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View Full Version : Explorer.exe using 99% CPU (XP SP1a)



alpha
08-31-2003, 04:23 AM
Ever since installing SP1a on XP Pro, explorer.exe randomly uses 99% CPU for quite large amounts of time. This seems to be an issue many people have had, there seem to be many supposed fixes (none of which work for me). I'll cut to the chase - has anyone else had this problem? I find it hard to believe nobody at Free-DC but myself has experienced this.

I have tried deleting some registry keys to do with .avi's and .mp3's because some claim this to be a problem with previewing .avi's (large amounts) via explorer. The problem didn't exist until I installed SP1a, and yet Microsoft claim upgrading to the latest service pack fixes this problem.

This is starting to get annoying because lots of CPU cycles are being wasted.

FoBoT
08-31-2003, 05:18 AM
did you install 1a over 1 or was 1a the first SP you installed?

rsbriggs
08-31-2003, 05:21 AM
Is it related in any way to right-clicking on something?

alpha
08-31-2003, 05:26 AM
FoBoT: SP1a was the first service pack installed on said machine.

rsbriggs: No. The first case of it hitting 99% seems to be straight after booting. I haven't been able to narrow it down to happening after a particular event.

IronBits
08-31-2003, 09:26 AM
Can you right click on the task bar, select Task Manager and tell me what service is pegging the CPU like that?

alpha
08-31-2003, 11:22 AM
The task manager doesn't seem to provide that information. From View -> Select Columns, I can't see anything to do with services either.

IronBits
08-31-2003, 11:27 AM
Image Name, CPU, CPU TIME and Mem Usage are the columns to watch.
00 means idle
99 means wide open, like when the DF client is running. ;)

alpha
08-31-2003, 11:40 AM
I don't know what you're trying to tell me IB. I know how to use the task manager else how would I have come to the conclusion that explorer.exe was eating up 99% of CPU and therefore wasting crunching cycles :rolleyes: :)

IronBits
08-31-2003, 12:02 PM
Sorry, didn't mean to insult you :( Missed the 'explorer.exe' reference :bang:

Here is an excellent tweak site for XP
http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks1.htm
and
http://www.blkviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

Hope they help, and you find the problem soon.

I also found this - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q317751

alpha
08-31-2003, 12:34 PM
Actually the machine is tweaked to the max but I'll give those sites a look over.

The Microsoft linkage you posted was the one I referred to in my initial post - it says to install the latest service pack to fix it, but it was the installation of the service pack which created the problem :)

You didn't insult me you joker :D

IronBits
08-31-2003, 01:03 PM
Some are saying your box may be hacked.

http://forums.techguy.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=702716#post702716

Another 'recommendation' from a website
Start -> Run -> type in: Regedit Find the
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shellex\PropertyHandler\
directory and delete the "DEFAULT" key ! ... Voila ! ... Explorer.exe runs at 0-1% on idling !

This looks hopefull
http://www.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/NT-Bugtraq/2003-04/0030.html

If you installed MS-Office, don't use FindFast (control panel, remove all indexes, stop using FindFast) then search for findfast.exe and either rename it or delete it.

M$ fix http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q317751

Hope something helps...

alpha
09-14-2003, 04:32 AM
It doesn't seem to be a problem with previewing .avi's, like a lot of people seem to claim; hence deleting that .avi registry key does nothing, but I have done it anyway.

Thanks for your help everyone, but nothing so far has fixed this. I guess it isn't a huge problem but I'm still wasting CPU cycles, so if anyone has any more ideas, or does in the future, please let me know :)

Oh, and if you can't figure out which project I'm crunching for at the moment, check <shameless ploy>here (http://www.geocities.com/kraden/mfprimes.html)</shameless ploy> :D

rsbriggs
09-14-2003, 07:04 AM
I don't find the pop-unders and spyware cookies that site sends especially amusing.

alpha
09-14-2003, 09:18 AM
AFAIK thats the fault of geocities. The author has nothing to do with that. Anyway, I hadn't even noticed, I thought everyone blocks popups these days?