Really weird system performance showing up in Task Manager -- UPDATED AGAIN! MAJOR DICOVERY!

[Fraggable]

Here's a pic of my system's task manager right now: Text

Major discovery! This performance issue shows up in BIOS! I was playing around, and noticed that if I scoll through a list, you know like hold the down arrow and watch the selection change, it pauses every 2 seconds, at EXACTLY the same intrval I see this CPU usage in Windows. it HAS to be a hardware problem.

2 processes, one named Explorer and one named System are making it do this. No other apps are running as that screenshot were taken. I know both those processes are critical to Windows, so chances are they're messed up somehow. Do you have any idea why it might do this or have you seen it before?

I've run Chkdsk, AVG antivirus, 4 adware removal apps, and a rootkit revealer app and found nothing other than tracking cookies. I'm pretty sure this system is clean.

It's NOT a virus/adware/spyware/rootkit. I've done unnumerable formats/reinstalls trying to figure it out. This performance shows while installing drivers after a new install.

I suspect that it's an issue with my SB X-fi. I have the newest BIOS for my mobo and newest SB drivers. The card may need new firmware, I'm not sure.

EDIT: BTW, it's my sig system.

I'm resurrecting this thread because the issue is still here. I've done a lot more testing and have some more items that might help diagnose this.

1) It seems to start when I play a movie/video. It doesn't matter what I use to play it. Sometimes though not as often, it sill start when playing music.
2) it will usually (90% of the time) go away if I turn the system off, wait about 3 hours, then turn it back on. If I restart it's still there, if I turn it off for 5 mins it's still there.
3) switching the PSU off and pack on while it's off doesn't help. I still have to wait 3 hours to turn it back on.
4) In Task manager, Explorer and System are the 2 processes taking up CPU time, but mostly Explorer. If I end the Explorer process, then start it again using the DOS prompt, it almost completely goes away. It goes down to using abuot 10% of CPU time at the same intervals instead of up to 95%.

 

[mechBgon]

If you want to try a stronger antivirus as a fact-finding step, try this: http://www.omnicast.net/~tmcfadden/scan.txt No installation needed, no hassles. Follow the directions closely and see if it finds anything (check the C:\Report.html file after the scanner's done running).

Also, is your system fully patched and firewalled?

 

[crisp82]

What processes do you have running when this happens?

Have you recently installed any software?

 

[Fraggable]

I am running the virus scanner that mechBgon suggested, and so far it's found one virus/trojan. It was in a file associated with an old BF 1942 DC map called 'helicopter rage'. Which is weird because I had that file on my previous system and ran all kinds of virus scanners on that over the year aI had it, and it was never detected as a virus. I'll edit this post with the final results.

in response to crisp82, I have a few apps that run all the time, like ATITool and Steam, etc. but none of that is new. I never had a problem with this until a few days ago.

Preliminary results say mechBgon nailed it. Here's the results file: C: is my boot drive and has all the programs installed on it. E: is my file storage drive and has only games files and a few backups on it.

04/15/2006 09:08:34

Options:
/ADL /ALL /ALLOLE /ANALYZE /DEL /DOHSM /MAILBOX /MANALYZE /MIME /HTML C:\REPORT.HTML /PANALYZE /PROGRAM /STREAMS /UNZIP /WINMEM

Scanning C: []
Scanning C:\*.*
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Games\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\Play Battlefield 2 Online with GameSpy Arcade.url ... Found application Adware-Url.gen.
The file or process has been deleted.
C:\Documents and Settings\Brion\My Documents\Game Files\BF 1942 + DC\dc_helicopter_rage.exe ... Found trojan or variant New Malware.ab !!!
Please send a copy of the file to Network Associates
The file or process has been deleted.

Summary report on C:\*.*
File(s)
Total files: ........... 198248
Clean: ................. 198158
Possibly Infected: ..... 1
Deleted: ............... 2
Non-critical Error(s): 3
Master Boot Record(s): ......... 1
Possibly Infected: ..... 0
Boot Sector(s): ................ 1
Possibly Infected: ..... 0
Scanning E: [File Storage]
Scanning E:\*.*
E:\Game Files\BF 1942 + DC\dc_helicopter_rage.exe ... Found trojan or variant New Malware.ab !!!
Please send a copy of the file to Network Associates
The file or process has been deleted.

Summary report on E:\*.*
File(s)
Total files: ........... 6302
Clean: ................. 6299
Possibly Infected: ..... 1
Deleted: ............... 1
Non-critical Error(s): 1
Master Boot Record(s): ......... 1
Possibly Infected: ..... 0
Boot Sector(s): ................ 1
Possibly Infected: ..... 0


Time: 01:01.26

 

[Fraggable]

Well that scan didn't end up fixing the problem. It did for a while, but it came back again and a second scan didn't find any viruses. Since then I've reinstalled Windows XP Pro about 5 times in different ways, on FAT32 partitions, new NTFS partitions, nothing helps. That performance depicted in the pic in my OP keeps coming back.

I've pretty much narrowed it down to the RAID controller corrupting data and making Windows behave really weird. My Abit AT8 mobo runs the Xpress 200 chipset which apparently was designed very poorly when it comes to SATA RAID.

I'm taking the board back today and getting an NF4 based board probably. I don't feel confident with a CF Xpress 3200 board now so I think I'll get an Asus board.

 

[Fraggable]

I'm resurrecting this thread because the issue is still here. I've done a lot more testing and have some more items that might help diagnose this.

1) It seems to start when I play a movie/video. It doesn't matter what I use to play it. Sometimes though not as often, it sill start when playing music.
2) it will usually (90% of the time) go away if I turn the system off, wait about 3 hours, then turn it back on. If I restart it's still there, if I turn it off for 5 mins it's still there.
3) switching the PSU off and pack on while it's off doesn't help. I still have to wait 3 hours to turn it back on.
4) In Task manager, Explorer and System are the 2 processes taking up CPU time, but mostly Explorer. If I end the Explorer process, then start it again using the DOS prompt, it almost completely goes away. It goes down to using abuot 10% of CPU time at the same intervals instead of up to 95%.

 

[mechBgon]

Try my scanner dealiebob again. They update it daily or more often, and if you had what it was calling "New Malware," then maybe there are better detections for it by now. Nothing to lose...

 

[Fraggable]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Try my scanner dealiebob again. They update it daily or more often, and if you had what it was calling "New Malware," then maybe there are better detections for it by now. Nothing to lose...

It's just not spyware/viruses. I've done low-level formats (a 5-8 hour process) and reinstalls and it shows right back up -even before network drivers are installed.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Fraggable

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Try my scanner dealiebob again. They update it daily or more often, and if you had what it was calling "New Malware," then maybe there are better detections for it by now. Nothing to lose...

It's just not spyware/viruses. I've done low-level formats (a 5-8 hour process) and reinstalls and it shows right back up -even before network drivers are installed.

The problem is clearly the X1800 XT. You'd better remove it right away and send it to me for secure destruction*


*destruction procedures may take 2-3 years to complete

Ok but seriously, I wonder if your system is trying to generate thumbnails, or to index, a bunch of Very Large Media Files, since you mentioned movies and music. Making a thumbnail for a huge video file isn't a light task. Also, are you using a desktop search engine?

 

[Fraggable]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: Fraggable

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Try my scanner dealiebob again. They update it daily or more often, and if you had what it was calling "New Malware," then maybe there are better detections for it by now. Nothing to lose...

It's just not spyware/viruses. I've done low-level formats (a 5-8 hour process) and reinstalls and it shows right back up -even before network drivers are installed.

The problem is clearly the X1800 XT. You'd better remove it right away and send it to me for secure destruction*


*destruction procedures may take 2-3 years to complete

Ok but seriously, I wonder if your system is trying to generate thumbnails, or to index, a bunch of Very Large Media Files, since you mentioned movies and music. Making a thumbnail for a huge video file isn't a light task. Also, are you using a desktop search engine?

I have maybe 5 movie clips on my PC and they're slideshows I made in Movie Maker ages ago. I meant DVD movies or occasionally Movielink movies.

I don't use any kind of desktop search engine. I have the Google toolbar on IE but rarely use IE.

 

[Fraggable]

bump for update. I discovered that even in BIOS I see the same pauses every 2 seconds. If I quickly scroll through the menus the selection will pause at the same interval that I see the CPU usage in Windows.

BIOS compatibility with my X-fi? some kind of hardware conflict maybe? I dunno. I took out my X-fi and it's still doing it. Maybe this is a good excuse to upgrade my CPU.

 

[mechBgon]

Try powering your 7700CU from a 3-pin-to-4-pin adapter straight to the PSU, if it's presently connected to a 3-pin mobo header. Ditto for any other low-rpm fans you got hooked up to the motherboard. Won't take long to find out if that's had an effect or not.

 

[Fraggable]

it's the only fan plugged into the mobo. I'll try that tomorrow. the uguru utility shows it running at 1440-1500 RPM.