Heavy CPU usage then a shutdown on a fresh install of Win 7.

[rcoop]

I've been trying to fix my brothers computer for a while now. Basically his CPU uses most of its power and ends up speeding up all the fans etc, then just shuts down. It used 70% of its power just opening internet explorer and when opening file explorer it went up to 100% and just shut down.

I decided to do a complete reinstall of Windows 7 on his PC (Win 7 PRO x64) and it's up to 100% right away just on internet explorer, disk clean up, and basically anything.

His specs are :
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 x2 Dual Core Processor 5400+ 2.80 GHz
RAM: 3GB
He's running a DELL Motherboard with current BIOS of DELL Inc 1.0.7
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I'm stuck here and have no idea what to do other than say get a new processor. Any help would be appreciated thanks.

 

[Mellon Head]

What are you using to measure the CPU usage?

 

[rcoop]

What are you using to measure the CPU usage?

task managers cpu usage meter

 

[windude99]

Hardware wise, the computer needs to be cleaned. Get a can of compressed air and be sure to hold the can UPRIGHT when cleaning. Also, spray some of it into an open area before using to ensure there isn't any liquid that is going to come out when you clean the pc. Alternatively, you could use an air compressor if you have one.

Software wise, there could be resource hogging programs running at startup or a virus. Follow this tutorial to optimize Windows 7: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html

It also mentions running Malwarebytes to scan your computer. I highly recommend you do this. Also, what antivirus is he using?
Also, be sure you run Windows Update and check ALL updates (except for Bing Desktop), especially drivers. This sounds like it could be a driver issue.

 

[rcoop]

Hardware wise, the computer needs to be cleaned. Get a can of compressed air and be sure to hold the can UPRIGHT when cleaning. Also, spray some of it into an open area before using to ensure there isn't any liquid that is going to come out when you clean the pc. Alternatively, you could use an air compressor if you have one.

Software wise, there could be resource hogging programs running at startup or a virus. Follow this tutorial to optimize Windows 7: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html

It also mentions running Malwarebytes to scan your computer. I highly recommend you do this. Also, what antivirus is he using?
Also, be sure you run Windows Update and check ALL updates (except for Bing Desktop), especially drivers. This sounds like it could be a driver issue.

Cleaned out the PC and ran updates and did the optimize and the processor is still using up to 70+% just on desktop at random times

 

[windude99]

Hardware wise, the computer needs to be cleaned. Get a can of compressed air and be sure to hold the can UPRIGHT when cleaning. Also, spray some of it into an open area before using to ensure there isn't any liquid that is going to come out when you clean the pc. Alternatively, you could use an air compressor if you have one.

Software wise, there could be resource hogging programs running at startup or a virus. Follow this tutorial to optimize Windows 7: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html

It also mentions running Malwarebytes to scan your computer. I highly recommend you do this. Also, what antivirus is he using?
Also, be sure you run Windows Update and check ALL updates (except for Bing Desktop), especially drivers. This sounds like it could be a driver issue.

Cleaned out the PC and ran updates and did the optimize and the processor is still using up to 70+% just on desktop at random times

Go into the Processes tab and sort by CPU usage. which process is using the most CPU usage? Be sure to processes from all users. Also, did you run a virus scan? What antivirus is on there? Was this computer restored from a factory restore partition/dvds or did you do a clean reinstall with no extra software?

 

[rcoop]

Hardware wise, the computer needs to be cleaned. Get a can of compressed air and be sure to hold the can UPRIGHT when cleaning. Also, spray some of it into an open area before using to ensure there isn't any liquid that is going to come out when you clean the pc. Alternatively, you could use an air compressor if you have one.

Software wise, there could be resource hogging programs running at startup or a virus. Follow this tutorial to optimize Windows 7: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html

It also mentions running Malwarebytes to scan your computer. I highly recommend you do this. Also, what antivirus is he using?
Also, be sure you run Windows Update and check ALL updates (except for Bing Desktop), especially drivers. This sounds like it could be a driver issue.

Cleaned out the PC and ran updates and did the optimize and the processor is still using up to 70+% just on desktop at random times

Go into the Processes tab and sort by CPU usage. which process is using the most CPU usage? Be sure to processes from all users. Also, did you run a virus scan? What antivirus is on there? Was this computer restored from a factory restore partition/dvds or did you do a clean reinstall with no extra software?

This is a fresh install from disc, no extra software. The thing that takes up the CPU usage is system idle. It's always 50-100% which is good for system idle isn't it? I don't understand what could be taking up the resource making his cpu run up to 100%

 

[Mellon Head]

This is what you're looking at right?



My machine is at idle and it's only showing 1 - 2%. IIRC Windows used to show the idle percentage in the processes around 98% when it was idling. Maybe I'm wrong or an update made it so it doesn't show that anymore.

Never the less, your machine shouldn't show much more than 2% at idle. Maybe it's a temperature problem. What are you using to monitor temperatures? HWMonitor is good for AMD machines:

HWMonitor CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

Try downloading that and checking the temps. If you can, post a screen shot of the results.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[rcoop]

heres the temp

 

[gregrocker]

System Idle Processes is not running up the processor. It is the amount of time the processor is not being used.

Is there some performance reason why you think this is a problem? Does Win7 hang or bog, which should never happen on adequate hardware with a perfect install?

Look over the steps for getting and keeping a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums to see how close you came. Particularly look at how drivers are handled in Win7 because this can be messed up.

 

[DavidE]

This is what you're looking at right?

View attachment 307844

My machine is at idle and it's only showing 1 - 2%. IIRC Windows used to show the idle percentage in the processes around 98% when it was idling. Maybe I'm wrong or an update made it so it doesn't show that anymore.

Click "Show processes from all users"
You should then see System Idle Process in the list.

 

[Mellon Head]

This is what you're looking at right?

View attachment 307844

My machine is at idle and it's only showing 1 - 2%. IIRC Windows used to show the idle percentage in the processes around 98% when it was idling. Maybe I'm wrong or an update made it so it doesn't show that anymore.

Click "Show processes from all users"
You should then see System Idle Process in the list.

Duh! Of course! I totally forgot that. Thank you. I was wondering why I couldn't see it. Now I feel really silly...

 

[DavidE]

I know that feeling

 

[carwiz]

On a system like that, you need to just let Windows catch up on updates, indexing and any other configured processes like Prefetch and/or SuperFetch. This can take up to 4-5 hours (and more) on a new Windows install on a stressed system. Best to let it run and not try to install applications or use the system for a while.

 

[DavidE]

@rcoop
Can you post the screen print for the info windude99 asked for in post #6 or answer Greg's post #10 questions?

Where did you you get the Windows install disc from?
Maybe there's a problem with that disc?

I have an OLD TEST/Backup PC system very similar to the specs you are working with.
I don't see the issue you do, so I doubt a new CPU will help.

This Test PC has:
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+
- 4 GB DDR2 800 RAM
- AMD 4670 GPU
- WD SATA I 500 GB HD
It's a triple-boot with W7 64bit, W7 32bit, and XP 32bit.
All OSs were installed 4+ years ago.
The screen print is for W7 32bit (I use Process Explorer rather than Task Mananger) ...

 

[rcoop]

System Idle Processes is not running up the processor. It is the amount of time the processor is not being used.

Is there some performance reason why you think this is a problem? Does Win7 hang or bog, which should never happen on adequate hardware with a perfect install?

Look over the steps for getting and keeping a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums to see how close you came. Particularly look at how drivers are handled in Win7 because this can be messed up.

This is no help either. A clean reinstall has been done twice now and the processor is still going crazy because all the fans go nuts in speed then the pc shuts down. Starting to think for sure the processor has just taken a massive turn for the worst.

 

[rcoop]

@rcoop
Can you post the screen print for the info windude99 asked for in post #6 or answer Greg's post #10 questions?

Where did you you get the Windows install disc from?
Maybe there's a problem with that disc?

I have an OLD TEST/Backup PC system very similar to the specs you are working with.
I don't see the issue you do, so I doubt a new CPU will help.

This Test PC has:
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+
- 4 GB DDR2 800 RAM
- AMD 4670 GPU
- WD SATA I 500 GB HD
It's a triple-boot with W7 64bit, W7 32bit, and XP 32bit.
All OSs were installed 4+ years ago.
The screen print is for W7 32bit (I use Process Explorer rather than Task Mananger) ...

View attachment 307884

I'll get to this asap, thanks.

 

[gregrocker]

System Idle Processes is not running up the processor. It is the amount of time the processor is not being used.

Is there some performance reason why you think this is a problem? Does Win7 hang or bog, which should never happen on adequate hardware with a perfect install?

Look over the steps for getting and keeping a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums to see how close you came. Particularly look at how drivers are handled in Win7 because this can be messed up.

This is no help either. A clean reinstall has been done twice now and the processor is still going crazy because all the fans go nuts in speed then the pc shuts down. Starting to think for sure the processor has just taken a massive turn for the worst.

You said that System Idle Processes was high as proof that the CPU was pegging. I replied that high System Idle Processes not only doesn't mean that, it means the exact opposite. What exactly is your proof that the CPU is being run up? It isn't System Idle Processes or fans.

I also asked you to look over the specific steps for a perfect Clean Reinstall which is a specialty of these forums and completely different than the install you likely did. Did you even compare the steps given with the ones you did? Where did your drivers come from?

Run the Dell full bootable hardware diagnostics by rebooting and tapping the F12 keys, choosing Diagnostics and/or Utility Partition to get the full suite, test all hardware, report back results. If these fail because you wiped the Dell OEM partition (which could have been avoided by following tutorial) or are not definitive then run the hardware tests from Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7. If the hardware is good the other steps will also almost always nail the issue.

 

[carwiz]

Almost sounds like the CPU heatsink is loose or has too much compound. The fans race in an attempt to cool the CPU. When that doesn't happen, the CPU just shuts down. AMD CPUs don't throttle. They run until the good smoke gets out or the cache quits. This can happen in a matter of seconds.

 

[Slartybart]

It would be very helpful if the machine specs were filled out.
From post# 1:
Windows 7 PRO x64
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 x2 Dual Core Processor 5400+ 2.80 GHz
RAM: 3GB
DELL Motherboard
BIOS of DELL Inc 1.0.7

If you can connect to the Internet on your brother's machine, it's very easy. As a matter of fact, it's probably better if you work on that machine while trying to resolve the issue.

Please add your SF Systems Specs by following this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html

• In the System Manufacturer/Model Number field, manually type Desktop or Laptop adding it to the information already in the field.
• Specify Custom Build as the manufacturer if it is not an OEM machine.
• The tool does not fill in this information but it is very important if someone has to research drivers or hardware for your machine.

Log on to Sevenforums (SF) and let the tool fill in you System specs on your SF profile.

Full instructions are in the tutorial. It's a simple process and it makes that information readily available on your posts. You don't have to retype the information in any thread.

Click here to view your system specs on SevenForums.

Click on My System Specs in the lower left of any post by any member to see what is presented about their machine.

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Not having that information but going on DavidW7ncus' test machine, I'm guessing that the machine isn't the newest generation.

Why Pro and is this a retail version (how did you come by the disc) ?

With only 3 GB of memory, you might be better off with a 32 bit install.

Thanks,

Bill
.