System processes are consuming all available cores...
System processes are consuming all available cores...
Occasionally my interest turns into a problem. This happened when a family member gave me an unfamiliar brand mini PC. The culprit appears to be the installation media: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2bhcb1ph5asbjs...d.png?dl=0. The machine comes with an ATM CPU and Windows 10 Pro already set up. No label is present, and the setup asks for a key. It had an 18xx model number, so I attempted an upgrade to version 1903 but the issue persisted. Someone suggest why this device seems to be consuming too much CPU? I already have plenty of other stuff, I don’t need another one unless the owner insists it stays that way. Updated September 1, 2019 by jagdtigger
To add a picture, simply paste the file here instead of using a link.
The Process section in Task Manager shows the programs actively using system resources, but it doesn't specifically identify which app is pinning a particular core. It lists processes by memory and CPU usage rather than core-specific targeting.
It appears in the picture. In Task Manager I see just the system process, but Process Explorer gives clearer details. The main culprit is ntoskrnl.exe... Sounds like a recurring issue—probably a habit... Edited September 1, 2019 by jagdtigger
A short bit of Googling has brought me to: So it's probably an application or driver holding ntoskrnl.exe up. Honestly if windows is asking for a Product Key and if the system doesn't have any important data on it I'd just re-install Windows. If the system is quite old it could have a heap of other clutter just waiting to cause more problems. Best to start fresh. Maybe put an SSD in it if it doesn't have one.
I restored the machine to its original condition. Normally, the owner asked me to set it up for him. Since there’s no official documentation available, I captured a complete image of the eMMC before making any changes. Right now, aside from the drivers, there’s nothing third-party installed. Can you find a way to identify which driver is causing the issue?
You might want to check for reporting tools that can identify the responsible software or application. If you're unsure how to locate them, simply uninstalling each app one at a time could help determine which is causing the problem. Apologies if this wasn't clear.