Why is th e System Idle Process Running at 100% CPU?

Question

Hi, I have been having a problem with my computer running extremely slow because of the system idle process using my full CPU. My computer is going so slow that right now, as I am typing this question, I have to wait 30 seconds for the letters to appear. Also, it took 18 minutes to open google chrome, a fast new browser from mac, windows, and linux.

Update:

I keep up with regular maintainance all of the time. I perform an optimized defrag every week, and I have Norton 360, so there is not a chance of me having a virus. I dont even have to open task manager to make the cpu usage go up. It goes up when i open any program. Please tell me what this could be and how I may be able to fix it.

Thanks for the help, my fellow Yahoo!ers

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

Forget system idle process. That means your chip ISN'T doing stuff.

You need to check your commit charge, and your available RAM and your drive space.

A drive that is 85% fill is full.

RAM... Do you have ANY svchost processes using more than 100megs? If so, kill it.

My guess is that you have too much schloink runnning in the background.

You can use msconfig to take care of the gobs and gobs of startup services and programs that get stuck in your system over time.

Norton 360 is a PIG. A big honking porker which is slow to swat flies... could be eating a LOT of ram.

Answer 2

System Idle Process High Cpu

Source(s): https://shrink.im/a9cuq

Answer 3

System Idle Process High Windows 7

Source(s): https://shrinks.im/a9jPr

Answer 4

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The system Idle process is supposed to take up the remaining CPU cycles. It is the IDLE process. Meaning that it is the process that is run while the CPU is idling. Iexplore often uses MUCH MUCH more memory than the 85,000kb you listed. It's actual memory usage all depends on how many pages you have open, and how much stuff is on that page. For example, I have Internet Explorer (Iexplore) open with 3 tabs and it is using 81,734kb of memory. Everything you have just described is completely normal.

Answer 5

There is actually no System Idle Process - task manager lists that to show how much free CPU time there is.

So, if the CPU is basically idle then there is something causing issues in your system.

Source(s): http://www.answers.com/topic/system-idle-process

Answer 6

Well you definately need to catch up with maintance... I have to wait a few seconds to see if I made a typo. It needs to be deafrgged, and it depends on your RAM,CPU, how much space are you using and WHAT/WHY is using your CPU at 100%.!!

Are you 100% Malware free? (I doubt that a little..) DO you have only 2 or 3 items running in task bar and on startup or MORE?? Also- if you have Svchost. in your task manager you may have ALOT of them?? There is common mistake people make after they re-install windows,, that causes this...but I dont kno how long you've had the issue?

Source(s): http://winxp76.webs.com/

Answer 7

the system idle process is basically what the CPU does when its got nothing else to do. when your CPU usage is at zero the system idle process will be at 100 or 99. your computers speed could be from a fragmented hard drive or a virus

Answer 8

Your system Idle process is the task manager. It only maintains a huge chunk of your CPU because you have it up and running to look at system useage. It gives the computer something to do while it's doing nothing.

Slow computers usually have viruses or spyware to blame for their inability to perform well. I would first run your AV/Spyware program at full deep scan. Second, run Disk Cleanup. Third run a defrag of your computer. If this still doesn't speed your pc up, look into upgrading your RAM.

Answer 9

Problem is not because of the system idle process, if that process shows 100% that means nothing is happening on your computer, the processor is idle.

Answer 10

I have the same problem and do the same with maintaining have had norton installed since I bought it, it took me one hour before i could do anything today after all the updates