CPU Usage jumps to 100% when deleting files

Angolmagyar

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Jul 8, 2014
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So i use Total Commander 6.54 for most/all of my file management needs. Now 1 thing that so far has been not so annoying, is when i start deleting files in total commander, the CPU spins up to 100% usage (naturally it heats up too, which i don't like) and even after the deletion of the files is complete, it remains at that level, and only goes back to normal once I close total commander. It became annoying when i had to delete a relatively small folder, 300 mb, but with thousands of small files in them (takes a long time) which spun up my CPU for a good 3 minutes (not long, I know, but at 100% usage, and 50°C it worries me). So question: does anybody know why that's happening and how i can stop it? when I delete through the basic windows 7 folder system, I don't think it does it, but I'm not sure, because I haven't removed large files through that yet, as I use Total Commander :)
 
Solution
Is it a recent version of the program, or was it recently updated? Could be that they changed something in the program code that's now utilizing more CPU power. I've seen that happen before, where a new version of an app ends up being a resource hog, or a patch to "fix" problem A ends up causing problems B & C.

As for the temps, in some situations very low temps aren't necessarily reading correctly. For example, AMD temps that show below 40C are actually inaccurate (something about how the sensors communicate with the apps, to where the temp reading isn't accurate until it hits 40C or higher).

Ah, found something before I could post:

http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=22765

http://ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=22741...

spdragoo

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50 Celsius? That's nothing. Can't think of a single CPU that runs into trouble at that temp, especially when it's apparently being pushed.

As for why your CPU usage is hitting that level, it's obviously the app itself. I'm not familiar with Total Commander itself, nor am I 100% sure what extra functionality this "orthodox file manager" (i.e. DOS-style) app brings over Windows 7's default style. However, just about any time you access your hard drive for an extended period of time, you're going to have high CPU usage (if not 100% usage). The question, of course, is when it's at 100% usage does it mean it's also using every single CPU core? If so, then that's a lot of system resources for a single app to be using.
 

Angolmagyar

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Jul 8, 2014
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Ok, so the problem isn't that 50°C is too hot. it's just that its a dramatic change in heat from the rest temp. of around 15-20°C . Although, those numbers may be wrong altogether. I use SpeedFan to see my hardware temperature, but the utility that came with the motherboard, i think, AI Suite 3, tells me my CPU right now is 34°C, whereas SpeedFan says an average of 17°C (it shows each core, not the CPU as a whole). You be the judge which is the more accurate. Now, I know its because the CPU spins up to 100% and it will heat up because of that, BUT... I've been using Total Commander since i learned how to use a PC. (over 12 years) so it's not like TC is a new software that hasn't quite grasped resource management yet. Now, i tested, because i wasn't sure, by deleting my games' installers folder... Now... I very badly f**ked up, because i forgot the recycle bin only retains files under a certain limit which i haven't modified, so those file are lost permanently (I never had my system backed up.. ) BUT! at least, i have an answer for you, yes. All 4 of my cores are used 100%, while deleting. This has never happened on windows XP, and i used the same version of total commander on it, and i only started using windows 7, >1 year ago. So i was thinking it may only be a windows 7 problem? If so, that will just reinforce my stubborn ignorant belief, that XP is the best and only OS out there and all the others after were crap :D, no but on a serious note, if you don't know what total commander is, i suggest you look it up, its very useful! And i mean it is the 1 program that makes file management a million times easier and faster! Only make sure, if you're ever deleting anything, that you have things backed up and a way to restore it, unlike i just did :)
 

spdragoo

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Is it a recent version of the program, or was it recently updated? Could be that they changed something in the program code that's now utilizing more CPU power. I've seen that happen before, where a new version of an app ends up being a resource hog, or a patch to "fix" problem A ends up causing problems B & C.

As for the temps, in some situations very low temps aren't necessarily reading correctly. For example, AMD temps that show below 40C are actually inaccurate (something about how the sensors communicate with the apps, to where the temp reading isn't accurate until it hits 40C or higher).

Ah, found something before I could post:

http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=22765

http://ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=22741

Appears that it's been a bug for some time (original posts date back to 2009), but they also apparently have a fix for it. Haven't had a chance to check the app out, so I didn't 100% get the fix, but if I understood it after a quick scan of the posts, it's because Total Commander is taking the time to delete each file individually (as opposed to the default Windows method of moving the entire directory to the Recycle Bin)...but it's only happening when the default Windows warning about deleting files is turned off, I think. Their fix seems to be either restoring the warning, or adjusting TC's config settings. I only scanned over the posts, though, so I could be off somewhat (LOL).
 
Solution

Angolmagyar

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Jul 8, 2014
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Thanks a lot! I've googled for hours and i never found any solution... i suppose i should have searched the Total Commander forums first :D Anyway, I did what it said, but i wont delete any files again, unnecessarily, to test it, even though i know i can restore them this time... but i will update when i'm deleting stuff next time :)