Windows 8.1 annoying workload loop

shioriharu · May 17, 2016

Hi!
My "problem" started a few months ago.

Windows 8.1 is performing some work infinitely, with 10-20 minute breaks inbetween sessions.

I noticed the free space on drive C (SSD) is ever-changing during that time, it frees up about 2,4 GB space, then fills it back again. The side effect of this is a +20 degrees cpu temp when it does it's little work, which means 60 degrees in idle, and about 80 degrees when im gaming!
So this is basically stopping me from playing (or doing anything really) for more than 10-20 minutes.

I thought it may be a virus at first, but didn't find nothing, plus i checked processes during that time, and "System" is using about 87% of my cpu during this time.

What could this process be and how do i stop it ?
Thanks in advance!

nukemaster · May 17, 2016

60c at idle is not normal unless you have all power savings options off.

What is the work your computer is performing(or is this the unknown?)? Maybe that or your page file is growing and shrinking.

Can you get a task manager screenshot? It is strange for such things to happen without other software.

shioriharu · May 17, 2016

Yea its 60C cause its working on something i cant identify, otherwise it would be around 40.

I don't know what's it doing, but in task manager "System" is using most resources during this time, i will catch screen of it, but i dont think it's giving away much

nukemaster · May 17, 2016

Does the resource monitor shed any light, maybe a process accessing the hard drive or something else at that time.

shioriharu · May 18, 2016

http://i.imgur.com/lYb3Yhl.png?1

There, its either "Host processes for windows tasks" or "System" doing it. Temp was 58 degrees when i made the screenshot, when computer should have been completely idle.

I am not joking, this makes my temp rise +20 degrees every 15 mins or so, i am so pissed.

nukemaster · May 18, 2016

On the Performance tab, open Resource Monitor to see if it allows you to see any files access when these issues happen.

The problem with Host processes for windows tasks is that things can run under it(so it could be almost anything).

A 3rd party program called Process Explorer can show what is running under things like taskhost.exe. That may help show you what is causing this issue.

Example Image(I forced Winamp to take more cpu usage with a cpu visualizer). I have nothing under taskhost, but this is Windows 10 not 8.1

shioriharu · May 19, 2016

I did check it, and saw nothing out of the ordinary running, however today the problem didn't show itself yet, which is quite strange.

nukemaster · May 19, 2016

Well, I guess all you can do is keep an eye on it for now.

shioriharu · Jun 5, 2016

Process explorer found the problem, it was the Windows Reliability Analysis Task.

I am not kidding, a genuine windows process basically denied me to do anything on the pc...
Seriously, if i first launched a heavy game the max temp was 57 degrees, then this process kicked in and BAMM, immediately 80 degrees and counting......when idle, more than 60 degrees...

nukemaster · Jun 5, 2016

Well at least your found the cause. Strange that it would be so aggressive.

You should be able to disable it in the task scheduler(i would guess it will kill the reliability history, but not many people use that anyway).

shioriharu · Jul 2, 2016

Hi, hoping you can help me again

I've had a good time without windows RAC, but now theres another agressive process on taskmgr, (this time it's not under taskhost), and when i want to kill it, Process Explorer says access denied.

Problem is, this process is more agressive than the RAC was before, and it's moving a large chunk of files on my C drive. This is inscreasing my CPU load by about 40% and also the temps are rising almost instantly over 80C where my PC shuts down.

Today it shut down 3 times, and last time the process got interrupted while it was doing it's thing so now theres 20 GB of files vanished into space.
I dont freaking have any idea what those files coul be as seemingly i'm not missing anything (maybe they were windows update junk), but this is intolerable, im not sure why my windows is so keen on killing itself.

nukemaster · Jul 2, 2016

That is lots of space to loose.

Please ensure you do not have a Windows 10 downloaded running. It takes space and comes as a recommended update. With the free upgrade time coming to an end, they may have stepped up the process of trying to get users to install it.

Do you not see any process taking all the cpu usage when this happens in either task manager or process explorer?

It is still crazy that anything gets to 80c without a cooling issue.

shioriharu · Jul 3, 2016

My cooling is not the best right now, i'm working on getting a better one, but still, without these hidden processes, my PC would be fine.

I ran PE as administrator and im able to kill the process now, but it still kicks in randomly, and during gaming, if im not aware, is making my cpu overheat in mere seconds.

There are 2 processes according to PE, one is called wininet cache (not wininit) and i forgot the other but its a windows service as well. I ran task scheduler but seemingly, these are not scheduled.

I disabled the windows 10 update long ago, when they warned ppl via the radio, but yeah, maybe microsoft is still trying to force this thing, i'll try running without internet connection for a while, see if these still kick in.

nukemaster · Jul 3, 2016

Wininet CacheTask is in the task scheduler on 7(not at 8.1 right now). It is under Task Scheduler Library -> Microsoft -> Windows -> Wininet -> Cache Task

I have never had issues with this task, but it seems to be related to caching some files from http/https/ftp protocols. These are mostly used on the internet, but internal networks can use them as well. It seems programs have to be setup to use this feature.

Do you use any program that may be using this feature?

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa383928(v=vs.85).aspx

As for cooling it is still very strange to get THAT hot. I can encode videos for hours without crashing and that is more demanding than any Windows service I have seen(at at least on part with Prime95 and other stress tests).

shioriharu · Jul 4, 2016

No i dont use. Today the PC shut down just by watching a video on youtube, never happened before, i left this idle thing unchecked, i have never expected it to go over 80C just by watching a video. I read on about the issue and things are pointing to a corrupt sound or video driver, which have happened before actually, and come to think of it, the symptoms were similar, but i could also not use nvidia control panel that time, and now it seems to be working well. What do you think ?

nukemaster · Jul 4, 2016

I have not run into that myself.

Video drivers in the past have caused blue screen errors(they generally even list the video driver).
I have also seen driver recovery and the rare solid system lockup(just freezes solid).

You could still have the system overheating and shutting off to protect it self or even a power supply fault.

Can i get a picture of the inside of your system. I kind of wonder how the temperatures end up this high to begin with. I am guessing you are not overclocking anything.

shioriharu · Jul 6, 2016

Sure i'll take a photo, but i can only do so thru the transparent case, i cannot open it, the pc is only a year old, guarantee close is still there.
Besides i downloaded spybot search and destroy, despite having bad experiences with it in the past, and it found 317 unwanted programs and schedules, and registry problems with Direct 3 Draw. I dont want to jinx it, but since then, whenever taskhost work is kicking in, it doesnt use my cpu like, at all, so my temps sit at "normal".

It's still pretty high though i think, 47-50 idle, and above 70 when gaming for hours, so i'll have you look at the photo later

nukemaster · Jul 6, 2016

Ok.

Keep us posted.

shioriharu · Jul 7, 2016

Well, i had the smoothest gaming experience for a short while, but the process is back! This time it's called rundll32.dll, and then it duplicates the taskhost.exe, one is running normal, the other is again, burning my cpu and ssd. I am getting really pissed. I did a search on google and i can say for sure thousands of people are having the same problem, some even having it right after clean install (this is not the case with me, since it just started a few months ago), i'll upload the photo later today, and also a screenshot of process explorer when this stuff kicks in, im not sure what to do anymore, i might just hammer my PC to death before this process can kill it, so that i win in the end.

nukemaster · Jul 7, 2016

rundll32 can have almost anything running under it. It is a part of Windows(I have parts of by sound card drivers running under that as well).

In your troubleshooting have you ever verified windows files? If you open an administrative command prompt(right click and select run as administrator) and type SFC /scannow then hit enter you should be able to run a integrity check.

shioriharu · Jul 7, 2016

Yep and i also submitted them for virustotal, no results.

here are some screens

http://imgur.com/a/fRXzf

The SSD write amount reached 5,43 terrabyte in just a couple months from 2,1 terra. (and i am sure it sat around 2 terra for the first few months until the problem started.

nukemaster · Jul 7, 2016

That sounds like lots of writing, but I do not monitor that on my own system.

You system it self has an aftermarket cooler and should not be overheating(as long as it is installed correctly and the fan is turning.). I would guess you have a top fan on the case to help remove heat?

While that is a decent chunk of cpu being used, I do not see how it would ever crash the system(cooler has to be part of that issue.).

shioriharu · Jul 7, 2016

Yes the cooler is part of the problem, i already ordered Cooler Master Hyper 212X, but do you think that workload is normal? It wasnt always this much, and im thinking this caused my gpu driver to go corrupt back then. I dont think its normal since i just cannot leave my PC idle for too long, or it might go overheat by just this one process. Also it is literally shortening my SSD's lifespan.
It does not have a top fan., it has on the front.

nukemaster · Jul 7, 2016

It would be hard to tell. Something has to be happening. I know parts of Windows do things from time to time.

As for the SSD, you are going to have to see what is doing all of that. Something has to have changed with the system.

As an example, Some game servers write logs and save data often, this adds up fast. My UPS logs data every 20 minutes(APC SmartUPS. This happens in the background). This does not seem like much, but for a solid state drive it starts to add up pretty good.

Now if you have software you KNOW causes this issue, you can move it over to the hard drive or even see about re-directing just the files that do this.

Since you have Windows update off, you should have one less workload happening on the system.

Windows update looks like this on my system. That is one full core doing just that.

Things like compressing a video will give me much higher loads for extended times.

The real issue is that I am not sure if your system is slow because of higher cpu load or just because you are hitting thermal throttling(at some point the system clocks down to try to save it self).

shioriharu · Jul 9, 2016

I accidentally verified taskhost.exe with process explorer, how can i unverify it ?

Windows 8.1 annoying workload loop

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Titan

Reputable

Share this page