System Idle Process: System Interupts
Hallo,
One has met a rather annoying problem with his computer:
Intel Pentium M 740 Processor (1.73GHz, 533MHz FSBm 2MB L2 cache)
512MB DDR2
(For your information)
Well as of about a week ago I discovered that music on my computer was playing oddly. That is, it was 'lagging' and playing at a half tempo speed. As this sounded quite strainge it was the first indercation to me that I had a problem. Even though there were nothing preventing me from using my computer at the time.
However the problem continued when I logged on a few days later. I tried a reboot and then running Process Explorer to check if some spyware or worm or other program was using up my CPU thus causing the machine to lag (even though at 100% even the music player won't lag like this).
Running Process Explorer told me that my CPU was being stolen by a program running in the System Idle Processes called System Interupts.
Currently it uses up between 50% and 95% of the CPU even when the machine is running no (/very few) explorer programs. Not only that it's not constant, but a peaking lag. Meaning that any program that is running is getting intermitant lag as the processor gets interupts.
Now my little understanding of computers suggests to me that somthing in the timer setting for excuting commands through the processor might be at fault. Either that or there is a hardware problem with the CPU microprocessor.
However as this fault occured from start up that suggests to me it's no a software or system settings problem, however if it is a hardware problem or an OS problem then I have no knowledge of how to test this or how I would go about fixing it.
I have contemplated a reinstall of Windows XP or Linex to check if the error is will some corrupt OS file, but advice from a friend (computer technician) suggested that an OS fault was least likely of the two problems, if indeed that was the fault.
Therefore I ask here, how does one stop/reduce the System Interupt processes going through the CPU therefore getting my system to run at a decent rate again.
Cheers,
EpicFail
One has met a rather annoying problem with his computer:
Intel Pentium M 740 Processor (1.73GHz, 533MHz FSBm 2MB L2 cache)
512MB DDR2
(For your information)
Well as of about a week ago I discovered that music on my computer was playing oddly. That is, it was 'lagging' and playing at a half tempo speed. As this sounded quite strainge it was the first indercation to me that I had a problem. Even though there were nothing preventing me from using my computer at the time.
However the problem continued when I logged on a few days later. I tried a reboot and then running Process Explorer to check if some spyware or worm or other program was using up my CPU thus causing the machine to lag (even though at 100% even the music player won't lag like this).
Running Process Explorer told me that my CPU was being stolen by a program running in the System Idle Processes called System Interupts.
Currently it uses up between 50% and 95% of the CPU even when the machine is running no (/very few) explorer programs. Not only that it's not constant, but a peaking lag. Meaning that any program that is running is getting intermitant lag as the processor gets interupts.
Now my little understanding of computers suggests to me that somthing in the timer setting for excuting commands through the processor might be at fault. Either that or there is a hardware problem with the CPU microprocessor.
However as this fault occured from start up that suggests to me it's no a software or system settings problem, however if it is a hardware problem or an OS problem then I have no knowledge of how to test this or how I would go about fixing it.
I have contemplated a reinstall of Windows XP or Linex to check if the error is will some corrupt OS file, but advice from a friend (computer technician) suggested that an OS fault was least likely of the two problems, if indeed that was the fault.
Therefore I ask here, how does one stop/reduce the System Interupt processes going through the CPU therefore getting my system to run at a decent rate again.
Cheers,
EpicFail
0
Comments
What kind of soundcard are you using? Have you reinstalled the drivers? Are all files lagging or just certain ones?
Not sure I should have replied to this, expecting the amzing solves all problems software link to come along soon.
I know that the System Idle Process doesn't steal my CPU cycles. But the System Interrupts is. Here;
As you can see 'System Interrupts' is taken up ~70% of my CPU time. I know this isn't normal as I've never seen it actually be enough to take a value in the past.
Also It's nothing to do with the Soundcard or Soundcard Drivers. That was just what alerted me in the first case as music is a realtime processing activity, therefore any lag in the processor cycles shows itself straight away. (The proof is that ANY/EVERY program is having general lag).
But all advice is appreciated,
EpicFail
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrupt_request
Oh and nothing is realtime in a computer.
Well even though there is no evidence pointing towards video or sound driver problems I checked them anyhow to be sure and they are fine. But considering ANY and EVERY program is being interrupted and running slow then it doesn't appear that my Sound or Graphics Card is responsible for all the processing in my machine.
Thanks for the advice, but it wasn't the problem or solution.
My point is using the keyboard doesn't create an interrupt of ~70% I think that something in my hardware is creating the interrupt and I'm not sure if it's the hardware itself or the Operating System. Last night I went through the BIOS, but not being a complete pro at computing I wasn't sure if was my attempt was what was required. If someone could talk me through configuring interrupts then I'd be applicative. Or if there is a way to tell if it's a OS problem.
Also when I referred to 'realtime' I am referring to the fact that media programs have to pull data off the harddisk into the RAM continually to be able to play the music, because the RAM will only be able to store a finite amount of data prior to it being played. Furthermore a media player will be constantly interrupting other programs to run it's little cycle to send that electrical impulse to the speaker electromagnets in a speaker or headphone. Tis close enough to a realtime process, even though you'd probably class it more as a 'batch' process job as it will cycle to the media player constantly at regular intervals. Anyhow that's by the by and not what I want to be discussing.
Cheers,
EpicFail[/FONT]
The process "divxupdate" which was installed as part of DrDivX, was running automatically everytime I booted. Shouldn't be a problem, but when I killed the process, the 40-50% Interrupt usage fell back to zero.
To summarize...Yes, a large consumption of the System Idle Process is nothing unusual, but the large consumption of the System Idle Process > Interrupt *IS*.
It's not a driver issue. It's likely an invasive process causing the grief.
Hope this is actually of use to someone.