Taskmgr CPU usage

[bygeek]

I'm working on an HP Pavillion running XP Home SP1. Removed viruses with Trend Micro, scanned with MS AntiSpyware and Ad-aware, disabled all startup programs and services, and Task Manager still shows taskmgr.exe running at 8-11% CPU usage. What else could possibly be running?

 

[linney]

Are you saying that in the Process List Taskmgr.exe is using 8-11% CPU?

Task Manager is often the target for viruses so it is possible that it may have become corrupted. You could try replacing your current version of Task Manager from the CD or another working XP.

Or are you saying that the overall CPU usage is at 8-11% and you can't see any process in the list using CPU cycles?

 

[bcastner]

With task manager open on the screen, this process + explorer.exe will take between 5% and 25% of CPU cycles (not constantly), depending on what you are doing in task manager. Just scrolling the processes windows will show spikes up to 25% from both processes.

 

[bygeek]

Linney, the taskmgr.exe alone is running a constant 8-11%, not spikes. I've just never seen it that high on a healthy system. For example, the system I'm using right now is running 5-6%, and I've seem many that are less than that. I'ts just that this is an older, slower system and I'm trying to glean as much processing power as I can out of it.

I guess I'll try replacing the file.

 

[bcastner]

I honestly think what you are seeing is perfectly normal.

 

[linney]

You could also look at the situation from Safe Mode and also from different User Profiles in Normal Mode.

 

[bygeek]

Safe mode or new user account taskmgr.exe = 6-8%. So I guess 8-11% in normal mode is ok?

 

[bcastner]

I would think it perfectly normal.