System Pauses...

GEC: Discuss gaming, computers and electronics and venture into the bizarre world of STGODs.

Moderator: Thanas

Post Reply
User avatar
MKSheppard
Ruthless Genocidal Warmonger
Ruthless Genocidal Warmonger
Posts: 29842
Joined: 2002-07-06 06:34pm

System Pauses...

Post by MKSheppard »

Every once in a while, my system will behave like it's "hung", but after a few seconds, it goes back to normal. Does anyone have any idea what would be causing this problem?
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong

"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
User avatar
Bounty
Emperor's Hand
Posts: 10767
Joined: 2005-01-20 08:33am
Location: Belgium

Post by Bounty »

100% CPU usage by a particular application?

If it happens regularly, try keeping Task Manager open and watch for odd CPU usage.
User avatar
Beowulf
The Patrician
Posts: 10621
Joined: 2002-07-04 01:18am
Location: 32ULV

Post by Beowulf »

Use Process Explorer from Sysinternals. It has a history graph, where you can find out which process was the biggest user of CPU cycles at a given point in time.
"preemptive killing of cops might not be such a bad idea from a personal saftey[sic] standpoint..." --Keevan Colton
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
User avatar
Netko
Jedi Council Member
Posts: 1925
Joined: 2005-03-30 06:14am

Post by Netko »

Oddly enough, I had that once because of a faulty hard drive. Your event viewer, system tab should be the first place you look - such a strange event should leave something in there.
User avatar
MKSheppard
Ruthless Genocidal Warmonger
Ruthless Genocidal Warmonger
Posts: 29842
Joined: 2002-07-06 06:34pm

Post by MKSheppard »

Yep, Soemthing went to 100% when my system paused.

It says that DPCs used up 98.5% of my CPU.
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong

"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
User avatar
Beowulf
The Patrician
Posts: 10621
Joined: 2002-07-04 01:18am
Location: 32ULV

Post by Beowulf »

DPC = deferred procedure call.

Do a spyware/adware check.
"preemptive killing of cops might not be such a bad idea from a personal saftey[sic] standpoint..." --Keevan Colton
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
User avatar
loomer
Sith Marauder
Posts: 4260
Joined: 2005-11-20 07:57am

Post by loomer »

I had the same thing when my power supply was starting to die, so it might be worth looking into that as well.
"Doctors keep their scalpels and other instruments handy, for emergencies. Keep your philosophy ready too—ready to understand heaven and earth. In everything you do, even the smallest thing, remember the chain that links them. Nothing earthly succeeds by ignoring heaven, nothing heavenly by ignoring the earth." M.A.A.A
Edward Yee
Sith Devotee
Posts: 3395
Joined: 2005-07-31 06:48am

Post by Edward Yee »

MKSheppard, ever have the culprit be a program's process (most frustratingly for me, at times Firefox), in particular when it's a lot of windows or tabs open?
"Yee's proposal is exactly the sort of thing I would expect some Washington legal eagle to do. In fact, it could even be argued it would be unrealistic to not have a scene in the next book of, say, a Congressman Yee submit the Yee Act for consideration. :D" - bcoogler on this

"My crystal ball is filled with smoke, and my hovercraft is full of eels." - Bayonet

Stark: "You can't even GET to heaven. You don't even know where it is, or even if it still exists."
SirNitram: "So storm Hell." - From the legendary thread
User avatar
Exonerate
Sith Marauder
Posts: 4454
Joined: 2002-10-29 07:19pm
Location: DC Metro Area

Post by Exonerate »

Did you make any recent changes to drivers?

BoTM, MM, HAB, JL
User avatar
MKSheppard
Ruthless Genocidal Warmonger
Ruthless Genocidal Warmonger
Posts: 29842
Joined: 2002-07-06 06:34pm

Post by MKSheppard »

loomer wrote:I had the same thing when my power supply was starting to die, so it might be worth looking into that as well.
How can you tell if it is starting to die? Look at the voltage input to the mobo?
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong

"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
User avatar
loomer
Sith Marauder
Posts: 4260
Joined: 2005-11-20 07:57am

Post by loomer »

Actually, I have no idea how to tell. Checking the input would work, I suspect, so go with that. Or wait until it craps out, either one.
"Doctors keep their scalpels and other instruments handy, for emergencies. Keep your philosophy ready too—ready to understand heaven and earth. In everything you do, even the smallest thing, remember the chain that links them. Nothing earthly succeeds by ignoring heaven, nothing heavenly by ignoring the earth." M.A.A.A
User avatar
Xon
Sith Acolyte
Posts: 6206
Joined: 2002-07-16 06:12am
Location: Western Australia

Post by Xon »

Heavy disk activity on the OS drive will cause these problems too.
"Okay, I'll have the truth with a side order of clarity." ~ Dr. Daniel Jackson.
"Reality has a well-known liberal bias." ~ Stephen Colbert
"One Drive, One Partition, the One True Path" ~ ars technica forums - warrens - on hhd partitioning schemes.
Post Reply