Task manager. Why does is show only a few processes running at low power?

C

Ceira

Member
Hi there,

This is my first post. This looks a good forum, I hope I can help.

Or maybe somebody could help me with the task manager.

In Xp when I used the task manger it told me how much CPU is being used. this was very helpful because if one particular process was taking up to much power I ended task.

Yet in Vista x32, even when the cpu is going at full pelt, it only register a few % on the odd program. Something is running, but I do not know what. This has been an ongoing problem for years, and I have installed and reinstalled, and run ant viuses and malware and root kits. Yet when running fully loaded, it never shows what is running, even when showing all users.

My laptop is a Dell inspiron 1720.

I would be grateful if somebody could shed so light on this upgrade from Xp.

Many thanks

Ceira
 

My Computer

System One

Go to view in task manager and check the infomation that you want to see

For much better information, download process explorer from your search near start up button.

In task manger you have to check show all users, also.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Hi thanks, but it I found that hard to follow.

I was running a registery boost, enough to freeze the computer, yet the task manager registered 6% cpu so if I change the view, it is not registering the proper power used.

Thanks for your help. Ceira.
 

My Computer

System One

One step at a time

Bring up task manager

Bottom left you should see, show all users. Click on that. You should see many more processes.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Thanks for your patience Rich,

I showed all users, run a heavy ripping program which almost stopped the computer. The results for task manager is System idle 89%; ripping 6% anti virus 4%; the rest less than 1%.

There is no way that is correct. The ripping should have been 89%. Do you see what I am getting at, the system idle never dropped below 89% which is causing the confusion, or am I just thick. Ceira.
 

My Computer

System One

CEIRA, take all the time you need, relax, enjoy and we will try to learn together.
Do no worry about system idle, it is suppose to be high. Read this.

System Idle Process
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Thanks Rich that is a good read. It does not solve it, but I think it is safe to say that the task manager is not giving a true reading of the processes that are active.

One reason could be that the high activity processes come in transiant bursts, and cannot be recorded in the digital format, the true reading being in analog.

It is really annoying though, you can feel the the computer running at full pelt, and and the system idle saying it is 89% free. Thanks again Ceira,
 

My Computer

System One

Go to search type process explorer, download, it is better than task manager.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
You are onto some thing here Richard.

I typed in process explorer. Nothing.

I got a list of ebooks and web pages, but not a program as you expected, so something is wrong here.

Ceira
 

My Computer

System One

Hi Ceria

It is built into Windows 7 (my OS) may not be built into yours

Process Explorer
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
I am on to it now. I have explorer 8, so it must not have it.

That is Process Explorer, also known as procexp.exe

I have had problems since Vista, I will mark this down as another one.

eg: Windows explorer keeps crashing but I will leave that for another thread

Thanks again Richard, I appreciate your help.

Ceira.
 

My Computer

System One

Hope everything works out.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
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