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SMSS.exe pegs CPU, windows 7 32 bit

Hi, and thanks for any guidance you can offer.

I have client with a Windows 7 32 bit PC, and lately performance has plummeted

I've found that SMSS.exe is taking 100% of the CPU immediately upon startup.

I've tried to debug, but can't get anything to run,

Ideas for an approach to solving this?

Thanks!

SOLUTION

Haresh Nikumbh

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Adam Leinss

I would start with Process Explorer (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx) and make sure the smss.exe in question is really the smss.exe provided by Microsoft and not some rogue application (you can verify digital signatures from within Process Explorer).

Does it act the same way in Safe Mode?

If he can pinpoint the date it started, you can also tap the F8 key at bootup, go into WinRE and do a System Restore to a time before the problem started happening.

Mark Litin

ASKER

Thanks for all these.

It is fine in safe mode.

Did all of rest of these but verifying the digital signature. The oldest available restore point did not precede the issues, and restore to the oldest point failed. Oh well.

If the digital signature doesn't pan out, can I just replace it?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION