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Thread: explorer.exe 100% CPU continually reading PNIDUI.dll

  1. #1
    Tim_Mac Guest

    explorer.exe 100% CPU continually reading PNIDUI.dll

    hi.
    i've had a very stable vista installation since RTM. but recently
    SearchIndexer.exe started maxing out my CPU, as discussed on this
    thread: http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/Sho...97269&SiteID=1
    Many other users have the same problem, it's a widespread stability
    problem with Search. i've since disabled the search service but
    explorer has now taken to maxing out the CPU instead. explorer.exe is
    responsive for the first few minutes after log in, but then the
    taskbar and start menu stop responding completely and one of the CPU
    cores goes to max. i've tried disabling all unnecessary services but
    that not improved anything.
    i ran ProcMon with a filter on explorer.exe and i see about 3 or 4
    entries every second referencing c:\windows\system32\pnidui.dll. it
    follows a pattern of CreateFile, QueryBasicInformationFile and
    CloseFile. i've included the output from ProcMon below for these
    entries. i understand this file simply contains the networking icons,
    can anyone explain why explorer should be querying this file in an
    infinite loop? i've run virus scans etc., windows defender scans and
    everything is fine. i have even installed SP1 RC1 refresh 2 but it
    hasn't changed anything.

    thanks to anyone who can help me out, i'm dreading the prospect of a
    re-install, and since i never even had to re-install XP in its
    lifetime that would be a major disappointment for Vista.
    tim

    Sequence: 1202566
    Date & Time: 27/01/2008 11:41:34
    Event Class: File System
    Operation: CreateFile
    Result: SUCCESS
    Path: C:\Windows\System32\pnidui.dll
    TID: 2720
    Duration: 0.0000175
    Desired Access: Read Attributes
    Disposition: Open
    Options: Open Reparse Point
    Attributes: n/a
    ShareMode: Read, Write, Delete
    AllocationSize: n/a
    OpenResult: Opened


    Sequence: 1202567
    Date & Time: 27/01/2008 11:41:34
    Event Class: File System
    Operation: QueryBasicInformationFile
    Result: SUCCESS
    Path: C:\Windows\System32\pnidui.dll
    TID: 2720
    Duration: 0.0000028
    CreationTime: 27/01/2008 02:53:08
    LastAccessTime: 27/01/2008 02:53:08
    LastWriteTime: 19/01/2008 07:36:07
    ChangeTime: 27/01/2008 10:03:45
    FileAttributes: A


    Sequence: 1202568
    Date & Time: 27/01/2008 11:41:34
    Event Class: File System
    Operation: CloseFile
    Result: SUCCESS
    Path: C:\Windows\System32\pnidui.dll
    TID: 2720
    Duration: 0.0000054



  2. #2
    Tim_Mac Guest

    Re: explorer.exe 100% CPU continually reading PNIDUI.dll

    hi. just replying to myself here. resetting my user profile did the
    trick, it must have got corrupt. i followed the instructions on this
    blog post: http://blog.tiensivu.com/aaron/archi...-contents.html
    i still can't use Search or else the CPU problems come back, but at
    least Vista holds itself together well enough.

  3. #3
    SamSamuel Guest

    Re: explorer.exe 100% CPU continually reading PNIDUI.dll

    If you right click the network icon, and turn off animation, all
    activity on PNIDUI.dll stops.

    (I assume the high activity is due to it constantly reading the file to
    change the image as activity occurs on the network.
    Maybe this is a side effect of something else constantly using the
    network, and not the problem in itself?)

  4. #4
    Tim_Mac Guest

    Re: explorer.exe 100% CPU continually reading PNIDUI.dll

    hi sam. many thanks for explaining this, i thought this file was the
    source of the problem but you're right i'm sure it was just a lot of
    network IO.
    thanks
    tim

  5. #5
    ladhani Guest

    Re: explorer.exe 100% CPU continually reading PNIDUI.dll

    I am afraid this does happen in Windows Vista!

    Suddenly my Vista computer had a very bad performance and everything
    started to work
    very slowly, especially windows mail.

    The Task manager showed that CPU was constantly at 50% - 80% even if I
    was
    not doing anything and let the computer untouched for a few hours.

    Most of the CPU time was taken by explorer.exe.

    After trying many things and struggeling with this issue for many many
    hours,
    I slowly got some idea.

    Appearently something under water goes wrong with your user profile and
    the search
    index settings of the files in your USER folder. Vista tries to index
    stuff in this folder
    and gets completely crazy. It keeps on trying and trying and eating up
    most of
    your CPU time (explorer.exe).

    The only lasting working solution, I found was to make a completely new
    User Account.
    After making the new User Account, you can only copy a limited number
    of stuff
    from your original User Account. Some stuff when copied to your new
    User Account
    will again make your new User Account go crazy.

    Also, I turned off the search indexing for the new User Account,
    including all subfolders.

    Here is what I did:


    SOLUTION:

    * Backup your original User Account, Mails and any other critical
    files.

    * Make a new user and make an extra help account (for example called:
    admin with Administrator rights).

    * Make sure that the search indexing for the new User folder is TURNED
    OFF
    (via properties of the folder -> Advanced)

    * Manually and carefully only copy back stuff you really need.

    * Use Command line with Administrator rights to copy User stuff step by
    step.
    The moment you see the CPU getting crazy again, delete the last User
    stuffs you just copied.



    To restore your e-mails:

    1 - copy the e-mail folder to another partition in folder mail2 (for
    example: f:/mail2).
    2 - in the new user login, set the archive folder of Windows mail to
    f:/mail.
    3 - delete f:/mail and rename f:/mail2 to f:/mail (BE CAREFULL! make
    sure you have a backup).


    It's quite a headacke, but it will bring down your CPU to 2% - 10% when
    you are idle.

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