# Idle IE uses 98% CPU **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516 "2005-10-29T22:45:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/1 "2005-10-29T22:45:48Z")
Recently my IE goes into some kind of CPU intensive loop and takes up to 98% CPU according to the Task Manager (XP). I usually have 2 or 3 IEs open at once, but just sitting idle. Any ideas? Maybe a Java or Javascript bug? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/2 "2005-10-29T23:09:05Z")
Probably some obnoxious animated Flash ad. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/3 "2005-10-29T23:26:28Z")
What speed and type CPU? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/4 "2005-10-29T23:37:12Z")
A bunch of plugins and activeX controls can run under IE. Are there one page, a few pages that do this, or is it completely unrelated to the locations you’re browsing?? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/5 "2005-10-29T23:39:56Z")
Here are two browsers that will use resources better and you can open multiple sites in one running browser program. Enigma [http://www.suttondesigns.com/](http://www.suttondesigns.com/) The groups function is really nice. You can save all open pages in a group and hit the group you want to open when you do another sesson later. Mozilla Firefox [http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/](http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) Either is free and works better for multiple page viewing than IE. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/6 "2005-10-29T23:53:05Z")
This could very easily be because of a browser hijack virus. Run a virus and spyware scan. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/7 "2005-10-30T00:14:12Z")
does it depend on what pages are currently loaded? ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/8 "2005-10-30T02:38:46Z")
I’m trying to figure out if it is due to a certain website I visit, or a certain website I have currently loaded. No clues so far. I have all the current patches, spyware and virus software I can stand, so I think I have that angle covered. I will cruise around to my regular places and try to keep track of when my IE decides to go bonkers. I can tell when a process has gone mad with CPU usage because the fan on my laptap will never stop running. Odd, but true. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/9 "2005-10-30T02:58:23Z")
It could be a java applet running in the background. If you open a web page containing a java applet, it can remain alive and functioning until ALL browser instances are closed. Close all your browser windows, re-open them, and see if the problem goes away (don’t just minimize them - actually unload each browser instance). ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/10 "2005-10-30T03:21:47Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > It could be a java applet running in the background. If you open a web page containing a java applet, it can remain alive and functioning until ALL browser instances are closed. Close all your browser windows, re-open them, and see if the problem goes away (don’t just minimize them - actually unload each browser instance). I think that may be the answer. It does seem to go away when I use that procedure. I’m going to try to open the Java-window in the browser the next time to see if that gives me any other clues. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-ie-uses-98-cpu/328516/11 "2005-10-30T17:34:34Z")
I believe I caught the scoundrel. My IE went into its 98% mode this morning and the java-console indicates [www.sportsline.com](http://www.sportsline.com) is the culprit.