strangely high CPU usage

spaceboy

The last day or so I've noticed really high CPU usage and I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary. Right now I can hear the case fan speeding right up which I never usually hear. What could be wrong? I'm running a virus scan just now to see if anything is up there.

closed

task manager, processes

-taff

is it usage or is it running hot?

Ratboy

My partner is always on FB, and it just throttles her CPU, Flash games, Active X whatever; shut ie down, all is good.

Also the new merger with MSN/Facebook/Skype - skype uses YOUR computer as a hub for traffic to everyone else! It's basically a legal virus. Get rid, or reconfigure.

Best bet is to look at task manager and see what is using all the memory, or throttling the processor, at 99 percent?

marleyboy

Virus scanners can hog the system, you could try checking whats hogging it in task manager.

Ebola

First off the fans spin up if the CPU is hot, be that due to demand or airflow. Check to see if air can get in and out of your PC/laptop. If possible see if there is any dust build up on the fans/heatsink (normally a large metal block with a fan sitting on top, for those unsure), if there is dust, just blow it out.

However if all clean then follow the advise above about programs/processes hogging the CPU

earthstorm

This is usually cool air is not getting into the case so the fan has to work twice as hard.

I suggest open up the case and using a small tool on your vacuum and clean it up then see if this makes a difference.

Mr_Toad

Could be the virus scanner or it could just be the system indexing your files to speed up searches on your PC.

Cycrow

Vacuum cleaners are not all that good for dust, you need to push the dust out not try to suck it up.

a can of compressed air is far better, just do it outside or in a well ventalated room. As if the computer hasn't been cleaned in awhile this will create a large dust cloud.

I assume you have been basing the CPU load on the speed/noise of the fan. If not and you have been checking the CPU utilisation ,just check what processes are using the most

Ratboy

I may have discovered why my partners computer was running icky; it seems the heat has got to her hdisk (not full of power apps, just basic!), because she just got a BSOD 0x000000ed - unmountable boot volume (?!)

So just trying a repair with the windows cd, chkdsk/r (always thought it was /f??), and its struggling..

This would be hdisk no 3 that she has killed in that comp; but she shuts it down properly etc, just plays those nonsense games on facebook. Any help for me also? sorry to crash your thread OP!:o

earthstorm

Ratboy wrote: »

I may have discovered why my partners computer was running icky; it seems the heat has got to her hdisk (not full of power apps, just basic!), because she just got a BSOD 0x000000ed - unmountable boot volume (?!)

So just trying a repair with the windows cd, chkdsk/r (always thought it was /f??), and its struggling..

This would be hdisk no 3 that she has killed in that comp; but she shuts it down properly etc, just plays those nonsense games on facebook. Any help for me also? sorry to crash your thread OP!:o

1)where does she have the PC tower?
2)does she have enough room around the tower to allow air to circulate and not having the fan grill covered?
Strange if shes fried 3 HDD, possible a fan/heatsink issue if point 2 above is OK, so may need to be checked