. What is in your system tray?

4. Press CTL+ALT+DEL and post what files are loaded.

Let us know.

[Nathan]

Also try Start/run and type in

msconfig

[JW310]

Nathan,
In my win.ini file, I have the following under run= or load=

load=c:\InfoCntr\LOADIBOX.EXE
run=

In the Startup menu, I have:

AllAdvantage ViewBar
Apache Web Server
ATI Scheduler
DynDNSit! FREE
Microsoft Find Fast
MINIFM
Office Startup
Shockwave Init


After doing a Ctrl-Alt-Delete and ending everything except for explorer, I still have the same problem of System Monitor and Sandra 99 both reporting 100% processor usage... I have come to the point where I might want to try creating a new user profile on my computer that loads nothing upon startup... I have a feeling that this might help me determine the problem app... maybe not...

Thanks for the reply /forum/smile.gif

JW

[Nathan]

1. Get rid of that load= (write down the entry line just in case)

2. That web server shouldn't be on unless you are editing a website or whatever it does.

3. ATI Scheduler, try deleteing that. What scheduling is that arranging?

4. Fast find, get rid of the memory hog. Office startup isn't a favorite either.

5. Shockwave Init, try stopping that from loading or at least turn it off.


In my humble opinion, too much stuff is loaded at startup that's really not needed on a lot of computers. And sometimes it's done without the user being aware of it too. Try to get it a minimum.

Let us know what happens.

[This message has been edited by Nathan (edited 10-25-1999).]

[JW310]

Well....
I created a new user profile on my computer, with absolutely nothing in the Startup folder. Also made the mistake of playing around with some of the boot settings, to see if I could get rid of whatever it is that's hogging my CPU cycles.
So in a sense, I set it so it only loaded what was bare minimum for running.

I'm thinking it might be a prog. that one of my pieces of hardware is loading every time, that I can't end from doing a Ctrl-Alt-Delete. The cards I have in are:

ATI Xpert98 AGP 8MB
Realtek 8139 - based PCI 10/100 Ethernet card
Ensoniq AudioPCI Sound Card
USR 1749 ("Python") ISA modem (not a winmodem)
AimsLab RadioTrack FM tuner card

Perhaps one of these has drivers that are hogging my resources?

Anyone have any idea why I'm only getting 640x480, 16 color mode in quickres?
Update: Reinstalling the drivers solved that problem... still have the 100% resources, with 34 threads running, though... even with just Explorer running...

I have IE5 installed.. could this be causing my problem?

Thanks!
JW

[This message has been edited by JW310 (edited 10-26-1999).]

[Nathan]

I think we are starting to get somewhere now.

1. How much ram do you have?

2. What are your free resources running at after you first bootup?

3. Those 34 threads, did that info come from Norton Utilities? If so, what version?

I just saw this. Are you talking about the Kernal Processor Usage in System Monitor?

[JW310]

Nathan,

When I first boot up into my usual user profile, the resources are around 55%, as checked with Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Information.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I have 64 MB of RAM.

The 34 threads are as read by Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Monitor. Yes, this is the program that I am using that is giving me the readings of 100% Kernel Processor Usage and 34 threads, even with no programs other than Explorer running and about 90% free resources.

[JW310]

Problem solved!

As it turns out, there must have been 2 things contributing to my problem...

1) I had installed a program called BootLocker, which, after I uninstalled it, still had some references in the registry and a program file that would start every time windows loaded (even after I took it out of the registry)... booting to a DOS prompt and deleting the file solved that!

and
2) Yahoo! Messenger... I decided after I deleted the other file, to go through and see if any other programs contributed to the 100% processor usage. As it turns out, when I closed Yahoo! Messenger, the usage went way down (to almost nothing). I guess I'll be removing that problem!

Thanks, everyone for your ideas as to what was using all the cycles!

JW

[Underclocked]

Yahoo messenger is okay. Just do not let it or any other similar program start automatically with windows. All I've seen have options to disable this.
I like to copy the program shortcut into my Favorites folder. That way when you want the program it's easy to start.

[JW310]

As usual, Underclocked, you're right... it turns out that when I am online and have Yahoo! Messenger running, the processor usage is fine. It's when I disconnect and YM is monitoring for an internet connection that the proc. usage is 100%. Took out the option to load it on boot (but left my other IM, AOL IM, the way it was), and everything's peachy now.

Thank you everyone!