Windows Explorer ate my CPU alive!

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Guest

I'm pretty sure this has happened to one person or another running Windows
Vista. I have a pretty standard computer, well equipped for Windows Vista
(1024MB Hard Disk, 2.1GHz Processor, the whole nine yards...). Yet sometimes
when doing my work, I notice my computer slows down a great lot!

I hit CTRL+ALT+DEL to go to Task Manager, and I see that Windows Explorer is
using all 100% of my CPU! So I force close it and open it back up again. Then
a few days later, the same thing happens. Note, this occurs no matter what
program I'm using. I could be playing a game, doing computer programming or
surfing the web! It just suddenly happens. What I want to know is WHY and HOW?
 
So what you're saying is that when Windows Explorer takes too much CPU time,
it is because of another process that is busy?
 
I downloaded Process Explorer and even that program is telling me that
Windows Explorer is using between 89%-100% of my CPU. It's doing it as I type
right now.
All my other processes are using 0%-1.15% of my CPU. I really think it is a
problem concerning Windows Explorer and not the processes it houses as a
shell extension.
 
Hi,

Windows Explorer uses many of the same files and processes as Internet
Explorer. Often, plugins/addons from IE cause odd behavior in Windows
Explorer. Try going in to the Control Panel/Internet Options/Programs tab
and get into 'manage addons' and start disabling those that load with IE.

By the way, you don't have Norton/Symantec installed, do you?

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
Hi,

Windows Explorer uses many of the same files and processes as Internet
Explorer. Often, plugins/addons from IE cause odd behavior in Windows
Explorer. Try going in to the Control Panel/Internet Options/Programs tab
and get into 'manage addons' and start disabling those that load with IE.

By the way, you don't have Norton/Symantec installed, do you?
Click to expand...

Don't forget all those damned add-on toolbars! Some have clock, temp,
etc, etc things that auto check constantly!
 
I understand this, but if such was the case, then both Internet Explorer and
Windows Explorer would be eating my CPU alive. Internet Explorer 99% of the
time works fine...
 
But I don't know any other causes than Windows Explorer. Like I said, no
other program on my computer when this happens uses more than 5% of my CPU.
 
I mean that *something* must be causing explorer.exe to act this way, you
need to eliminate possible causes.

Didn't answer my question about Symantec - it's known to cause all sorts of
system issues. If it's install, my first recommendation is to uninstall it.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
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