NTVDM and WOWEXEC and 100% usage problem

[arobart]

After just replacing my hard drive on my laptop, I am in the process of re-installing all of my programs and have come to a screeching halt! I am running XP pro on a 2.8 mhz Thinkpad with 1GB of memory. I got MS office installed and a few other small programs and was getting ready to install ACT premium for workgroups 2005 and have found that I can no longer install anything. Every program I try to install opens up the ntvdm and wowexec and brings my cpu usage to 100% and nothing will install. I never had this problem before and I use the same laptops for all my users at work and the same programs. I've heard these programs referred to as some sort of dos programs?? I'm not running any dos programs. I know ACT isn't dos. Can anyone tell me what is going on and how I get this fixed? Thanks!

 

[chipk]

I don't know anything about ACT, but only 16 bit programs, or other programs that require separate memory space, will make your ntvdm and wowexec processes do that.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320127/en-us

This program should be able to show you which program is starting ntvdm:

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html

 

[arobart]

I checked the Microsoft link and looked at how to identify if you have any 16-bit programs running. (I don't) I also checked my machines that are running ACT and they aren't either, so apparently none of my programs are 16-bit. So neither of these programs are running until I try to install ACT back onto my computer. As soon as I hit the install button both of these programs appear and hit 100%. If ACT is not a 16-bit, what is making these programs appear and how do I make them "not" appear? I can't believe I've never run into this problem before after all of the installs I've done (although I'm glad, what a pain)

 

[linney]

Try Safe Mode (Do you have this problem in Safe Mode?).

310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310353&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Read the "Troubleshooting MS-DOS-Based Programs in Windows" in this thread as it will give you a few things to check in XP.


NTVDM uses 97% of cpu
thread779-805849

FIX: 16-bit COM applications stop responding after you apply the MS04-012 security update to a computer that is running Windows XP SP1

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;841559&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

http://groups.google.com/groups?sou...:2005-48,GGLG:en&q=NTVDM+and+WOWEXEC+and+100%

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...d=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=ntvdm%2BCPU%2B100%2Bxp

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=ntvdm+CPU+100+xp

http://groups.google.com/groups?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=ntvdm+CPU+100+xp

 

[arobart]

Thanks for all of the info, I am not using 16 bit programs. I am re-installing the same programs that were on there before and I never had a problem. I used the Thinkvantage restore cd's and should not have had any problems like this. I think I'm just going to reformat again and see what happens, at this point I don't think it can get any worse.