Windows 7 problem: cpu at 100%

dbentham

As title suggests, I have a problem with a Windows 7 (64-bit) laptop hogging the dual core cpu.

By the time it reaches the login screen, it seems as though the cpu is at 100% utilization.... because even the startup sound is badly fragmented!

Further investigation with a process explorer shows that TWO instances of SVCHOST.EXE are using all available cpu time between the two, which is obviously causing serious performance and heat problems as well.

I've already scanned for Malware / viruses with no result and it would seem that these are two legitimate 'generic host processes'.

1) This instance is the 'Network Service', comprising of Workstation, DNS, Telephony and Cryptographic Services.

2) See the attached screen-shot showing the various services running in the second instance of SVCHOST.

I have uninstalled Avast AV after the scan in case it was to blame and I have also tried unsuccessfully to apply SP1 which fails after going through the whole procedure.

Can anyone suggest any 'quick fix' for this or should I go down the road of an OS rebuild? At my wits end with it

cookie1977

go to:
http://www.blackviper.com/2010/12/17/black-vipers-windows-7-service-pack-1-service-configurations/
and use his safe settings to adjust the services you're running on your PC for a start. Record what you change (take screen shots) so if anything stops working you can go back and reactivate an essential service

I'm running windows 7 x64 and with no programs open I've 60 processes running.

brianthomas

Task manager and into processess and highlight the offending ones and end process.

Razzuh

brianthomas wrote: »

Task manager and into processess and highlight the offending ones and end process.

Don't do this, terminating svchost is a terrible idea and isn't going to solve your problem. Reminds me of when the fantastic people at McAfee Anti-virus decided a few months ago that svchost.exe was a virus and should be deleted.

How long does it take after you boot for these processes to begin to idle (or do they ever calm down at all?).

I don't think there's much you can do about the network services, but you might be able to stop a couple of services from the other one loading on startup. I'd also look in to the problem you're having updating to SP1. Windows update has a service in the second process and that might be responsible for the high CPU (it could be trying to install the failing update repeatedly on startup maybe?).

Also, go to event viewer under administrator tools in control panel. Look for errors in the logs. A lot of errors could be causing some of the trouble.

dbentham

Thanks for the input guys. To answer the last poster's question, the system remained in this state indefinitely- ie usage never seemed to calm down.
After a lot of checking, the following services were found to be the culprits and when stopped/started, brought the performance graphs back to reality again (as a temorary workaround).

1) IKEEXT 2) DNS Client (I tried flushing the cache, but to no avail)

So long story short... In the end I ended up having to restore anyway to OOBE state as I still could not get SP1 to install
Another feather in the cap for Linux methinks

Trevor451

Try re installing windows?

Overheal

Reinstalling windows frankly is the quick fix. Reinstalls have gotten to the point where its faster to reformat then it is to track down a software issue. And it hardly sounds like something specific to the Windows 7 OS.

Svchost.exe by the way is a process that programs use to access Windows Functions. It doesn't necessarily mean windows is causing the problem; it could mean that something that may have attached to your system is though.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/what-is-svchostexe-and-why-is-it-running/

You could also try to run Norton Power Eraser: basically just another free, no-install scanner that belongs in a toolkit. It's mainly aimed at sniffing out Rootkits which installed antivirus programs typically miss, by the design of the rootkits to be invisible to those programs, essentially.

http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.asp?lcid=1033

I do Not actually reccomend you delete any rootkit you find with this tool before you backup your information, serial numbers, etc. as it can become the case that knocking out a rootkit knocks out the basic functioning of your Operating System - which will require a Partition Format to fix, and in one of my own cases an MBR rebuild. Gave me a bit of a headache.

Skerries

would a windows repair be any good for this before trying a reinstall?

Overheal

Only if it really is a problem specific to the OS and it's file system. Worth a shot, say, if something managed to damage those files.