Processor Interrupt Time too high!

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Hello everybody.

As you know there is a hidden virtual task or proccess in Windows XP called
"Interrupts Time". (And i say hidden because it's not shown on Task Manage
of XP, but is shown on some other third-party task managers.

Well, my problem is that this meter is really full most of the time i use
the PC, even in times i don't do anything demanding (processor-wise), like
for example opening Outlook Express or IE, and it conusumes all of the CPU
power (2,6 Ghz) just by trying to launch an application, search the hard
drive or even bringing up a new window of a program!

After searching for the cause of this, i found out that what this meter
really shows is the Interrupt Requests (IRQs) that various devices send to
the CPU requiring its immediate attention. I guess that would mean that a
particular device is maybe asking for too much attention because it probably
malfunctions.

So after disabling all peripheral devices and leaving only the necessary, i
found out that the hard disk causes too many interrupts when i (or anything
else) tries to access it. But what's strange is that the HD seems really
fine. No S.M.A.R.T. warnings, no strange sounds, no failures, no bad
sectors... It really seems to work just fine, and also the Ultra-ATA feature
is enabled, so it shouldn't ask for so many interrupts (while a month or so
before didn't).

I would really appreciate if anyone would give me a clue about this like if
it would be cause by software, something other besides the HD, or if anyone
else besides me has experienced the same problem.

Thanks in advance.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Probably why it is a hidden file. Causes too much... "sup?" (Spontaneous
unwarranted paranoia.)

"Stavros Sk." wrote:

> Hello everybody.
>
> As you know there is a hidden virtual task or proccess in Windows XP called
> "Interrupts Time". (And i say hidden because it's not shown on Task Manage
> of XP, but is shown on some other third-party task managers.
>
> Well, my problem is that this meter is really full most of the time i use
> the PC, even in times i don't do anything demanding (processor-wise), like
> for example opening Outlook Express or IE, and it conusumes all of the CPU
> power (2,6 Ghz) just by trying to launch an application, search the hard
> drive or even bringing up a new window of a program!
>
> After searching for the cause of this, i found out that what this meter
> really shows is the Interrupt Requests (IRQs) that various devices send to
> the CPU requiring its immediate attention. I guess that would mean that a
> particular device is maybe asking for too much attention because it probably
> malfunctions.
>
> So after disabling all peripheral devices and leaving only the necessary, i
> found out that the hard disk causes too many interrupts when i (or anything
> else) tries to access it. But what's strange is that the HD seems really
> fine. No S.M.A.R.T. warnings, no strange sounds, no failures, no bad
> sectors... It really seems to work just fine, and also the Ultra-ATA feature
> is enabled, so it shouldn't ask for so many interrupts (while a month or so
> before didn't).
>
> I would really appreciate if anyone would give me a clue about this like if
> it would be cause by software, something other besides the HD, or if anyone
> else besides me has experienced the same problem.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
>
 

frodo

Distinguished
Apr 26, 2003
257
0
18,780
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Don't worry, be happy!

Take a computer science course if you're really that interested and have
the time to ponder interrupts and processor loading!

FWIW, 99% of what a computer does is in response to interrupts, that's
just how they work. [There are are 100 interrupts per second just for the
mouse, whether it's being moved or not.]