A
A Baffled User
Guest
Re: "System Idle Process" Using 98% of Resources???
I run disc cleanup, Windows One Click, defrag (if necessary), Ad-Aware every
week.
"Unknown" <unknown@unknown.kom> wrote in message
news:LNPEj.34165$J41.29747@newssvr14.news.prodigy.net...
> When did you last run disc cleanup?
> "A Baffled User" <vze265vd@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:Ok7MM50iIHA.1168@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>
>> "Daave" <dcwashNOSPAM@myrealboxXYZ.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:uxL8dcwiIHA.1944@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>A Baffled User wrote:
>>>> My HP Pavilion notebook computer, running Windows XP Home SP2 with
>>>> 512 MB of RAM, has been incredibly sluggish lately though I am using
>>>> the machine in exactly the same way I always have. It takes an
>>>> extremely long time to switch between programs that are running when
>>>> I click on the buttons on the taskbar. Programs that are already
>>>> running emerge slowly on the screen rather than appear instantly as
>>>> they always have in the past.
>>>>
>>>> I just looked at the processes that are running, via CTRL + ALT +
>>>> DELETE, and 93 to 98 percent of resources are said there to be taken
>>>> up by System Idle Process. Is that normal?
>>>
>>> As others have said, yes, this is normal.
>>>
>>>> When I go to System>System Tools>System Information>Software
>>>> Environment>Running Tasks, I find tons of things that have no business
>>>> "running," if indeed they are:
>>>> c:\program files\common files\real\update_ob\realsched.exe, for
>>>> example, when I don't even have RealPlayer on my machine;
>>>> c:\program files\common files\seagate\schedule2\schedhlp.exe,
>>>> appearing TWICE, as another example, when my Seagate hard drive isn't
>>>> even attached to my computer;
>>>> c:\program file\itunes\ituneshelper.exe, when I'm not running iTunes,
>>>> etc., etc., etc.
>>>
>>> Are you *sure* you don't have Real Player on your machine? Sounds like
>>> you do.
You're on the right track: One of the things that slows down
>>> PCs is unnecessary processes running in the background. Some of these
>>> processes use considerably more resources/memory than others. Your best
>>> bet is to use Google and these sites to gather information as to what
>>> they are and how best to disable them:
>>>
>>> http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS
>>> http://www.sysinfo.org/startupinfo.html and
>>> http://www.answersthatwork.com (and click on the Task List button).
>>>
>>> Using XP's MSCONFIG is good to see what is running each time you boot
>>> up. Task Manager (Control + Alt + Delete) will give you information as
>>> to which processes are currently running.
>>>
>>>> Something is sucking up my available resources. How can I track the
>>>> culprit down and get rid of it?
>>>
>>> As mentioned above, Task Manager can give you this kind of information.
>>> For more thorough information, I recommend you run Process Explorer:
>>>
>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx
>>>
>>> You may also want to run AutoRuns (which is *much* more detailed than
>>> Msconfig):
>>>
>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx
>>>
>>> I have to ask what is the malware status of your PC? Malicious software
>>> (viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, etc.) is the number one cause of slow
>>> computers.
>>>
>>> In the event a read error caused your hard drive access to change from
>>> Ultra DMA to PIO mode, reset it:
>>>
>>> http://technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/
>>>
>>>
>> Many thanks, Daave, for all these links. I will try them all. I used to
>> have and use RealPlayer, but I removed it several months ago, after an
>> update seemed to cause the computer to run very slowly. I do malware
>> removal regularly and update antivirus daily.
>>
>
>
I run disc cleanup, Windows One Click, defrag (if necessary), Ad-Aware every
week.
"Unknown" <unknown@unknown.kom> wrote in message
news:LNPEj.34165$J41.29747@newssvr14.news.prodigy.net...
> When did you last run disc cleanup?
> "A Baffled User" <vze265vd@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:Ok7MM50iIHA.1168@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>
>> "Daave" <dcwashNOSPAM@myrealboxXYZ.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:uxL8dcwiIHA.1944@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>A Baffled User wrote:
>>>> My HP Pavilion notebook computer, running Windows XP Home SP2 with
>>>> 512 MB of RAM, has been incredibly sluggish lately though I am using
>>>> the machine in exactly the same way I always have. It takes an
>>>> extremely long time to switch between programs that are running when
>>>> I click on the buttons on the taskbar. Programs that are already
>>>> running emerge slowly on the screen rather than appear instantly as
>>>> they always have in the past.
>>>>
>>>> I just looked at the processes that are running, via CTRL + ALT +
>>>> DELETE, and 93 to 98 percent of resources are said there to be taken
>>>> up by System Idle Process. Is that normal?
>>>
>>> As others have said, yes, this is normal.
>>>
>>>> When I go to System>System Tools>System Information>Software
>>>> Environment>Running Tasks, I find tons of things that have no business
>>>> "running," if indeed they are:
>>>> c:\program files\common files\real\update_ob\realsched.exe, for
>>>> example, when I don't even have RealPlayer on my machine;
>>>> c:\program files\common files\seagate\schedule2\schedhlp.exe,
>>>> appearing TWICE, as another example, when my Seagate hard drive isn't
>>>> even attached to my computer;
>>>> c:\program file\itunes\ituneshelper.exe, when I'm not running iTunes,
>>>> etc., etc., etc.
>>>
>>> Are you *sure* you don't have Real Player on your machine? Sounds like
>>> you do.
You're on the right track: One of the things that slows down>>> PCs is unnecessary processes running in the background. Some of these
>>> processes use considerably more resources/memory than others. Your best
>>> bet is to use Google and these sites to gather information as to what
>>> they are and how best to disable them:
>>>
>>> http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS
>>> http://www.sysinfo.org/startupinfo.html and
>>> http://www.answersthatwork.com (and click on the Task List button).
>>>
>>> Using XP's MSCONFIG is good to see what is running each time you boot
>>> up. Task Manager (Control + Alt + Delete) will give you information as
>>> to which processes are currently running.
>>>
>>>> Something is sucking up my available resources. How can I track the
>>>> culprit down and get rid of it?
>>>
>>> As mentioned above, Task Manager can give you this kind of information.
>>> For more thorough information, I recommend you run Process Explorer:
>>>
>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx
>>>
>>> You may also want to run AutoRuns (which is *much* more detailed than
>>> Msconfig):
>>>
>>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx
>>>
>>> I have to ask what is the malware status of your PC? Malicious software
>>> (viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, etc.) is the number one cause of slow
>>> computers.
>>>
>>> In the event a read error caused your hard drive access to change from
>>> Ultra DMA to PIO mode, reset it:
>>>
>>> http://technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/
>>>
>>>
>> Many thanks, Daave, for all these links. I will try them all. I used to
>> have and use RealPlayer, but I removed it several months ago, after an
>> update seemed to cause the computer to run very slowly. I do malware
>> removal regularly and update antivirus daily.
>>
>
>