Hi all,


On our latest batch of Windows XP machines the users have been complaining about a constant refresh while working in Windows Explorer. If you leave the mouse still for a second the eggtimer will flash and then go away. This will happen every half second or so, but it is rather erratic. If we open the task manager and check the processes that are running, everytime the eggtimer shows there is a spike in the graph. I have watched the spike corresponds with the Windows explorer process taking anything between 3 and 7 % resources and then just dropping off. System idle is at 99% until this happens. It really is an annoyance! Has anyone else experienced this? We are using Dell Optiplex 745 systems with 1GB of Ram and a Core2 duo CPU. 256MB ATI X1300 pro. thanks Ian

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

How does it behave if you boot to Safe Mode with Networking? If better then something is starting at boot that is causing the problem. Try the following:

First, physically disconnect from the Internet to prevent a malware infection while 
your Anti-virus and/or Firewall are disabled in the following steps, then do a normal 
boot:

Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter.
Click on the Startup tab and disable everything.
Do a regular  boot, see if it runs normal.
If yes then use msconfig to enable several items at a time till you find the culprit.

If no, click on the Services tab. Check the Hide All Microsoft Services box 
then disable what's left.
Again, do a regular  boot, see if it runs normal.
If yes then use msconfig to enable services till you find the culprit.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Typical scenerios I have come across.  Work or school computers can have spy software 
installed where there are screen shots/keylogging and system state recordings being 
done at certian intervals.  The only visible evidence was spiking in the CPU activity. 
 If it can't be attributed to any other cause due to an MS service that normally 
runs in the operating system, you must consider spying, which is legal if you don't 
personally own the machine.  Other scenerios are that there is illegal spyware/malware/loggers 
installed.  I hope that isn't the case but it isn't all that uncommon.







On Thursday, August 30, 2007 at 2:07 am, Ian Davy wrote:

>Hi all,
 

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

OK, so thank you to all who responded to the thread. I have today found out that the issue only occurs when the user is working on a shared resource. As soon as I disconnect the machine from the network it stops happening. Does anyone know of anything in the network settings that may cause this. By the way this is not just 1 machine we are talking about. So far we have installed approximatly 100 of these XP Pro SP2 machines and all of them do this! I have been through the start-up, disabled everything none-windows related and still have the same problem. I have not stopped the windows services yet, will do this later today and give it a go. Regards Ian


On Thursday, August 30, 2007 at 7:13 am, Rich Kurtz wrote:
>How does it behave if you boot to Safe Mode with Networking? If better then something
>is starting at boot that is causing the problem. Try the following:
>
>First, physically disconnect from the Internet to prevent a malware infection while
>your Anti-virus and/or Firewall are disabled in the following steps, then do a normal
>boot:
>
>Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter.
>Click on the Startup tab and disable everything.
>Do a regular boot, see if it runs normal.
>If yes then use msconfig to enable several items at a time till you find the culprit.
>
>If no, click on the Services tab. Check the Hide All Microsoft Services box
>then disable what's left.
>Again, do a regular boot, see if it runs normal.
>If yes then use msconfig to enable services till you find the culprit.
>
>Reconnect to the Internet when done.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

This kind of annoyance is usually shell (desktop or Workplace Shell) extension/enhancement related, so give ShellExView a try. Disable the pink (non-Microsoft) processes one at a time and see if the problem goes away.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

• Search this forum
• Start a new thread on a different subject

• Report abuse of the forum