The Straight Dope

Go Back   Straight Dope Message Board > Main > General Questions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-24-2004, 08:20 PM
elfkin477 elfkin477 is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 18,609
What is CPUIDLE and do I need it?

About three months ago I started getting "this program needs to end" messages when trying to shut down my computer. The program in question is CPUIDLE. Eventually I realized it's probably really CPU Idle, not something about cupid, but...

I don't know what this is, or what it does, or if I need it on the computer. I know that I can end it and the computer will shut down, but is it something necessary I never noticed before, or something that's only been on the computer as long as the problem has been?

What I'm wondering is, is it this? http://www.cpuidle.de/ If so, how'd it get on my computer? I've never been interested in attempting to over-clock anything so it's not something I purposefully downloaded if it is a download, and until three weeks ago, there was no internet access on this computer, so it didn't come with a peer to peer bundle. The only things I installed on the computer around the time the problem began are a couple of screensavers.

It a folder (has what looks like an excute program and a bunch of files ending in .sah and a launch shortcut) currently in the windows/system32/drivers/ect folder, and there also seems to be something called cpuidle.lgc in the windows/applog folder. I know you need to know what you're doing when you remove things from windows, so... Do you think I need it?
__________________
Stalk follow me on Twitter
Reply With Quote
Advertisements  
  #2  
Old 01-24-2004, 08:54 PM
Revtim Revtim is online now
Guest
 
Join Date: Mar 1999
Is there an entry in add/remove programs for CPUidle?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-24-2004, 10:18 PM
elfkin477 elfkin477 is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 18,609
Quote:
Originally Posted by Revtim
Is there an entry in add/remove programs for CPUidle?
Nope. It seems like less than half of the programs I've installed on this computer have them, though.
__________________
Stalk follow me on Twitter
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-29-2004, 11:29 PM
elfkin477 elfkin477 is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 18,609
No one has any ideas, huh? I tried pressing the lauch to see what happens, all it does it put it back in the program menu again if I've already used ctrl-alt-del (or End It All) to shut it down.
__________________
Stalk follow me on Twitter
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-30-2004, 12:19 AM
Alereon Alereon is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
CPUIdle is a legitimate program with no malicious functionality. Are you sure that you didn't install it, perhaps along with another program? Or perhaps another user might have installed it? Anyway, if you want it gone, make sure the program isn't running and delete its program directories.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:47 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

Send questions for Cecil Adams to: cecil@chicagoreader.com

Send comments about this website to: webmaster@straightdope.com

Terms of Use / Privacy Policy

Advertise on the Straight Dope!
(Your direct line to thousands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.)

Publishers - interested in subscribing to the Straight Dope?
Write to: sdsubscriptions@chicagoreader.com.

Copyright © 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC.