How come my CPU usage is 100% ALL OF THE TIME?

[great_jaspah]

Occasionally, I have to click the Windows Task Manager when I have to manage programs that are ‘not responding’. I click other tabs out of curiousity. Before, the CPU usage fluctuates every second or so but it rarely stays on 100% like right now. It is so even if I do not have any other applications open. Is there something wrong with my computer? If yes, how do we fix it? Thanks a lot.

[ale52]

Need...more...info...gasp 

Operating system / antivirus & antispyware protection / service packs installed / when did it start happening / did it ever work right / installed any new software?

Alan <>< 

[soybean]

Before, the CPU usage fluctuates every second or so but it rarely stays on 100% like right now.

"Before", what percentage readings did you see?  If you have no applications open, i.e. nothing on the taskbar, and you open Task Manager, how many processes do you have running?  Have you looked carefully at the tasks shown by Task Manager to see which one(s) are consuming CPU resources? 

[great_jaspah]

Need...more...info...gasp 

Operating system / antivirus & antispyware protection / service packs installed / when did it start happening / did it ever work right / installed any new software?

Alan <>< 

"gasp"- lol

i have a windows xp/avg antivirus & avg antispyware/service pack 2/just a couple of weeks ago/just tried to install y! multiple messenger but uninstalled it(it asked me for a credit card information, im not sure they should ask me that) and bitdefender but uninstalled it as well (it made this run even slower)

gasp. hehe

[great_jaspah]

Before, the CPU usage fluctuates every second or so but it rarely stays on 100% like right now.

"Before", what percentage readings did you see?  If you have no applications open, i.e. nothing on the taskbar, and you open Task Manager, how many processes do you have running?  Have you looked carefully at the tasks shown by Task Manager to see which one(s) are consuming CPU resources? 

Thanks for bringing that up ("before"). it happened around couple of weeks ago. i would turn off the applications, but still the cpu usage appears 100%. prior to that, the % would be 25%...50%...80%, etc. and if it reaches 100%, it subsides eventually. currently there is an average of 55% processes and i don't know what they all do.