High CPU Usage While Idle?

[jcadence]

I have an AMD T-bird 1.0 ghz processor on a Via KT7A motherboard, and am running Win98 SE.
According to some Cpu usage guage programs, my CPU is constanly active (>50%), even when it is idle. I don't understand why this is happening, as few programs are running in the background.

The CPU reaches rather high temps when running games and other intensive programs (56-60 C and above), even when not overclocked.

(Wintop and other programs that determine the breakdown of CPU time show that 95-97% is "Idle".
However, Memturbo and other CPU usage meters show that my CPU usage is 50-80%, when completely idle. It seems that the activity is mysteriously going into the Idle process, or at least, not in any programs I can see.)

Does anyone have a remedy to this problem?

 

[Mookow]

exactly which programs are running in the background (ie, hit Ctrl-Alt-Del and tell us which programs it reports are running)?

 

[lastig21]

What kind of screensaver do you use? Certain screensavers really put it to a cpu.

 

[AndyHui]

Idle process? Win98SE does not have a System Idle process.

 

[acexg1]

This may sound weird, but do a virus scan. This happened to me, and I had some virus or trojan horse that left a hidden RC5 client on my pc, and that was takin up cpu cycles.

Edit: If this happens, which it probably won't, look for info on the Bymer virus, I think.

 

[sharkeeper]

I had the problem too. It seems like you'll see that with AMD systems. Windows 98 may as well be a virus! 😛

Cheers!