Basically, this happens randomly, and when it does I am essentially forced to restart. It has nothing to do with the right click bug I've seen mentioned online, or me trying to run AVI files, or anything like that that I found while searching google. It is entirely random... I could boot up my computer, step away for maybe 1 minute, come back, and explorer is at 100% CPU utilization. Anybody know of any solutions?
Explorer 100% CPU bug...
- Thread starter NYHoustonman
- Start date
explorer.exe... And I should probably also mention that I have Windows XP Home. I've done multiple scans with Ad-Aware... I'll try with Spybot S&D now, are there any other scanners you would recommend?
mechBgon
Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
- Oct 31, 1999
- 30,699
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I listed some good resources here. Make sure your Windows installation is all patched up and that your system doesn't have weak/blank passwords for the user account(s).
If you don't have either a hardware or software firewall, definitely get that handled too. ZoneAlarm free basic firewall, or the WinXP SP2 firewall, plus a broadband router, would be a good combo. If you've got a router but there are other PCs sharing it with yours, make sure your system has its own software firewall to repel attacks from the others if they get infected.
Basically, I just moved out to Santa Cruz, and for a few days I was only behind the SP2 firewall, but this problem has been going on for a while... It's just been more pronounced since I've been out here for some reason. I have, other than the short time just mentioned, also been behind a router firewall. I keep Windows patched up (IMO, people who don't do this don't deserve to own computers, but that's another story), and my user account, I only have 1, doesn't have a password, does that make a difference?
I just searched with S&D and a few things were found... Wildtangent, which I knew about, and some registry keys involving Windows Media Player... I'm hoping these were the problem. After a reboot, nothing yet, but I haven't done enough yet to really be sure that the problem is gone.
EDIT-could it be a virus? I'll probably be doing a scan overnight at this point...
I just searched with S&D and a few things were found... Wildtangent, which I knew about, and some registry keys involving Windows Media Player... I'm hoping these were the problem. After a reboot, nothing yet, but I haven't done enough yet to really be sure that the problem is gone.
EDIT-could it be a virus? I'll probably be doing a scan overnight at this point...
mechBgon
Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
- Oct 31, 1999
- 30,699
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Yeah, try the Panda scanner, it came recommended to me by John based on his experience. Even on dial-up it's not too much of a chore to download the necessary bits and run it.
I also recommend the free Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (download here) for looking at stuff that Windows Update doesn't look at. It wouldn't hurt to have a good strong password on your account even if you don't use password-type log-in yourself, because otherwise a share-hopping worm that got past your firewall would have an easy time picking off your system's built-in administrative shares.
Also, if it's a non-network home-user situation, you're qualified for the Grisoft AVG Free Edition antivirus software (download here) if you need something to use on an ongoing basis. They issue updates pretty frequently, so you might as well set it up to update daily and use heuristics.
Hope that helps
but I bet it was that spyware, yeah. You might restart and scan again in Safe Mode since that sometimes gets you more headway.Your CPU is 100% ultilization, so tried dis: click start, go run, n type msconfig, n click the startup tab n disable everything (uncheck all box) and restart your computer, it should work. Dis happen to me alot when my computer lock up from rendering a video or watching a video or doing something intensely on ur cpu.
Don't disable unless you know what you are doing. Doing what this guy suggests will break antivirus and firewall programs, just to give an example.
It didnt break my antivirus/ firewall, my still working! + i got this info from a professional technical support when my computer did that.
Schadenfroh
Elite Member
- Mar 8, 2003
- 38,416
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I did scans from Ad-Aware, S&D, and Norton Antivirus (all full scans), and nothing showed up, after that initial scan where S&D found some stuff. No problems yet, but not nearly enough time to be sure it's fixed. Thanks for the help so far though, I'm surprised it didn't occur to me that Ad-Aware doesn't find nearly everything...
http://support.microsoft.com/d...x?scid=kb;en-us;822430
Supposedly with SP2, the 100% cpu usage bug is fixed. But I've just encounter it again.
Only way is to terminate the process (explorer.exe) and run it again.
BTW, it is most likely not spyware. It's still a bug with Windows XP.
Supposedly with SP2, the 100% cpu usage bug is fixed. But I've just encounter it again.
Only way is to terminate the process (explorer.exe) and run it again.
BTW, it is most likely not spyware. It's still a bug with Windows XP.
Let me tell you my experience:
A couple of years ago, I had a 20Gb drive, with Windows 98 installed. From time to time, my explorer (windows explorer, not IE) would seem to freeze. No big deal, since I had my PC full of trash, and was thinking of installing Win XP Pro, anyway.
So I did it (full format+install), and the problem seemed to disappear. Then, one day, it appeared again. Since the problem happened mostly when copying/moving files on HD, I thought it could have something to do with the disk itself. I learned to live with it, but backed up data regularly, just in case :Q.
The problem was as following: imagine I have 2-3 explorers opened. I'm copying/moving files around, and for example, when I move files, they disapear from one explorer, and appear on the other ... normal behaviour here. Now for apparently no reason, from time to time, the refresh seem to fail ... so I do F5, and as the window refreshes, the files are shown. So I know they have been moved, but I also know something else ... if I go up a directory, it seems the window freezes ... and when I bring task manager only helps to confirm that ALL windows explorers are "Not Responding".
The solution: Click one of them, then "End Task". That will close ALL explorers in one go, including the main one. You stop seeing your desktop icons and taskbars (seem the OS is shutting down), and about 5-10 seconds latter, the Os opens another main explorer, your desktop comes back to normal, and everything seems back ok.
Now some time latter I changed my HD to a 120Gb one, I thought the problem would disappear (as it seamed it happened whn moving files around HD). New format and reinstall of Win XP Pro SP1a. Still the problem continued, so it was not related with HD.
Some time latter, I upgraded my PC. Changed Mobo, Memory, Graphic card ... well ... changed everything except HD, DVD drive, CDRW drive, 3.5" drive, and of course the new 120Gb disk. So we could say I changed PC altogether. New format and reinstall, only to find the problem persists.
My conclusion is: the problem has to do with the OS itself, or even with chipset drivers, which I don't believe much, or it would have been long time reported/solved. My solution: this happens from time to time, and in my case is recoverable (the way I stated above) ... so I learned to live with it.
<edit>
Oh, and I have firewall, antivirus and ad-ware ... they all find nothing ... haven't tried Spybot S&D though
</edit>
I suggest booting in safe mode, determining if it happens there, and then removing all third party Explorer shell add-ins and seeing if the issue continues. I suspect at that point it will not.
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