New increased background CPU activity

[Philip Goddard]

I'm puzzled. About 3 days ago the background CPU activity on my system rose to a quite significant level that, based on all my experience over many years, I'd say is way too high, and has stayed at that level - but I've been unable to link this to any new or updated program.

What makes this particularly difficult to get to grips with is that the main alleged culprit for this high level of background activity is a basic Windows process. I use Anvir Task Manager for my monitoring, and its tray icon for CPU activity shows svchost.exe as being the main player - but ATM's detailed process list shows something cryptically called 'System Idle Process' as being the primary culprit. However, I'm aware that the problem may well not lie in Windows, because the last time I suddenly got an ongoing too-high background CPU activity (i.e. ascribed to such basic Windows processes), I resolved the problem by uninstalling Drive Sentry (which I didn't care for anyway, despite some great features).

Unfortunately I've so far not identified any new or updated program that is responsible for this change as from about 3 days ago; those that I thought might have been responsible have all now been tested by exiting or disabling them, with no clear change in the background CPU activity.

Prior to about 3 days ago, background CPU activity simply was low enough not to be showing on the ATM tray icon, but it is now typically as in the attached image - usually but not always with a bit more activity in the core that is represented on the right side of the icon.

Any ideas of anything further simple things I could do to sort this thing out? -- Many thanks.

 

[severedsolo]

Well firstly, System Idle Process is the CPU doing nothing. So that isn't the culprit.

Can you please Open Task Manager (CTRL-SHIFT-ESC) and click the Processes Tab. Then click "Show Processes for All Users" and click the "CPU" tag at the top, so that the highest using CPU processes are at the top. and upload a screenshot using Snipping Tool (use Start Menu Search to find it)

 

[brianzion]

hello and welcome to the forums if you would like to see more details of the processors and any good detail of the operating system my suggestion is download Sysinternals Suite By Mark Russinovich Sysinternals Suite

you will find a program called Process Monitor v2.93 Process Monitor
this will show you very detailed information

 

[Hopalong X]

Type resource monitor in start menu search. Click it to open. Click CPU tab.
Gives you a full list of processes and other info.

A good extra resource for CPU, memory, hardrive and network info.
Mike

 

[Philip Goddard]

Here's my Task Manager screen clip.

Brianzion and Hopalong X, thank you for your suggestions. I am indeed aware of Process Monitor, which I do have on my system, but generally I use Anvir Task Manager, which is a great and versatile piece of work. If you don't know it, it's really worth exploring.

 

[brianzion]

that looks good to me System Idle Process means thats how much cpu you have doing nothing waiting to be used, nothing to worry about

 

[Philip Goddard]

No, I don't see it that way. Even if nothing supposedly untoward is running, that superfluous CPU activity is, apart from anything else, wasted power, and it's totally unnecessary, because I didn't have that until some 3 days ago, as I've already noted.

There will be a specific cause for that hike in background CPU activity, and I want to find that cause, and, if possible (which I'm pretty sure it would be), to squash it.

 

[brianzion]

thats why i suggested looking with the process monitor because it will show every process what you are using, in your screen shot is a summary, the system idle process does not use power it is telling you how much is available what is free not being used. here are some of my processors

 

[brianzion]

System Idle Process

System Idle Process - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Philip Goddard]

Here is a clip from Resource Monitor. Process Monitor I cannot make head or tail of for the present purpose (and I'm pretty computer-savvy!), and couldn't get a listing like the one you show, BrianZian. Indeed, Process Monitor actually ran my system out of memory, which I've never ever had happen before (necessitating a hardware reboot), so I shall not be very inclined to use it again!

The supernumerary window overlapping with the Resource Monitor display is actually my Net Meter display, which Snipper didn't manage to exclude despite my selecting the Resource Monitor window to 'snip'.

 

[brianzion]

i use this free task manager its a bit more comprehensive than the windows default one Extensions for Windows - The Unofficial Windows Upgrade
your system seems ok from my angle if you are worried about using to much cpu the rule of thumb is close down some programs you are not using that are running, also its worth having a look in services to see if you have things that can run at manual instead of automatic on start up but you have to be careful here because of other program dependences. look for obvious things you do not need, example here is when you download programs they can put there own updater hooks in that start automatic on system start up you don't need them, you can update manually when running that program.

 

[Hopalong X]

Dcomlaunch is 0 on mine.

 

[chev65]

Here's my Task Manager screen clip.

Brianzion and Hopalong X, thank you for your suggestions. I am indeed aware of Process Monitor, which I do have on my system, but generally I use Anvir Task Manager, which is a great and versatile piece of work. If you don't know it, it's really worth exploring.

Looks to me like the program "Seriousbit.net" is hogging 11percent of your CPU process at the moment. Those so called performance optimizers aren't worth using and should be delated.

 

[Philip Goddard]

Looks to me like the program "Seriousbit.net" is hogging 11percent of your CPU process at the moment. Those so called performance optimizers aren't worth using and should be delated.

Value judgements like that aren't helpful. From my perspective SeriousBit NetBalancer is a useful program for me - though I don't go telling other people that they "should" use it, any more than it's helpful for people coming telling me that people "should" delete it. I have already tried exiting that program (including its 'service' module), and it didn't make a significant difference. That is hardly surprising, because the problem started only some 3 days ago and I've had NetBalancer on my system for some time now.

So far I don't get the impression that anyone here has any real idea about this issue - so it looks as though this is something that is going to take me some time to figure out (i.e. myself). Much as I appreciate people's good intentions, I feel that so far the attempts to be of assistance have tended rather to get in the way than to really assist. I think that until / unless I get anything further to report, it would be best that I pass this thread by for the moment and concentrate on investigating the issue further, as far as I can sensibly manage.

 

[brianzion]

you say you noticed a rise in cpu usage 3 days ago have you looked in the event viewer and seen any errors relating to programs? windows does not notify you of all errors with the pc but in the event logs? also have you tried sfc/scannow in the elevated command promt to check integrity in the system files ? ran a anti-maleware program ? looked at recent programs you have installed? a dodgy process does not jump out and tell you you need to look at them with a proper tool like i have suggested you can see whether its a good or bad process by looking at the information the program gives you as in this one
Extensions for Windows - The Unofficial Windows Upgrade it shows you in the screen shot what i mean.

 

[James Colbert]

that looks good to me System Idle Process means thats how much cpu you have doing nothing waiting to be used, nothing to worry about

No, I don't see it that way. Even if nothing supposedly untoward is running, that superfluous CPU activity is, apart from anything else, wasted power, and it's totally unnecessary, because I didn't have that until some 3 days ago, as I've already noted.

There will be a specific cause for that hike in background CPU activity, and I want to find that cause, and, if possible (which I'm pretty sure it would be), to squash it.

Perhaps you'll not find this helpful as well. Regardless...:

Coding Horror: Why Is The System Idle Process Hogging All The Resources?

James

 

[EchoX860]

thats why i suggested looking with the process monitor because it will show every process what you are using, in your screen shot is a summary, the system idle process does not use power it is telling you how much is available what is free not being used. here are some of my processors

Holy Balls, all those Chrome processes can't be good.

 

[brianzion]

that looks good to me System Idle Process means thats how much cpu you have doing nothing waiting to be used, nothing to worry about

No, I don't see it that way. Even if nothing supposedly untoward is running, that superfluous CPU activity is, apart from anything else, wasted power, and it's totally unnecessary, because I didn't have that until some 3 days ago, as I've already noted.

There will be a specific cause for that hike in background CPU activity, and I want to find that cause, and, if possible (which I'm pretty sure it would be), to squash it.

Perhaps you'll not find this helpful as well. Regardless...:

Coding Horror: Why Is The System Idle Process Hogging All The Resources?

James

ha ha thats good (the system idle process does not use anything like memory etc its there to tell you what you have in reserve of cpu in one term look at the Microsoft link i gave in a earlier post)

 

[whs]

Looks to me like the program "Seriousbit.net" is hogging 11percent of your CPU process at the moment. Those so called performance optimizers aren't worth using and should be delated.

Value judgements like that aren't helpful. From my perspective SeriousBit NetBalancer is a useful program for me - though I don't go telling other people that they "should" use it, any more than it's helpful for people coming telling me that people "should" delete it. I have already tried exiting that program (including its 'service' module), and it didn't make a significant difference. That is hardly surprising, because the problem started only some 3 days ago and I've had NetBalancer on my system for some time now.

So far I don't get the impression that anyone here has any real idea about this issue - so it looks as though this is something that is going to take me some time to figure out (i.e. myself). Much as I appreciate people's good intentions, I feel that so far the attempts to be of assistance have tended rather to get in the way than to really assist. I think that until / unless I get anything further to report, it would be best that I pass this thread by for the moment and concentrate on investigating the issue further, as far as I can sensibly manage.

Fact though is that this NetBalancer eats 11% of your CPU together with the unidentified svchost process. You might want to shed more light on this svchost process. And if you want to live with the 11% for some rather useless program, that is your choice. The rest of your processes look benign.

 

[chev65]

Looks to me like the program "Seriousbit.net" is hogging 11percent of your CPU process at the moment. Those so called performance optimizers aren't worth using and should be delated.

Value judgements like that aren't helpful. From my perspective SeriousBit NetBalancer is a useful program for me - though I don't go telling other people that they "should" use it, any more than it's helpful for people coming telling me that people "should" delete it. I have already tried exiting that program (including its 'service' module), and it didn't make a significant difference. That is hardly surprising, because the problem started only some 3 days ago and I've had NetBalancer on my system for some time now.

So far I don't get the impression that anyone here has any real idea about this issue - so it looks as though this is something that is going to take me some time to figure out (i.e. myself). Much as I appreciate people's good intentions, I feel that so far the attempts to be of assistance have tended rather to get in the way than to really assist. I think that until / unless I get anything further to report, it would be best that I pass this thread by for the moment and concentrate on investigating the issue further, as far as I can sensibly manage.

I believe you asked which process were hogging your CPU correct?

I simply pointed out which one was the culprit, it's too bad that people can't grasp the concept of third party programs causing problems but trust me...they do. And they also consume resources which was exactly what you were asking about if I'm not mistaken.

Oh look there, "whs" agrees with me LOL,