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+--- Thread: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? (/Thread-Explorer-exe-taking-up-so-much-CPU)
Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - Shadow3273 - 03-13-2013
Hi,
I don't know if this is the right category to post this into, but my explorer.exe is taking up about 70% of my CPU lately. This started happening about 2 days ago and I've tried a lot of things but couldn't fix it. The computer started lagging like crazy. At first I thought this was a virus but all 3 of my anti-viruses aren't finding anything. Have you ever heard of this issue? Googling doesn't help, either.
RE: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - Coder-san - 03-13-2013
Verify that in safemode. If it still happens then reinstall Windows, otherwise it's probably a malware.
RE: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - Ex094 - 03-13-2013
Have you tried Spy Bot Search And Destroy? If not get it from Filehippo and run a full scan if your system is infected then you might get a detection, Also check how many processes you have running! For more check this thread http://forums.techguy.org/windows-7/915264-explorer-exe-taking-up-way.html
RE: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - Shadow3273 - 03-13-2013
Alright thanks, I'll just backup my files on a hard drive and re-install windows. Will post results.
RE: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - bluedog.tar.gz - 03-13-2013
Which websites are you visiting?
I mean is there a difference on CPU usage when you visit HackCommunity.com or Google.com ?
RE: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - LightX - 03-13-2013
What antiviruses did you scan with?
Also, go to your start button on your screen or puch ctlr + r. Then type %appdata% and then hit enter. look at the bottom of the files and see if there are any .exe's in there. If there are, you are most likely infected in which case, reinstall windows.
RE: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - Linuxephus™ - 03-13-2013
(03-13-2013, 04:26 PM)Shadow3273 Wrote: Hi,
I don't know if this is the right category to post this into, but my explorer.exe is taking up about 70% of my CPU lately. This started happening about 2 days ago and I've tried a lot of things but couldn't fix it. The computer started lagging like crazy. At first I thought this was a virus but all 3 of my anti-viruses aren't finding anything. Have you ever heard of this issue? Googling doesn't help, either.
I recall you stating previously that you had "3 Anti-viruses" installed.
If you were quite literal about that, such as for example, running AVG, Bitdefender, and Avast at the same time, that would most assuredly be a problem.
Though it sounds more like an entity has hijacked your Explorer.Exe component for it's own nefarious exploit as suggested by Coder-san, Exo, and LightX.
RE: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - Shadow3273 - 03-13-2013
I have Ad-Aware, Avast, and Windows Defender
And no there were no .exe's in the %appdata% location. The CPU usage is the same when I visit any website, so I don't think that's the problem. Even when I start up my PC, the CPU of explorer.exe is at 50% or more. So it's like that right at start-up.
RE: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - LightX - 03-13-2013
Here is another question. How much RAM do you have? If you only have like 1 gig for your CPU, of course it will take up like 70% of it :p
RE: Explorer.exe taking up so much CPU? - Linuxephus™ - 03-13-2013
(03-13-2013, 07:03 PM)Shadow3273 Wrote: I have Ad-Aware, Avast, and Windows Defender
And no there were no .exe's in the %appdata% location. The CPU usage is the same when I visit any website, so I don't think that's the problem. Even when I start up my PC, the CPU of explorer.exe is at 50% or more. So it's like that right at start-up.
Avast and Window's Defender will not get along very well with each other.
Under the assumption you're infected regardless, killing Window's Defender from starting shouldn't release the high CPU usage.
If it does release the high CPU usage, then you'll know Window's Defender was the potential culprit.
I state this by way of past experience with a similar problem from my Window's Vista days which is by logic, a potential possibility here as well, despite it being Window's 7.
The logic still applies nonetheless.