[brock]

Ok I have a P4 2.26GHz processor, 1 gig of RAM, and two 80GB drives, and running XP home.

WTF is using all my resources and how do I make it stop. Correct me if I'm wrong but there is no reason why this should be freezing up just running IE and Photoshop.

Those spikes in resource usage are from opening ridemonkey and surfing forum to forum. I did not even open photoshop before taking this screen shot.

click the pic for a bigger version you can see


And WTF are all the processes and do actually need all this crap running?

Please be my tech hero and help me out.

 

[Toshi]

you've run spybot search & destroy, no? it's on download.com. also, just from a glance at the process list, it doesn't look like an inordinate number of them...

here's what my mac os x runs routinely, for a useless comparison

Processes: 58 total, 2 running, 56 sleeping... 166 threads 17:58:20
Load Avg: 3.00, 3.12, 3.13 CPU usage: 72.4% user, 23.4% sys, 4.1% idle
SharedLibs: num = 120, resident = 33.7M code, 3.22M data, 12.5M LinkEdit
MemRegions: num = 7783, resident = 130M + 18.7M private, 87.6M shared
PhysMem: 121M wired, 290M active, 1.07G inactive, 1.47G used, 29.8M free
VM: 4.65G + 82.2M 53422(0) pageins, 6572(0) pageouts

PID COMMAND %CPU TIME #TH #PRTS #MREGS RPRVT RSHRD RSIZE VSIZE
1751 top 11.4% 0:06.83 1 16 26 392K 440K 768K 27.1M
1747 tcsh 0.0% 0:00.02 1 13 22 368K 672K 892K 22.1M
1746 Terminal 67.4% 0:04.38 4 98 207 2.90M+ 13.8M 22.5M+ 166M
1743 Safari 0.0% 0:23.15 6 122 332 26.2M 22.9M 53.7M 234M
1736 python 0.0% 0:31.90 2 32 213 5.97M 660K 4.06M 32.3M
1690 MPlayer OS 0.0% 5:56.65 3 103 185 6.15M 11.4M 14.7M 167M
1686 iChat 0.0% 0:26.66 6 204 344 5.67M 17.2M 30.5M 182M
1659 GPGMEProxy 0.0% 0:00.17 1 21 37 400K 1.08M 1.35M 28.7M
1658 Mail 0.0% 0:19.38 9 149 335 5.62M 23.8M 43.1M 186M
598 AppleSpell 0.0% 0:00.68 1 37 38 744K 1.68M 4.71M 36.3M
571 iChatAgent 0.0% 0:02.54 4 64 70 1.07M 2.71M 9.34M 102M
436 python 0.0% 53:14.56 2 32 234 8.48M 660K 4.89M 33.0M
429 Tomato Tor 8.0% 3:38:04 7 117 216 3.34M 11.1M 9.42M 165M
369 Default Fo 0.0% 0:47.52 2 250 175 4.27M 9.85M 12.7M 158M
368 iCalAlarmS 0.0% 0:02.71 2 70 113 1.45M 5.30M 12.7M 148M
365 USBOverdri 0.0% 4:01.55 2 70 95 1.34M 4.71M 13.8M 140M
364 LaunchBar 0.0% 2:16.19 2 74 271 9.80M 12.3M 28.3M 171M
361 ShapeShift 0.0% 0:10.41 2 60 90 1004K 2.45M 12.1M 139M
359 Finder 0.0% 0:26.40 2 119 203 6.47M 20.3M 22.2M 173M
358 SystemUISe 0.0% 12:29.79 3 194 284 3.11M 11.2M 6.65M 165M
356 aped 0.0% 0:05.12 1 36 29 596K 788K 4.51M 27.2M
354 Dock 0.0% 1:57.14 3 115 145 2.35M 15.2M 18.3M 154M
349 pbs 0.0% 0:00.41 2 32 41 496K 2.01M 4.43M 44.4M
347 pppd 0.0% 0:00.04 1 16 38 228K 944K 4.13M 27.4M
342 xinetd 0.0% 0:00.03 1 12 20 100K 496K 688K 26.8M
336 DirectoryS 0.0% 0:08.35 5 72 115 784K- 2.73M 2.29M- 33.0M-
309 ntpd 0.0% 0:26.32 1 10 19 136K 532K 688K 17.9M
303 postfix-wa 0.0% 0:00.00 1 9 16 52K 344K 324K 17.6M
297 automount 0.0% 0:00.03 2 29 28 232K 848K 928K 28.3M
294 automount 0.0% 0:28.46 3 49 38 320K 968K 4.19M 29.1M
291 rpc.lockd 0.0% 0:00.00 1 9 17 76K 372K 360K 17.7M
282 nfsiod 0.0% 0:00.00 5 29 24 92K 344K 372K 19.6M
278 loginwindo 0.0% 0:10.37 4 187 183 1.87M 4.62M 15.5M 137M
268 cupsd 0.0% 0:17.83 1 11 29 616K 972K 1.19M 28.3M
247 crashrepor 0.0% 0:00.00 1 36 21 100K 352K 204K 27.2M
196 lookupd 0.0% 10:59.83 2 35 95 7.62M 568K 8.22M 35.3M
185 WindowServ 3.3% 34:29.16 3 264 493 4.50M 37.2M 34.8M 203M
184 ATSServer 0.0% 0:14.05 2 59 203 1.39M 12.4M 3.01M 111M
183 ioupsd 0.0% 0:00.01 1 19 18 108K 348K 380K 26.7M
180 SecuritySe 0.0% 0:01.25 2 86 33 500K 1.11M 1.24M 28.9M
170 cron 0.0% 0:00.56 1 10 22 64K 384K 152K 27.0M
169 mDNSRespon 0.0% 0:03.13 2 41 29 248K 808K 820K 27.3M
168 KernelEven 0.0% 0:00.00 1 10 18 100K 356K 132K 26.7M
167 MAFL 0.0% 0:00.05 1 22 32 228K 852K 876K 27.4M
134 dynamic_pa 0.0% 0:00.00 1 12 17 92K 344K 124K 17.7M
131 update 0.0% 2:51.12 1 9 15 76K 340K 120K 17.6M
129 netinfod 0.0% 0:08.27 1 10 33 388K 476K 544K 27.0M
117 distnoted 0.0% 0:01.64 1 40 20 244K 700K 720K 27.1M
116 coreservic 0.0% 0:01.90 1 83 129 11.3M 6.33M 5.41M 34.5M
111 blued 0.0% 0:00.42 1 60 48 612K 1.73M 1.92M 61.0M
93 notifyd 0.0% 1:37.13 2 58 25 164K 376K 264K 18.2M
88 diskarbitr 0.0% 0:00.59 1 77 27 352K 796K 960K 27.2M
87 configd 0.6% 6:14.51 3 146 174 644K 1.49M 2.21M 29.5M
85 kextd 0.0% 0:02.12 2 17 21 1.39M 364K 1.50M 28.2M
79 syslogd 0.0% 0:01.20 1 10 16 100K 368K 216K 17.7M
2 mach_init 0.0% 0:28.76 2 263 17 140K 364K 232K 18.2M
1 init 0.0% 0:00.06 1 12 15 68K 352K 300K 17.6M
0 kernel_tas 2.6% 29:38.11 39 2 2030 16.1M- 0K 93.9M- 783M-

 

[brock]

Yup. Already ran Spybot.

No Immediate Threats.

I just don't understand how it keeps spiking to 100% CPU usage. I don't imagine that just switching forum to forum should be doing that.

It seemed to only freeze up when I was scrolling with the wheel on my track ball deal so I updated the driver for it but it has not stopped it from freezing.

My PC days are numbered. I see a Mac in my future.

 

[Toshi]

My PC days are numbered. I see a Mac in my future.

well, at least some good will come of this . sorry to be of little assistance -- windows really is foreign to me.

 

[brock]

So if my PC runs more stable on safe mode, does that mean I have a driver problem?

Am I correct that safe mode just runs windows with a most basic set of drivers?

 

[SpaZwEll]

Am I correct that safe mode just runs windows with a most basic set of drivers?

Yes, you are correct.

 

[DHracer1067]

theres like this windows autoupdate my computer does every once and a while. does that thing like update all the drivers and stuff.

 

[Ciaran]

Yup. Already ran Spybot.

It seemed to only freeze up when I was scrolling with the wheel on my track ball deal so I updated the driver for it but it has not stopped it from freezing.

If it only freezes when scrolling with the track ball deal and the driver update didn't work, did you try removing the driver and the device altogether? Try a regular old mouse and see what it does.

Ciaran...

 

[brock]

If it only freezes when scrolling with the track ball deal and the driver update didn't work, did you try removing the driver and the device altogether? Try a regular old mouse and see what it does.

Ciaran...

Yup. Tried that today. More freezing. The freezing up has gotten more frequent over time. Now the thing is pretty much unusable if it's not in safe mode.

I formatted the drive and reinstalled Windows,SP1, all critical updates, and updated any drivers that had updates today and the problem is still occuring.

I'm baffled.

There seemed to be some confusion between The windows update site and the NVidia site as to which was the most current driver for my GeForce Ti 4200. I tried running it with both and it still freezes.

If there were a problem with the processor or motherboard, would'nt it still be unstable in safe mode?

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm lost on this one so any ideas would be a big help.

 

[Ciaran]

Have you tried a different video card? I have heard that some people have had issues with that model of nvidia card. The drivers on the vendors website will usually be the most up to date drivers.

Ummmm.... Does the mobo have onboard video? If so, is it turned off in the bios? If not, try a different video card. Also try (it's a PITA) reblasting the PC again, and install each bit of hardware and/or software one at a time. Start with just mobo, HDD, and CD. (Video card if you do not have on board vid.) Format and install Win 2K or XP. Do not install any drivers or service packs. Test the machine. If it's stable install the NIC and drivers for the NIC. Test again. If still stable, install the service pack. Test again. If stable, install video card and drivers. Use the most up to date one from the manufacturers website.

Continue doing this until it stops being stable. If it is not stable right from the get go, then it could be mobo, memory, possibly (but not likely) the processor. I recently bought a new Shuttle mobo. Trying to build it it would BSOD even before the OS was finished being installed. Turns out the mobo didn't like the BRAND of memory I was using. Weird, huh?

Good luck, and if you need any more help feel free to e-mail me. ciaran@punkduck.com


Ciaran

 

[brock]

Thanks for the help and the suggestions. I am going to have to mess with it over the weekend because I'm working my normal days and doing a side job in the evenings right now.

I'm planning on doing the things you said and ditching XP home for 2K Pro.

I have a feeling you are onto something with the video card. I did a real quick google search and found a few forums that had people with nvidia driver complaints. Most were a different model though.

I'm just confused as to why that card has worked like a champ for two years and all of a sudden would just freak out.

Thanks again for the help. I really appretiate it.