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Answer» I'm very upset. My computer overheats to the point where it shuts itself off. It will be a while before I can get it to a technician, so I have to guess at some of the causes. One thing I'm guessing is that something is trying to execute and not being able to. Not knowing much about these things, I LOOK at the list of processes in the Task Manager, but the names are pretty much meaningless to me, so I'm asking SEVERAL questions:
Q1: How normal is it for CPU usage to jump around constantly from 2% to 8%, 16% 30something%, 65%, if all you are doing is looking at the Task Manager and not touching the keyboard or mouse, are not doing any scans, have only the Task Manager or the Task Manager and one Explorer window open?
Q2: According to a certain idiot technician I once talked to on the PHONE, any task listed in the Task Manager that has my name as the user name (that is, not System or Local/Network Service) is something I installed and since I installed it, I must know what it is. This was an extremely unhelpful remark, since if I knew what it was I wouldn't have been asking her what it was. I have tried searching the net for some of these processes, but not everything can be found. For instance, McciTrayApp.exe. I'm not even sure that's an "i" after the two c's. Maybe it's a lower case L, but I've tried it both ways and can't find a reference to it. How do I know it (or anything else listed) is something I want to keep, and if it's not, how would I get rid of it?
Q3: There are currently 60 Processes listed. If the only thing on the list with a sizable CPU number is System Idle Process, averaging 90, and nothing else flashing on and off has a number averaging 2, am I barking up the wrong tree guessing the OVERHEATING problem is being caused by something trying to execute and not succeding?
Please answer my questions in as simple and non-technical way that you can, I really don't know much about this subject, which brings me to the next q:
Q4: Does anyone have an opinion on this website, and do I need this service? The site says it's free for personal use.
http://www.whatsrunning.net/whatsrunning/main.aspxOperating system and details of your computer required for diagnosis.
Are you sure overheating is the cause of the shutdowns? Shutdowns can be caused by faulty hardware. Are any error messages displayed?
Answer to Q1. Perfectly normal and depends on what is running in the background.
Answer to Q2. McciTrayApp.exe is >>here<<. Most of the processes are listed on the WWW and/or at >>this<< site.
Answer to Q3. 60 running processes seems a tad high, my processes number 35. It's normal for System Idle to show 90% usage. Overheating is usually caused by a hardware problem such as a fan not operating or operating at a lower than acceptable speed, a laptop sited on a carpet or other heat-raising medium, lack of or incorrect installation of thermal paste between a chip and heatsink.
Answer to Q4. You may get some benefit from a listing of 'what's running', you may find that a process is automatically started for hardware which you only use intermittently such as a camera. It depends on whether what the listing shows is understood by you or not.
Regardless of the above, in order to decide which processes are required you must give as much info as you can about your computer. Please read >>this<<.
Also on question 3:
Over heating can be also be caused by poor air flow in the case due to build up of dust. It is recommended that you blow your computer out once a year.
Quote from: Dusty on February 23, 2008, 12:08:34 AM Operating system and details of your computer required for diagnosis.
Windows XP, Toshiba Satellite - I'll read the link about info to include and give more details in a separate post
Are you sure overheating is the cause of the shutdowns? Shutdowns can be caused by faulty hardware. Are any error messages displayed?
I haven't gotten an error message lately. In the past overheated shut-offs have yielded messages on re-booting. I'm guessing overheating because the computer is getting so hot, with excessive fan whirring sometimes starting when I first turn the computer on.
Answer to Q1. Perfectly normal and depends on what is running in the background.
If only I knew what was running in the background! Task manager doesn't seem to know! If it does know, it isn't telling me!
Answer to Q2. McciTrayApp.exe is >>here<<. Most of the processes are listed on the WWW and/or at >>this<< site.
Thank you for the links
Answer to Q3. 60 running processes seems a tad high, my processes number 35. It's normal for System Idle to show 90% usage. Overheating is usually caused by a hardware problem such as a fan not operating or operating at a lower than acceptable speed, a laptop sited on a carpet or other heat-raising medium, lack of or incorrect installation of thermal paste between a chip and heatsink.
I'll be using the links you gave me to try to figure out what these things are, and if I can get rid of any I don't want.
Answer to Q4. You may get some benefit from a listing of 'what's running', you may find that a process is automatically started for hardware which you only use intermittently such as a camera. It depends on whether what the listing shows is understood by you or not.
I changed the list of installed programs to "date last used". (Hanging my head in shame) No, I never deleted most of the trial versions that came with the computer - I'm doing that now.
Regardless of the above, in order to decide which processes are required you must give as much info as you can about your computer. Please read >>this<<.
I'll read it and let you know.
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Thank you. By the way, how do you actually change font size on this board? When I clicked the change font size icon, I didn't see a way to actually change the size, unless quotes are always tiny, as I'm about to find out.Quote from: Yitzach on February 23, 2008, 12:45:39 AMAlso on question 3:
Over heating can be also be caused by poor air flow in the case due to build up of dust. It is recommended that you blow your computer out once a year.
Thank you. It'll be vacuumed when I take it to the tech.size=15pt within the square brackets will increase the size to this and must be followed by /size within the square brackets. Not much call for larger fonts tho', the standard 10pt is pretty good.
Quote from: Starwind51I'm guessing overheating because the computer is getting so hot, with excessive fan whirring sometimes starting when I first turn the computer on. Don't ignore any unexpected noise, check it out, one of the cables may be touching the fan impeller. It's much cheaper to replace a fan than a processor.
Good luck.Quote from: Starwind51 on February 24, 2008, 12:50:53 AMQuote from: Yitzach on February 23, 2008, 12:45:39 AMAlso on question 3:
Over heating can be also be caused by poor air flow in the case due to build up of dust. It is recommended that you blow your computer out once a year.
Thank you. It'll be vacuumed when I take it to the tech.
If your Tech uses a vaccuum i'd find a new Tech...Perhaps you could post a pic of your task Manager on the processes tab. Just make sure to fit as many on the screen as possible. Just Alt+PrintScreen, paste in paint, save, and attach the image. I've only GOT 28 processes running, but 60 is a bit suspicious.
Also when you say that "task manager doesn't seem to know" what processes are running in the background what do you mean? A bunch of the 60 processes has got to be background tasks...
Also, Take Patio's advice- any self-respecting Computer Tech knows not to use a Vacuum inside a computer. You'll have to ask somebody else about the reason because the best I can come up with is the magnetic fields in the motor and the possibility to suck out jumpers.Quote from: patio on February 24, 2008, 08:11:52 AMQuote from: Starwind51 on February 24, 2008, 12:50:53 AMQuote from: Yitzach on February 23, 2008, 12:45:39 AMAlso on question 3:
Over heating can be also be caused by poor air flow in the case due to build up of dust. It is recommended that you blow your computer out once a year.
Thank you. It'll be vacuumed when I take it to the tech.
If your Tech uses a vaccuum i'd find a new Tech...
haha, yea don't want to make static due to air rotation --> friction
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