NT Kernel & System using 100% of CPU

Anonymous
2009-04-02T00:19:32+00:00

Hi,

I just bought a new laptop with Window Vista Basic. The laptop has 3 Gb ram. I was just reading an article on line and then I start to hear the laptop fan running like crazy. then I went to the Resource Monitor and there was an image/program that was using 95% of my cpu and it was my system with description of "NT Kernel & System". It has been going on for over 30mins. Other than restarting the computer, what can I do about this "NT Kernel & System" eating up 95% of my CPU?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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Anonymous
2009-07-06T17:17:59+00:00

I've been having the same problem on my HP desktop running Vista home for a couple weeks. I read that someone fixed the same problem by updating some hardware firmware, so I opened Resource Monitor and started unplugging all my hardware one at a time. The instant I unplugged my Belkin USB network adapter, NT Kernel & System dropped down to 0% and my computer unfroze entirely. The same adapter has been causing me a lot of grief for months- it wouldn't respond every time my computer came out of standby. I'll be updating the driver and firmware to see if that helps - otherwise that garbage is going in the trash. I recommend disabling/unplugging hardware (especially if you have any with odd behavior) until the problem stops, then replacing or updating that hardware.

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Anonymous
2009-04-02T10:03:09+00:00

Hello Dtsai,

Thank you for posting.  What you just described seems to be some form of mal-ware trying to mascuerade as a legitimate windows service.  Windows does have NT Kernel and also System, but they never show up together as one service, program, or file. 

I highly recommend that you use your favorite anti-virus and anti-spyware program and do a full scan of your PC. 

Please try the scan and let me know if this helps you

Zack

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-03-28T00:43:02+00:00

    Hello,

    I have no option to 'turn off' indexing on my hard drives, but under indexing options in the control panel, there are over a thousand files that are indexed. What's up with that? I hope that doesn't cause a problem.

    Thanks for the tips.  LW

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-03-27T23:11:11+00:00

    CPU consumption by the system process is generally attributable to drivers and kernel mode components. Killing this process (??) is not advisable, and I'm surprised the system / Task Manager would let you do it (I'm not inclined to try it myself).

     You can use xperf to investigate further.

    If you're running an x64 version of Windows, run the following from an elevated CMD prompt, and reboot:

    reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" -v DisablePagingExecutive -d 0x1 -t REG_DWORD -f

    Then, get the Windows Performance Toolkit 4.6 from the Windows 7 RTM SDK .  Run the web installer and choose to install Win32 Development Tools. 

    Once the Windows Performance Toolkit is installed open an elevated CMD prompt change to the folder containing xperf.exe and execute:

    xperf -on DiagEasy+PROFILE  -stackwalk Profile

    Then, just after reproducing the problem, run:

    xperf –d merged.etl

    Then, ZIP merged.etl, upload it to SkyDrive, and provide the link.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-03-27T14:47:46+00:00

    Back to School for YOU, ZACH

    System shows up as "NT KERNAL & SYSTEM" in the description line of the TASK MANAGER

    I now have this problem, Image Name = SYSTEM User Name = System Description NT Kernal & System is showing up as taking 6% of all CPU - worse, it is 'circling around' all more cores, taking them to 25% then hopping to the next one - reminds me of an old skool MAC Kernal Panic

    Effects: GUI unresponsive, sound stutters, games pause, cannot open applications for minutes, nasty horrible lag all the time.

    IF I close 'System' from task manager I get a BSOD (In Windows 7 Ultimate!) which Action Centre eventually says

    1 - it does not know what caused it, probably a driver

    2 - it might be that the BIOS does not support the CPU (it does, I checked, ABit IP25 PRO with version 17 BIOS and an Intel 2.4GHz quad is fine

    3 - could be some other driver (well, I checked them all and they are all the latest versions)

    This started happening after latest ATI GPU driver update for 4890 and/or MS Windows Update an/or latest patch to COD:MW2 (the System lock up happens most often in that game, but it also happens at random in any application)

    I think this one is serious, and you are going to see a lot of it!

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