'System' Process 100% cpu usuage

Question

I started having a problem latly with one of my computers becomming very sluggish. When i opened up the task manager and i was scrolling down the list i came to the 'System' process, ( not the system idle process). The 'system' process is using 100% of my cpu. Ive tried downloading all the windows updates and service packs and that didnt work. I tried a relayer of windows, and after none of that worked i just completly reformated. After the reformat was done i still had the problem. Ive run out of ideas, if any of you have any it would be helpful.

starman99 · Answer

For starters you might want to look at the message in this forum, Unknown CPU Utilization. Most comments related to software problems.

If you just did a complete reformat of your hdd and had an uneventful installation of Windows and the problem is still persisting, I would start looking for hardware problems. If your motherboard has a monitoring utility check out the voltages, temps, fan speeds. If you have any hardware utilities try running them. Check inside the case for loose connections, dust buildup, fans not running etc.

starman99 · Answer

In case you have not checked out the message thread I mentioned, that cpu usage turned out to be peripheral hardware related. A few more items you could look into,

1. Check Device Manager to see if any conflicts have appeared.

2. Check for excessive USB traffic with a utility or by disconnecting the devices

3. Check for excessive Network or Internet traffic

4. Although you did a complete reinstallation, check for malware if your software will run

mmtmmt · Answer

I have seen 2 different PC's with this problem after downloading windows updates using the automatic function in the control panel.  The only way I was able to repair the PC was to do an emergency re-install using the Windows 2000 CD.  This just overwrites the OS and leaves all the customers data intact.  Something is bad wrong with one of those updates.  This is the 2nd PC in 2 days I have seen with this problem.  Microsoft needs to address this problem.....

Mapboy_OR · Answer

I've just confirmed that the Windows updates seem to be the problem. 2 days ago, I downloaded the recommended Windows updates from the automated "globe" in my task bar on my Windows 2000 Pro Laptop (Latitude CPx). After reboot, the machine took a *long* time to boot and login. Once in, I could see that the system process was utilizing 100% CPU. After several hours of debug, I reimaged the machine from a 2 month old Ghost image. I ran for 1 day fine, so I decided to go for the recommended windows updates again, and WHAM! -- 100 CPU% again. Its reimaging once again.

Anyone have any clues which of the recent Windows updates might be the cause of our woes?

pithed · Answer

I just had this happen on a win2k pro, gx1 desktop. The following updates showed up as having been installed:

kb835732
kb837001
kb828741

The 835732 had been mentioned in other forums as a cause. I uninstalled each from the command line as I can't use the gui and it didn't solve the problem. Does anyone know what else the autoupdate process does? Are there any logs that it writes to?

starman99 · Answer

This thread is deviating a bit from the original but I also just had a total pc failure due to Win updates. My pc hung at the end of updating (about 10 major items). After an hour I started looking to see what was going on. The pc crashed and would not restart. It could not find files like NTFLDR and nothing would give access back to the c: drive, the file system was shot. When I booted with the Win disk, it saw the disk as blank without partitions.

The last update happened to be kb835732. I don't think think that was the probem however. Once I had reinstalled my progs I tried updating again. The pc hung up and after two hours waiting I turned it off (I could not cancel anything). I then tried updating just a couple of items at a time and was successful. A few more still to go.

Mapboy · Answer

Just a quick update:

I reimage the machine. Once stable, I selectively allowed all recommended windows updates except KB835732, and the machine is running fine. There really is some bad interaction between my Win2k laptop and that Microsoft patch. In looking at the Microsoft forums, I wasn't alone in this problem:(http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.aspw - Select win2000.windows_update

Windows General

"System" Process 100% cpu usuage

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