System processes, about which ordinary computer users often have no idea, very often can cause increased workloads on computer computing resources. These, in particular, are the so-called system interrupts. What is this, most do not know and often try to shut down this service directly in the "Task Manager", which displays the load of the central processor and RAM. Running a little ahead, it should be said that it is not worth doing such things in any case. But how then to bring the system to life? It is proposed to talk about this in more detail, especially since when considering the main issue, along the way, other problems may be discovered related to the incorrect functioning of the hardware components, the Windows operating systems themselves and the software installed in their environment. But first things first.
System interrupts: what is it?
Before taking any steps to troubleshoot a problem, you should find out what this system component is. In the “Task Manager”, the “System Interrupts” process, which runs continuously, is responsible for its functioning.
But what is it? Without going into technical details and saying that it is, system interrupts can be compared with a certain litmus test or indicator, which signals that some equipment is malfunctioning in the system. In addition, increasing the load on resources may also be due to incompatibility of the software and hardware of the computer. In its normal state, the load on the processor from this process usually does not exceed five percent or a little more, which is quite enough to diagnose all currently used “iron” devices for correct functioning in the background. If the load increases above the specified limit, it is urgent to identify the cause and eliminate equipment problems.
How it works: the simplest explanation
But let's look at what system interrupts are in Windows 7 or other modifications using a simple example. It should be noted right away that with respect to software, the operation of this component is associated with non-executable elements of programs that can be loaded, for example, into RAM (dynamic libraries, device drivers, etc.).
Suppose you have some kind of modern game installed on your computer, but the video card meets only its minimum system requirements, or the configuration is below this threshold. If the graphics chip does not cope with the processing of software components, which leads to an increase in the load on it, system interruptions are included in the case. At their expense, command processing is redirected to the central processor, which is trying to help the video card cope with the increased number of calls. Accordingly, from the side of the described process in the "Task Manager" there is an increase in the load. And often the occurrence of such situations leads not only to the freezing of the entire system, but even to the appearance of blue screens. The same applies to cases when equipment begins to fail. Unfortunately, in case of breakdowns of the “iron” components of the system, all of this can equally apply to any of them (for example, a hard disk is being poured, RAM slots fail, etc.).
System interrupts load the processor: what to do first?
Based on the above theoretical information, we turn to practical measures that can eliminate the problems that arise and correct such situations. What to do first? Oddly enough, this sounds, but sometimes it’s enough to perform the most common reboot, which allows you to deactivate all third-party software components. But after all at repeated start of some application the situation can be repeated. In this case, immediately check the status of the drivers using the “Device Manager” for this. It is possible that the conflict between the software and hardware was just provoked by them.
If possible, install control software for problematic devices that can be marked with a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark in the Dispatcher, and update drivers for all other equipment using automated utilities like Driver Booster.
Tracking loads with a special utility
If actions with installing and updating drivers do not give the desired result, you will have to use other methods. Alas, there are no such tools in the Windows system toolkit.
Therefore, if it is noticed that system interrupts load resources, most experts recommend using a small program called DPC Latency Checker, which is presented in a portable form and does not require installation on a PC. In it, the first thing you need to do is turn on the scan, after which the results of the check will give recommendations for troubleshooting. However, most often they are associated only with the completion of some processes that correspond to both the programs and the equipment currently in use, or a recommendation will be issued to contact the “Device Manager”. But we need to use it, leaving the diagnostic utility active as a kind of means of changing load tracking. Do not confuse the loads shown in this program with those that are visible in the Task Manager.
Disabling Components in Device Manager
With regard to this section of equipment management, the essence of troubleshooting is to sequentially disconnect the devices installed in the system with subsequent verification of the loads by the aforementioned utility.
Please note that it is strictly forbidden to turn off the equipment presented in the sections "Computer", "Processors" and "System Devices", since such actions can lead to an unauthorized shutdown and restart of the computer. Why good, the whole operating system will also fail.
For other components, having previously enabled the display of hidden devices in the view menu, each component should be disabled through the RMB menu, and then reactivate diagnostics in the load tracking program. When in the test results after deactivation of a device, the load drops to normal, and it will be clear that this particular component is malfunctioning. If reinstalling the driver does not help, the device will have to be replaced.
What should I do if the load problem persists?
But what is it? System interrupts still give an increased load on the processor. What else could affect the occurrence of such a situation? For some reason (and this is so) in most cases, the root cause of this behavior of the system is called the problem with outdated or built-in sound equipment in the motherboard, for which the improvement of sound effects is involved.
Alternatively, in the sound settings using Windows, turn off this item, which will automatically lead to deactivation of all installed effects. Note that they relate specifically to the software, and not to the hardware type, so disabling the main device may not give a result.
Primary I / O Issues
Finally, many experts do not rule out the appearance of malfunctions in the operation of primary BIOS / UEFI systems, which may be related to obsolescence of the original firmware. In this case, new and more modern equipment may not be detected correctly. As already understood, the output will be downloading and installing updates for the firmware. But, if you can start such processes for UEFI directly in a running operating system, you should be extremely careful with experiments in the BIOS. Inappropriate firmware or incorrect installation can lead to the fact that the entire computer system will stop working.
Brief Summary
This is a brief summary of everything about interrupt system calls. Based on the foregoing, it is recommended to eliminate the arising problems with the use of the specified diagnostic program with a sequential shutdown of the equipment. If necessary, the failed components will have to be changed. As an additional tool that can be used to identify problems with RAM slots, it is advisable to use the Memtest86 + utility, but without the necessary knowledge, there will be no sense from it.