How to Fix 100% CPU Resource Usage in WinXP

[Tony Landers]

Since no one in this newsgroup has been replied to
regarding this issue by Microsoft, or any of its
affiliates, I was forced do the legwork myself.

The only way to stop those various programs from eating up
your system's resources (namely, explorer.exe and
svchost.exe) and crashing it is to "completely" re-install
WinXP. I don't mean from the shell. I mean using a boot
disc, going into your BIOS and telling it to boot off of
the WinXP installation disc. You probably did this to
upgrade from WinME.

Just go through the various steps. When it asks you if
you want overwrite the existing operating system, do it.
But don't create a new partition.

A system recovery or anything else of that kind will not
work. More than likely, explorer.exe or svchost.exe were
overwritting by a Trojan horse. None of the popular
virus/adware/spyware checkers can find it--none of them.
It must be a new smart, virus.

The only method that works is to completely re-install a
new copy of WinXP, not merely recover it.

WARNING: You must copy your MyDocuments folder or back it
up first. A new installation of WinXP will delete
everything in that folder, and the installion procedure
will tell you so. MyDocuments is tied to your User
Profile, which will also be deleted.

WARNING: Afterwards, run the two MSBlast security files
from Microsoft's website. Then, install SP1 AND SP1a. In
that order. Not in the reverse. It won't work
otherwise. With broadband, you will get the MSBlast virus
within minutes after you re-install WinXP. So you must
remove MSBlast, then install the patch before install SP1
or SP1a to protect yourself from re-infection.

Also, you will have to re-install all of your programs,
because the new installation will wipe the Registry
clean. Your programs will still be there, but will not
work from the Start Menu and may lose functionality.

Good luck!

-Tony

 

[Tom]

That's nice work man, but what was at 100% cpu usage?

Sorry I must have missed your last posts..

Tom

 

[Guest]

Explorer.exe kept taking up 100% of my CPU's resources.
Others are reporting that svchost.exe is doing the same,
or some other program is doing it. Especially, when they
use WMP, or right click on MyComputer. Their systems and
mine were running like a 386.

It's all the same--a virus. This is the only thing that
will work. I tried everything else. I used McAfee
VirusScan Online, PersonalFirewall, AdAware,
SpywareBlaster, Spybot, Registry Cleaner and HijackThis.
None of them worked. None of them!

You have to start over with a complete re-install of
WinXP. Period.

 

[Tom]

Did you use Stinger?

Tom

Explorer.exe kept taking up 100% of my CPU's resources.
Others are reporting that svchost.exe is doing the same,
or some other program is doing it. Especially, when they
use WMP, or right click on MyComputer. Their systems and
mine were running like a 386.

It's all the same--a virus. This is the only thing that
will work. I tried everything else. I used McAfee
VirusScan Online, PersonalFirewall, AdAware,
SpywareBlaster, Spybot, Registry Cleaner and HijackThis.
None of them worked. None of them!

You have to start over with a complete re-install of
WinXP. Period.

 

[Guest]

It didn't work. Disregard my instructions. I think I
still have a virus somewhere that McAfee VirusScan Online
won't detect.