SMSS.exe -> High CPU usage

Hi!

I've got Vista Ultimate (32-bit) on my DELL D420, 2GB RAM.

I've got the problem shutting down the machine takes about 5 min or so...
I've heard others have the same problem, too, but don't know any solution?!

The last days I've got another curious thing: SMSS.exe takes over 50% of CPU
and the RAM usage of my machine is over 90%. Only autostart-programs were
started, no programms further.

Didn't find anything in Google so I post this here. Perhaps anybody could
help me?

Patches are all installed.

Thanks for help in advance!

--
Greetings
Udo
MCSE / CCA

I've started Vista in Safe mode. After login I wanted to start a cmd but the
machine freezes and I only can move my mouse but clicks don't do anything.

Very strange behaviour, isn't it?

jeutix wrote:
> I've started Vista in Safe mode. After login I wanted to start a cmd but the
> machine freezes and I only can move my mouse but clicks don't do anything.
>
> Very strange behaviour, isn't it?

can you perform a restore to a time when you know the OS was good? Is
there anything in the Event Viewer to show what is going on?

Howabout deleting all user profiles or any software you've recently
installed to see if that helps? Did you make any changes to the system
at around the time SMSS.exe started hogging the CPU?

Google shows that trojans use a file called SMSS.exe so check that the
one running at 50% is located in \Windows\System32. If not you need to
clean your machine.

Don't worry about your RAM being used. Vista caches into RAM and is
better for the system like that. I have 2GB and regularly see less than
10MB free with not much open.

I've deinstalled all software I don't need any longer.

Taking time for shutdown is the matter for days/weeks, so I don't really
know the time to go back :-(

I've made a chkdsk/f at reboot and after that for the moment the system is
working fine (but the shutdown). The shutdown is taking time when "shutting
down" is appearing on the screen.

I know the new RAM-behaviour in Vista, but normally in a sidebar gadget I
have 50% off and this morning only 0-10% were left :-( So there was something
different.

Profiles: Ups, oh oh... ggrrrr...
I looked at it and saw that... my two VMs of VirtualPC were in the standard
folder :-( ca. 13 GB of files :-(( So I moved this to another folder on the
disk. I took a look at the other folders, too, and found another folder
(Audible) were the audiobooks were saved.. and moved it, too. Now my user
profile got 4,6 GB size. The first and second reboot took long time, though.
At shutting down the disk-LED lit all the time. What the hell does Vista make
on the disk so long while shutting down? Could I tweak something to speed
this proccess up?

--
Greetings
Udo
MCSA / CCA


"Neil Harley" wrote:

> jeutix wrote:
> > I've started Vista in Safe mode. After login I wanted to start a cmd but the
> > machine freezes and I only can move my mouse but clicks don't do anything.
> >
> > Very strange behaviour, isn't it?
>
> can you perform a restore to a time when you know the OS was good? Is
> there anything in the Event Viewer to show what is going on?
>
> Howabout deleting all user profiles or any software you've recently
> installed to see if that helps? Did you make any changes to the system
> at around the time SMSS.exe started hogging the CPU?
>
> Google shows that trojans use a file called SMSS.exe so check that the
> one running at 50% is located in \Windows\System32. If not you need to
> clean your machine.
>
> Don't worry about your RAM being used. Vista caches into RAM and is
> better for the system like that. I have 2GB and regularly see less than
> 10MB free with not much open.
>

Oh oh :-(

Installed the nCleaner and checked the Tweak settings and saw that the
"Delete pagefile at shutdown" was activated :-((((

Also the disk optimizer at boot was activated. Could not remember that I had
activated such settings.

After deactivating these two settings the shutdown is in seconds... what else?

--
Greetings
Udo
MCSE / CCA


"jeutix" wrote:

> I've deinstalled all software I don't need any longer.
>
> Taking time for shutdown is the matter for days/weeks, so I don't really
> know the time to go back :-(
>
> I've made a chkdsk/f at reboot and after that for the moment the system is
> working fine (but the shutdown). The shutdown is taking time when "shutting
> down" is appearing on the screen.
>
> I know the new RAM-behaviour in Vista, but normally in a sidebar gadget I
> have 50% off and this morning only 0-10% were left :-( So there was something
> different.
>
> Profiles: Ups, oh oh... ggrrrr...
> I looked at it and saw that... my two VMs of VirtualPC were in the standard
> folder :-( ca. 13 GB of files :-(( So I moved this to another folder on the
> disk. I took a look at the other folders, too, and found another folder
> (Audible) were the audiobooks were saved.. and moved it, too. Now my user
> profile got 4,6 GB size. The first and second reboot took long time, though.
> At shutting down the disk-LED lit all the time. What the hell does Vista make
> on the disk so long while shutting down? Could I tweak something to speed
> this proccess up?
>
> --
> Greetings
> Udo
> MCSA / CCA
>
>
> "Neil Harley" wrote:
>
> > jeutix wrote:
> > > I've started Vista in Safe mode. After login I wanted to start a cmd but the
> > > machine freezes and I only can move my mouse but clicks don't do anything.
> > >
> > > Very strange behaviour, isn't it?
> >
> > can you perform a restore to a time when you know the OS was good? Is
> > there anything in the Event Viewer to show what is going on?
> >
> > Howabout deleting all user profiles or any software you've recently
> > installed to see if that helps? Did you make any changes to the system
> > at around the time SMSS.exe started hogging the CPU?
> >
> > Google shows that trojans use a file called SMSS.exe so check that the
> > one running at 50% is located in \Windows\System32. If not you need to
> > clean your machine.
> >
> > Don't worry about your RAM being used. Vista caches into RAM and is
> > better for the system like that. I have 2GB and regularly see less than
> > 10MB free with not much open.
> >