If I leave poser 4 on, even closed, with nothing on the screen, I often hear my Sony Vaio computer going. When I check it tells me 50% or so of the CPU is running. That stops when I close Poser entirely. Is this normal? Is it okay? It seems like some sort of waste or overuse. If if is a problem, has anyone run into this before? [Why do I leave Poser running you may wonder. This is because often when I start it up the dork does not pop up and it does not run normally. I then have to shut down the computer entirely and reboot. Sometimes twice, to get the proper starting screen and proper operation. So normally I just leave it on so I don't have to bother with this. If anyone knows how to correct this, obviously I would be most grateful for a solution!!!] pjbear

1. You check that CPU usage where? 2.) Any open program, even if not in use but minimized, takes up RAM and procesor resources. To what value does your processor usage increase if you actually use Poser? 3.) You may want to remove the Dork from the 'first' screen and then save your settings. This way Poser doesn't have to load a figure each time it is started, so it starts a little faster.

I press alt/control/delete and windows task manager comes up and then I click on the "performance tab and it shows cpu usage and a graph of usage over the last few minutes. While using, it jumps around of course. But not necessarily enormously higher. I should say that Poser is not ALWAYS running so high while idling. It just does it sometimes. I can try removing the dork. I have sometimes done that in the past, and I can't remember why I prefer to keep him in. But the problem with misloading is not just speed. It loads something like figure/chest, but there is no figure at all, and then I know from experience that nothing will work right and so I have to shut down the computer and start over once or twice. Again, this does not happen each time, but maybe 1/3 of the time.

pjbear, Unless I am mistaken, you have a newer computer that have a hyperthreading processor. That is, it is designed to handle multiple tasks at once, and half the processor is all it is going to give to anything. I have the same issue on my new Alienware PC. I have found no method of convincing my PC to use the whole processor. So I just use the other half to cruise the internet at full speed while I render, or do Photoshop work while rendering without any noticable slowdown of either app. It has its pros and cons. Good luck! Shogakusha

Shogakusha I think we are not talking about the same thing. My problem is not that the processor will not go over 50%, it will do that in bursts during a task. And often it is running down around 10% or so. The problem is that I may walk into the room with my computer at 4am because I can't sleep, or some other time, and I can HEAR the computer being active. Then I check the cpu and it will be active at around 50% or so, but I am not actually using any programs!! Then if I close down each program that is open, like e-mail, poser, word, etc. it turns out to be Poser that was making the sound and running the cpu high. But this does not happen all the time, just often. For example right now I have poser open but I am not using it, and also Eurdora e-mail, and even a couple of websites. And I am typing to you, and yet the computer is quiet and the cpu is jumping between 4% and 18% only. This morning, though when I got up I heard the computer being active and checked and the cpu once again was being used at around 50% even though I had not used it for hours.

The problem is that I may walk into the room with my computer at 4am because I can't sleep, or some other time, and I can HEAR the computer being active. I would guess that there's a system program - perhaps the index maker - running at that time. Poser doesn't just 'start to run'. That's something I have never heard nor seen. How long does the computer then 'run'? If you can actually hear it, there has to be hard disk activity involved?

Spotmann, I am not sure what you mean. I am not a very computer savy person. I do have something called pboost http://market.renderosity.com/softgood.ez?ViewSoftgood=9540 which is a sort of index maker. Is that what you mean? How long does it run? It will seem to go on and on until I stop it. It irritates me. I suspect that you are correct that there is hard disc activity involved and I would guess that this is not good for the computer, and that is why it irritates me. But now I could leave the computer alone for hours and there might not be a problem. Then maybe when I come home tonight it could be making noise.

No, that's not what I meant. The Windows operating system has an own index making program, which will just start running at a point of time unless you tell it not to. If the computer starts 'running', which programs can you see when you hit [STRG]+[ALT]+[DEL]? Write down and list anything you see, even if it seems not important. Then tell us more ;-)

Okay! I guess you mean where it says "processes" on task manager. I may have to wait for it to start acting up. Thanks.

I think a poser service pack addressed this issue. Do you have the latest?

This is a real problem. It wasn't fixed until a service pack in Poser 5. I have propack and my processor runs at 99% BUT it's only when the libraries panel is open. If you're not selecting poses and stuff, just close the panel and always be sure it's closed if you minimize or render.

I never had this problem with Poser 4 and I have a Hyperthreading Pentium 4 Processor. Maybe it's something else like a Virus Scan, scheduled defrag, etc. Or maybe you have a virus or worm...

Im back! I walked into the room and could hear the computer. I have been watching it now for over an hour while using the telephone. The CPU usage on task manager stays around 50% even though I am doing no work on the computer. I did as spothmann suggested. On "Processes" on Windows Task Manager Poser,exe is the active program and under CPU it has been running quite steadily at about 52%. I had pressed "close" under file last night and am doing no work on it at all although it is open. The only other processes that are running steadily are system Idle Process and Task Manager of course. Now and then a program will change from 0 to 1 very briefly. These were explorer.exe, and csrss.exe. I got suspicious that I have 4 svchost.exe processes showing on the task manager, although they do NOT appear to be running. From what I find on the internet it seems that I should only have one. Does this ring any bells? Obviously there could be a virus here for all I know, but I am up to date on all my virus scanners. Now the sound has stopped as I was typing, after well over an hour, and I did nothing to stop it. Poser.exe has dropped down to 8-15 so something is still going on even though I am not using it at all. lsass.exe goes to one now and then. But at least the sound is off. Should I mention that I have hogsoft, and it says it is always ready to go. I don't know what that means! Would it be part of the Poser.exe file?

More than one svchost running is not necessarily a problem. If you run adaware, etc., and it finds nothing I wouldn't worry about that. Is your Poser library panel open or closed? Are you running XP? If so I suggest getting the latest releases. I had the problem under Win98 and XP. Now with Svc Pack 2 the problem is gone. Other than that, I don't know what to say.

Maybe its a virus, worm, or spywear. Have you scanned your system? For the sake of security -- If you'r running XP, turn off file and print sharing and don't allow users to connect over the network if you don't share printers or files.