100% CPU usage

I created a PowerPoint presentation with some videos for a customer (a
training exercise) and he purchased an Acer laptop to present via a
projector. It has been working very well for the first 6 training sessions.

Suddenly PowerPoint decides it requires 100% CPU usage when it gets to the
video slides (WMA format). It is about 4 months old running Windows XP (SP2)
and has never been connected to the internet or a network.. Windows update is
turned off as is the network and wireless adaptors as they are not required.
No additional software has been installed.

When the videos are played using Windows Media player, it uses about 25%
CPU. But in PowerPoint it shoots to the top and videos stutter and lose audio
sync.

I installed the PowerPoint 2003 SP1, with no effect and also tried the new
2007 viewer, but both the Viewer and PowerPoint continue to use 100%.

The hard drive is partitioned and the PowerPoint file and videos are on the
second drive, not the OS drive. I do not have the computer specs in front of
me, but it would appear to be a PowerPoint/XP issue rather than hardware as
it used to work perfectly and no hardware or software changes have been made.
My initial assumption was something else was running in the background, but
it is PowerPoint that takes all the CPU. There is no antivirus, spyware or
similar installed, but there should be no need as this is a one use machine
with no network or internet connections. I have not installed any XP updates,
but again there are no security risks and it was working well, why fix what
is not broken. We have also tested the presentation on another machine (much
older) and all works perfectly.

My next steps will be to try and clean all temp files, then uninstall Office
and reinstall, install XP updates and then lastly format and reinstall XP.
Testing after each step, however, the reinstall options are not preferred, as
this is likely to reoccur unless I can identify the cause of the problem.

Any additional suggestions would be most welcome!

Hi there

If I was you I would check for video card driver updates and turn back the
hardware acceleration (for how see he http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00129.htm).
I would also update Office - SP2 is out...

Let us know if that helps

Lucy
--
MOS Master Instructor
www.aneasiertomorrow.com.au

If this post answered your question please let us know as others may be
interested too


"Horatio Buyer" wrote:

I created a PowerPoint presentation with some videos for a customer (a
training exercise) and he purchased an Acer laptop to present via a
projector. It has been working very well for the first 6 training sessions.

Suddenly PowerPoint decides it requires 100% CPU usage when it gets to the
video slides (WMA format). It is about 4 months old running Windows XP (SP2)
and has never been connected to the internet or a network.. Windows update is
turned off as is the network and wireless adaptors as they are not required.
No additional software has been installed.

When the videos are played using Windows Media player, it uses about 25%
CPU. But in PowerPoint it shoots to the top and videos stutter and lose audio
sync.

I installed the PowerPoint 2003 SP1, with no effect and also tried the new
2007 viewer, but both the Viewer and PowerPoint continue to use 100%.

The hard drive is partitioned and the PowerPoint file and videos are on the
second drive, not the OS drive. I do not have the computer specs in front of
me, but it would appear to be a PowerPoint/XP issue rather than hardware as
it used to work perfectly and no hardware or software changes have been made.
My initial assumption was something else was running in the background, but
it is PowerPoint that takes all the CPU. There is no antivirus, spyware or
similar installed, but there should be no need as this is a one use machine
with no network or internet connections. I have not installed any XP updates,
but again there are no security risks and it was working well, why fix what
is not broken. We have also tested the presentation on another machine (much
older) and all works perfectly.

My next steps will be to try and clean all temp files, then uninstall Office
and reinstall, install XP updates and then lastly format and reinstall XP.
Testing after each step, however, the reinstall options are not preferred, as
this is likely to reoccur unless I can identify the cause of the problem.

Any additional suggestions would be most welcome!

Good thinking, I will try that, thanks

"aneasiertomorrow" wrote:

Hi there

If I was you I would check for video card driver updates and turn back the
hardware acceleration (for how see he http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00129.htm).
I would also update Office - SP2 is out...

Let us know if that helps

Lucy
--
MOS Master Instructor
www.aneasiertomorrow.com.au

If this post answered your question please let us know as others may be
interested too


"Horatio Buyer" wrote:

I created a PowerPoint presentation with some videos for a customer (a
training exercise) and he purchased an Acer laptop to present via a
projector. It has been working very well for the first 6 training sessions.

Suddenly PowerPoint decides it requires 100% CPU usage when it gets to the
video slides (WMA format). It is about 4 months old running Windows XP (SP2)
and has never been connected to the internet or a network.. Windows update is
turned off as is the network and wireless adaptors as they are not required.
No additional software has been installed.

When the videos are played using Windows Media player, it uses about 25%
CPU. But in PowerPoint it shoots to the top and videos stutter and lose audio
sync.

I installed the PowerPoint 2003 SP1, with no effect and also tried the new
2007 viewer, but both the Viewer and PowerPoint continue to use 100%.

The hard drive is partitioned and the PowerPoint file and videos are on the
second drive, not the OS drive. I do not have the computer specs in front of
me, but it would appear to be a PowerPoint/XP issue rather than hardware as
it used to work perfectly and no hardware or software changes have been made.
My initial assumption was something else was running in the background, but
it is PowerPoint that takes all the CPU. There is no antivirus, spyware or
similar installed, but there should be no need as this is a one use machine
with no network or internet connections. I have not installed any XP updates,
but again there are no security risks and it was working well, why fix what
is not broken. We have also tested the presentation on another machine (much
older) and all works perfectly.

My next steps will be to try and clean all temp files, then uninstall Office
and reinstall, install XP updates and then lastly format and reinstall XP.
Testing after each step, however, the reinstall options are not preferred, as
this is likely to reoccur unless I can identify the cause of the problem.

Any additional suggestions would be most welcome!