Windows' worst virus: Microsoft (100%CPU Vista laptop probs)

[yqrrp]

Hello all,

Q1: What runs in taskmgr.exe and starts when a laptop is unplugged?

Q2: What runs in taskmgr.exe and starts when a laptop is closed/opened (eg. sleep)?

Q3: What procs start when a laptop goes to screensaver?

Q4: How many things can be running in Vista but never show up in the Task Manager's processes tab?

Q5: Why are all the above spiking my Gateway netbook at 100% CPU typically *forever*, especially now after doing 15 critical Windows Updates? (disclaimer: forever has been more than 2 hours at a stretch, and the only way out is to cut the power and battery)

Q6: If none of this shows up in (brief visits to) Safe Mode, how do I bring that back to regular Vista?


A couple days ago I found that it was Windows Defender well into the 5th hour of it's daily sweep of my 100GB of files. But turning it off completely helped for only a few hours. I'd never turned it on.

Another time I turned off all UI widgets (helloooo Win98!), but also set it so it should never hibernate nor go to sleep nor turn off the monitor nor show the screensaver. It did stay awake the last time I closed it, but was doing a lot of processing during, and the screen still goes blank, etc.

Last time I turned off several services I didn't think I needed.

Now it has already spiked since my last changes and the idle seems to be at 35%, though it also dipped to near-0% too. So it is averaging "kinda useful"

Is that the best we can hope from Windows these days?

 

[saran008]

Do you have any antivrus/ antimalware installed in your system??
If yes,Have you updated it and did a full scan??
Do a complete scan & check for threats/malwares found!

If you don't have any antivirus/anti malware means,
Download & Install the following 3 freewares. It forms a free complete security suite for your system!
1. Avira Anvivir - http://www.free-av.com/en/download/index.html .
Avira has very good internet security, real time updates, great overall protection.

2. Malwarebytes - http://www.malwarebytes.org/ .
Malwarebytes is one of the best malware scanners.

3. Ccleaner - http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download .
Ccleaner is a great all purpose tool. The most useful tool is probably the registry cleaner.

Do a complete scan!

Give us your feed back!

 

[saran008]

These articles will answer your questions!
http://guy.dotnet-expertise.com/PermaLink,guid,e7b62d65-9567-408f-8c21-5963fb7b227e.aspx
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/11/13/svchostexe-using-100-cpu-resources-in-vista-identify-causing-services/

 

[Zoron]

Don't forget... OEMs like to install a lot of crapware and the drivers are never fully up-to-date right out of the box. (Neither is Windows for that matter). First thing to do is remove any crapware that you don't need / want. Then, ensure all drivers are up to date and check to see if there is a newer BIOS revision available.

Another thing to remember is that your processor will be downclocked when you're running on battery power to conserve power as much as possible. You can disable this, but of course your battery life will be shortened considerably.

Running Vista on a netbook isn't a good thing either... I'm surprised you got one preloaded with Vista. Most were coming with either Linux or Windows XP and now they're coming with Windows 7. Atom processors aren't exactly the epitome of performance either; so Vista will seem pretty sluggish. I'd really suggest upgrading to Windows 7... and make sure you have at least 2GB of RAM.

 

[yqrrp]

Thanks for trying to talk about it Zoron:

1) Yes, I uninstalled the few things there were (relatively light on this one) immediately. That was 8 months ago. And immediately installed SpyBot, FireFox, OpenOffice, Total Commander, ...

2) I'm fine with the proc downclocking - I prefer it actually - but I know that that isn't the case anymore as on battery power the CPU usage shoots to 100% and the fan starts blowing hard as soon as I pull the power plug out.

3) Vista on that netbook has been perfectly fine for about 7 months doing almost everything I'm trying to do now. Only now taskmgr.exe (primarily) loves to go bonkers if it ever thinks I'm not paying attention. This came with an Athlon 64 and 3GB RAM installed, so upgrading is possible but whether upgrading to Win7 or having the Best Buy ppl go over it, it costs half as much as another netbook... Sick.

 

[Zoron]

Which processes are using the most CPU?

 

[yqrrp]

Which processes are using the most CPU?

taskmgr.exe is the one which uses 85%+ of the CPU during this whole ideal.

 

[yqrrp]

Do you have any antivrus/ antimalware installed in your system??
If yes,Have you updated it and did a full scan??
Do a complete scan & check for threats/malwares found!

If you don't have any antivirus/anti malware means,
Download & Install the following 3 freewares. It forms a free complete security suite for your system!
1. Avira Anvivir - http://www.free-av.com/en/download/index.html .
Avira has very good internet security, real time updates, great overall protection.

2. Malwarebytes - http://www.malwarebytes.org/ .
Malwarebytes is one of the best malware scanners.

3. Ccleaner - http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download .
Ccleaner is a great all purpose tool. The most useful tool is probably the registry cleaner.

Do a complete scan!

Give us your feed back!

Yes I tried: Webroot AV, Kaspersky, and Malwarebytes turned up nothing. Avira turned up one, but having it eliminate it did nothing for the computer's performance: it still spikes when I unplug it, and it takes about 10 seconds to do anything with the filesystem including look at a directory in Windows Explorer.

I'm holding off on Ccleaner as it says it makes major Registry changes and, well, I'd like to keep my browser information...

 

[saran008]

Ccleaner won't let you down! Go for the changes it suggests!
Do a system Cleanup & Analyze for the need of Defragmentation! IF needed, do it also!

 

[saran008]

System Clean up --> Disk Cleanup