ntoskrnl.exe and USBPORT.SYS causing high CPU usage

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  1. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Professional x64
       #1

    ntoskrnl.exe and USBPORT.SYS causing high CPU usage


    I just upgraded from Windows XP Pro to Windows 7 Pro x64 last week and I am already experiencing some issues. The most pressing is that I am experiencing stuttering after I have been using the computer for varying lengths of time. It can occur within a few minutes of first booting the computer or it can happen within hours. The time also varies depending on what I am doing, either normal internet use or gaming. I have updated all my chipset and hardware drivers and it was still occuring. So, I looked into it a bit more and found suggestions to run the xperf program to find my high CPU usage. It comes up with ntoskrnl.exe and USBPORT.SYS as causing the highest amount of usage. I also ran LatencyMon after seeing several suggestions for that program as well. It also comes up with ntoskrnl.exe as causing the highest amount of CPU usage. Aside from updating drivers, I have also tried reinstalling Windows a second time with no luck. Any way to fix this issue?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 1,777
    MS Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit (Family Pack Lic.) Upgrade
       #2

    welcome to the windows seven forums miffedmolkusk,

    ntoskrnl.exe is the NT (new technology) OS Operating System KRNL (Kernel) which to use different words the "dude in charge" one way of simplifying it is.. it is windows (although that is very simplistic, it might explain why it would use the most power from the CPU. USBPORT.SYS is the main driver for USB (universal serial bus) connections, which are A.)fast and B.) supply 5volts to connected devices, so it would be another power greedy driver. So I doubt that that is unusual (the increased voltage to those two items)

    did you run the windows 7 upgrade wizard to be sure your hardware can handle windows 7?

    also as win7 requires more labor intensive graphics for opaque type effects, as well as 3D efx, the GPU (graphics processing unit) likely requires more power so your power supply I suppose could be right at the line, teetering back and forth between working fine and the problems.

    a full sudden shutdown can also be caused by an overheated or improperly cooled CPU (lack of thermal paste, bad heat sink contact, inadequate fan cooling the CPU's heat sink, or dust caked over the grooves) It is a safety feature to prevent burning our CPU to ash! Sometimes the fan will really run fast (and loud) prior to this type of shutdown.

    And I am assuming you do not overclock your system?

    I'd also run a full virus scan, if the system can take it!

    Hope this helps,
    mike
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I ran the wizard and my system can handle Windows 7. My power supply should be more than powerful enough to handle the power requirements as well. The rest of my components should exceed the requirements as well. I have no issues with overheating and do not suffer any sudden shut downs, just stuttering at varying lengths of time. I make sure to clean out the dust every few months at the least to make sure there is adequate air flow for cooling and I do not overclock my system. When the stuttering starts, it happens every 5 to 10 seconds until I reboot then it clears up for awhile. I ran a full virus scan a few days ago with no hits, but I could do that again with a different program, currently use Avast.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #4

    What USB devices do you have attached? Going to assume you have at least a USB keyboard/mouse which can be the cause. (The big fancy Logitech gaming keyboards for example love causing problems like this.) Along with any other hardware attached.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 1,777
    MS Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit (Family Pack Lic.) Upgrade
       #5

    I misread "shuttering" as "shutdown", I apologize. Avast is perfect, even the free version is fine, But it really sounds like a h/w issue, considering it takes a bit to start then stops once you reboot.

    you have been very thorough, and that leds me to believe it may be a "broken" component (a bad graphics memory IC perhaps) possibly a feature that was not utilized by xp by win 7 needs it. Basically, I'd swap out the graphics card with another or maybe even the onboard, assuming one exists. To be certian the origin is the card, it will be something solid to work with at least.

    No answers here. But I'll chime in if anything helpful comes to mind.

    Good luck,
    Mike
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I actually just replaced my graphics card for a better one. I had the same problem with the old one as well so it isn't that. My hard drive isn't the best, but should be good enough, perhaps that is too slow?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1,777
    MS Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit (Family Pack Lic.) Upgrade
       #7

    is it a 3G/s sata, regardless of rpm or seektime and what not... I guess you could check it it its SMART compatible for problems.

    your just stuck with this.. swap each component until all is right again, it's likely the last thing you removed/swapped

    if every piece of hardaware does not fix it, ....then its not s/w or h/w soooo.....eye docter time?!?!:)

    im spent 40 hours up helping people.
    for free when i do it for a living, but this is my vacation
    ha

    sorry... try that. is all i got right at the moment.

    Me
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Thanks for the help Ruby. I'll keep at it. At this point I am regretting my decision to leave XP for Win 7, but I still have some hope that this can be fixed.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 1,777
    MS Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit (Family Pack Lic.) Upgrade
       #9

    win 7 is quite solid IMHO, but I can understand your frustration

    maybe try posting on the graphics area of SF, as it could be something fixable, i just look at the whole time based pause period as a heat or overtaxed h/w|s/w issue
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,777
    MS Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit (Family Pack Lic.) Upgrade
       #10

    i was thinking, have you tryed swaping moniters/cables/checking for necessary pins/or bent pinsin moniter cord

    many lcds will flicker when their getting sick, or show atinted color - often pinkish?

    just a thought
      My Computer


 
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