Outlook 2003 using too much CPU on Vista

[Don Gollahon]

Outlook 2003 on Vista constantly uses 40%+ of the CPU. What is it
doing? Didn't do this on XP. Also, when I close it it doesn't
completely shut down. I usually have to kill it after 5 or 10 mins.

I have a dual-core cpu running at 1.9 GHz.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Do you have any addins installed Are you using any applications that access
outlook data? (including syncing with a pda)

 

[Don Gollahon]

Do you have any addins installed Are you using any applications that
access outlook data? (including syncing with a pda)

I have the Sync Center but I'm not syncing.

I also have McAfee Security Center.

 

[Don Gollahon]

Do you have any addins installed Are you using any applications that
access outlook data? (including syncing with a pda)

I also just found GoogleDesktop as an Add-in to Outlook.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

disable google search in outlook - that may fix it, but if you aren't using
the sync, disable it in outlook. Turn off email scanning by mcafee.

 

[Don Gollahon]

disable google search in outlook - that may fix it, but if you aren't
using the sync, disable it in outlook. Turn off email scanning by
mcafee.

I uninstalled McAfee. It was just a trial anyway. I also uninstalled
Google Desktop, it came installed and I never liked it in the past. I
installed AVG Free.

It works a lot better now although Outlook still starts using CPU for
awhile once in awhile. But not constantly as before.

I do sync with my cell phone about once a week so I need to keep that.

Thanks.

 

[Don Gollahon]

I uninstalled McAfee. It was just a trial anyway. I also uninstalled
Google Desktop, it came installed and I never liked it in the past. I
installed AVG Free.

It works a lot better now although Outlook still starts using CPU for
awhile once in awhile. But not constantly as before.

I do sync with my cell phone about once a week so I need to keep that.

Thanks.

It is getting more frequent again. And when I close Outlook it still
stays running in memory. I have to kill it to be able to restart it or
stop the CPU usage.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

is something keeping outlook open? maybe the sync software?
http://www.slipstick.com/problems/close.asp

 

[Don Gollahon]

is something keeping outlook open? maybe the sync software?
http://www.slipstick.com/problems/close.asp

Very well could be. The software is what comes with Vista: Sync
Center. And this happens even when I have not done a sync (I do this
about once per week). So I didn't think that was the main problem. It
did not do this with ActiveSync on Windows XP.

 

[Don Gollahon]

Don Gollahon wrote:

I'm still having trouble with this. I'm about fed up with it actually.

Anyway, here is what I did. I uninstalled AVG and turned off Windows
Defender. With no virus or antispam/spyware the CPU is fine. Down to
just a few percent. I bring up Outlook and it uses around 30% for
awhile, which I expect it too, and then gradually falls to a good level
of just a few percent.

I installed Norton IS 2008. It works fine, does not use CPU. Until I
open Outlook. Now Outlook constantly uses 30 to 50%. I've watched it
all morning and it constantly uses this.

Do not blame it solely on Norton. Outlook does this with any Antivirus
or Spamware installed (I've tried 4 different ones).

Also, on my wifes XP laptop I have the same version of Outlook and
Norton IS 2008. The CPU is fine, just a few percent.

So, what is Vista doing?

Thanks.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Do not blame it solely on Norton. Outlook does this with any
Antivirus or Spamware installed (I've tried 4 different ones).

Then how come it doesn't happen for everyone?

So, what is Vista doing?

Are you sure it's not the indexing of Windows Desktop Search?

 

[Don Gollahon]

Then how come it doesn't happen for everyone?


Are you sure it's not the indexing of Windows Desktop Search?

I'll check and make sure indexing is completely off.

I don't blame the AV apps because my wife's XP has them and Outlook is
fine there.

Thanks.

 

[Don Gollahon]

Then how come it doesn't happen for everyone?


Are you sure it's not the indexing of Windows Desktop Search?

Well, it has been 15 mins or so since I shut off indexing and restarted
Outlook. It is still up to 40%+ of cpu. Maybe I need to remove it and
reinstall it.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Well, it has been 15 mins or so since I shut off indexing and
restarted Outlook. It is still up to 40%+ of cpu. Maybe I need to
remove it and reinstall it.

I'd try a new mail profile first.

 

[Don Gollahon]

I'd try a new mail profile first.

Ok. That appears to have worked. Do I dare import contacts and mail
from my previous data file?

 

[Don Gollahon]

I'd try a new mail profile first.

It worked fine, until I copied my contacts over from the old data file
and then restarted Outlook. Now it is back up to 40%+. That stinks.

I only copied contacts (I have them in several folders). No email or
anything else.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Ok. That appears to have worked. Do I dare import contacts and mail
from my previous data file?

Do not import. Reuse the existing PST as your delivery location.

 

[Brian Tillman]

It worked fine, until I copied my contacts over from the old data file
and then restarted Outlook. Now it is back up to 40%+. That stinks.

I only copied contacts (I have them in several folders). No email or
anything else.

OK, then, start again with a new profile and a new PST, then copy (do not
import) some of the data in the old PST (say the first half of the contacts)
and see what happens. If that's unstable, start again and copy only the
first quarter. If it is stable, copy half of what's left. By proceeding in
this ordered (albeit tedious) fashion, you'll either discover that it's a
general Outlook issue that always happens (and for which you can open a
support incident), or you will find an entry causing the problem and you can
delete the entry and recreate it.

 

[Don Gollahon]

OK, then, start again with a new profile and a new PST, then copy (do
not import) some of the data in the old PST (say the first half of
the contacts) and see what happens. If that's unstable, start again
and copy only the first quarter. If it is stable, copy half of
what's left. By proceeding in this ordered (albeit tedious) fashion,
you'll either discover that it's a general Outlook issue that always
happens (and for which you can open a support incident), or you will
find an entry causing the problem and you can delete the entry and
recreate it.

With a brand new data file, everything is ok. I added one set of
contacts and it was ok. As I added more contacts it started using cpu.
When all contacts were done it was using about 10% cpu. Then I began
copying email directories over. CPU usage increased gradually with
each one. When I was done it was back up to the 40% or so usage.

Final data file size: 384 MB.

 

[Brian Tillman]

With a brand new data file, everything is ok. I added one set of
contacts and it was ok. As I added more contacts it started using
cpu. When all contacts were done it was using about 10% cpu. Then I
began copying email directories over. CPU usage increased gradually
with each one. When I was done it was back up to the 40% or so usage.

Final data file size: 384 MB.

What the increase in CPU activity proportional with respect to the number of
data items in the data file or did it jump suddenly at any point? Have you
disabled Instant Search's inclusion of Ouutlook's data to see if that makes
a difference?