Problem with System Processes

One of my client's servers, I have 2 processes running causing my CPU Usgaes
are: "System Idle Process" and "System". This is causing the Hard drives to
constantly work and grind. Bouncing the server did nothing. They came
right back using at least 50% of the CPU and the HardDrives are worling
overtime.

Does anyone know what these processes do? I can't stop them either.

Regards

Dave
Tue Jul 29 17:05:41 CDT 2003

System Idle Process is just kind of a "placeholder" that shows all the CPU
cycles not being used elsewhere. It's commonly at 90+% or even 99% if the
server isn't doing anything. I don't recall ever seeing the "System"
process using a lot of CPU cycles.

What does your memory usage look like on the "performance" tab of task
manager? Drive thrashing would be caused by memory usage, not CPU. If you
look at the green memory graph, it'll show you how much memory is in use -
how does that compare to the amount of RAM in the server? And the "peak"
figure under Commit Charge is the maximum memory used since the last
reboot - how does that figure compare to physical RAM?


"MST" <alvin@mstcomputers.com> wrote in message
news:ekNJxahVDHA.384@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> One of my client's servers, I have 2 processes running causing my CPU
Usgaes
> are: "System Idle Process" and "System". This is causing the Hard drives
to
> constantly work and grind. Bouncing the server did nothing. They came
> right back using at least 50% of the CPU and the HardDrives are worling
> overtime.
>
> Does anyone know what these processes do? I can't stop them either.
>
> Regards
>
>

MST
Tue Jul 29 18:44:19 CDT 2003

I will try this. From what I can remember, memory was not getting hit very
hard, but I could be wrong. I willl keep this posted.
"Dave Nickason" <gwdibble@frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:#qxwO2hVDHA.2340@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> System Idle Process is just kind of a "placeholder" that shows all the CPU
> cycles not being used elsewhere. It's commonly at 90+% or even 99% if the
> server isn't doing anything. I don't recall ever seeing the "System"
> process using a lot of CPU cycles.
>
> What does your memory usage look like on the "performance" tab of task
> manager? Drive thrashing would be caused by memory usage, not CPU. If
you
> look at the green memory graph, it'll show you how much memory is in use -
> how does that compare to the amount of RAM in the server? And the "peak"
> figure under Commit Charge is the maximum memory used since the last
> reboot - how does that figure compare to physical RAM?
>
>
> "MST" <alvin@mstcomputers.com> wrote in message
> news:ekNJxahVDHA.384@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > One of my client's servers, I have 2 processes running causing my CPU
> Usgaes
> > are: "System Idle Process" and "System". This is causing the Hard
drives
> to
> > constantly work and grind. Bouncing the server did nothing. They came
> > right back using at least 50% of the CPU and the HardDrives are worling
> > overtime.
> >
> > Does anyone know what these processes do? I can't stop them either.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> >
>
>

Mal
Tue Jul 29 21:13:36 CDT 2003

System idle is just a "do nothing" process, it just shows the unused CPU
cycles. A high CPU useage with the "system" process, and a lot of HDD
activity is usually indicitive of Antivirus software going a bit feral.
Check to see if you are running a scheduled scan, or being a little over
aggresive with the files you choose to check.

Mal Osborne
MCSE MVP Mensa


"Dave Nickason" <gwdibble@frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:%23qxwO2hVDHA.2340@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> System Idle Process is just kind of a "placeholder" that shows all the CPU
> cycles not being used elsewhere. It's commonly at 90+% or even 99% if the
> server isn't doing anything. I don't recall ever seeing the "System"
> process using a lot of CPU cycles.
>
> What does your memory usage look like on the "performance" tab of task
> manager? Drive thrashing would be caused by memory usage, not CPU. If
you
> look at the green memory graph, it'll show you how much memory is in use -
> how does that compare to the amount of RAM in the server? And the "peak"
> figure under Commit Charge is the maximum memory used since the last
> reboot - how does that figure compare to physical RAM?
>
>
> "MST" <alvin@mstcomputers.com> wrote in message
> news:ekNJxahVDHA.384@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > One of my client's servers, I have 2 processes running causing my CPU
> Usgaes
> > are: "System Idle Process" and "System". This is causing the Hard
drives
> to
> > constantly work and grind. Bouncing the server did nothing. They came
> > right back using at least 50% of the CPU and the HardDrives are worling
> > overtime.
> >
> > Does anyone know what these processes do? I can't stop them either.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> >
>
>

dsi554
Wed Jul 30 14:25:28 CDT 2003

Are you running a tape backup program? I have the one
from Yosemite called Tapeware and it will consume as much
cpu as it can get when it is even sitting idle and not
backing up. I had to disable the auto service and run it
from the desktop.

>-----Original Message-----
>Hey Dave, I made a snap shot of the Task Manager. It
looks like my memory
>is getting eaten up.
>
>Also I read another post reply about virus proggy. I
disabled that and the
>CPU mark is till hitting hi.
>
>Please advise.
>
>--
>ICQ # 128353983
>"Computers can figure out all kinds of problems,
>except the things in the world that just don't add up."
>James Magary
>
>"Dave Nickason" <gwdibble@frontiernet.net> wrote in
message
>news:#qxwO2hVDHA.2340@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> System Idle Process is just kind of a "placeholder"
that shows all the CPU
>> cycles not being used elsewhere. It's commonly at
90+% or even 99% if the
>> server isn't doing anything. I don't recall ever
seeing the "System"
>> process using a lot of CPU cycles.
>>
>> What does your memory usage look like on
the "performance" tab of task
>> manager? Drive thrashing would be caused by memory
usage, not CPU. If
>you
>> look at the green memory graph, it'll show you how
much memory is in use -
>> how does that compare to the amount of RAM in the
server? And the "peak"
>> figure under Commit Charge is the maximum memory used
since the last
>> reboot - how does that figure compare to physical RAM?
>>
>>
>> "MST" <alvin@mstcomputers.com> wrote in message
>> news:ekNJxahVDHA.384@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> > One of my client's servers, I have 2 processes
running causing my CPU
>> Usgaes
>> > are: "System Idle Process" and "System". This is
causing the Hard
>drives
>> to
>> > constantly work and grind. Bouncing the server did
nothing. They came
>> > right back using at least 50% of the CPU and the
HardDrives are worling
>> > overtime.
>> >
>> > Does anyone know what these processes do? I can't
stop them either.
>> >
>> > Regards
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
>

dabutler
Wed Jul 30 19:11:02 CDT 2003

Hi Alvin,

Thank you for using Microsoft Technical Support Newsgroups.

Disconnect the network cable. If the CPU utilization decreases, there could
be a network hardware problem.

If network hardware has been ruled out, you can track down the thread ID and
the load address of that thread using perfmon, pviewer, and pstat. You can
then determine if a driver is causing the high CPU time:

1. Start performance monitor and make sure you are in chart view (realtime).
2. Hit the plus sign, select the thread object, and counter % processor
time.
3. Under instance, add all of the system threads to the chart.
4. Look for the thread that is taking all of the CPU time, there will be a
lot of them.
5. Once you find the thread, get the instance number from the bottom of
perfmon where it displays the counter.
6. Start pviewer.exe, this is from the resource kit.
7. In pviewer, under process, select the system process. Find the thread ID
that matches the instance number from perfmon under Threads.
8. Get the start address under thread information.
9. Run pstat.exe with the command "pstat > pstat.txt". Look at the bottom
of the pstat.txt, match up Load Addr with the start address you found from
pviewer.
If you can't find it just search the whole file for the start address. If
you get a match, this is the driver that is causing the problem. You will
need to find out what that driver is and either replace, upgrade or disable
it. If you do not get an exact match, then look for the closest driver
match within the address range that you determined in the previous steps.

Once again, thank you for using the newsgroups.

Best Regards,



David Butler - MCSE NT4/2000
Microsoft Technical Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

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MST
Wed Jul 30 21:22:45 CDT 2003

Running Veritas Back-Up Exec 8.6 Small Business Server. Been running this
for 2 years without a problem. Until now. I am heading there tomorrow to
see what is going on.

--
ICQ # 128353983
"Computers can figure out all kinds of problems,
except the things in the world that just don't add up."
James Magary

"dsi554" <dsimpson@dfwelectronics.com> wrote in message
news:059301c356d0$55af6450$a101280a@phx.gbl...
> Are you running a tape backup program? I have the one
> from Yosemite called Tapeware and it will consume as much
> cpu as it can get when it is even sitting idle and not
> backing up. I had to disable the auto service and run it
> from the desktop.
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Hey Dave, I made a snap shot of the Task Manager. It
> looks like my memory
> >is getting eaten up.
> >
> >Also I read another post reply about virus proggy. I
> disabled that and the
> >CPU mark is till hitting hi.
> >
> >Please advise.
> >
> >--
> >ICQ # 128353983
> >"Computers can figure out all kinds of problems,
> >except the things in the world that just don't add up."
> >James Magary
> >
> >"Dave Nickason" <gwdibble@frontiernet.net> wrote in
> message
> >news:#qxwO2hVDHA.2340@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> >> System Idle Process is just kind of a "placeholder"
> that shows all the CPU
> >> cycles not being used elsewhere. It's commonly at
> 90+% or even 99% if the
> >> server isn't doing anything. I don't recall ever
> seeing the "System"
> >> process using a lot of CPU cycles.
> >>
> >> What does your memory usage look like on
> the "performance" tab of task
> >> manager? Drive thrashing would be caused by memory
> usage, not CPU. If
> >you
> >> look at the green memory graph, it'll show you how
> much memory is in use -
> >> how does that compare to the amount of RAM in the
> server? And the "peak"
> >> figure under Commit Charge is the maximum memory used
> since the last
> >> reboot - how does that figure compare to physical RAM?
> >>
> >>
> >> "MST" <alvin@mstcomputers.com> wrote in message
> >> news:ekNJxahVDHA.384@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> >> > One of my client's servers, I have 2 processes
> running causing my CPU
> >> Usgaes
> >> > are: "System Idle Process" and "System". This is
> causing the Hard
> >drives
> >> to
> >> > constantly work and grind. Bouncing the server did
> nothing. They came
> >> > right back using at least 50% of the CPU and the
> HardDrives are worling
> >> > overtime.
> >> >
> >> > Does anyone know what these processes do? I can't
> stop them either.
> >> >
> >> > Regards
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >