CPU using 1 cpu to 100% for no discernible reason

Sir Headless VII

My computer is for some reason going really slowly. I think it is trying to defrag a hard drive that is no longer there but I can't be sure. For some reason on of the cores of my processor is being used to 100% all the time and there is no process in the task manager to account for it. This started to happen after I installed and formatted a hard drive and then removed it. I later found out that a scheduled defrag had started just after it finished formatting and right about when I turned off the computer. After turning off the computer I removed the drive and stuck it into an enclosure. now the computer boots REALLY slowly (generally hangs around the place where it looks for places to boot from) and runs really slowly (because one of the cores is being used to 100 all the time). So how can I tell what my processor is doing? and what could be causing my problems.

P.S. I have run the defragging tool again and checked for viruses with no success

DanMach

Hi Sir headless, you have two options! Find whatever peice of malware, virus, adware, etc etc is eating the CPU..

Or just reinstall Xp and be done with it in 10 hours.

Erandus

Install Process Explorer immediately.

Sir Headless VII

After installing Process Explorer it says the process taking up all the cpu is called Interrupts and its description is Hardware Interrupts. I can't kill it or do anything to it. It lists it's PID as n/a and properties brings up no information about it.

JHunz

Abnormally large numbers of hardware interrupts can be caused by bad drivers, or by hardware going bad. For example, it was a big problem with some of the GeForce 6800 chipsets, which is where I ran into it. I ended up RMAing my card and had no further problems.

MindLib

Strange, if things were fine before, try a system restore? If that doesn't help, just do the wipe.