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February 22, 2008
Dear CNET members,
Happy Friday! I hope this newsletter finds everyone well. For those of you who are new to this newsletter, I welcome you! I know that as a new subscriber, this whole newsletter maybe a bit abrupt and confusing. To get caught up, check out the community newsletter archives. You'll see that each week's Q&A comes from the previous Friday's newsletter. So check them out and join the rest of CNET's community members in helping each other out and voicing your opinions--it's all good fun, and I hope you stick around.
This week's topic is all about Anthony's computer's CPU always hitting the 100 percent mark of usage, to the point of bringing it to a complete standstill. I'm sure many of you have experienced this at one point or another, but when it becomes a frequent occurrence, then it is a real problem. If you read through this week's recommendations from our members, you'll probably be surprised at how many different solutions were offered--simply because there are just so many possible factors that could be causing this issue. While the possibility could stem from hardware-related issues, most members suggested the culprit might be software related; either too many programs are running all at once in the foreground or background, or even the very possibility that the computer has been compromised by a virus or spyware. So how do you start to determine where the source of the problem is? Your best bet is through the process of elimination--starting with the basics. And as most members suggested, one simple start is when your PC starts to act up with this problem, open your Windows Task Manager (CTRL+ALT+DEL) and look for any processes that are sucking the life out of your CPU, figure out what it is and eliminate it if it proves to be ill willed. Remember, this is just a start--nothing proves that this is the root of the problem. So, to start you off on this topic, I'm giving a few selected answers to get you going. There are many possible suggested solutions, so I recommend that you read them all before diving in. Ultimately you will have to determine what the root of your problem is, but I hope this info provided by our members gives you a good understanding of the possible issues to help you pinpoint your problem. Good luck!
Many people in this week's discussion shared their experience with this issue and how they were able to solve it. And if you have your own experience to share, swing on by and tell us all about it. We are all reading and can learn from you. Thanks for your contribution! Have a great weekend, everyone!
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Member Question of the Week
Hi, I'm running Windows XP Pro SP2 and I have developed a
problem where by the CPU keeps going to 100% and either
freezes the PC or slows it down to virtually standstill. I
have searched on the net and found that quite a few people
have this problem. I tried some of the fixes suggested, but
they didn't work. I have to reboot the PC and then it's fine
for awhile. What could possibly be causing this problem? Is
this a problem with the operating system or is it a hardware
problem? I hope you can help with this problem. Cheers!
Submitted by:
Anthony K.
Vote for the most helpful answer
 Below are the answers we've selected for you to vote on. Click on the title to read the answer by the member.
Here are the selected submissions grouped in one post.
Time to vote! Now that you've read our members' answers, which would you consider the most helpful? Click on the button to weigh in on the decision.
(Note: Below is the section to vote, please read the individual answers above before casting your vote below.)
 Vote for answer by waytron
Vote for answer by NoxTheOx
Vote for answer by PBaker2
For the member whose answer was voted the
most helpful by our community, we will send
this member some cool CNET branded gear.
 Previous week's Q&AThe votes are in! Below is the answer voted most helpful by our community to last week's question.
My computer Windows XP Home SP2 computer for 5 years has been
getting slower and slower. I know my computer is not infected
with spyware or viruses as I run a pretty tight ship when it
comes to security. So what's next? I've always heard good
things that can result from registry cleaners, but anytime
some one mentions registry I cringe at the thought as I've
heard that tweaking the Windows registry can easily go wrong
and possibly kill my computer. Is this true? How about
registry cleaners? Ultimately what can a registry cleaner do
for me? Will I benefit from it? Is it safe? I think it time
for me to face my fears with the registry. So can you kindly
give me some pointers on the ins and outs about registry
cleaners, recommend some good ones that are free or paid,
and what should I do to prepare myself for this task to
ensure if I do decide to do some registry cleaning that I'm
prepared for the worst to happen and recover gracefully.
Thank for your advice!
--Submitted by:
Tom S.
Dear Tom, as with everything else in the computer world, back it up! I am referring to XP restore point and backing up the registry independently. These are two of the smartest things anybody can do. You can learn how to backup the registry and restore it here:
You can make a backup file of the registry using REGEDIT. Just enter REGEDIT into the RUN command box. Click on OK. Click on My Computer (make sure it is highlighted). On the FILE menu, choose EXPORT. Export the .Reg file. You could also burn a copy...
(read more)
--Submitted by:
CNET member: jimc52
Congratulations to the winner!
Community Buzz
 Each week we take a look at topics discussed in the forums.
Have fun and enjoy!
More from the forums
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Check out next week's question:
Hello. I am curious, what are your thoughts on purchasing a refurbished or "recertified" computer, a desktop specifically? I need a fast one but cannot afford a brand new HP (my preferred product) now or even in the near future. Any suggestions or advice on buying these types of computers? And do you think my being partial to HP (I have all HP products as well) is probably the right thing, or do similar systems accept printers and scanners etc. if the brand is different? I hear so many different opinions and "problem stories," but I would love to hear yours if it is possible. Thank you kindly.
--Submitted by:
Julianne R.
We feature a new question every Friday, and if you have the answer for our member, you can submit it above. If your submission is picked by our members as the most helpful answer, you'll receive some cool CNET branded gear.
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