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Donnie616Flag for United States of America

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How to fix "SYSTEM" using 99% CPU usage in Task Manager?

Hi Experts,

i have an emergency.  Yesterday I used a utilty called Advanced System Care.  I use it very often.  I did this while visting my very nasty tempered brother without him asking me to.  the reason I ran it was because the scan revealed IGB of junk files, 3500 registry errors, 7000 privacy issues, etc.  

Bottom line is he called me screaming about an issue.  i went over to check it out and found The item called "System", just above "System idle Process" in Task Mngr is frozen at 99%.  The PC responds and i can even run scans, but VERY, VERY slowly.  Usually as you know, the 99% refers to system idle.  Not "System"

I removed some start up items because he had more of them then I have ever seen on any PC ever.

Anyways, The QUESTION Is: What is the System---- why is it @ 99%---- and how do I fix it??

The PC I am using now, system is at 0 Mem usage is only 40k.  Sorry I was so upset that I forgot to look at the mem usage on the broken PC.
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Donnie616
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>>Bottom line is he called me screaming about an issue.<<  Oh Oh he called me screaming today AFTER I ran ASC Scan and repair yesterday.. Did not know if that was clear. Also OS is WIN XP SP3.  The "system" issue is going on NOW and I do not know if I did it or if it was there before i ran the cleaning utility.

Sorry about theb double post.
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jandelbasanal
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Ok sorry--Under Processes>image name>user name.  
1-- Image name is system     (it is NOT Sys idle Process).  
2---User name is  "SYSTEM"  

If 99% of the CPU is being used, I doubt if i can dowload it, but I can put it on a USB stick and inatall it on the bad PC. It should take about 20 minutes, no joke.

Ok thanks for all that.  It will have to wait til tommorrow.  PC is not here.  I already disabled start ups and no more than 3 services.  Not too sure about right or wrong services yet.  So I still have same problem after MSCONFIG.  What does that leave?

Will check on all things you said that I have not done in the AM.   Any more  hints.  What Is this?
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Bryon H
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by the way:
"the scan revealed 1GB of junk files, 3500 registry errors, 7000 privacy issues, etc. "
...sounds like a scam... one of those "fake" security packages designed to trick you into buying it and funding a russian shopping spree.

what program told you that info?
In my question above>> I used a utilty called Advanced System Care.<<   I promise you, NOT a scam.  That WAS my brothers clogged up PC.  The program is reliable and I use it all the time.  ALK the time.  NEVER a problem before now and that is why I am here because i thought someone may havbe had experience with it.  The JUnk files you were concerned about were REALLY mostly Temp Internet files.  Some idiots really do not do a maintenence on the PCs they bought in 202 and wonder why it is slow.  I repair them every day.

However i am not an expert like you all so I never saw system>SYSTEM in in task manager @99%.  That is my question, Not to find out if my prioogram is unreliable

Sorry for the rudeness, but my younger brother just threatened my  life and he means it.  He is not all there.

So I need to find out what to do (about image name=system) and (user name=SYSTEM) being @ 99% That is all I need for now.
As you tell me to try combofix  I tell you, just so you know, ASC by IOBIT is one of the highest rated free maintenance+ optimization utilities in the world. You should try it. BTW, i love combofix. I will try combo fix and check for 2 AVs.  that is very likely with him.  Btw he has worked with computers for 20 years.  ME; % years.  He is an idiot, but he has me afraid now.

His issue is that it wasn't broken before I ran ASC.  JUST SLOW.  And I think he is right, becaus ASC is very powerful, not for real beginners.
MSCONFIG, command to see system configuration utility wherein you can disable/enable startups and other settings...try running it at RUN command.goodluck
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if he's open for logical discussion, point out that an 8 year old machine is nothing to get upset over, and he can get a 2 year old refurb for like $80
Backup
format
 
Ok guys thanks.  If and when he calms down and/or lets me near his PC again.  I will do as suggested.  I concur with all that you thought might be wrong because I saw signs of all that you mentioned. There were 2 or  3  programs automatically updating at Startup together.  Also his USB printer is not printing now, so I will check things(drivers) out.  I just do not know when.  

I am sure you are correct  because the fixes you have suggested have worked for me for me many times in the past, but for not quite the same reasons.  It is strange how the mouse and keyboard are not frozen and functional.  In my meager experience, I usually see everything frozen. Before I ran my cleanup yesterday, it was deadly slow anyway, very much like a moderately infected PC.  i do not get iwhat is going on.

For all I know what ever was going under  image name>System may be down to 0% CPU usage by now, after it got finished doing what it was doing.  All I know is I cannot repair it under these conditions.  

Footnote:  I am a severely unhealthy 67 YO.  He threatened to end all of my health problems.  Unbelievable.  We were really close at one time.

Good nite guys.

I will check in the AM.
Team Viewer is fantastically easy for me. I will use it often.  I work with absolute Beginning beginners most of the time.  They usually need help after 2-3 days.  If you want,  read my profile to see what I do.  Thanks for continuing to help me even after  I became rude. I am sorry.
My original question was answered, and then some, even tough I didn't use it.  I left a message with his wife for him to do a system restore.  It seems to have worked for him.  He left a message that he did that and things were ok.  i got lucky, but my question was answered regardless.

Thanks for putting up with my personal problems. I truly am sorry for that.
Thanks for the points i will look into it,its good to know yout got excellent tool found.Thanks