Slow Performance 100% CPU Usage

Question

About every 30 seconds my CPU usage goes to 100% for about 10 seconds? Isn't this bad to be at 100%? This started happening all of a sudden after installing ZoneAlarm, I did a cctrl+alt+delete to get the windows task manager open to see what processes are taking up all this memory and it the "System" and "vsmon.exe" both of them go to about 50% the vsmon.exe is part of ZoneAlarm but I don't know what the system is.

Can someone explain this to me? and how I can fix this problem?

I already tried searching and removing all virus's, spyware, etc. and I unchecked all the unneeded programs in 'msconfig'.

Thanks!

Dell Dimension 4100 Series Pentium 3 @ 933 Mhz
384MB SDRAM at 133 MHz
40GB Ultra ATA/100 (7200RPM) hard drive
16X NEC DV-5800A DVD-ROM
TDK VeloCD Atapi/E-IDE CD ReWriter 48x/24x/48x
Best Data Smart One 56K V.92/V.44 Internal Modem (56HP-92)
SMC EZ Card 10/100 PCI (SMC1211 Series)
Creative SB Live! Value Digital
32MB NVidia GeForce 2 MX/MX400 4X AGP video card
Samsung SyncMaster 950p 19" CRT Monitor
Altec Lansing ADA 745 4.1 Surround Sound Speakers w/ Subwoofer
Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Optical Mouse
HP Deskjet 932C printer
Windows XP Pro SP1 & Office XP Pro SP2
Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1

Message Edited by John_Doe on 12-29-2003 12:22 AM

CatoftheNight · Answer

The CPU runs at %100 all the time - that's what it does. As for zone alarm using 50% of your CPU...Well, that's what it does. System is exactly it's name - the system. I haven't a clue what 'System' is exactly, but it's there, and we're stuck with it...

kippy50 · Answer

Read over this thread in the ZoneLabs forum.  If it does not help, post a new question in their forums.  Maybe some new info has superceded this thread.  Kip http://forums.zonelabs.com/zonelabs/board/message?board.id=CommonPrograms&message.id=1231

John_Doe · Answer

I have windows task manager open to see what processes are taking up all this memory and it's "System" and "vsmon.exe" both of them go to about 50% every 30 seconds for about 10 seconds for a total of 100% CPU usage even when the computer is IDLE and then go back to normal again. None of this happeneded before. It used to always be around 5% CPU usage when the computer was idle. What is 'System' anyway, anybody know? Why is it that both of them go up?

I didn't know the CPU is suppose to run at 100% at all times even when idle.

Any more suggestions? I read the post on the Zone Alarm website but found no answers.

Thanks!

Message Edited by John_Doe on 12-29-2003 10:41 AM

CatoftheNight · Answer

Oh! No...The CPU isn't supposed to run at 100% during Idle, but sometimes it does. Zonealarm does this to a few people. If you use a file sharing program (FSP) like Kazaa, Morpheus, Limewire, etc.. Those programs open a large amount of UDP ports for file transfers, and zone alarm has to monitor and filter each and every one. This means that vsmon.exe will have to use more processor percentage, and more RAM to monitor them all.

So if you are running a FSP, look in it's options and make it so it won't open itself on start-up, exit it, and restart. See if this fixes the problem.

John_Doe · Answer

ok i know what the vsmon.exe does but i don't have any file sharing programs opened at the time, and i still dont know what the 'system' process is that is taking up the other 50% of the processes.

anyone know?

naqoyqatsi · Answer

try to run msconfig to check what programs are running in the background. disable them by clicking on selective startup, uncheck process system.ini, process win.ini and load startup items.

John_Doe · Answer

information is in prior posts. anymore suggestions?

naqoyqatsi · Answer

oops didnt see that.. my bad..

Windows General

Slow Performance 100% CPU Usage

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