Hi, I am experiencing high CPU usage most of time, anywhere from 20% and higher. It uses 100% some of the time. On Task Manager, however, most processes have a CPU usage of 0% of it is very low, except System Idle Process (I know it's meant to be high). I am not sure what it causing the problem. The most CPU using processes (not always high) are iexplore.exe, explorer.exe, svchost.exe and procexp.exe (Process Explorer, is that suppose to have high CPU usage?).

As I type, it is lagging because the CPU is 30% - 80% at time of writing. I have used Norton, Adaware and a few online scanners, they have picked up nothing. Well Adaware picked up some spyware but deleting it did not solve the problem (it was unrelated).

What can I do to get my PC back to normal CPU usage (0%-4%)? I don't know how this problem happened, it just happened one day. I noticed a lot of people post there HijackThis logfiles so here is mine:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 19:45:48, on 23/11/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.5730.0011)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccProxy.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\LEXBCES.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\LEXPPS.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\AOL\ACS\AOLAcsd.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUSchedulerSvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\zHotkey.exe
C:\Program Files\eM\Bay Reader\Shwicon2k.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\Norton Ghost 2003\GhostStartTrayApp.exe
C:\Program Files\Lexmark X1100 Series\lxbkbmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Logitech\Video\LogiTray.exe
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\Program Files\Lexmark X1100 Series\lxbkbmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Album Starter Edition\3.0\Apps\apdproxy.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_09\bin\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktop.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\LVComS.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SOUNDMAN.EXE
C:\Program Files\Norton GoBack\GBPoll.exe
C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktopIndex.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\Norton Ghost 2003\GhostStartService.exe
C:\Program Files\Nokia\Nokia PC Suite 6\PcSync2.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktopCrawl.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\Nokia\MPAPI\MPAPI3s.exe
C:\Program Files\AOL 9.0\aoltray.exe
C:\Program Files\BigFix\BigFix.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton GoBack\GBTray.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Desktop Search\WindowsSearch.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Desktop Search\WindowsSearchIndexer.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\PCSuite\Services\ServiceLayer.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Console\NSCSRVCE.EXE
C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe
C:\DOCUME~1\Sam\LOCALS~1\Temp\Rar$EX01.422\HijackThis.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://uk.gamespot.com/
R1 -
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = itiva.net;www.itiva.net
O2 - BHO: Yahoo! Toolbar Helper - {02478D38-C3F9-4EFB-9B51-7695ECA05670} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\yt.dll
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: dsWebAllowBHO Class - {2F85D76C-0569-466F-A488-493E6BD0E955} - C:\Program Files\Windows Desktop Search\dsWebAllow.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {549B5CA7-4A86-11D7-A4DF-000874180BB3} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_09\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: Windows Live Sign-in Helper - {9030D464-4C02-4ABF-8ECC-5164760863C6} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live\WindowsLiveLogin.dll
O2 - BHO: Norton Internet Security 2006 - {9ECB9560-04F9-4bbc-943D-298DDF1699E1} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\AdBlocking\NISShExt.dll
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {A8F38D8D-E480-4D52-B7A2-731BB6995FDD} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O2 - BHO: Windows Live Toolbar Helper - {BDBD1DAD-C946-4A17-ADC1-64B5B4FF55D0} - C:\Program Files\Windows Live Toolbar\msntb.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {FDD3B846-8D59-4ffb-8758-209B6AD74ACC} - (no file)
O3 - Toolbar: Norton Internet Security 2006 - {0B53EAC3-8D69-4b9e-9B19-A37C9A5676A7} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\AdBlocking\NISShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {C4069E3A-68F1-403E-B40E-20066696354B} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\yt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Windows Live Toolbar - {BDAD1DAD-C946-4A17-ADC1-64B5B4FF55D0} - C:\Program Files\Windows Live Toolbar\msntb.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CHotkey] zHotkey.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [showicon2k] C:\Program Files\\eM\Bay Reader\Shwicon2k.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [GhostStartTrayApp] C:\Program Files\Symantec\Norton Ghost 2003\GhostStartTrayApp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Lexmark X1100 Series] "C:\Program Files\Lexmark X1100 Series\lxbkbmgr.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LogitechVideoRepair] C:\Program Files\Logitech\Video\ISStart.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LogitechVideoTray] C:\Program Files\Logitech\Video\LogiTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Photo Downloader] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Album Starter Edition\3.0\Apps\apdproxy.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_09\bin\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Google Desktop Search] "C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktop.exe" /startup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PCSuiteTrayApplication] C:\PROGRA~1\Nokia\NOKIAP~1\LAUNCH~1.EXE -startup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMan] SOUNDMAN.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinampAgent] C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [PcSync] C:\Program Files\Nokia\Nokia PC Suite 6\PcSync2.exe /NoDialog
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [updateMgr] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AdobeUpdateManager.exe" AcRdB7_0_8 -reboot 1
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Uniblue SpeedUpMyPC] C:\Program Files\Uniblue\SpeedUpMyPC\SpeedUpMyPC.exe
O4 - Startup: Adobe Gamma.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O4 - Global Startup: AOL 9.0 Tray Icon.lnk = C:\Program Files\AOL 9.0\aoltray.exe
O4 - Global Startup: BigFix.lnk = C:\Program Files\BigFix\BigFix.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Norton GoBack.lnk = C:\Program Files\Norton GoBack\GBTray.exe
O4 - Global Startup: restore.bat
O4 - Global Startup: Windows Desktop Search.lnk = C:\Program Files\Windows Desktop Search\WindowsSearch.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Translate English Word - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmwordtrans.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Windows Live Search - res://C:\Program Files\Windows Live Toolbar\msntb.dll/search.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Add to Windows &Live Favorites - http://favorites.live.com/quickadd.aspx
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward Links - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cached Snapshot of Page - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~4\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O8 - Extra context menu item: Similar Pages - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate Page into English - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmtrans.html
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_09\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_09\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\Shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - %windir%\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe (file missing)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - %windir%\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe (file missing)
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O11 - Options group: [INTERNATIONAL] International*
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=http://www.freeserve.co.uk
O16 - DPF: {17492023-C23A-453E-A040-C7C580BBF700} (Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool) - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=39204
O16 - DPF: {215B8138-A3CF-44C5-803F-8226143CFC0A} (Trend Micro ActiveX Scan Agent 6.6) - http://housecall65.trendmicro.com/ho...vex/hcImpl.cab
O16 - DPF: {2250C29C-C5E9-4F55-BE4E-01E45A40FCF1} (CMediaMix Object) - http://musicmix.messenger.msn.com/Medialogic.CAB
O16 - DPF: {54B52E52-8000-4413-BD67-FC7FE24B59F2} (EARTPatchX Class) - http://simcity.ea.com/update/EARTPX.cab
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/microsof...?1150488059718
O16 - DPF: {C36661D7-3590-45B1-80B5-520839E94DAD} (MaxisSimCity4PatcherX Control) - http://simcity.ea.com/update/MaxisSimCity4PatcherX.cab
O16 - DPF: {EF791A6B-FC12-4C68-99EF-FB9E207A39E6} (McFreeScan Class) - http://download.mcafee.com/molbin/is...99/mcfscan.cab
O18 - Protocol: livecall - {828030A1-22C1-4009-854F-8E305202313F} - C:\PROGRA~1\MSNMES~1\MSGRAP~1.DLL
O18 - Protocol: msnim - {828030A1-22C1-4009-854F-8E305202313F} - C:\PROGRA~1\MSNMES~1\MSGRAP~1.DLL
O20 - AppInit_DLLs: C:\PROGRA~1\Google\GOOGLE~1\GOEC62~1.DLL
O20 - Winlogon Notify: WgaLogon - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WgaLogon.dll
O21 - SSODL: WPDShServiceObj - {AAA288BA-9A4C-45B0-95D7-94D524869DB5} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\WPDShServiceObj.dll
O23 - Service: Adobe LM Service - Adobe Systems - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe Systems Shared\Service\Adobelmsvc.exe
O23 - Service: AOL Connectivity Service (AOL ACS) - America Online, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\AOL\ACS\AOLAcsd.exe
O23 - Service: Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUSchedulerSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Internet Security Password Validation (ccISPwdSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\ccPwdSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Network Proxy (ccProxy) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccProxy.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Settings Manager (ccSetMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
O23 - Service: COM Host (comHost) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\comHost.exe
O23 - Service: GoBack Polling Service (GBPoll) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton GoBack\GBPoll.exe
O23 - Service: GhostStartService - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\Norton Ghost 2003\GhostStartService.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: LexBce Server (LexBceS) - Lexmark International, Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\LEXBCES.EXE
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate - Symantec Corporation - C:\PROGRA~1\Symantec\LIVEUP~1\LUCOMS~1.EXE
O23 - Service: Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect Service (navapsvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Norton Protection Center Service (NSCService) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Console\NSCSRVCE.EXE
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec AVScan (SAVScan) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\SAVScan.exe
O23 - Service: ServiceLayer - Nokia. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\PCSuite\Services\ServiceLayer.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Network Drivers Service (SNDSrvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec SPBBCSvc (SPBBCSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Core LC - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe

how fast is your CPU?

Norton itself is most likely the problem - its a huge drain on resources

System idle process is meant to be high - e.g if its 98% that means yo uare only using 2% of your total CPU capacity (system idle is just a placeholder that runs a single basic process in order to keep the system runnng effectively - it doesnt really do anything)

Norton is not doing it because i've always had it and its never done it before. I know System Idle Process is meant to be high, that's what I said.

My CPU is 2.60 GHz.

Your PC is infected with tracking cookies and viruses. Try to scan with AVG trial version( lastest ) and see what it comes up with.

How do you know? I'l scan with AVG and see what comes up though...

Don't you have to pay for AVG to delete the viruses or whatever?

AVG anti spy is free 14 day trial, and will remove with out any charge . and will still work after the 14 days just the real time protection part of it will not .you can still update it and do scans of computer ,
http://filehippo.com/download_avg_antivirus/

You have 30 programs running at startup ,the 04's in the log and a few of them have the power to call home at any given time .

Because I have been actually through all this....

PS: Nice seeing you here Mr. Caperjack, hoping to invade your territory more often

just posting links and giving more info to orignal poster .

Really !! will be watching for you

I dont get this point, maybe you wanted me to post link to trial version of AVG ?
Err...now that sounds scary.. maybe I better stay in my territory -- its much safer there..:cheesy:

helps some people .

lol