My CPU Usage is pretty high, do I have malware?

[Misuzu]

I know I ask to many questions, but I just want to make sure my computer is okay. (My computer, not my family's computer   )

Is it normal for your CPU Usage to be from 60%-100%? I'm pretty sure it has happened to me before I even got a virus/malware.

I used to have the virus "Alureon" (I think that is how it is spelled) and a lot of other viruses/malware with it, but supposedly I got rid of it with Microsoft's OneCare Safety Scanner (except for 1 java virus which I think I manually got rid of myself...), my CPU Usage should NOT have anything to do with Alureon right? I got rid of it a month ago and 4 different scanners (Avast, MBAM, Windows Defender and OneCare Safety Scanner) all told me I was safe, so Alureon should be gone, right?


Uh.. Sorry about that, but anyway:

I have MBAM and Avast on my computer, I update it every now and then, but I am not totally up to date, but that's because my computer is almost always disconnected from the internet/network, so I shouldn't be able to get any of the newer viruses myself. The Avast/MBAM updates basically just adds more newer viruses/malware to their database right? So I shouldn't have malware that hasn't yet been added to Avast/MBAM's updates, right? If I had malware it would be the 'older' malware and it should be detected by Avast/MBAM?

I have:
1. Windows Defender on Advanced Membership, daily full scans at 2:00 A.M.
2. Avast and MBAM
3. Hardly is ever connected to the network/internet

So I SHOULDN'T have a virus/malware right? I did a scan with both Avast (Quick Scan) and MBAM (Thorough Scan) and even though MBAM's Thorough scan lasted 2 hours (Avast and being on the internet seem to slow down my computer) both scans came up clean. My CPU Usage is low sometimes though too, but sometimes it get's really high.

But I also read in the "Windows Help and Support" on my computer that CPU Usage can get high if programs are not responding. And I checked "Services" in my Task Manager and a lot of them was "Not Responding" and I even got a pop-up that a application wasn't working (Apparently it was my Bamboo Tablet). So could this be why my CPU Usage is high? Could malware be making these programs "not respond"?  

Basically I just want to make sure my computer is malware-free.
Sorry for such a long post, I hope you could read it and understand it all.  
Thanks in advance and I hope you all have a nice day. 

[essexboy]

Although you rarely connect do you use a USB drive to put programmes on your computers that other people have given you ?  As that is one vector that is used a lot.  The usage is quite high - what malware did MBAM delete ?

[Pondus]

Although you rarely connect do you use a USB drive to put programmes on your computers that other people have given you ?  As that is one vector that is used a lot.  The usage is quite high - what malware did MBAM delete ?

maybe this http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=54366.0

[Misuzu]

Hi, thanks for responding.  

No, I don't think it's the "Hulu Virus" because that was on my Family's computer, not mine. And that was before I transferred files from my family's computer to my computer. (I got the "Hulu" virus just recently on my family's computer, but I transferred files from both computers a while ago)

I have transferred a few files (But they were only pictures, not programs) from my family's computer to mine from a DVD+R after doing a thorough MBAM scan on both computers. I wouldn't have thought that I would have gotten malware from the DVD+R because I did a nearly up to date (It was only 1 update behind the one on my computer) scan on the family computer, and then I scanned the DVD+R with a up-to-date MBAM afterward with my computer and both scans didn't find any malware.

But I never would use a USB drive/memory stick or CD/DVD that someone gave to me. I only transfer files (And I rarely do that anymore) between the two computers I use (My family's computer and my computer).

Sometimes my computer does have low CPU Usage though. (About 8%-20% or less)
Thanks again. I appreciate you guys' help.  

[Pondus]

Not sure if it will help with CPU usage but have you run CCleaner and defrag your hardrive

CCleaner http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
Defraggler http://www.piriform.com/defraggler

[Misuzu]

Not sure if it will help with CPU usage but have you run CCleaner and defrag your hardrive

CCleaner http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
Defraggler http://www.piriform.com/defraggler

Thank you. If my computer continues to have high CPU Usage I'll use that. 

What do you guys suspect is wrong with my computer? Do you think it's malware or maybe something else?
Does programs that are "not responding" under "Services" in the Task Manager effect CPU Usage?

[essexboy]

When you get the high usage - open task manager and see which process is using the most

[emantoyaks]

ur right essexboy?... then goto start > run > type msconfig click the start up bar then unchecked the suspicious start up so that they will not come back every time u will start ur computer.

[Misuzu]

Thanks for the info. 

But the process that takes up the most CPU is something to do with Windows I believe. Will disabling a process badly effect my computer at all?
Do you guys think it's malware?

[ONESIMUS]

On my computers, I've noticed that YouTube, Vimeo and Zynga (aka Farmville and Mofia Wars) causes my CPUs to run high (like 100% load).  Usually the browser has the most CPU usage, but the DNS queries can cause svchost.exe to show the high CPU usage as well.

Usually, killing all of my iexplore.exe processes brings the CPU back down.  Then I can reopen the pages I need and the CPU runs better for a while, until I've opened too many of "those" kinds of pages again.

[Misuzu]

On my computers, I've noticed that YouTube, Vimeo and Zynga (aka Farmville and Mofia Wars) causes my CPUs to run high (like 100% load).  Usually the browser has the most CPU usage, but the DNS queries can cause svchost.exe to show the high CPU usage as well.

Usually, killing all of my iexplore.exe processes brings the CPU back down.  Then I can reopen the pages I need and the CPU runs better for a while, until I've opened too many of "those" kinds of pages again.

Except I haven't went on the internet/connected to my network lately. So I don't think I have "iexplore.exe" under my "Processes" in Task Manager.
Thanks for responding.  

Besides malware, what other reasons could be causing my CPU Usage to go so high? Or do you guys think I have malware? (It seems that certain websites do that too, from what ONESIMUS said)

Thanks! 

[essexboy]

What is the process name that is taking up the cpu ?

If it is Iexplore and you are not on the net then there may be a problem

[Misuzu]

What is the process name that is taking up the cpu ?

If it is Iexplore and you are not on the net then there may be a problem

Here's all the processes that are taking about CPU Usage:

dwm.exe (I think that's what it's called, but it has something to do with the desktop)
Whatever Avast's .exe is (I forgot)
wisptis.exe (I checked it's properties and it says it's my Bamboo Tablet, my tablet has been having errors apparently, but it works fine)
csrss.exe (Sometimes this takes up about "2 CPU", I'm not sure what this is)
ashDisp.exe (This looks like it's the Avast process though)
SynTPHelper (Or something that's description is "Synaptics...")
winlogon.exe
taskeng.exe (This takes up the most CPU)
explorer.exe (It's not "iexplorer.exe" though, this can take up some CPU though too)

There may be more and some of these may not be taking up CPU at all, I just maybe accidentally listed the wrong ones, but I'm pretty sure that list is accurate.
Most of them don't take up to much CPU, but the taskeng.exe and explorer.exe (I think the explorer does) takes up the most I think...

Just so you guys know, so far I haven't had any problems with my computer except my "Recent Items"'s box is now lower than it used to be, but I'm pretty sure that's because I updated Windows.
Thanks!

EDIT: I just checked and seen that iexplorer.exe and explorer.exe is pretty much the same thing... Should I be worried?

EDIT 2: Quick question: If you don't transfer files/programs (I've never really transferred a program from one computer to the other) but you share the same network as another computer, you can get a virus/malware from using the same network right? But what if one of the computers are turned off and not connected to the network, can you still get malware from it?

I also checked the "explorer.exe" does take up 2-6 CPU Usage usually. But sometimes it's at 0 CPU Usage.
I hope everything is okay.  

Oh, but here's some good news. My CPU Usage has been lower recently. Before about half the time (or more) my CPU Usage was from 50%-100%, but now about 70% of the time it's at 5%-20%. 

[essexboy]

Are you on Vista and what is your Ram amount ?

[Misuzu]

Are you on Vista and what is your Ram amount ?

Yes both mine and my family's computer are Vista. Mine is Dell and my family's computer is Toshiba. (Just in case you needed to know   )

Since I'm on my family's computer right now I'll have to go check the ram on my computer. It's under Control Panel > System right?

EDIT: If I found the right "place" on the Control Panel then my computer has 1 GB of ram.