Windows 7 has High CPU Usage and slow performance

Anonymous
2009-11-18T04:59:29+00:00

Hello all,

I've searched the forums, but was unable to find anything relevant.  I recently upgraded to Windows 7 from Vista.  It was running fine for about a week then all of a sudden everything started running very slow.  I checked the the processes tab in task manager and I am constantly running at 70-80% CPU usage.  I think this is very high considering the computer is only a few months old.  It seems like others are having this problem as well, but no real solutions.

I have turned off file indexing as well as disabled the HD audio device. 

Please help!

Here are my hardware specs:

AMD 9550 Quad-Core

64-bit

6GB Ram

Thank you in advance for your help.  I am ready to toss this thing from my second story window.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2010-01-02T19:29:42+00:00

I think the answer might be the Windows Media Player and Windows Media Network Sharing Services as zxypher suggested.  The fix for that is to adjust were the Windows Media Player services search for media files. 

It seems to be a bad problem for me as well upgrading from Vista to Windows 7.  The default search location for media is set to C:\Users\ instead of down in the My Music folders.

Go into Media Player.  From the menu -> File -> Manage libraries -> select each library (music, video, pictures, recorded tv [if you have]) and check the paths that it is managing and make sure it is not too close to the root of the C: drive.  For example, it should be something like c:\users\Jim\Music and c:\users\Public\Music BUT NOT **** c:\users as they will cause the whole directory tree to be re-indexed over and over (when you surf the web or change any files in your profile).

If you have multiple users who login to the computer, you may need to repeat the process for each user if all users have added managed folders which are actively changing on a regular basis.

If this is your issue and you do it correctly, then the high CPU should drop in minutes (or seconds down to nothing).

This is the CORRECT way to adjust the WMNSS/WMPNetwk.exe process issues.

A little more information can be found here:

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7performance/thread/2fe4901b-2eaf-4a99-b487-e6a6213b10b3/

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-09-24T22:16:38+00:00

    The problem has gotten better for me.   After 2 weeks of pain (NOTE: only had Win7 2 weeks).   I think I have it slowed down or stopped.

    1.  I updated the Chipset from INTEL not from the HP site (I have an HP).  Turns out there was a newer chipset available directly from INTEL

    2.  Disabled  HD Audio.  

    1. I also noticed 2  "Unknown Devices"  in Device Manager.    I just disabled them.
    2. Disabled Indexing.(Who uses this ____?)

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-08-23T15:11:45+00:00

    Hi Niko,

    the cause of the ACPI.sys is difficult to find. update the BIOS and all drivers, mostly the Mainbaord drivers.

    André

    "A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-08-23T08:00:16+00:00

    Andre!

    1. Basically identical problem to RLARoley
    2. I am less "advanced" than you guys, but following the discussion
    3. Followed your excellent guide (thanks!!!) and think I 've traced it to ACPI.sys
    4. Uploading .etls now, along with some screen captures following my efforts to pin-point this.
    5. In general, it seems to be related to networking, tends to coincide with internet issues

    Anyway, here are the files. 5 Screenshots and the .etl Any ideas?

    http://cid-fb3e3e409a466ab5.office.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/1-HeavyCPU.jpg

    http://cid-fb3e3e409a466ab5.office.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/2-SeemsToBeTheSYSTEM.jpg

    http://cid-fb3e3e409a466ab5.office.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/3-SystemInterrups.jpg

    http://cid-fb3e3e409a466ab5.office.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/4-MakeATrace.jpg

    http://cid-fb3e3e409a466ab5.office.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/5-ACPI%5E_sys.jpg

    And finally: http://cid-fb3e3e409a466ab5.office.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/lavrys.ETL

    Thanks in advance!

    Niko

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-08-05T05:35:59+00:00

    I think and feel positive about this and its my remedy to all my problems without reservations 

    I never let anything sit on my hard drive and I clear my cache so often and this includes my 

    web history and I clear so many things, it just makes sense to me.  I also go and do a weekly defrag

    even my os doesn't need it.  I have Asus CM 5570 with 6gb and 750gigs and only using 190gigs of HD

    and everything thing else I put on an external and disk and without the dvdrw drive I would trying to 

    remember what I did and what I have on my hard drive just take the time to go through your hard drive

    and if it does not seem relevant then it must not be?  Do some homework people and do some maintence

    cause if it was a car or a boat you would!!!

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