My dad's computer is beyond acceptable for slow. He's got a ASUS p5k deluxe, e6600, 2-4GB of ram. THis just started happening today. Temps are fine, volts are fine. Task manager says nothing is really running that much but the performance tab is running near 100% mostly on core 0 ( first block ) ANY ideas what the hell is up?

Is your Caps Lock key stuck?

The stock process explorer in the task manager won't tell you all of the processes that are running. Download Process Explorer v11.04 and run it. It should show the errant process that is gobbling your CPU cycles.

rouge software and spyware

Let's not jump to any conclusions.

i second dragonsprayer, its the only other logical reason if all the temps/volts are fine. unless his dad has TLB errata error in his dad's e6600 i don't see any other reason.

I didn't say it wasn't a virus, I just said the OP should try process explorer to see if he can see what it is. There are other things that can spike processor usage. Additionally, although it's no guaranty, I hope they are using some type of antivirus software.

I doubt the TLB errata but is a slight possibility. But with all the new steppings and patches for the BIOS I doubt it.

I think spyware/adware. Also go to http://support.asus.com/download/d [...] uage=en-us and download the latest BIOS/chipset drivers. That always help as some include performance updates.

What TLB errata? For an E6600?

@OP: yeah, try Process Explorer first of all. Just keep in mind that a smart virus might fool Process Explorer and not show up. Sony's rootkit in 1995 was able to hide itself really well, for example.

I wonder if a file corruption in Windows could do this.

Isn't the TLB errata limited to AMD Phenoms. I hope the OP gets back with some answers hopefully provided by process explorer.

I was looking at a machine that showed 30-50% usage that wouldn't show up on the XP process explorer. The Sysinternals one showed the usage in the hardware interrupts, which was later traced back to the IDE controller being shifted to PIO mode when XP crashed. Go figure.

Actually all CPU's have many errors when shipped, but BIOS updates help patch up those errors. AMD's phenom just had a really big performance hit, and AMD made it aware that that was why Phenom would be clocked so low.

I'm not questioning that CPU errata exists, just the TLB erratum on the core2 duo. I believe it is only on the Phenom.

My son was having a simular problem. We tried just about everything and finally found the battery in the keyboard was almost dead by trying a different keyboard.

Not saying this is your problem but there are a lot of weird things that can happen.

How many antivirus programs do you have running ?????

Go into safe mode by pressing F8 at start up and see if its still slow

Go in to Control Panel - XP add and remove programs or Vista - Programs and features

and see whats installed

if you have conflicting software - ie antivirus - remove one of them

download

www.superantispyware.com - its free and very good

www.ewido.com - avg antispyware.

run hijackthis - type it in google and it will come up and send a report of what you find

it might be worth running smitrem in safemode and vundofix ( both searchable on google )

Good luck and let us know

If the problem's only just start