Computer running at 100% CPU Usage and not sure why

B

brownsfan019

Computer guys, need your advice -

one of my computers that just runs charting (currently OEC charts) recently started slowing down to the point that I really noticed. After checking it out today, it looks like something is causing the CPU Usage to spike massively - pushing 100% OFTEN.

If I am doing nothing with no programs open, it runs at 0-2%.

As soon as I do anything - open a browser windows, etc. - it spikes all over the place and pushes 100% no problem.

The tech guy at OEC said possibly a hardware or 'system' issue. Problem is that I have no idea what to check for and how. How do you try to test your system yourself to find the problem? Or I am just wasting time and should take it up to the local repair shop?

Thanks!
 
Usually such high CPU usage is due to particular software.

1. Try to pinpoint that. Turn off everything which runs at startup... everything in systray and everything listed in msconfig.exe.

2. Run each thing you turned off adding one at a time, and check CPU usage after each add. Either you'll spot the software causing the trouble or it really IS a "system" issue.

3. If #2 doesn't isolate the problem, try reinstalling your operating system. If that doesn't get it, then you've probably got a hardware issue.

4. If reinstalling the OS doesn't isolate it, then you have to remove all the hardware you can.. leaving only video card, mouse, keyboard, hard drive. Then reinstall each piece of hardware and check CPU after each add.

I'd try all of those things before taking it to the shop. Also, there may be some diagnostic software someone will suggest to perhaps isolate it.

Good luck.
 
hit ctrl-alt-del

Then sort the mem usage by cllicking on it in task mgr. The highest process name will tell you what is hogging your resources.
 
Quote from gkishot:

Your internet connection might be a bottleneck.
More...

Definitely not an internet connection problem, internet connection has no relation with CPU usage.
 
Quote from brownsfan019:

Computer guys, need your advice -

one of my computers that just runs charting (currently OEC charts) recently started slowing down to the point that I really noticed. After checking it out today, it looks like something is causing the CPU Usage to spike massively - pushing 100% OFTEN.

If I am doing nothing with no programs open, it runs at 0-2%.

As soon as I do anything - open a browser windows, etc. - it spikes all over the place and pushes 100% no problem.

The tech guy at OEC said possibly a hardware or 'system' issue. Problem is that I have no idea what to check for and how. How do you try to test your system yourself to find the problem? Or I am just wasting time and should take it up to the local repair shop?

Thanks!
More...

This sounds a lot like spyware or some kind of virus. Go to http://www.majorgeeks.com, look under anti-spyware for SuperAntiSpyware, then install it, and do a full scan - I have found that it cleans a lot of stuff that SpyBot and Ad-Aware miss.

Or maybe you're running Vista? :) If that is the case, downgrade to Windows XP Pro immediately, probably that will improve performance immediately.
 
Quote from dtrader98:

hit ctrl-alt-del

Then sort the mem usage by cllicking on it in task mgr. The highest process name will tell you what is hogging your resources.
More...

Agreed, also like Gnome's idea. Once you find it the offender look it up on google. Mine turned out to be spyware doctor which was hogging resources. If you use sierra charts with OEC, that may be a potential too since the code written to is fairly new for OEC.
 
Quote from detective:

Definitely not an internet connection problem, internet connection has no relation with CPU usage.
More...

Judging by description of the problem my guess is that internet connection ( or firewall software ) causes the spikes of CPU once he opens a browser window.
 
Wouldn't be surprised if it's a "Ghost Excel" issue. I've seen this before where you have one instance of Excel running, and in the background it clones itself 3-4 times and eats up huge amounts of CPU. I do not know how to prevent this problem from occurring again (have installed new versions of Office to no avail), I just know how to defeat it temporarily (just kill the instances of Excel through the task manager one by one manually). The problem is, the spreadsheets will often freeze and you won't be able to save what you're working on.
 
First of all uninstall OEC software and make sure that you have the right version of the .NET framework 2.0

Then run all antiviruses, antispywares, antimalawares available

Scan your system with HIJACKTHIS

Your firewall must be enabled to run OEC (try to verify this option)

OEC eats a lot of CPU resources, so if you have an old PC this could be the problem.

Buy an INTEL Core 2 Duo E6750 with 2GB (at least) RAM 800 mhz
 
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