100% CPU Usage caused by System

1.  Check task manager and see what is using the resources..

2.  Click on the processes tab right next to your performance tab in task manager.

3.  Look in the column that says "CPU" It will only show single or double digit numbers. Look for the program that is hogging most of your cpu cycles... Click the end process button.

Also, try to change the : view > update speed in the task manager. It's worked for me.

tenterprises,

You may get more information on this problem if you post it in the Software - Windows XP conference. Since you already know what process is taking most of your CPU cycles, the preceding post doesn't tell you anything you don't know. I don't know what the System process controls, so I am not able to predict what might happen to your system if you arbitrarily clicked "End Process" to terminate it as was recommended.

Is anybody at Dell paying attention to this forum?  There are enough of us that have posted this EXACT SAME PROBLEM (just search for 'CPU 100') that you'd think somebody would get a clue.  Mine is a 2350 1.8 with 256M and 60GB.  It is less than 2 weeks old.  The only common thread to this problem seems to be DELL and XP.  Mine happens to be XP Pro and I'm using multiple user accounts.

This is getting very frustrating.  Could somebody at Dell please look into this.  My many hours on the phone on multiple occasions with Dell support have been useless.

Doug.

dj523,
I don't have a fix for you but based on a newsgroup search through Google I can say for certain that the common thread is not Dell and Windows XP. There are folks with various other brands of PCs and even home built systems experiencing this problem. The real common thread seems to be NT kernel based versions of Windows, namely Windows XP Pro and Windows 2000 Pro so it appears the blame for this rests on Microsoft's shoulders. The bad news is nobody seems to know what causes the System process to eat up CPU cycles. There are some MCSEs, software developers and MS-MVPs (people far more knowledgeable than the average Dell technician you're likely to speak to on the phone) posting to various bulletin boards around the web who are stumped by this one.

Your best bet is to post in the Windows XP software conference and monitor some of the computer newsgroups on the web regarding this issue. That way when somebody figures out a cure you'll be one of the first in the know.

You can do a registry tweak to force the kernel to run in memory instead of off the hard drive. That seems to work for some.

Message Edited by Rainbow32 on 03-09-2003 07:44 PM

Return it for new before your 30 days are up

Have to give credit to a guy in Dell's Advance OS support area, but bless his heart, he found the problem.  It's in the registry.  Apparently, on occasion, the folks doing the setup on new PC's going out the door forget to set a couple different registry items.  The are the Paging files and System pages items in the Memory management area.  If you'd like me to detail the path down to them for you, just reply or email me at dcousins@isrv.com.

Whew.  I'm feeling much better now.

dj523,
I've read your other posts about finding the cause of this issue. It should be noted that no individual actually "sets" any of the registry entries. Registry keys are created, removed and modified by the installation and uninstallation of applications and device drivers. The software images that are written to hard drives at all of the OEM PC manufacturers' factories are downloaded from servers in an automated process. Based on your findings it seems like the Zip drive drivers or some other software associated with the Zip drive is really at the root of the problem.

Good to know that Dell has at least one person on their tech support staff who is at least somewhat well versed in the mysteries and intricacies of the Windows registry though.

So noted.  And I think you're right.  Though regarding how the registry setting got left out, that's what he told me.  Will continue to chase down the zip issue though.