Hey guys. I've been noticing my VAIO computer sometimes read 100% CPU Usage when I click on the Task Manager. When I go to WinTasks, it doesn't read 100% CPU. It reads 0% CPU Usage. I looked through the Startup List on this site and tried to disable three startup items and they were Reader_sl, GoogleToolbarNotifier, and ctfmon. I knew when I restarted my computer, all three of this would run because I use Microsoft Word quite a bit and Adobe Reader. Clicking on Internet Explorer would enable GoogleToolbarNotifier.

I contacted Sony, told them about my situation, and they gave me a link where I could install the Microsoft QFE (Q833228) to resolve an issue where CPU usage in the Indexing Service increases to 100 percent with computers that use removable storage devices. I was able to download it fine, but when I tried to install it, I get a message that says "Microsoft Windows XP update - QFE833228 requires Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 installed." I went to the Microsoft site and I have Windows XP SP2 running. I e-mailed Sony back and they told me to install a AMIBIOS BIOS Update to see if that would correct the issue. I'm extremely hesitant to do that. I don't want to have to resort to going to the BIOS and updating it.

Could it be my ZoneAlarm firewall or Avast resources hogging my system? I've had ZoneAlarm and Avast for almost two years. I run monthly virus checks and Spybot and didn't find anything. I'm really starting to think it could be the wear and tear of my computer. I've had it for almost five years and I read somewhere that the average age of a computer is 5-7 years.

Thank you for your help,

Erik B.

Why not just do away with the indexing service. Not much of a benefit for being such a resource hog.
Here's info and how to do this-
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/Services/I...ing_Service.htm

For some reason, I already have it unchecked.

I want to point out this and see if this may have something to do with it:

I leave my computer on all day and I shut it off at night. Before, after I was done using the computer, I would shut it off. I did that three times a day. I know that can be pretty bad turning it on and off constantly so I stopped doing that. Could that be the problem? Should I put my computer on Standby instead?

In the Processes tab of Task Manager - which process is using 100% of the CPU? If it's System Idle Process - then this is normally OK. There is malware that will also cause this, but the result is that you won't be able to use the system because of the 100% CPU usage.

It is the System Idle Process. Is there anything that I can do to trim that down or is it not that big of a deal?

Hi!
System Idle Process is no biggy....I don know what it is,lol
But it's good,nothing to worry :-)

That's good to hear. I want my computer to be perfect so that's why I'm a little picky when it comes to that. I doubt I'm the only one that's having this issue.

is the amount of cpu available to use, 99% means nothing else is actively running at the time

start something intensive and you see that using cpu's and idle will decrease

Such as Internet Explorer?

no, IE will use a little cpu when it opens but then turns it loose

something like playing a movie dvd or an avi would keep the cpu in use

a video encoding/conversion is intensive and prolonged

Ah, I see.

Is it pretty common for computers to have 100% CPU usage?

I thought we had covered that already? What part don't you understand?

"Definition of: System Idle Process

An option in the Windows XP Task Manager that indicates what percentage of time the CPU is currently doing nothing but waiting for work. If no applications are running that the user is aware of (although there may always be some tasks running in the background), the percentage can be in the high 90s."

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2...;i=52400,00.asp

I understand everything. I guess it is common for most computers to have 100% CPU Usage based on what you said. I never noticed it until a few days ago. That was all.

In this case the usage really means non-usage. I know Windows can be confusing at times.
I still don't know why when I want to turn off my computer I have to click on the start button first.

Hahaha, good point.

windoze, confuzzzzing?