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explorer.exe at 99% cpu usage and locks the system


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#1
chellejeff

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I have an ongoing problem with explorer.exe. Any time I perform a task with explorer it instantly goes to 50% cpu usage. After I exit explorer it remains active at 50% cpu. Frequently it will go up to 99% cpu and locks up the system. Sometimes I can use task manager to end explorer and sometimes I can't. In general my system has been running sluggish for months. I've included a current HJT log.

Please help.

Jeff

Edited by Rorschach112, 03 March 2010 - 04:59 PM.
removed clean log

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#2
rshaffer61

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Download and install Free Everest Home Edition
Open it.
1: In left pane expand Computer folder.
2: Click once on Summary
3: In upper menu, go Report
4: And then to Quick Report-Summary
5: Save it in text file, and paste it in your next post.
Click the + by computer, click on Sensor. Get a screenshot and post it so I can check your temps and voltages...

DO NOT INCLUDE ANYTHING UNDER THE LINE THAT SAYS "DEBUG- PCI"

Download Autoruns from the link in my signature below:
1: Extract the Autoruns Zip file contents to a folder.
2: Double-click the "Autoruns.exe".
3: Click on the "Everything" tab
4: Remove any entries that mention "File Not Found" by right-clicking the entry and select Delete.
5: Go to File then to Export As or Save in some versions.
6: Save AutoRuns.txt file to known location like your Desktop.
7: Attach to your next reply.

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#3
chellejeff

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Here are the 3 items you requested, Everest Report, screen shot of Everest Sensor readings and Autoruns report. Thanks for the lightening fast reply. I figured it would be a few days. There were about 20 "file not found" entries that I deleted as instructed.

Jeff

Attached Thumbnails

  • sensor.jpg

Attached Files


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#4
rshaffer61

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Download TFC by OldTimer to your desktop
  • Please double-click TFC.exe to run it. (Note: If you are running on Vista, right-click on the file and choose Run As Administrator).
  • It will close all programs when run, so make sure you have saved all your work before you begin.
  • Click the Start button to begin the process. Depending on how often you clean temp files, execution time should be anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or two. Let it run uninterrupted to completion.
  • Once it's finished it should reboot your machine. If it does not, please manually reboot the machine yourself to ensure a complete clean.


Download Auslogics Defrag from the link in my signature below. Auslogics Defrag in my opinion is better because:
It does a more comprehensive job at Defragging
It will actually show you what it is doing
At the end of working it will show you how much speed you picked up
You can view a online log of the files that Auslogics defragged

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#5
chellejeff

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TFC completed with a restart. I assume you wanted me to run the defrag once downloaded. That's in process.
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#6
rshaffer61

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Yep and ok will wait for your results.
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#7
chellejeff

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how did my temps and voltages look?
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#8
rshaffer61

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Only temp that looked a little high was GPU but I'm checking into that now.
I did see where you have AVG for your AV program.
I will tell you it is known to take up a lot of system resources and could potentially slow your system down.
I would suggest if you have not paid for it to get something like Avast
It is a smaller resource user and updates at least once a day and most of the time twice a day.
Please download Avast from my signature below. Please make sure you do the registration as it is good for a year or more. When it is due simply just reregister it.
Avast in my opinion is better because:
It's FREE to the Home User
It Updates it's Definitions daily
You can scan Individual Files, Folders and Drives
No buying new versions every year

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#9
chellejeff

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Defrag complete. Started at 8% fragged, now is 6% fragged. I suspect that wasn't the problem. I will switch to Avast as you suggest, but I've always been using AVG on this computer and it ran fast previously with AVG. I had fakealert several months ago and I don't know if that might have damaged system files or something that is causing the explorer.exe issues. Let me know what you want me to do next. I assume we'll start with the quick easy fixes and work toward the complicated labor intensive fixes.
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#10
rshaffer61

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Go to
Start and then to Run
Type in Chkdsk /r Note the space between k and /
Click Enter ...It will probably ask if you want to do this on the next reboot...click Y
If the window doesn't shutdown on its own then reboot the system manually. On reboot the system will start the chkdsk operation
This one will take longer then chkdsk /f

Note... there are 5 stages...
It may appear to hang at a certain percent for a hour or more or even back up and go over the same area...this is normal...
DO NOT SHUT YOUR COMPUTER DOWN WHILE CHKDSK IS RUNNING OR YOU CAN HAVE SEVERE PROBLEMS
This can take several hours to complete.
When completed it will boot the system back into windows.

Let me know if this fixes the problem
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#11
chellejeff

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Chkdsk /r ran for about 3 hours. Enough time for me to shovel snow off the decks and get a quick shower. The problem still exists. Included is a shot of task manager. I opened 3 explorer windows, each only using 3 or 4% cpu, as soon as the 3rd window opened it went to 50% cpu usage and stayed there after I closed all 3 windows. I ended explorer.exe and the system was back to normal. Used to be if I ended explorer.exe with taskman I would lose everything on the desktop except the wallpaper. The system is running better due to the general housekeeping that we've done, but the problem still seems to exist.

Jeff

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  • Task_Man.jpg

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#12
chellejeff

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I just performed my explorer window test again and think I may have stumbled onto something. Opening the My Documents window is when the problem starts. I opened a dozen explorer windows with virtually no cpu usage. As soon as I opened My Documents it goes to 50%. I then opened only My Documents and again it went to 50%. Mean anything?

On a personal note, if you look anything like your avatar I suggest more sleep and a little time outside in the sunlight.

Jeff
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#13
rshaffer61

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On a personal note, if you look anything like your avatar I suggest more sleep and a little time outside in the sunlight.

Nope thats from a movie.
With the exception of turning off some startups and autoruns I can see no issues except for cpu usage going up when certain programs open. Lets try startups and after first step then try making it freeze up before clicking each item steps starts.

Lets see what you have in your startup

Please click on
Start and then to Run
Type in msconfig and press Enter
Now click on Startups
Then uncheck everything and restart.
IMPORTANT! In case of laptop, make sure, you do NOT disable any keyboard, or touchpad entries.
If system boots correctly and is running smoothly and faster then we have a startup problem
Try going back into msconfig and check one item and reboot
Keep doing that till you have found the problem or all are finally checked.
Post back with the results
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#14
123Runner

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In addition to the GPU temp...

Problems & Suggestions:
Problem Disk free space is only 5% on drive E:.
Problem Disk free space is only 7% on drive H:.

E: (FAT32) 8650 MB (459 MB free)
H: (FAT32) 8455 MB (618 MB free)


On a personal note, if you look anything like your avatar I suggest more sleep and a little time outside in the sunlight.

You have to get a life Rshaffer61. You are spending way to much time on these forums.

123runner
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#15
rshaffer61

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Nah this is more fun.
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