Windows Task Manager / program hogging resources

[NomoneyNohoney]

Running Win7 Pro, and find it runs hot. Looking at Windows Task Manager, I can see that the CPU(s) are running at 100%, which explains sluggish behaviour and heating effects.
Now, I've tried to understand the various details that it shows but I don't understand how I can see which process is taking all the power and perhaps misbehaving.
Can anyone explain how I identify the offending program(s) using Windows Task Manager? Some items have things like % of CPU time which I think is in the direction I need to go, but any help and guidance appreciated.

[doug2500]

Click on 'processes' in the task manager, that will identify which programs are hogging the CPU

My problems begin at this stage because I haven't a clue what 98% of stuff does, so don't know if I can shut them down or not.

[Loir]

Often this problem is your anti-virus overdoing things.
Main culprits are Norton and McAfee but others sometime.
You can check by disabling it. Most have a way to do this with a right click somewhere.
Otherwise uninstall.

Or you can just look for their processes in Task Manager.

Loir

[Ashfordian]

Running Win7 Pro, and find it runs hot. Looking at Windows Task Manager, I can see that the CPU(s) are running at 100%, which explains sluggish behaviour and heating effects.
Now, I've tried to understand the various details that it shows but I don't understand how I can see which process is taking all the power and perhaps misbehaving.
Can anyone explain how I identify the offending program(s) using Windows Task Manager? Some items have things like % of CPU time which I think is in the direction I need to go, but any help and guidance appreciated.

Clicking on the various columns in the Processes(gives an application view) or Details tab(details the actual executable files) allows you to sort via that column.

Doing this should identify which process(es) are causing your computer to run hot.

[NomoneyNohoney]

Clicking on the various columns in the Processes(gives an application view) or Details tab(details the actual executable files) allows you to sort via that column.

Doing this should identify which process(es) are causing your computer to run hot.

That's the exact point I'm not seeing results that I can understand. For example, the programs own stats fluctutate and I can't find a simple listing that says,
"The following programs have used x% of CPU time: Firefox 82%, AntiVirus 10%,Office 7%, Task Manager 1%"
Show me that and I can carry on hunting from there, but as it is, I can't find results like that, or data that I can extrapolate from.

[Breelander]

Running Win7 Pro... Looking at Windows Task Manager...

In Windows 7 by default Task manager only shows processes running as your Username, click the 'Show processes from all users' button to list everything. On the processes tab, click on 'CPU' at the top of the column to sort the processes by percentage CPU time.

If the process you want to investigate has the apparently unhelpful name: 'svchost.exe - Host process for Windows Services' this is a shell that's used to run various services. You can find out exactly which service is being run by each instance of svchost.exe by right-clicking on it and selecting 'Got to Service(s)'. This switches you to Task Manager's Services tab and highlights the service(s) for which it is the host.

[Ashfordian]

Clicking on the various columns in the Processes(gives an application view) or Details tab(details the actual executable files) allows you to sort via that column.

Doing this should identify which process(es) are causing your computer to run hot.

That's the exact point I'm not seeing results that I can understand. For example, the programs own stats fluctutate and I can't find a simple listing that says,
"The following programs have used x% of CPU time: Firefox 82%, AntiVirus 10%,Office 7%, Task Manager 1%"
Show me that and I can carry on hunting from there, but as it is, I can't find results like that, or data that I can extrapolate from.

You are seeing real-time data. *There is no simple list that you require that is easily accessible. You can slow the update down by click View --> Update Speed from the menu bar.

If you do not have one stand-out process consuming 50%+ processor time, it is likely you have 2 or more processes competing for resources which means they are continually taking and then relinquishing processor time. Hence you see the fluctuating data

* You can from within the details tab add a CPU time column (right click on the columns and choose select columns). This details the amount of time that a process is using the CPU for. The problem ones will quickly jump to the top (ignore the System Idle process). If you are viewing this, I would recommend you restart your computer so the data is clean. However, there is a good chance a restart will resolve the issue

[Breelander]

I can't find a simple listing that says,
"The following programs have used x% of CPU time: Firefox 82%, AntiVirus 10%,Office 7%, Task Manager 1%"
Show me that and I can carry on hunting from there..

The tool that shows the running average cpu time for each process is the Resource Monitor. Run RESMON.EXE

[cinelli]

I would be interested to know what Windows experts think of the Process Explorer, an alternative to the task manager. I have been using this for 10 months and find it much superior. It can be downloaded from the Microsoft site. It gives more details and you don't need to tick the box "show all users' processes" because it shows everything by default. Roll the cursor over any process and you are shown what is going on underneath, in particular all those svchost processes.

Cinelli

[Breelander]

I would be interested to know what Windows experts think of the Process Explorer, an alternative to the task manager.

Process Explorer is part of the Sysinternals Suite written by Mark Russinovich. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sys ... 42062.aspx
Yes, a truly excellent tool, you may also find his Process Monitor and Autoruns indispensable tools.

Mark is an acknowledged expert in all things 'Windows NT', so much so that Microsoft now employ him.

Mark Eugene Russinovich (born c. 1966) is CTO of Microsoft Azure. He was a cofounder of software producers Winternals before it was acquired by Microsoft in 2006.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Russinovich

He has a wicked sense of humour, one of my favourites from NT4 days was his BSOD screensaver...

Bluescreen cycles between different Blue Screens and simulated boots every 15 seconds or so. Virtually all the information shown on Bluescreen's BSOD and system start screen is obtained from your system configuration - its accuracy will fool even advanced NT developers. For example, the NT build number, processor revision, loaded drivers and addresses, disk drive characteristics, and memory size are all taken from the system Bluescreen is running on.

Use Bluescreen to amaze your friends and scare your enemies!

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sys ... bluescreen

[shinygoldcar]

Running Win7 Pro, and find it runs hot. Looking at Windows Task Manager, I can see that the CPU(s) are running at 100%, which explains sluggish behaviour and heating effects.

There isn't much I can add to the Windows Task Manager side of things, especially as I don't have a Windows PC open at the moment.
However, there are a couple of things that might help with running hot.
First, is your computer a laptop or desktop?

If it is a laptop, then it may be the battery running hot as well as or instead of the processor. Where is the heat in relation to the components? Even if it isn't the battery, pulling the charger out will make the laptop run in lower power: slowing the CPU but also dimming the screen and things like that. Won't help the sluggishness, but might help against the heating. Won't work if the battery won't hold the charge though.

If it is a desktop, upgrading the fan might help with the cooling. Some of the more specialist PC websites will give airflow stats, noise levels and other comparison items. Make sure you get a fan that's the same size as the one you are replacing (or that the appropriate holes are present for the new fan size).

I had a work Windows 7 laptop a few years ago, and after a few years it started running hot all the time. There really wasn't anything I could do to fix it. I developed workarounds: I bought stripwood from B&Q, sawed it to 2 lengths the depth of the computer and used them to elevate the computer above the desk, I uninstalled everything I didn't need, when I started it up at the beginning of the day I left it on battery power until I got a low battery warning, I shut it down over the lunch break. These all helped, but laptop still did run hot. I was eventually given a new laptop, and the old one sat unused for a couple of years before being given back and re-purposed as a Linux (Ubuntu) PC for a colleague. I don't know if it runs hot with Linux, but I've heard no complaints from my colleague. If I remember, with Windows 7 it got hot even with no applications open.

[XFool]

What a shame, that screensaver REALLY does crash my Win 7 laptop!

Like the man said - He has a WICKED sense of humour.

[shinygoldcar]

Someone I know posted this on facebook:

Windows 7 laptop fan running permanently high? Try this: open start menu, type 'services' and open 'Services', scroll down to a service called 'Windows update' and double click to open. Click stop and close the box. Does the fan slow down? Apparently versions of this program have a memory leak. This is an important program so it should be restarted (reopen it and click start).
There is an update available. It's discussed here:

He then provides this link, which doesn't tell you what to do, but identifies that some versions of Windows Update hog memory, and is followed by a lot of ranting: https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comme ... h=b4c862d9

It's worth stopping the program for a bit to see if it helps, but like my facebook friend says, you will want to restart it.

[NomoneyNohoney]

Gave up trying to diagnose it. Reinstalled Windows and reintroduced programs, checking effects as I went. All now good and problem-free.
Thanks all.

[bungeejumper]

I've almost given up trying to understand this issue, but yes, I've had the same problem with disk thrashing and CPU at 100%. The only answer I've been able to come up with is to switch the computer off cold every four or five days and then power up again. That seems to settle its stomach.

I never had this problem with XP or Windows 7. But then, I never had those black screens going on for five minutes at a time, either. (Especially after the early-month updates.) Sometimes I think Windows 10 should come with a health warning.

BJ

[Slarti]

I've almost given up trying to understand this issue, but yes, I've had the same problem with disk thrashing and CPU at 100%. The only answer I've been able to come up with is to switch the computer off cold every four or five days and then power up again. That seems to settle its stomach.

I never had this problem with XP or Windows 7. But then, I never had those black screens going on for five minutes at a time, either. (Especially after the early-month updates.) Sometimes I think Windows 10 should come with a health warning.

BJ

You have turned off the option to be a server to other people wanting to update their Win10, haven't you. Since the last update that is.

Slarti

[NomoneyNohoney]

I've almost given up trying to understand this issue, but ...
I never had this problem with XP or Windows 7..

BJ

My problem was with Win7 fyi

[AJC5001]

Gave up trying to diagnose it. Reinstalled Windows and reintroduced programs, checking effects as I went. All now good and problem-free.
Thanks all.

Have you tried checking for updates?

Alternatively, see what happens when the next lot of 'Tuesday' updates are issued.

Adrian