high cpu usage due to "hardware interrupts"

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Guest

Running vista on 2.8 Ghz Pentium D with 2G of RAM. CPU usage is always >40%.
I've instaled "process explorer" to try to figure this out and it shows
'hardware interrupts" as consuming the bulk of the cpu usage. I don't know
how to proceed from this point and am looking for ideas. Thanks
 
Are you using a flash card in readyboost mode? I've seen that take up about
50% CPU shortly after starting up a computer.
 
no flashcard. cpu usage 40 - 50 % - checked and updated all drivers. Still
states "hardware interrupt " as the bulk of the usage. Any other ideas? JDF
 
OK, a few questions:
Are you on a desktop or a laptop?
Do you have a wireless connection?
Is it an Intel wireless connection?
If you disable the wireless connection (If you have one) does the problem
stop?
Does the CPU use 40% at startup or does it kick in after a set time?

jdfdoc said:
no flashcard. cpu usage 40 - 50 % - checked and updated all drivers.
Still
states "hardware interrupt " as the bulk of the usage. Any other ideas?
JDF
Click to expand...
 
Sounds like you have a rogue piece of hardware and/or a bad driver.
I would suspect network card, modem, video adapter or some add-in
such as a hardware card for RAID or other hard disks if applicable.
 
THanks for your interest. I"ve been out of town and just now got to look at
the posts. Answers: desktop, apple-wireless - disconnected wireless,
keyboard, mouse, printer and camera connection - all without effect on
interrupt status which runs at 30 - 40% of cpu at all times, from startup.
What is a flashcard? THanks again, JDF
 
Do you have the clock Sidebar item running with the seconds showing? I
remember reading an article about how that was generating bajillions of
interrupts. Unfortunately, I can't find the article. Anyway, try turning
off the seconds on the Sidebar's clock display and see if that changes the
number of interrupts generated. I don't know if that will affect the CPU
usage, though.

Dave
 
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