I have a Pentium 4 based computer running windows xp media center addition. I am sharing files with my x-box 360 , mostly video files. I have an external drive that i keep all my media on. When i load new media on to me x-drive a have to go into windows media player eleven and update my library so the new videos will show up when I open the video application on my xbox. Yesterday i went to do this process, which has been working without problem since i started video sharing, and my cpu usage shoots up to 100%. My "add to library" in wmp11 slows down to a crawl and my menu bar keeps popping up with "System Resources Low" warning. I didn't change any preferences, i didn't touch anything, it just started to happen. Did i get a virus or is something else in my computer going wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks




roninknife

Open Windows Task Manager by pressing Alt + Ctrl + Del, click the Performance tab, and post your PF Usage on your next reply.

You can download and use Process Explorer or Glarysoft Process Manager to investigate all running processes and gather additional information to identify and resolve problems. These tools will show the process CPU usage, a description and its path location. If you right-click on the file in question and select properties, you will see more details about the file.

I am running WMP11, updating my library. My CPU usage is at 100%(system resources low), and my pf usage is 427 MB.

Yesterday, i added a few more videos to my external hard drive, then i updated them to my library, i had the same symptoms with my cpu usage, but wmp11 didn't freeze and was able to complete that application. So i turn on my xbox360 to watch my newly installed videos and the xbox is unable to see my hard drive. It recognizes my computer and the other drives that i am sharing but it doesn't see my x drive. I spent another two hours trying to fix it but it didn't work, so i just transcoded them through the media center extender. It seems like things are getting worse with the processes involving the xbox and wmp11.



RK

Did i not give the right info. Is anyone still helping me?
rk

I'm still not clear from your postings what process is related to the high CPU usage. Is it WMP11 or something else? Did you download and use Process Explorer to investigate?

So far, from what you describe, this does not appear to be a malware related issue.

The Process that is causing the draw of CPU usage is from something called wmpnetwk.exe.

right now it is only drawing between 8 and 11% but out if nowhere it will jump to 100% and my whole system slows to a crawl. And then the SYSTEM RESOURCES LOW bubble pops up.

I just posted another topic because I have been having more problems, i don't know if they are related, but my other topic is "Quickbooks wont open".

Oh Yeah, and my computer is randomly rebooting itself.

RK

wmpnetwk.exe is the main executable for Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. When doing a search, there seems to be a lot of complaints of it utilizing high cpu resources so you may want to turn it off.

• Click on Start > Run and type: services.msc
• Press OK.
• Click the "Extended tab" at the bottom to view all the info on your services.
• Scroll down the list and find the service called WMPNetworkSvc.
• When you find the service, double-click on it or right-click and choose "Properties".
• In the Properties Window > General Tab that opens, click the "Stop" button.
• From the drop-down menu next to "Startup Type", click on "Disabled".
• Click "Apply", then "OK" and close any open windows.

Rebooting problems could be malware related or they could be due to hardware or overheating problems caused by a failed processor fan, bad memory (RAM), failing power supply, underpowered power supply, CPU overheating, motherboard, video card, faulty drivers, BIOS and firmware problems, dirty hardware, etc. If the computer is overheating, it usually begins to restart on a more regular basis. If your not finding any malware then its sounds like one of the latter problems.

When was the last time you cleaned the inside of your computer? Dust restricts the airflow and prevents proper cooling. This in turn can cause overheating and faulty processor fans which can result in unexpected shutdowns, random restarts, booting problems, etc.

• Open your machine, check all the connections and make sure the fans are all operational.
• Check the heat sink on the processor to ensure it is not blocked with dust or debris.
• Remove the CPU's cooling unit and clean the fins on the heat sink that sits under the CPU with a can of compressed air.
• Inspect the thermal compound between the CPU and heatsink as it can break down over time so.
• Remove the cards and RAM modules, clean the contacts and reseat them.
• Feel the CPU heatsink when it powers down. It should be warm to very warm but not hot.
• Monitor the temperature of your CPU, motherboard, hard disks, voltages, and fan speeds.

See "Cleaning the Interior of your PC" and "General Cleaning Tricks & Tips".

Some video cards run so hot that they have their own cooling system. If the fan fails, the video processor will not be far behind and your system may start crashing. If that is the case see "Illustrated How to Replace an AGP Video Card" and "10 things to know before buying a video card".

In Windows XP, the default setting is for the computer to reboot automatically when a fatal error or crash occurs. You should be able to see the error by looking in the Event Log. Read "How To Use the Event Viewer Applet". You can then gather more information doing a search of the Event ID number at:
"EventID.Net"
"MonitorWare EventID Database"
"Windows Security Log Events".
"Events and Errors Message Center".

An alternative is to turn off the automatic reboot feature so you can actually see the error code/STOP Message when it happens - this is also known as the Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD).

To change the recovery settings and Disable Automatic Rebooting, go to Start > Run and type: sysdm.cpl
Click Ok or just press WINKEY + Pause/Break keys to bring up System Properties.

• Go to the Advanced tab and under "Startup and Recovery", click on the "Settings" button and go to "System failure".
• Make sure "Write an event to the system log" is checked and that "Automatically restart" is UNchecked.
• Click "OK" and reboot for the changes to take effect.

Doing this won't cure your problem but instead of crashing and restarting you will get a blue diagnostic screen with an error code and other information that will allow you to better trace your problem. You can use Google to search the error code or use the links below to investigate and troubleshoot.

"Extract troubleshooting info from Windows XP BSOD error messages".
"How to Find BSOD Error Messages".
"Events and Errors Message Center".
"Windows XP Professional Error Messages".
"Troubleshooting Windows Stop Messages".

Other Troubleshooting Tools:

Download and run Motherboard Monitor 5. If Motherboard Monitor's seems to be reporting high temperatures for your CPU check to see what your max CPU temp is from here.

You can also use NextSensor to check temperature and voltage or SpeedFan to monitor voltages, fan speed, SMART status, and temperatures. SpeedFan can help you investigate the reasons for an unpredictable reboot or for a failing hard disk as well as whether you are likely to experience temperature related issues.

There are suggestions for troubleshooting power supply, video card, CPU, RAM, MB and hard drive here and here.

You can use BurnInTest to stress test the CPU, hard drives, RAM, CD-ROMs, CD burners, DVDs, sound cards, graphics, network connection, printers, video playback. This utility works on all Windows versions to include Vista (32-bit & 64-bit).

Another option is to use Microsoft's Online Crash Analysis. The Windows Memory Diagnostic tests the RAM for errors with a comprehensive set of diagnostic memory tests or you can test your RAM with either of the following tools:

• Memtest86+ and follow the instructions to Diagnose with Memtest86+.
Once a bootable disk is made, just leave it in the drive and reboot your computer. However, before rebooting, you need to enter the BIOS setup and make sure that the Boot Order is set so that your first boot device is either the floppy drive or the CD-ROM drive, depending on which type of disk you made. If necessary, change the boot order, save your changes, and exit Setup. When the machine restarts it should boot from your Memtest disk, and the program will start automatically.

• Memtest86.
Download ISO images for creating a bootable Memtest86 CD-ROM or an installable from Windows/DOS to create a bootable floppy disk or usb flash drive. Read the directions under Technical Info and allow Memtest86 to run through the entire battery of tests for at least 4 full passes (or let it run overnight). Any errors indicate that there is likely a problem with your physical memory (RAM).

Note" If you need to replace your RAM and unsure what type you current have, then use the Crucial System Scanner.

Finally, look for problem entries in Device Manager and check if updates are available for your drivers.