Unexplained processor utilization spiking in the SYSTEM process

Question

New Dell XPS system w/ 3.4 gHz processor and 1GB memory. OS is XP Home w/ SP2   Every 2 minutes, processor utilization spikes to 22%. This causes an interruption/drop out in the audio recording software being used (Cakewalk Sonar 4)   The process causing the spike seems to be the SYSTEM process. Only System Idle and SYSTEM are showing any processor activity in Task Manager and the MMC Performance tool.   1) I have reformatted the hard drive, and reinstalled XP Home. 2) No application software is installed at this time, only the OS and the required drivers. 3) All expansion cards (SoundBlaster Audigy Z2, internal modem and Adaptec firewire) have been removed, with the exception of the nVidia video card 4) I have used msconfig to selectively start with no Startup programs and minimal OS processes. 5) Dell has replaced the memory, power supply and mobo on their dime   The peak is instantaneous. It causes only a momentary glitch.   The problem is not a virus or trojan. The system was never on the internet and only packaged software was loaded. It has been scanned with McAfee VS.   I have disabled HD Indexing and enabled HT, and the spike still occurs.   What could be going on here? I'm at a loss, and apparently so is Dell. After working with me on this problem for a couple of weeks, we're still nowhere.   I have zapped every identifiable and unnecessary process. There are only 17 processes running on the system w/ Task Manager running.   There are no background utilities running. Only Windows required processes. And ONLY the SYSTEM process is spiking. As I understand it, this is the Priority 0 memory handler. Why would this process go crazy at precise intervals? I can predict precisely when the spike will occur, every two minutes or so.   This is driving me nuts.   Thanks, Gordon

ardlur · Answer

I would look at the possibility there could be a voltage spike from some where near your computer.

Possible sources:

Television, computer monitor, air conditioner, flourscent lamp, stereo, lamp dimmer, air filter- electronic or fan type that has computer monitoring it's filter, air cleaner on furnace or air conditioning, outside light controls with motion detectors, power lines coming into home or apartment building that the wind may move causing arcing, the list could be endless since we use so many electrical applicances these days, also how about cell phone that is calling in so the local tower will know its location, or a PDA that uses wireless connection. Are all the parts of the computer cabinet requiring screws or closing latches firmly secured and outside cover secured? Are all the plugs going to and from the motherboard or perpherals boards tight in their sockets or pluged in completely? Check the boards plugged into motherboard, are the gold contacts secured, is they any loose matter in any of the sockets on the motherboard that could be obstructing the board when inserted, or causing a short?

Thats all I can thing of but how about the CPU is it inserted properly, just because you got a replacement does not prevent the new one from be defective? Also the last thing run an extensive test of your memory and your harddrives ability to send and receive data to see if it can work at the speed it is designed for and make sure that the bios records the correct size of the memory and its type.

JRosenfeld · Answer

Perhaps Process Explorer could help identify precisely what system is doing on your system. http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html

gmclachl · Answer

This problem is consistent both at the owner's home, and at my own, so I do not think it could be an externally-caused electrical problem.   Also, the reproducibility of the problem and the precise interval at which the problem occurs seems to indicate some sort of software problem or hardware/software interaction.

RoHe · Answer

Its most likely the nvidia card generating lots of Deferred Procedure Calls (DPCs). As JRosenfeld suggested, Process Explorer (free) will show you what's using up the CPU time. Ignore System Idle Process, because that shows how much free time is available on the CPU. If it's DPCs, then tell Dell to replace the nvidia card. This has been a frequent problem with nvidia cards on Dell systems.

Ron

Message Edited by RoHe on 10-28-2005 10:49 AM

gmclachl · Answer

The SYSTEM process spikes every 120 seconds. In Process Explorer, it is PID 4. The rest of the time that process is essentially idle   With HT enabled, it eats up 11% of the processor for a very short duration (<1 sec). Without HT, it uses 22% of the processor.   Average processor utilization is less than 1%, as there is nothing running other the diagnostic tools I'm using at the moment.

gmclachl · Answer

I disabled the on-board network card and the firewire controller in the BIOS. No change. I am still getting the same spikes every two minutes.   Killing System process = BSOD. Duh. :)       Message Edited by gmclachl on 10-28-2005 03:41 PM

RoHe · Answer

Is your system connected to broadband? Do you have a network running?

Found on the web at http://www.hsc.fr/ressources/articles/win_net_srv/ch02s04s02.html
"On a default Windows system, some sockets will be reported as owned by the System process (pid 8 on Windows 2000, pid 4 on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003): these sockets are opened by drivers communicating directly with the TCP/IP driver in kernel-mode."

Maybe disable your network card in BIOS as a test?

If you tell Process Explorer to close that process, what function (eg, network? audio...) do you lose?

Ron

Message Edited by RoHe on 10-28-2005 01:07 PM

RoHe · Answer

One more thought then I'm out of ideas. Run msconfig and on the startup tab see if anything is loading at boot related to the network card, modem, or firewire, even though you've disabled them in BIOS.

Then run services.msc and see what network related services are running. You can use the advice here to decide what services you can safely disable for purposes of testing. You may need to re-enable some/all of them after you sort out the problem.
http://www.beemerworld.com/tips/servicesxp.htm
http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm

Ron

Windows General

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