100% CPU Usage

[mrchetsteadman]

Okay so the computer is maybe 3 months old, there is no dust at all in it and is water-cooled. I say that to say it isn't a hardware issue at all. I can pinpoint the moment this happened. So knowing it's malware, how do I remove it without reformatting my PC? The PC won't stay on long enough to really do much. I can't scan the PC because it shuts off around 71% and if I try to copy the files to a USB stick, the files I need, it shuts off. Suggestions?

[adrynalyne]

1 minute ago, C-Squarez said:

Okay so the computer is maybe 3 months old, there is no dust at all in it and is water-cooled. I say that to say it isn't a hardware issue at all. I can pinpoint the moment this happened. So knowing it's malware, how do I remove it without reformatting my PC? The PC won't stay on long enough to really do much. I can't scan the PC because it shuts off around 71% and if I try to copy the files to a USB stick, the files I need, it shuts off. Suggestions?

Sounds more like a heat issue. How do you know its malware?

Water cooling doesn't remove the possibility of overheating (ask any 7700k owner )

[mrchetsteadman]

Just now, adrynalyne said:

Sounds more like a heat issue. How do you know its malware?

Water cooling doesn't remove the possibility of overheating (ask any 7700k owner )

Because I was being cheap and didn't feel like going to Best Buy, which is around the corner, to get a copy of office 365 after my copy expired 3 days ago. After it seemed as if Word wasn't working correctly, and eventually going to buy a copy to extend my older subscription, all of a sudden it's 100% at idle. I routinely encode 4K videos and play games with little to no heat. So me being cheap when I have the money is what caused this. Believe me, I am 100% sure it's malware. 100%. But as you know, we don't discuss Voldemort on Neowin.

 

 

[mrchetsteadman]

Fixed it!

[mrchetsteadman]

Damn it, I was wrong. Temporary fix. Guess I wasn't 100% huh? Any tips people? What info do you need?

[Xahid]

1st try to boot from any Live USB/CD/DVD and check to make sure its not heat issue, just to make it 200% sure...

then scan from Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10

[Shiranui]

1. Since when do you need to go to a shop to renew a 365 subscription?

 

2. How does heat result in 100% CPU usage?

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

Can't you open Task Manager, click Processes tab, and see what service or application is actually causing your processor to go into overdrive? That would be my first point of call when that happens to at least try and see what process or application is causing it.

[adrynalyne]

31 minutes ago, Shiranui said:

1. Since when do you need to go to a shop to renew a 365 subscription?

 

2. How does heat result in 100% CPU usage?

More like 100% CPU usage results in heat and considering its shutting down the computer, it is a lot. So while it's not a reason for the 100% usage, the cooling isn't sufficient. Your machine should never shut off due to thermal protection. 

[papercut2008uk]

Can't you start in diagnostic startup or safe mode?

 

Have you checked what temps your getting for the CPU? just to make sure it's not thermal throttling down? (possible cause the pump on the water cooling is dead)

 

 

[IbSta]

I've got this issue as well even with the side case open my computer runs for roughly 10-15 minutes then shuts down. I've restored the BIOS to defaults and still same thing. I'm still trying other things for now before I rule out bad PSU.

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Is the CPU cooling block firmly making contact with the CPU?  Have you tried a LiveCD Linux (like Overclockix) to rule out PC component issues?  As @adrynalynesaid ... you really shouldn't be hitting thermal limits where the PC shuts off.  

 

Saying you have "malware" ... isn't really giving enough information to provide help. 

 

You could try some offline scanners ... like Windows Defender, Panda and a host of others (Google "bootable virus scanner")

[BottleTop]

I don't use water cooling, but I did have my machine shut down on me earlier today due to heat. I opened up the box and blew out all the dust bunnies. Had to take a toothpick to the fins on the CPU to remove all the built up lint.

 

I've had malware before (yes, I have been known to get some software from people who say "Arggggh"), but have never had an issue where the malware caused the box to overheat. Even if it was running your CPU at 100%, if your cooling is sufficient, it still wouldn't overheat.

 

I'd look elsewhere.