Replies to post #4015 on Computer Learning (HELP)

[lostcowboy]

Hi Rossi, you mean the (System Idle Process). I can't tell you exactly what it does as I don't know. But in general terms, a computer has to be doing something all the time, if you have a break in a program the computer will stop, or crash. If this is working like one of the computers I worked on in the navy. Then this is the primary loop, or process. Its main function is to service ALL the other process, when they need something done on time, they will set up what we called a flag. This loop checks for the flags, if no processes need anything done it just's loops back to its self. Which is why it has the biggest number. If you start doing something that is cpu intensive, you will see this number drop. If you can burn a cd, try looking at it then.

[MSC290]

System Idle Process info . . . .

Found the following write up by doing a "Google" search.

.......

If you take a look at the Task Manager--press [Ctrl][Shift][Esc]--and click the Processes tab, you'll see all the programs and system processes that are currently running. The majority of processes vary, but some are present on all Windows XP computers.

One constant is the System Idle Process, which is a single thread that runs on each processor. This process runs more than any other system process, and it takes a lot of CPU time; however, its memory usage is very
low.

The System Idle Process runs only when no other processes are using the CPU. Thus, when the CPU is idle, the System Idle Process is in action,executing special halt (HLT) instructions that put the CPU into a suspended mode and thereby cool the processor.

NOTE: It's not possible to End Task the System Idle Process from the Task Manager.