process taking all my cpu

[rans6andrew]

my Win7 starter netbook has ground to a virtual halt. The task manager shows 100% cpu usage at the bottom of it's window but it doesn't show any processes using significant cpu. The machine is slow booting up and the cpu ramps up after a few seconds with no applications running. If I run up Procexp it shows an svchost taking 50, 60 or even 70% CPU duty but won't let me kill the process. It seems to swallow up the difference between the few % used the task manager and 100%. Firefox grabs a few % if I launch it but is really struggling to do anything.

I have run Malwarebyte antimalware and spybot on C: drive, neither flagged up anything to worry about. I have defragged the disc and tried to complete all of the OS upgrades but get confusing reports. One moment it tells me 130 windoze files are to be upgraded but it fails to do the download and install. Then it reports system up to date but that the 130 important security files failed.

It has been like this for about 10 days, I don't think I changed anything to trigger the slow down.

Any ideas?

Rans6...........

ps: the memory usage is running at a fairly constant 77% of the 2GB installed.

[rgbrock1]

Re-install the OS. Wipe the old one clean. Backup your important data before doing so.

[The Flying Pram]

Re-install the OS. Wipe the old one clean. Backup your important data before doing so.Before doing that search for "svchost high cpu" - there are numerous hits for this problem. Admittedly, most point towards a "nasty" as the culprit, but maybe worth a look, before taking the nuclear option.

[Duckbutt]

Not a definitive answer but Microsoft have been installing lots of things under the radar in connection with the arrival of Windows 10.


For example try reading up about CompatTelRunner.exe as this update would appear to fit in with your experiences.

[The Flying Pram]

For years I have Windows Updates set to notify me, BUT NOT TO AUTOMATICALLY INSTALL. I always look at the suggested updates, and for any that are not clearly marked as a security issue, I click on the links to the right and ask for more information. The one Duckbutt is refering to has been pushed for months, and you can't get rid of the notifications - even by deselecting, right clicking and selecting "Hide this update". MS are clearly determined to push Win 10, and this request is simply ignored, and will be in the list next time. I notice that the update website now has a bloody great banner covering the top half of the page, which wasn't there last month...

TFP

[rans6andrew]

thanks for your advice various. I turned the machine on the other day and it didn't seem to be able to do much other than idle using 100% cpu to run the task manager. When I tried to switch it off it said installing updates, do not switch off. This was a bit of a worry as I was away from home and didn't have the mains psu with me. I left it running while we had breakfast and it had done 2% of the install when we went out for the day. On return the battery had run out and the machine was dead. When it has had time to charge up a bit I'll give it another try.

Rans6.........

[Harley Quinn]

I think it may be safer to plug in the charger and let it it update (if that is what is really happening) whilst connected to a permanent power supply.

[rans6andrew]

I woke the machine up and let it finish what it was doing, some sort of "upgrade" (why do they call it an upgrade when they invariably downgrade the performance?). It is now able to do some of what I ask but it still isn't working as fast as it used to do. If I play 'toob videos they frequently pause to buffer the data, much more than my Android tablet does when used in the same location (favourite chair, same wifi connection etc). I just checked the settings, it is set to not install anything automatically but that hasn't stopped it! If it gets any slower, installs anything else unwanted or otherwise annoys I'll wipe windoze from it and install linux.

Rans6......

[Fareastdriver]

My Samsung N130 was doing the same thing. At least 20 min. to get its act together. I tried everything; unloading little used programmes, defragging, but it didn't help. I was railroaded in installing W10 with which Edge was a pain in the neck. However you can still use IE and it is now running fine. Loads quickly and is fairly sprightly between programmes.

[Keef]

My laptop did the same when I powered it up a couple of days ago. I traced it, in the end, to wuauserv, the Windows Automatic Update. I killed that process, and the machine returned to normal.

There were about 50 updates waiting to be installed (all from within the past week), and I think they were just too many for the memory or the CPU. I updated "manually", doing them three or four at a time. It's now up to date again and running normally. Pain in the neck, though.

My desktop, witha faster processor and a lot more memory, seemed to have no problem.

[rans6andrew]

the machine eventually sorted out whatever it was downloading and installing. Since then it has been SLOOOOOOWWWW at doing everything (actually the only thing I have been attempting are browsing the net by Firefox). Task manager doesn't show anything loading the CPU more than a few percent but nothing is working at normal speed. I ran Spybot, Avast and MalwareBytes, none of them reported anything sinister. I have defragged as well.

As it stands it won't play Youtube videos in real time, it manages a few frames and then misses several seconds and then plays a few more frames etc. taking an age to do so. If I pause as soon as it starts and let the whole video download then it plays straight through at proper speed.

I think the issue is connectivity bandwidth. I have not knowingly changed the drivers for the wifi and the hardware is unaltered since the machine was new. Other devices in the house work at normal speed on same wireless router. Inssider, installed on the machine, shows good connectivity and no conflict on wifi channels.

I don't know what to try next, any ideas will be gratefully received,

Thanks.

Rans6.......................................

[Avtrician]

Windows 10 has been trying to auto install on my machine but failing (its a large download as well.

Have a look at your Windows update log.

Uninstall KB3035583 and it will remove the update nagging. After a restart, go into W update and hide KB3035583, and the w10 install.

[rans6andrew]

mine does not seem to be trying to get Win10 and failing, as far as I can see. Possibly it is doing so in the background but nothing in the task manager/processes/cpu usage suggests that to me. I seem to have sufficient memory available. It just seems desperately slow when accessing the network wifi.

Somewhere, a while ago I saw a shareware system cleaning programme. I did try to use it on another PC but it wanted me to use upgrade to the latest strain of IE. I prefer to chose which browser I want and IE isn't it. Can anyone recommend one? Are there any system cleaners that do remove all of the dross that seems to accumulate?

Thanks,

Rans6........