I've been flogging this problem for months and need your help.  Running WinXP-Pro here with about 12 items in the system tray and about 70 processes running.  Normal state is for about 5% CPU utilization with nothing going on, as measured by both Norton's System Doctor and Windows own utilities (maybe they are the same thing, anyway).  Once in about three fresh boots something grabs and holds about 25% of the CPU and can only be removed by a fresh boot.  It slows down all serious executions and breaks up sounds.

If I examine the active processes in Task Manager while this is going on, I always find that System Idle Process is showing 90 to 94%.  In other words, the resource hog that has a grip on 25% is hidden from Task Manager.  Closing items one-by-one does not reveal the identity of the pirate.

Virus scans and anti-spyware scans have not helped.

Hoping for more help, I even purchased and ran The Ultimate Troubleshooter, but it also does not disclose the errant process when it is hogging a quarter of my CPU.

I don't mind a reboot -- it's very effective -- but would like to find and eliminate the culprit.  What else should I try?

Gordon Totty

                  Visit our website regularly for FAQs,
               articles, how-to's, tech tips and much more
                          http://freepctech.com