frequent interruptions

[okeee]

I have no idea if this is a software/hardware problem?

I did not install anything new, but I noticed some frequent interruptions in which the computers stops working for a moment (cursor can't be moved, windows explorer stands still). It seems as if it's "loading" during that time. the interruptions start about 15 min after starting up, and the only thing to stop it is to shut the computer down again.

The interruptions show up regardless of what I do: during games, surfing on internet or not using the computer at all. Sometimes the interuptions start about 1 hour after shutting down the computer for a long time, I shut down the computer for 5 minutes and then I can use the computer without any interruption for 10 hours. Removing the internet cable did not stop the interruptions.

I checked the system box, but I didn't see anything broken or burned, but I'm not very technical.

There are 2 kind of interruptions:
interruption type 1: duration about 1 second, appears randomly (every 2-10 minutes), and CPU usage jumps to 100% and back to 2% after the interruption but I can't see what programs causes this
interruption type 2: duration about 0.2 seconds, appears freqently (every 0.2 seconds), CPU usage remains 20% but none of the programs listed in CPU manager seems to cause this

pc info:
win xp
1 gb ram
AMD athlon 64 3500+
Asus A8N-E
asus EN8400GS silent (previously nvidia 7900GT, burned down)
450 watt Antec

[okeee]

double post removed

[mjc]

Whatever it is there is no need to double post...

[Sylvander]

Typing this from BoxPup->Firefox.

1.
(a) Download this FREE 92MB ISO for BoxPup Linux 4.1.2 (http://www.puppylinux.ca/tpp/NOP/puppy-412-boxpup.iso), use it to make the bootable "live" CD, and boot that to load BoxPup.
Immediately restart, and when asked, make a "pup_save" file in the root folder in any handy partition.
md5sum.txt (http://www.puppylinux.ca/tpp/NOP/puppy-412-boxpup_md5sum.txt) for this ISO file.

(b) Once back into BoxPup you will soon see whether or not the problem you are seeing in the Windows environment exists within the BoxPup environment.
I think it wont, which will demonstrate that there is no problem with the hardware, but this is a problem with the Windows environment.

(c) In BoxPup [after you change to "LxPanel" as in (e) below] you will see down at bottom right a [green on black] graphical display of %CPU usage [see screenshot 1].

(d) Additionally, to the right of the screen you will see a graphical display of various performance info including a longer history of %CPU usage, and dynamic display of present %CPU usage [screenshot 2].
All of this information should tell you that your PC [hardware] is performing normally.

(e) Right-click on the BoxPup desktop to display the "Menu".
If you'd like to use a BoxPup "Taskbar", go to "Menu->Desktop->Choose Panel" and choose LxPanel.

Will now go to Windows and come back here [after lunch]. :)
.

[Sylvander]

Now working in Windows.

1. "CPU usage jumps to 100% and back to 2% after the interruption but I can't see what programs causes this"
Perhaps you should install and run Process Explorer (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx).
This will give a detailed display of all processes running, and display %CPU usage for each.
"System Idle Process" [SIP][%unused processor capability/time] should normally be high, but now and then some process[es] may kick in and use a high %CPU.
You would see which processes are doing that.
e.g. On my own PC right now...
SIP is a maximum of 100%, jumping down to as low as 26%.
Intermittently:
"TrojanHunter Guard" kicks in now and then at 40%.
Firefox at 20%.
Infrequently at various levels:
"ThreatFire Tray Application".
"Winpatrol System Monitor".
These cause periodic peaks in %CPU usage as seen in the screenshot below.
.

[Sylvander]

Here's a better view of processor usage as given by Process Explorer.
.

[okeee]

I have tried process explorer, but i still couldnt see any programs with high cpu usage. "System Idle Process" is always near 100%.

Also I checked bios temperatures after using the computer for a few hours:
CPU: 52 C
M/B: 38 C

I checked with malwarebyte and avast: no virus found.

[Sylvander]

1. "I have no idea if this is a software/hardware problem?"
So...
As already advised...
Load up the BoxPup environment, and see how your PC performs.
If there's no sign of the problem, then you know the hardware is OK when running something other than your installation of Windows.
The Windows environment becomes confirmed as the primary suspect.

[okeee]

I tried "process explorer" again, whenever there was an interruption I couldn't see it in the task menu, but I checked the graphs of CPU usage history and "hardware interrupts" showed 92% during the interruptions. Anything else I can check?

I haven't tried boxpup yet, but i'm not so technical so I didn't understand all of it. Is this for linux, because i use win xp and internet explorer?

[mjc]

If it is hardware interrupts and you have any auto-updates enabled, I would suspect a driver update of some sort.

Do you have any auto-updates enabled?

[okeee]

Do you mean windows auto-update or any program's update? As far as I know, all auto-updates for all programs are disabled.
Is it possible that this is a hardware problem, since there is a hardware interruption?

[mjc]

Hardware interrupts =/= hardware interruptions.

An interrupt is a means of communication between the various buses and the CPU. Drivers are the primary means the OS communicates with hardware. So a problem with a driver often shows up as unusual CPU activity, poor/degraded performance, etc...

And yes, Windows Update is a prime suspect for poor driver updates.

[okeee]

I haven't updated windows for a while, and auto-update is still disabled.

[Sylvander]

Oops, missed posts 10, 11, 12, 13 while I was typing.

1. "I haven't tried boxpup yet, but i'm not so technical so I didn't understand all of it. Is this for linux?"
Yes.
The 1st time I tried any variety Puppy Linux I was very pleasantly surprised:
(a) It was small and therefore fast to download and burn an optical disk [CD-RW at 1st].
(b) Loaded fast.
(c) Explained itself really well during 1st boot and the configuration choices to be made [keyboard, resolution, number of colors, etc].
(d) At arrival at the desktop, I was presented with a RED link to a window explaining what to do next. [NICE! :D ]
i.e. Restart [Shut down and reboot back into Puppy], and at shut-down choose to make the "pup_save" file.
(e) It did everything REALLY FAST.
(F) I was HOOKED and decided this was worth the effort of going deeper, learning more.

2. "Is this for linux?"
Not sure what you're asking here.
Sure, Puppy is a particular distribution of Linux...
It has its own rather nice particular features [you'll learn of its benefits if you use it].
It's practically uninfectable, so no need for all the anti-virus protection that Windows MUST have.
It can access Windows partitions [and their folders and files], whereas Windows cannot access Linux partitions. :cool:
And, and, and...

3. "i use win xp and internet explorer?"
You'll see lots of comments here to the effect that it's a MUST to NOT use IE, but instead use something like Firefox.
Not all Puplets include Firefox because it's rather BIG. [Small (and FAST) is beautiful in Puppy land]
Often, other smaller web browsers [like Opera, or Seamonkey] come as standard, but it's easy to install [the BRILLIANT!] Firefox [I did].
I feel NO NEED to use IE except in Windows to fetch updates.

4. "Anything else I can check?"
(a) Did you study the main display CPU column?
If you do you should see number-values flashing up against the various heaviest users of %CPU.
Look for the highest usage values against certain processes.
Any abnormally high [and sustained?] usage peaks?
(b) If the problem isn't being caused by heavy CPU usage, then we'd need to look for other possible causes.
(c) In BoxPup, when I click the "Internet" icon on the desktop toolbar, and Firefox asks if I want to restore the previous session of 3 [or more] open windows, I can see %CPU usage jump to 100% for quite a sustained interval of about 6 to 10 seconds.
During that period I'd expect to see any other running processes suffer the consequence of that.

[okeee]

yes I checked the main display CPU column, the only high CPU showing was "Interrupts" (description: "Hardware Interrupts") which jumps to around 92%. After the interruption, "system idle process" goes to near 100% again.

[mjc]

System Idle Process being near 100% means that there is nothing happening...

[okeee]

yes, i knew that.. but what can i do now that it seems that the problem is "Hardware Interrupts"?

[mjc]

Process Explorer should allow you to actually make log file...do that. It will be huge, but find a part of it that is relevant to the problem and post that section.

[okeee]

Here's the log, right after another interruption appeared.

[okeee]

Is it still useful to run boxpup, because Proces Explorer seems to show the problem?

[Sylvander]

Well, if this problem IS being caused by a bad driver, then all should be well in BoxPup [no sign of any problem].
Nice to have that confirmation.

And BoxPup can be useful in other ways too.

Plus at the very least it's educational to see the sights of new environments.

[okeee]

I'll try it.

I also run speedfan to check some data,
but i don't know if the readings indicate a problem.

http://img.4chan.org/b/src/1237984097915.png

[okeee]

http://s5.tinypic.com/23jn1gw.jpg

[Dorkspawn]

I once had a similar problem. Thanks to Sylvander putting me onto Process Explorer, I found it was a USB game controller causing my problem.
Just a thought.

[okeee]

Ok, how exactly did you find out the problem was the game controller, because all i got from process explorer were 92% CPU readings at the "hardware interrupts" section.

[Dorkspawn]

Oh, sorry. My problem was Deferred Procedure Calls. Hey, it was 3 years ago. I can't remember what I did yesterday, much less 3 years ago. But I did find something, somewhere in Process Explorer that specifically listed "USB" as the resource hog on my machine.

[Sylvander]

Hardware interrupts spiking (http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7775).

[okeee]

I removed a cd-rewriter that didnt work properly anymore, the computer already worked for a few days without any interruptions so it seems that was the problem. thanks.