"System" process is using 252 threads and 25 percent of my CPU

[Comp_Pro]

It's been doing this for a long time. I am not sure if this is a good thing, but it is making my CPU very hot. Even when I leave my PC and come back hours later, it is still doing this, and it is doing this as I speak. I am really stumped on what to do here. Is this a problem? I have scanned for malware, rootkits and viruses/spyware and have found nothing.

I have embedded an image below.

 

[aPanzerIV]

Use ccleaner to fix the registry and clear caches, and use malwarebytes free to scan for some viruses, after its cleaned up, reboot and see if its still doing it.

 

[Comp_Pro]

I am not sure how CCleaner will solve this problem, but I ran it anyway.

As stated in my first post I had scanned my PC already, but I did it again. Found nothing.

 

[dale]

The number of threads is not alarming. The CPU usage however is alarming, providing that the machine was idling.

How hot are we talking about?

 

[setishock]

I'll state the obvious. There's a program running.
Could be starting at boot up or gets triggered as a timed event. Whatever it is, it's heavy. Check msconfig and take a screen shot.

Should be like this >

 

[Comp_Pro]

CPU was hitting 55+ degrees. Should normally be around 35. Even overnight where my PC was doing nothing, when I woke up and went over to it, I could hear the fans working pretty hard and my CPU was fair hot. PC should have been doing nothing.

From time to time I go through my Msconfig and get rid of anything I do not want to start when my computer boots up. I have just gone through and disabled a few more things I do not need.

Whatever it was, it seems to have disappeared with the reboot I did before. Should I notice it happen again, I will come back.

 

[Comp_Pro]

Shortly after my previous post, I noticed it happening again. Seems like a reboot is just a quick fix for it.

There is a bigger issue here and I have absolutely no idea what it is

 

[dale]

Could you try these three things:

• Start up in safe mode and see if the problem goes away
• Start up normally, but keep the computer completely off-line from start up and see if the problem goes away
• Start up normally, produce an HijackThis log without using the fix function

 

[Comp_Pro]

I removed even more things from my startup in Msconfig and rebooted and it seems to be running fine (again).

It's been this way for about 45 minutes so far and I haven't noticed any irregularities.

Hijack this log is below.

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 8:19:35 PM, on 29/07/2013
Platform: Windows 7 SP1 (WinNT 6.00.3505)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v9.00 (9.00.8112.16496)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\Users\Mark\Local Settings\Apps\F.lux\flux.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe
C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastUI.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\LogMeIn Hamachi\hamachi-2-ui.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Trend Micro\HiJackThis\HiJackThis.exe

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = MSN.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = Bing
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = Bing
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = MSN.com
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = C:\Windows\SysWOW64\blank.htm
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName =
O2 - BHO: Groove GFS Browser Helper - {72853161-30C5-4D22-B7F9-0BBC1D38A37E} - C:\PROGRA~2\MICROS~3\Office14\GROOVEEX.DLL
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In SSV Helper - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre7\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: Windows Live ID Sign-in Helper - {9030D464-4C02-4ABF-8ECC-5164760863C6} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live\WindowsLiveLogin.dll
O2 - BHO: URLRedirectionBHO - {B4F3A835-0E21-4959-BA22-42B3008E02FF} - C:\PROGRA~2\MICROS~3\Office14\URLREDIR.DLL
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre7\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: TOSHIBA Media Controller Plug-in - {F3C88694-EFFA-4d78-B409-54B7B2535B14} - C:\Program Files (x86)\TOSHIBA\TOSHIBA Media Controller Plug-in\TOSHIBAMediaControllerIE.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast] "C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\avastUI.exe" /nogui
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LogMeIn Hamachi Ui] "C:\Program Files (x86)\LogMeIn Hamachi\hamachi-2-ui.exe" --auto-start
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [F.lux] "C:\Users\Mark\Local Settings\Apps\F.lux\flux.exe" /noshow
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Steam] "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -silent
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Sidebar] C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe /autoRun
O8 - Extra context menu item: Add to TOSHIBA Bulletin Board - res://C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\BulletinBoard\TosBBCom.dll/1000
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office14\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O8 - Extra context menu item: Se&nd to OneNote - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office14\ONBttnIE.dll/105
O9 - Extra button: Send to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Se&nd to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra button: OneNote Lin&ked Notes - {789FE86F-6FC4-46A1-9849-EDE0DB0C95CA} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\ONBttnIELinkedNotes.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: OneNote Lin&ked Notes - {789FE86F-6FC4-46A1-9849-EDE0DB0C95CA} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\ONBttnIELinkedNotes.dll
O9 - Extra button: @C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\BulletinBoard\TosNcUi.dll,-229 - {97F922BD-8563-4184-87EE-8C4ACA438823} - C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\BulletinBoard\TosBBCom.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\BulletinBoard\TosNcUi.dll,-228 - {97F922BD-8563-4184-87EE-8C4ACA438823} - C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\BulletinBoard\TosBBCom.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files (x86)\common files\microsoft shared\windows live\wlidnsp.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files (x86)\common files\microsoft shared\windows live\wlidnsp.dll
O11 - Options group: [ACCELERATED_GRAPHICS] Accelerated graphics
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{082BDBF9-02D3-461F-A84E-85DE6312DEE8}: NameServer = 8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{40B4D8DE-CB3F-4AA1-A369-A547C9CE9B71}: NameServer = 203.12.160.35
O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\..\{082BDBF9-02D3-461F-A84E-85DE6312DEE8}: NameServer = 8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4
O17 - HKLM\System\CS2\Services\Tcpip\..\{082BDBF9-02D3-461F-A84E-85DE6312DEE8}: NameServer = 8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4
O18 - Protocol: skype4com - {FFC8B962-9B40-4DFF-9458-1830C7DD7F5D} - C:\PROGRA~2\COMMON~1\Skype\SKYPE4~1.DLL
O18 - Filter hijack: text/xml - {807573E5-5146-11D5-A672-00B0D022E945} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE14\MSOXMLMF.DLL
O23 - Service: Abel - oxid.it - C:\Program Files (x86)\Cain\Abel64.exe
O23 - Service: Adobe Acrobat Update Service (AdobeARMservice) - Adobe Systems Incorporated - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\ARM\1.0\armsvc.exe
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\Alg.exe,-112 (ALG) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\alg.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: AMD External Events Utility - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\atiesrxx.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - AVAST Software - C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastSvc.exe
O23 - Service: BattlEye Service (BEService) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\BattlEye\BEService.exe
O23 - Service: ConfigFree WiMAX Service (cfWiMAXService) - TOSHIBA CORPORATION - C:\Program Files (x86)\TOSHIBA\ConfigFree\CFIWmxSvcs64.exe
O23 - Service: ConfigFree Service - TOSHIBA CORPORATION - C:\Program Files (x86)\TOSHIBA\ConfigFree\CFSvcs.exe
O23 - Service: Cron Service for Prey (CronService) - Fork Ltd. - C:\Prey\platform\windows\cronsvc.exe
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\efssvc.dll,-100 (EFS) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\fxsresm.dll,-118 (Fax) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\fxssvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: GFNEX Service (GFNEXSrv) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\GFNEXSrv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Google Update Service (gupdate) (gupdate) - Google Inc. - C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe
O23 - Service: Google Update Service (gupdatem) (gupdatem) - Google Inc. - C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe
O23 - Service: LogMeIn Hamachi Tunneling Engine (Hamachi2Svc) - LogMeIn Inc. - C:\Program Files (x86)\LogMeIn Hamachi\hamachi-2.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: Intel(R) Capability Licensing Service Interface - Intel(R) Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\iCLS Client\HeciServer.exe
O23 - Service: Intel(R) ME Service - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\FWService\IntelMeFWService.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Intel(R) Dynamic Application Loader Host Interface Service (jhi_service) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\DAL\jhi_service.exe
O23 - Service: @keyiso.dll,-100 (KeyIso) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Intel(R) Management and Security Application Local Management Service (LMS) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\LMS\LMS.exe
O23 - Service: MBAMScheduler - Malwarebytes Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbamscheduler.exe
O23 - Service: MBAMService - Malwarebytes Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbamservice.exe
O23 - Service: Mozilla Maintenance Service (MozillaMaintenance) - Mozilla Foundation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Maintenance Service\maintenanceservice.exe
O23 - Service: @comres.dll,-2797 (MSDTC) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\msdtc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\System32\netlogon.dll,-102 (Netlogon) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: PnkBstrA - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\PnkBstrA.exe
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\psbase.dll,-300 (ProtectedStorage) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Remote Packet Capture Protocol v.0 (experimental) (rpcapd) - CACE Technologies, Inc. - C:\Program Files (x86)\WinPcap\rpcapd.exe
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\Locator.exe,-2 (RpcLocator) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\locator.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\samsrv.dll,-1 (SamSs) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Sandboxie Service (SbieSvc) - SANDBOXIE L.T.D - C:\Program Files\Sandboxie\SbieSvc.exe
O23 - Service: SBSD Security Center Service (SBSDWSCService) - Safer Networking Ltd. - C:\Program Files (x86)\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDWinSec.exe
O23 - Service: Skype Updater (SkypeUpdate) - Skype Technologies - C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Updater\Updater.exe
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\snmptrap.exe,-3 (SNMPTRAP) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\snmptrap.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\spoolsv.exe,-1 (Spooler) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\spoolsv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\sppsvc.exe,-101 (sppsvc) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\sppsvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Steam Client Service - Valve Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Steam\SteamService.exe
O23 - Service: TeamViewer 8 (TeamViewer8) - TeamViewer GmbH - C:\Program Files (x86)\TeamViewer\Version8\TeamViewer_Service.exe
O23 - Service: TMachInfo - TOSHIBA Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\TOSHIBA\TOSHIBA Service Station\TMachInfo.exe
O23 - Service: TOSHIBA Optical Disc Drive Service (TODDSrv) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\TODDSrv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: TOSHIBA Power Saver (TosCoSrv) - TOSHIBA Corporation - C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\Power Saver\TosCoSrv.exe
O23 - Service: TOSHIBA Bluetooth Service - TOSHIBA CORPORATION - C:\Program Files (x86)\Toshiba\Bluetooth Toshiba Stack\TosBtSrv.exe
O23 - Service: TOSHIBA eco Utility Service - TOSHIBA Corporation - C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TECO\TecoService.exe
O23 - Service: TOSHIBA HDD SSD Alert Service - TOSHIBA Corporation - C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TOSHIBA HDD SSD Alert\TosSmartSrv.exe
O23 - Service: TPCH Service (TPCHSrv) - TOSHIBA Corporation - C:\Program Files\TOSHIBA\TPHM\TPCHSrv.exe
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\ui0detect.exe,-101 (UI0Detect) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\UI0Detect.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Intel(R) Management and Security Application User Notification Service (UNS) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\UNS\UNS.exe
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\vaultsvc.dll,-1003 (VaultSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\vds.exe,-100 (vds) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\vds.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\vssvc.exe,-102 (VSS) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\vssvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\Wat\WatUX.exe,-601 (WatAdminSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\Wat\WatAdminSvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\wbengine.exe,-104 (wbengine) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\wbengine.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%Systemroot%\system32\wbem\wmiapsrv.exe,-110 (wmiApSrv) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\wbem\WmiApSrv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%PROGRAMFILES%\Windows Media Player\wmpnetwk.exe,-101 (WMPNetworkSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmpnetwk.exe (file missing)

--
End of file - 12129 bytes

 

[dale]

You can safely remove the following entries, as they refer to files that are no longer there:

O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\Alg.exe,-112 (ALG) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\alg.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: AMD External Events Utility - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\atiesrxx.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\efssvc.dll,-100 (EFS) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\fxsresm.dll,-118 (Fax) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\fxssvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: GFNEX Service (GFNEXSrv) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\GFNEXSrv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @keyiso.dll,-100 (KeyIso) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @comres.dll,-2797 (MSDTC) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\msdtc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\System32\netlogon.dll,-102 (Netlogon) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\psbase.dll,-300 (ProtectedStorage) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\Locator.exe,-2 (RpcLocator) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\locator.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\samsrv.dll,-1 (SamSs) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\snmptrap.exe,-3 (SNMPTRAP) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\snmptrap.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\spoolsv.exe,-1 (Spooler) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\spoolsv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\sppsvc.exe,-101 (sppsvc) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\sppsvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: TOSHIBA Optical Disc Drive Service (TODDSrv) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\TODDSrv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\ui0detect.exe,-101 (UI0Detect) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\UI0Detect.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\vaultsvc.dll,-1003 (VaultSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\vds.exe,-100 (vds) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\System32\vds.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\vssvc.exe,-102 (VSS) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\vssvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\Wat\WatUX.exe,-601 (WatAdminSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\Wat\WatAdminSvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\wbengine.exe,-104 (wbengine) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\wbengine.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%Systemroot%\system32\wbem\wmiapsrv.exe,-110 (wmiApSrv) - Unknown owner - C:\windows\system32\wbem\WmiApSrv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%PROGRAMFILES%\Windows Media Player\wmpnetwk.exe,-101 (WMPNetworkSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmpnetwk.exe (file missing)

You can also remove any lines related to anti-malware or anti-virus software that you no longer use.

There are some Toshiba applications at start up. You could remove them, but unless the problem comes back, you shouldn't need to do so.

(You can remove lines by using the fix function.)