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
    2011-12-04T14:35:13+00:00

    Hi,

    I've researched to fix this same problem on my WMP for my new laptop for days and after trying to implement all the suggestions of this long thread, nothing solved, so I decided to turn off several stuffs and after disabling "Transistion Animations" the CPU consumption reduced from 99-100% to 3% and now my Media Center works fine! It's not so beautiful as having the smooth transitions, but at least works fine.

    So my suggestion is:

    1 - Go to Settings at Windows Media Center

    2 - General

    3 - Visual and Sound Effects

    4 - Disable "Use Transition Animations"

    I really don't know why Windows Media Center could request such high CPU utilization when playing just MP3s. On my computer, it starts fine and after around 6 minutes, the CPU rises up to 100% and laptop gets really hot.

    I have a Dell E6400 laptop.

    Hope it could help someone!

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-11-22T06:27:50+00:00

    My question to you is what programs are running when you CPU goes hyper? gaming, chat or what are you doing? Go into "msconfig" and turn off what you don't need running, ie  a selective start up, apply and ok. you don't need adobe, printers etc, anything you not sure about leave.

     Another question is why you chose Ultimate? , this has a language pack so you have 39 downloads siting in wait and if you not using the features of Ultimate, then Home Premium would be the best all rounder. but in the case of excessive CPU usage it doesn't matter., You could probably up the anti on memory to 4GB or better, if you can afford it. I did my Acer i5 laptop from 4 to 8 and didn't notice much change. Going to the laptop manufacturer website, somewhere around tech support>downloads you can get all your drivers free, even a bios flash with the lastest BIOS won't hurt. 

     Good Luck

      Pisces

      IT Tech Cert. 3

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-11-22T06:05:27+00:00

    Wes,

     I don't know but a battery can cuase problems if you have to many processes running or USB driven externals draining your power supply. USB's are very hungry for power, putting a strain on interal resources. A simple solution is a self powered USB hub, takes the strain of internal resources. Whether you looked into that side of things I don't know, but it may have solved the issue as well? 7 Port USB hubs are under $100, D-Link and Belkin make them, but may wait until USB3 hubs come out so they are backward compatible. Similar situation in desktops with low wattage PSU's

    My problem is cause by audiodg.exe, and I thought I solve it going to a 64 bit system, I had no problems for about 3 weeks, then it slowly started to creep back. Not as bad but still . The boffins at  Microsoft say it is excessive activity on port 445, not sure on that but still no cure from Microsoft? I still reckon it is Microsoft related and more than likely an imprtant download or hotfix that causes it. i got som relief from opening Task Manager, r/cliking on a few processes and changing the priority to below normal.

    Glad to hear you have got some relief with your problem.

      Pisces

       IT Tech Cert. 3

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-11-22T04:44:31+00:00

    For what it's worth I solved my problem in a way that I hadn't thought of. I purchased my machine along with an external/removable battery that is a licensed HP accessory designed for use with this product. About a month ago I removed the battery for an unrelated reason and found that during the entire period of time I had the battery off I didn't  have a "fit". As soon as I put it back on however the computer got all screwy. With the seeds of an idea forming in my mind as the CPU ramped up I removed the battery from the computer and within 1 minute the machine was back to normal operation. I haven't put the battery back on the computer since and, knock on wood, I haven't experienced a "fit" since.

    I don't know why this is or why the battery did not cause a fit during the first 5 months I owned the computer but it explains all of the weirdness in how the problems was presenting. When I sent the machine in to be examined/repaired I always kept the battery which explains why technicians couldn't replicate the problem. It also explains why the problem persisted between machines because, even though I sent back my original to HP, I kept the battery and used it on the replacement machine I was sent. This explains why the problem persisted (previously inexplicably) across totally unrelated and totally clean machines and why it continued on a completely wiped and clean hard drive.

    So that's the end of my completely bizzare, frustrating adventure. I'm enjoying my machine again and I don't live in constant fear of it locking up when I'm in the middle of something. It may have taken 7 months but I'm finally enjoying computing again. Hopefully this can help someone out there in the future who has the same problem that I did.

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