XP CPU usage is 50% while idle

I have an ASUS G50Vm-X1. Recently, I've noticed that while doing nothing my CPU usage is at 50%. Originally it was running at around 90% while oing nothing, but there was a fix I found on here that got it to go back down. I had to disable the USB2 Enhanced Host Controller 293C. That solved the problem for a while, but now it idles at 50% I've run Malwarebytes and AVG antivirus and came up with nothing.

Does anyone have anything else I can try?

 

Go into the Task Manager's processes tab (Ctrl-alt-del) and see which one is claiming the clock cycles, then use that info to start to backtrack from there and identify the culprit.

Check back in once you've at least got the process info and we all can try to help more.

 

The process that is using it is the System process.

 

System Idle Process does not really use any CPU cycles.
It is a synthetic process that uses the remaining unused CPU cycles, as they physically can't just go to nothing. This process has the lowest priority of ANYTHING in the system, and therefore cannot detract away from other processes.
My co workers and I (all computer techs) joke around... "OH NO, SOMETHING IS WRONG, SYSTEM IDLE PROCESS IS USING UP 98% OF MY CPU POWER"

Anyway, use this tool to get a better idea of what the issue is. It shows DPCs and other hardware interrupts, as well as .dll hooks and other things that are much more detailed than standard Windows Task Manager.

 

It wasn't the "System Idle Process". It was the System.

I'll have more in a bit, my laptop is at home and I'm at work now.

 

things like windows defender, norton and even live update / windows update working in the background can cause this. It can also be caused by a virus or any number of malwares. Typically "user error" is to blame. I know i know it is such a nasty term "user error"

 

Actually I suspect a partial return of the bug that was causing the CPU to run at 98%.

Since the "System" process is taking CPU, it can still be malware but it would probably have to be a rootkit. It cannot be live update applications etc. because those would run under different process names...

If feasible, I would suggest a clean install followed by disabling that USB controller, and then see if the problem returns. I don't have ideas for a more detailed / less "burn everything" solution than that right now...

 

do you have a hp printer?

 

All he has to do is open up Process Explorer as I linked and see what specific system hook is using the cycles... it could be a driver issue, malware, failing hardware...
Process explorer will tell us which.

 

Yep that would be a useful thing to do before nuke-ing everything like I said. I am not familiar with process explorer but maybe I should start learning