kernel processor usage

[Chakoro]

I am running Windows 98SE on a Celeron 1.7 with 384MB of RAM.
After a clean boot and a minute to settle down, System Monitor reports the processor usage as generally less than 2% with ocassional spikes of 100% activity (presumably clock-driven events). If I then connect to the internet, check my email, and disconnect, System Monitor reports usage as generally 30% until I reboot. What is it doing? Is the figure a true representation of what is happening? Is there some software that can break that usage down into its constituents and display it?

Control-Alt-Delete shows the usual bunch of stuff before and after the connection: Explorer, SysTray, Rnaapp (modem), Navapw32 (LiveUpdate), ZoneAlarm (firewall), DirectCD and CreateCD50 (burner), Adsub (advert filter), MemoryBoost (RAM manager), Tardis (accurate time), Idetect (TCP/IP monitor), Recsche (video capture timer), Mbm5 (motherboard monitor), Starter (sound controls), Stimon (scanner), Cookie (cookie filter), seti@home (screen saver), and System Monitor.

The only other hint I have is that the increased usage seems to coincide with checking my hotmail account.

 

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Chakoro:

Here is a link to an old program that will run on your 98se system. With this you will be able to break down the usage to each process. It also contains the full path to the executable so you can determine what the process is associated with.

http://www.dewassoc.com/support/useful/wintop.htm

 

[Chakoro]

Brilliant - WinTop does just what I wanted.

It seems that System Monitor is NOT reporting processor usage properly as WinTop says the activity is less than 5% while SM says 30%.

I am also running TClockEx (a fancy clock in the tray that also shows CPU usage) and it agrees with System Monitor (it presumably pinches the number). TClockEx doesn't show up as a process in WinTop.

I am also running QuickRun (a tray overflow utility) and it doesn't show as a process either. Odd, but not really a problem.

Many thanks.