I've had my current desktop (32 bit XP Pro SP3, Core 2 Duo 2.4MHz, 2 GB RAM) for about 3 years. It seems to be getting slower despite doing all the usual rookie cleaning tasks (using WinOptimiser 6). Idly looking ast the Windows Task Manager I noticed that the CPUs seem to be working hard even when nothing much is going on. Specifically "SYSTEM" (whatever that is) seems to permanently be using 50+% of CPU resources so that one of the CPUs is always running at 100% or close to it. If I actually do something then it's not difficult to run up to 100% usage of CPU capacity (particularly if it's video processing related). There are lots of background processes running but according to the Task Manager (says there are 84 processes running with 1185 threads) they are not using CPU capacity (but obviously use some memory).I run BitDefender Internet Security 2010 on the machine and regularly scan the system for nasties. I'm technically reasonably savvy but it's beyond my capacity to know if this is normal or indeed what is causing the machine's sluggishness. Can anyone help me?N.B. Please don't tell me to eliminate some of the background processes because as far as I can see you need to be some kind of Wizard to work out what each is and whether it's important!!2 people need an answerI do too

although you don't want to be told to eliminate some of the background processes, what choice do you have if you have too many processes running?so my suggestion is to boot into safe mode.if the performance is much better in safe mode, then it is clear you have unneeded services and programs running in normal mode.so while in safe mode you can execute a process called "clean boot".keep in mind that when you initially installed windows it was likely performing very well. however over time people load other programs into windows and sometimes they bog down the operating system.so if normal mode's performance is improved after a clean boot, then you will simply have to do due diligence and figure "which" services and programs are causing the poor performance.another thing you can try is to set the pagefile / virtual memory to a set size. setting it to a set size will relieve the o.s. from making the decision to automatically expand the pagefile.if you wan't to try setting the pagefile to a custom size, then enter the virtual memory properties page.ensure you have only "1" page file and set it to initial 2 and max 1150. although 1150 is an odd number however, it is highly unlikely you will ever use that much page file anyways.db`...> DatabaseBen, Retired Professional - Systems Analyst - Database Developer - Accountancy - Veteran of the Armed Forces - @Hotmail.com "share the nirvana mann" - dbZen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >

Thanks for that. *Sigh*. Hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow to do the safe mode boot etc.. I've checked the virtual memory settings and it's currently set to Custom Size, Initial Size 2046 and Max size 4092 (MB) with 2046 currently allocated. System managed size button is not selected. There is only one page file (on the C drive).My real concern is identifying the background system processes. How do I tell what the endless svchost.exe are. What is CDAC11BA.EXE? or csrss.exe, or ijplmsvc.exe or KService.exe etc etc etc?! Is there a key somewhere that tells me what these are and if they are vital to the system or just clutter?! (Yes I detect real panic building?)

OK. So I've been fiddling in Safe Mode and of course the machine is lightning quick (just annoying that everything is scaled too large). However, I can't work out how to do the "clean boot". Can you give me a pointer? Thanks.

"WokingWounded" wrote in message news:cc15602f-25bb-44dd-bc75-81b6085fc093...> OK. So I've been fiddling in Safe Mode and of course the machine is > lightning quick (just annoying that everything is scaled too large). > However, I can't work out how to do the "clean boot". Can you give me a > pointer? Thanks. use MSCONFIG - set to Diagnostic boot -- Noel Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi | CrashFixPC

"WokingWounded" wrote in messagenews:cc15602f-25bb-44dd-bc75-81b6085fc093...> OK. So I've been fiddling in Safe Mode and of course the machine is> lightning quick (just annoying that everything is scaled too large).> However, I can't work out how to do the "clean boot". Can you give me a> pointer? Thanks. use MSCONFIG - set to Diagnostic boot --Noel Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi | CrashFixPCThanks. And I won't let them wear me down!!

"WokingWounded" wrote in message news:5ccf90b7-ca69-4ea5-89eb-d6819434bba2... > Thanks. And I won't let them wear me down!!> <g>You're welcome .... I adopted the phrase many moons ago when I first joined the MS Newsgroups (which they start shutting down on Tuesday)... I need it now - see foot.crashfixpc.co.uk -- Noel Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi | CrashFixPC

OK. So I've been going crazy working through and trying to identify start-up progarammes, other processes (endless ones working in svchost.exe) etc. and disabling those that seem uneccessary. This had little impact on the problem. Then I came across a free utility called MS Process Explorer by Sysinternals. Wow! This is like Task Manager on steroids and suddenly the whole background process becomes completely transparent. I found that there was a process running in the system under snapman.sys which was using 50% of the CPU resource all by itself! Googling this I find it is something to do with Acronis True Image 2009 which I have loaded and use for daily automated backups. I've no idea why it's so resource hungry but I've started a thread in the Acronis forum and will see what happens. In the meantime I have suspended the snapman background thread and will see what impact it has on tonight's automated back-up (already my System Idle Process CPU reading has gone from virtually nothing to 75%).

OK. So I've been going crazy working through and trying to identify start-up progarammes, other processes (endless ones working in svchost.exe) etc. and disabling those that seem uneccessary. This had little impact on the problem. Then I came across a free utility called MS Process Explorer by Sysinternals. Wow! This is like Task Manager on steroids and suddenly the whole background process becomes completely transparent. I found that there was a process running in the system under snapman.sys which was using 50% of the CPU resource all by itself! Googling this I find it is something to do with Acronis True Image 2009 which I have loaded and use for daily automated backups. I've no idea why it's so resource hungry but I've started a thread in the Acronis forum and will see what happens. In the meantime I have suspended the snapman background thread and will see what impact it has on tonight's automated back-up (already my System Idle Process CPU reading has gone from virtually nothing to 75%).well, not all software is compatiable with all computers.what we should not overlook is "ground zero", sort of speakingunless there is an issue with hardware, when windows is first installed on a blank disk the computer is lightning fast.as time and curiosity progresses, software is installed in windows and the cpu works a little harder until it eventually becomes overwhelmed.what is also a problem is that when bad software is uninstalled it usually leaves services, files and registry keys behind.i think you are doing a pretty good job at trying to find the culprit(s) that is inhibiting performance.there are simply too many variables involved for us on this side of the fence to figure out.at best, the first and primary method is to analyze the performance of windows in safe mode.if performance is safe mode is better, then we at least know that the core system files are not corrupted.in any case, we would be highly interested of your discoveries. db`...> DatabaseBen, Retired Professional - Systems Analyst - Database Developer - Accountancy - Veteran of the Armed Forces - @Hotmail.com "share the nirvana mann" - dbZen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >

"WokingWounded" wrote in message news:ac7aabc4-23a6-41da-ad9f-0c66e86b1a0a...OK. So I've been going crazy working through and trying to identify start-up progarammes, other processes (endless ones working in svchost.exe) etc. and disabling those that seem uneccessary. This had little impact on the problem. Then I came across a free utility called MS Process Explorer by Sysinternals. Wow! This is like Task Manager on steroids and suddenly the whole background process becomes completely transparent. I found that there was a process running in the system under snapman.sys which was using 50% of the CPU resource all by itself! Googling this I find it is something to do with Acronis True Image 2009 which I have loaded and use for daily automated backups. I've no idea why it's so resource hungry but I've started a thread in the Acronis forum and will see what happens. In the meantime I have suspended the snapman background thread and will see what impact it has on tonight's automated back-up (already my System Idle Process CPU reading has gone from virtually nothing to 75%). Well done for finding Autoruns - I generally avoid recommending it simply because the temptation to fiddle where one shouldn't is too much for many :) MSCONFIG does nothing permanent, so everything can be reversed at the click of a button, and the user is protected from themselves.Interesting - Acronis is highly-regarded, and I can only think that there's a conflict with some other piece of software (AV's would come high on the list of suspects).-- Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi | CrashFixPC

Well, the Acronis backup seems to have run OK last night in the absence of the snapman process running. However, I've decided not to kill itpermanently because I have found threads elsewhere documenting permanent deletion resulting in the PC becoming incapable of rebooting - rather drastic. Until I get some chat from Acronis I shall confine myself to letting the process auto run on boot and then suspending it - a simple task with Process Explorer.However. (there's always a however!) With my CPU chuntling along now with 80% free capacity I still find that web pages are slow to display. I normally have Firefox (with many tabs, say 20) and Outlook running which most of the time peak at 15-20% CPU usage, so that's not a problem. Firefox can use up to 800,000K and Outlook up to 300,000K memory - would that be an issue causing the slowness or do I have to blame the virus software (BitDefender) or the router?BTW, this whole process has demonstrated how unsatisfactory the Windows uninstall from the Add/Remove programs can be. I've been using Your Uninstall and Revo Uninstall instead. Both seem pretty good at uninstalling and finding the appropriate files and registry entries to clean. Your Uninstall has a more user friendly interface but is shareware and the 21 day free trial version needs to be closed and reopened every two uninstalls (to make it a pain and encourage users to pay for the unencumbered version!). Revo has a less pretty front end but is free.

"WokingWounded" wrote in message news:64837e54-37a1-4cad-bf2d-9c479e487353...Well, the Acronis backup seems to have run OK last night in the absence of the snapman process running. However, I've decided not to kill itpermanently because I have found threads elsewhere documenting permanent deletion resulting in the PC becoming incapable of rebooting - rather drastic. Until I get some chat from Acronis I shall confine myself to letting the process auto run on boot and then suspending it - a simple task with Process Explorer.However. (there's always a however!) With my CPU chuntling along now with 80% free capacity I still find that web pages are slow to display. I normally have Firefox (with many tabs, say 20) and Outlook running which most of the time peak at 15-20% CPU usage, so that's not a problem. Firefox can use up to 800,000K and Outlook up to 300,000K memory - would that be an issue causing the slowness or do I have to blame the virus software (BitDefender) or the router?BTW, this whole process has demonstrated how unsatisfactory the Windows uninstall from the Add/Remove programs can be. I've been using Your Uninstall and Revo Uninstall instead. Both seem pretty good at uninstalling and finding the appropriate files and registry entries to clean. Your Uninstall has a more user friendly interface but is shareware and the 21 day free trial version needs to be closed and reopened every two uninstalls (to make it a pain and encourage users to pay for the unencumbered version!). Revo has a less pretty front end but is free.Frequently, the problems with uninstallers are because they are badly written by the software producers - for which there is no excuse - or the program itself creates either entries in the registry, or files/folders in folders, that aren't documented in the installer, and therefore not removed by the uninstaller.Some of the worst cases of the former were for many years any of the Norton products - it frequently seemed that they left more behind that was installed in the first place! There are so many examples of the latter it's not worth naming one :). The advantage that Revo and the like have is that they know the user is after completeness, rather than speed, so they take the time to scan for links, subsidiary files and folders, and registry entries before doing the uninstall, and then removing the remaining stuff at the end (or at least that's my understanding - it could well be wrong! As far as IE is concerned - that question is best put in an IE forum, rather than here. I claim no 'real' knowledge of IE and its foibles (which are many). Good Luck with Acronis - let us know if you find a solution, or manage to force a path out of them! (I just re-read that, and realised it sounds cynical - but it's not meant that way!) HTH-- Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi | CrashFixPC