Super high CPU usage

I recently did a clean install of Windows 7 professional 64 bit. I am having super high CPU usage with every program I run. For example, I loaded up Starcraft 2 and it was running at 95-100% CPU, even though in vista just days before, I was running at 40% and under.

I have a Core 2 Duo E8400. I suspected that it may be chipset drivers, and have tried to install the latest but they just won't install for some reason. After I hit the "next" button to install, the program looks like it closes, though it's still running in the task manager processes.

Thanks for any help.

Hi PandaAssassin

You started a thread titled Windows 7 64 bit "freezes yesterday.

Are you still having those issues? Because likely they are related and fixing one will fix them both. Two threads on related topics can be rather confussing.

Have you installed any applications such as Anti-virus or Anti-malware related?
Have you installed the latest chipset drivers from ASUS website?

Well, I think I just confirmed that they are in fact related, sorry for posting a new thread, you can disregard the other one I guess. I tried booting up SC2 again, and maxed out at 100%, after about 20 sec my computer froze and I had to do a hard restart to fix it.

I have tried installing the latest chipset drivers from Asus, but they just won't install for some reason. It sometimes just exits after I hit the install button, but the process is still running in the task manager.

I haven't installed any Anti-virus/malware software yet.

Do you have Windows 7 User Account Control turned on?

If so you can disable it temporarily while installing hardware drivers and software. This may help programs that are not designed to run with UAC. Personally I have mine turned off permanently because of this very issue.

Yes, that's what I thought it was at first as well, so I turned it off completely.

What happens when you try installing the drivers in Safe Mode?

With the Intel Chipset drivers, they can be a little trickier to install than most realize.

If the chipset driver is just an install or executable file then it needs to be downloaded from the Intel site as a "zip" format. Then the Main folder and sub-folder are available. Once that is done, put the driver folder somewhere easy to locate.

Right click on COMPUTER then Properties, then Device Manager, click on View, choose "Devices by Connection". A new tree opens up and expand it till you get to the PCI BUS listing and it's sub-listings. Starting with the Intel PCI Express Port and subsequent listings, right-click and do an "Update Driver" and then choose Browse My Computer setting and point the update to the folder where the Intel drivers are located and do each of the highlighted that way. EVEN IF you installed the "executable" file with the Intel install window and such, this still needs to be done to properly install the Intel Chipset drivers.

Try that and see how it works for you. You can also use 7zip to decompress the executable into it's sub-folders and sub-drivers.