Computer Hope
Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows XP => Topic started by: skyseemstragic on December 19, 2006, 11:39:35 AM
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First off, I have Windows XP Home. Recently while gaming, mostly World of Warcraft, I noticed that every 3-4 seconds the entire game will lock up for a moment. This happens consistantly during play and led me to try to figure out why. When I bring up the Windows task manager and look at the performance tab, I can see the CPU usage spiking to around 50-60% in about the same timing as the hiccups WoW experienced. I assume this is the cause of it, but I do not know why this is happening. Any ideas?
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Look in the processes tab - what is using the CPU power?
That'll tell you which process is eating your resources, and then you can learn how to solve it.
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The CPU usage goes to 'System' every few seconds when it spikes.
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We need more info, could you tell us your system specs?
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Okay. Like I said it has Windows XP Home. It has an Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz CPU, 1 gig of RAM, 80 gig hard drive, GeForce 6600 vido card. I'm not sure what you need exactly, if it's more than that let me know. I also run Norton antivirus and it doesn't show that there's anything wrong atm.
Just to refresh, my CPU usage is still spiking to 40-50% every few seconds. The process 'System' is using that percentage of the CPU when it spikes for a moment before going back to 'System Idle Process' then repeating.
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I'm betting it has something to do with your video card. Have you tried updating to the latest drivers.
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I just updated my drivers, the problem persists. I failed to mention in the original post that I just noticed the drain on the CPU from the hiccups in gaming, but it occurs all the time - even when I have just rebooted my system.
For example I just now restarted to complete the driver update. As soon as I could check the process monitor/performance tab, it already showed the same pattern.
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So the CPU usage spike happens all the time in the same pattern?
Are you malware-free?
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This is odd are you sure it is "System" and not System.exe? What is the memory usage in K(Kilobytes) when your computer spikes? So this is normal? How long has this been happening for? What was the last thing you did before this started happening?
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Yeah, it's just 'System' that sits at the bottom of the list normally with 'System Idle Process'. The mem usage actually stays the same (240 K) when the CPU usage shoots up to 40-50%.
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The first bit sounds normal, the CPU usage doesn't.
Is there anything running in the background?
[highlight]Are you malware-free?[/highlight]
[highlight]How long has this been happening for? What was the last thing you did before this started happening?[/highlight]
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This sounds pretty normal to me, as when I check mem usage it is only 220K. But looks like I have to sit out on this one. But We'll keep the light on. LOL :P
(http://www.artshole.co.uk/arts/artists/Laura%20Adomaityte/Lightbulb-500x617.jpg)
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But looks like I have to sit out on this one.
Why?
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But looks like I have to sit out on this one.
Why?
I don't think I know the answer to this question. but...
So this is normal? How long has this been happening for? What was the last thing you did before this started happening?
Are you malware-free?
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I first noticed this occuring while gaming, I really can't tie it down to any one event in particular. I've run Norton antivirus and that didn't pick up on anything. If you have anything else you would reccomend running, I'm open for suggestion.
This occurs when nothing else is running, even immediately after a restart.
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Download, install, update and run the programs suggested here (http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1149948530), barring the anti virus programs as you already have Norton.
See if they pick up anything and post back.
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Try disabling any unnecessary services. Indexing service is one that will cause that. It is supposed to speed up system searches, but eventually ends up hogging resources.
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I have Adaware and Spybot and used them before posting here. They failed to solve the issue. I also have Hijack This, but I don't know enough about this stuff to do much with it. I'm doing a scan with AVG right now.
Additionally, I've been doing some googling about this problem and have found some people with the same issue but have yet to find a thread or atricle pinning down what exactly is causing it and how to fix it.
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Do a scan with hijackthis and post a report here after your AVG scan.
Then we can see if you do have malware.
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Try disabling any unnecessary services. Indexing service is one that will cause that. It is supposed to speed up system searches, but eventually ends up hogging resources.
I've had this disabled for some time now.
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Does it spike in safe mode?
Take a look at the startup entries listed in msconfig, disable them & try it.
Then enable them one at a time, re-booting & testing after each one.
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I finished scanning with all of the suggested programs and ran Hijack This. It looks kinda scary, but then again I'm terrible with stuff like this.
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Also after rebooting with all of the start up processess disabled, the problem persists.
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I took a quick look at your HijackThis log. I don't know what some of it is, without researching, but the numerous lines for C:\Program Files\Logitech\Desktop seems to indicate something amiss there. Note that all of these lines say 8876480.dll (file missing). What Logitech products are you using? What Logitech software do you have installed?
You might uninstall your Logitech software and reinstall it. Or, you could download 8876480.dll (http://www.dlldump.com/download-dll-files_new.php/dllfiles/B/BWfiles-8876480.dll/-/download.html) and put it where it belongs in your system, which seems to be C:\Program Files\Logitech\Desktop Messenger\8876480\Program\BWPlugProtocol.
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I'm not too good with HJT logs either, but isn't explorer.[highlight]EXE[/highlight], with EXE in caps, a problem?
I heard somewhere that it was a virus?
I agree with Soybean, the multiple lines for Logitech seem to indicate a problem of some sort.
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Yeah, the Logitech lines seemed shady to me as well. :-/
I'll see what I can do about that, hopefully it'll be the cause of it.
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You might uninstall your Logitech software and reinstall it. Or, you could download 8876480.dll and put it where it belongs in your system, which seems to be C:\Program Files\Logitech\Desktop Messenger\8876480\Program\BWPlugProtocol.
Disable the desktop messenger function. It is a backweb protocol that phones home, albeit to logitech. Totally unnecessary.
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Does it spike in safe mode?
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The CPU usage does not spike in safe mode. Hopefully this'll be helpfull in determining the cause.
I went ahead and got rid of the Logitech software on my computer, here's a fresh Hijack This log after removing them and running Norton again. However from Googling the cause of it, Logitech Desktop Messenger, I gather it's not really a threat and that my problem may be elsewhere.
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Disable Norton & try it again.