Win XP pro - explorer.exe is taking all my CPU power

I find the same thing after the latest and greatest Windows critical update.

Using tasklist /SVC it seems that the bad boy is a bunch of services all running under SVCHOST, you can see it in the Task Manager.

It didn't used to do this. I hate this kind of stuff.

Hope someone figures it out.

-- Mike

OK, here's the scoop.

There are 2 service groups responsible for the CPU and disk thrashing that is consuming the CPU cycles and making the fan crazy on my 8500. These seem to have been irritated after the last Microsoft update which my Dell Software distribution was set up to automatically notify me when updates for Windows are available. If there are Windows updates that shouldn't be installed on my Dell, I have not received any warnings or any information on that, but I read something on this board about it. If it's true, thanks a lot, Dell and Microsoft.

You can look in the registry here:

/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/SvcHost. You will see 2 big boys (if your problem is similar to mine) listed as LocalService and netsvcs. There are a long list of service names after them. I stopped both of these (they had the highest hit rate in the task manager) and my CPU returned to its nominal 4% usage and the fan calmed down. That's the way it should be.

However, some of these services are necessary and some are not. What is interesting for me is that when these services were stopped, my TM 1184 (Dell TrueMobile wireless router) icon in the system tray returned to its normal state with all info intact. It hasn't been like that for a while -- it has had a "!" across it and no information about the wireless connection, even though it worked anyway. I'll bet the DHCP service had something to do with that.

Anyway, now I have to figure out which services are really necessary and which are not. AudioSrv is necessary - unless it's running, I don't have any audio devices listed in the adjust audio properties dialog that pops up when you right click on the volume tray icon.

yada yada yada

If a Dell support person who is technically competent would condescend to please pipe in here, that would be appreciated, else I'll have to do it the hard way and research this stuff myself. I will report my findings for the benefit of all, but what I really want to know is, who turned all this stuff on?

Cheers

-- Mike

I did some research myself and it actually looks like (from my task manager) that this solution worked on my computer:

 

http://www.windowsxpatoz.com/cgi-bin/performance/index.cgi?answer=1036282972&id=1036282433

"Preview" of the .AVI files may be the cause of explorer.exe high cpu use .
Start -> Run -> type in: Regedit & press Enter .

Find the >

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shellex\PropertyHandler\

directory and delete the "DEFAULT" key

 

But if this is the best solution, I am not the right person to tell. So I agree with Mike, and is asking for some professional guidance here...

 

Eirik

Mike and Eirik,

Please note that this board is a non-Moderated board. This means that while posts are reviewed to ensure that the do not violate the Terms of Service, no technical support is offered by Moderators in this Forum. Please see the Welcome message at the top of this page for additional information.

If you feel that you may need an answer from a Moderator in addition to other users, please post in the Software - Windows XP board. Also note that this board is designed to be for "Operating System Tune-Ups". Operating System Tune-Ups would be tweaks and performance items that can optimize your system. It is not designed to be a place to post problems that you have with your Operating System. For this additional reason, you will likely receive more assistance in the Software category for your specific Operating System.

Thanks!

Erik,

Good work!! That did it for me too. Logic tells me that the image processing service was therefore the culprit in one of my service groups in the Task Manager.

Amazing. I wasn't even looking at .avi files, but just the existence of this nothing key in the registry caused all that activity! Thanks, Microsoft. Grrrrrr.

Suzanne, if you would please link this thread for us on the Windows XP board, this would be of great benefit to your Dell customers.

Thanks,

-- Mike

Mike,

There is no way for me to link a message that is any different than what is available to you. If you wish, you can post a new message over there with the title "Solution to Explorer.exe using CPU power" and then include a link back to this thread or just post the solution as Eirik provided it.

I am glad to know that this worked for you and that you were able to solve the problem.

Well, as it turns out, the solution didn't last long. I came back to my computer after a few hours running errands with nothing else changed, and it's back to 80% CPU usage.

That's not conducive to portable use. I hope someone figures it out.

Thanks,

-- Mike

I've just got to stop replying to my own messgaes.

After a few days, the activity seems to have stopped of its own accord, back to 3% CPU. Perhaps I was an alarmist.

But I sure would like to know why the OS likes to hit the hard disk every second for a few days. Indexing is turned off.

I'm done with this thread.

Cheers,

-- Mike

OK - the definitive answer (as is my habit).

This issue was finally solved by me, after extensive research on the internet and applied logic.

Went to the Microsoft web site and found a list of "Default settings for services" for WinXP.

Went to Start -> Administrative Tools -> Services

Went down the list, and reset all services to their indicated defaults.

Some additional services are installed due to third party software and some Dell-specific drivers (NVIDIA) which are not noted on the Microsoft list. Leave them alone.

Result: Fixed, now idle at 2% CPU usage with occasional bumps to 7% and so forth. Back to NORBAL. :->

Good luck.

Cheers,

-- Mike

Congrats Mike

Try this site it lists all XP services and settings for default ,performance etc.

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm