B
Bruce Garlock
I have a Gateway XP pro machine that exhibits behavior that baffles me.
For the third time since I had my machine (9 months or so) I am faced with a
worm-like slow machine. Every keystroke, mouse click, and other routing
tasks, within every software package in use, as well as maneuvering around
the dssktop or in Windows Explorer must wait for some background processing
to conclude before it actually happens. I have checked the performance tab
of the Windows Task Manager and find the following: typically the CPU usage
hovers around 2-4%, but then, like clockwork, every 3 or 4 seconds there is
a distinct spike that shows the CPU usage shooting up to between 65% and
100%. I am sure that whatever is causing this spike is the culprit behind
the slow response of my machine. THe graphs of this look remarkably like
that of a heart monitor.
IN the past, twice, under the email guidance from Gateway I have reinstalled
XP onto my machine. Both times the snails pace of my machine has
disappeared.
Formerly (after the first two times) I concluded (educated gueess only) that
the culprit software was a game that one of my children uses: Robot Arena.
I have since banned the use of that software in hopes of preventing a
recurrence. Which brings me to this evening. The problem is back and I
don't believe the anyone was using Robot Arena. Is there any logical way to
determine what software or process is behind this phenomonon? I would like
to nip this in the bud for good.
Cany someone help?
Bruce Garlock
For the third time since I had my machine (9 months or so) I am faced with a
worm-like slow machine. Every keystroke, mouse click, and other routing
tasks, within every software package in use, as well as maneuvering around
the dssktop or in Windows Explorer must wait for some background processing
to conclude before it actually happens. I have checked the performance tab
of the Windows Task Manager and find the following: typically the CPU usage
hovers around 2-4%, but then, like clockwork, every 3 or 4 seconds there is
a distinct spike that shows the CPU usage shooting up to between 65% and
100%. I am sure that whatever is causing this spike is the culprit behind
the slow response of my machine. THe graphs of this look remarkably like
that of a heart monitor.
IN the past, twice, under the email guidance from Gateway I have reinstalled
XP onto my machine. Both times the snails pace of my machine has
disappeared.
Formerly (after the first two times) I concluded (educated gueess only) that
the culprit software was a game that one of my children uses: Robot Arena.
I have since banned the use of that software in hopes of preventing a
recurrence. Which brings me to this evening. The problem is back and I
don't believe the anyone was using Robot Arena. Is there any logical way to
determine what software or process is behind this phenomonon? I would like
to nip this in the bud for good.
Cany someone help?
Bruce Garlock
