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3.2 GHz, 400GB HD always at 55% processor

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timeline04

Technical User
Jan 29, 2004
10
US
Problem Computer:
3.2 GHz Sony Vaio
400 GB HD (2 x 200 GB HDs)
2 GB RAM
XP Pro version 2002 SP1

It is made for digital video editing, and it constantly runs at 55%-99% CPU power. Sometimes it dies down, but I can't even open Adobe Photoshop and Word at the same time without it freezing up...

Now, I have a DirecWay Internet connection, I tried disabling it, no change. I called the Sony Tech Support; they didn't know anything and said they couldn't help me either.

The HDs are partitioned as follows:
C: 14GB only 1.2 GB free (that can't be good)
D: 167GB 164GB free
E: 186GB 177 free

I think there is something wrong with that, I tried re-installing XP, same problem, I tried changing the partitions using Partition Magic 7.0 and it doesn't do anything. It says it has to restart the PC, so I say ok, and then it goes straight back to windows. Could the System restore be the problem?

Does anybody have a clue what's wrong here? I 'm a post a Hijack This log, I hope that'll help...

I really appreciate the help, because that PC isn't worth $3,500 as it is right now...
 
Here is the log, I have made sure I copied everything!

StartupList report, 2/12/2004, 3:22:52 PM
StartupList version: 1.52
Started from : C:\Program Files\Hijack this\HijackThis.EXE
Detected: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
Detected: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)
* Using default options
==================================================

Running processes:

C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\netdde.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdtc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\ezSP_Px.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zonealarm.exe
C:\Program Files\DIRECWAY\BIN\dpcnav.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\EPSON\EBAPI\eEBSVC.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG6\avgserv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\cisvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\dllhost.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\DIRECWAY\bin\dpcproxy.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\EPSON\EBAPI\SAgent2.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\gearsec.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SONYSH~1\AVLib\Sptisrv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\tlntsvr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\wanmpsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wbem\wmiapsrv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\dmadmin.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\cidaemon.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\MI1933~1\Office10\WINWORD.EXE
C:\Program Files\Hijack this\HijackThis.exe

--------------------------------------------------

Listing of startup folders:

Shell folders Startup:
[C:\Documents and Settings\Joy Boggs\Start Menu\Programs\Startup]
DW.lnk = C:\Program Files\DIRECWAY\BIN\dpcnav.exe

Shell folders Common Startup:
[C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup]
ZoneAlarm.lnk = C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zonealarm.exe

--------------------------------------------------

Checking Windows NT UserInit:

[HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
UserInit = C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,

--------------------------------------------------

Shell & screensaver key from C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI:

Shell=*INI section not found*
SCRNSAVE.EXE=*INI section not found*
drivers=*INI section not found*

Shell & screensaver key from Registry:

Shell=Explorer.exe
SCRNSAVE.EXE=*Registry value not found*
drivers=*Registry value not found*

Policies Shell key:

HKCU\..\Policies: Shell=*Registry key not found*
HKLM\..\Policies: Shell=*Registry value not found*

--------------------------------------------------


Enumerating ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad items:

PostBootReminder: C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll
CDBurn: C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll
WebCheck: C:\WINDOWS\System32\webcheck.dll
SysTray: C:\WINDOWS\System32\stobject.dll

--------------------------------------------------
End of report, 3,602 bytes
Report generated in 0.015 seconds

Command line options:
/verbose - to add additional info on each section
/complete - to include empty sections and unsuspicious data
/full - to include several rarely-important sections
/force9x - to include Win9x-only startups even if running on WinNT
/forcent - to include WinNT-only startups even if running on Win9x
/forceall - to include all Win9x and WinNT startups, regardless of platform
/history - to list version history only
 
Asa trial, run msconfig and kill all startup processes and all non microsoft services then restart.

I suspect there's too much running in the background for the system to work correctly.

Also disable the virtual memory since it makes a swap file based on a % of the total ram. Since you have 2Gb and we are testing its ok. When finished move the swap file to another drive thats not C or spread it over all the drives.

You need to cut back the woodbefore you can see the trees

Tez

When I first saw my camera we just clicked
 
1) Have a look at and check out this suggestions for what XP services should be running.

2) Defiantely turn off and disable the Indexing service (again the above website will show you how -with pictures even :) )

3) You are running Zonealarm and AVG which is good. Download Adaware and Spybot Search & Destroy and update/run them to see if you have anything nasty on your machine (unlikely but you never know)

4) Run Scandisk and defrag.

5) What is causing the CPU to run at 50-99%? Open the Task Manager (press Alt-Ctrl-Del), goto the Processes tab and click on the CPU heading, this will sort the processes in order of CPU usage (you may need to click it again depending on if it sorts it in ascendign or descending order first). You normally should have the "System Idle Process" consuming 99% or so, this is perfectly normal.

6) post back and tell us what process in running at 50-99%

Good luck


-------------------------------------------
There is no magic, only onions
-------------------------------------------
 
Its likely that Zone Alarm is the culprit. I've seen this before, it sucks a lot of CPU. You end up killing the task and restarting it and it goes back to normal. But then after time it starts doing it again. Try this out and see if this is the case. I'm not sure if its zonealarm or the vsmon.

John D. Saucier
jsauce@magicguild.com
Certified Technician
Network Administrator
 
This first article applies to drives larger than 137GB.

331958 - Hard Disk May Become Corrupted When Entering Standby or Hibernation or When Writing a Memory Dump

307886 - HOW TO: Move the Paging File in Windows XP

314105 - How to Move the Windows Default Paging File and Print Spooler to a Different Hard Disk
 
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