100% CPU bug

ChrisH · 03-01-2002, 04:29 AM

Since OOTP2 I've noticed that the program has a bug somewhere (or a designed feature) that means whenever OOTP2, OOTP3 or now OOTP4 are running the CPU usage jumps to 100%. I don't know of anyother game that that even when doing nothing runs the CPU to 100%. Can someone on the developement team please look into this and comment? Is it fixable?

Ta,
Chris

mwolin · 03-05-2002, 09:01 AM

I have had the same problem and it causes my cpu to overheat. There are other posts on this and it appears to be some sort of threading or looping bug.

Steve Kuffrey · 03-05-2002, 09:15 AM

Not sure what is going on with your system, I just checked mine while having 5 windows open and having OOTP4 simming a season and I am only running at 68%. Windows 98SE, 512 meg of RAM.

jameyhammock · 03-05-2002, 09:29 AM

What does it look like when you're not doing anything in OOTP? Does the CPU usage drop?

patmondor · 03-05-2002, 09:40 AM

WOW....I have Windows XP/512 MB RAM on a P3 933 and OOTP4 hammers my CPU to 100%. I have no other windows open and the usual startup services are enabled. When exiting OOTP4...CPU dips down to 2%....don't know seems to be alot of similar stories out there....

TRuschak · 03-05-2002, 02:23 PM

This probably happens only under Windows NT/2000/XP. I've run into the same sorts of issues using an old language called Clipper. It'd grab all idle CPU cycles to endlessly poll the keyboard.

There were things you could do to force it to release the cycles. All of them worked on 95/98/98SE/ME, but most of them didn't work on NT/2000/XP.

At any rate, it's a question of Marcus finding the right lib for whatever environment he's using.

Tom

JimboJones · 03-05-2002, 05:02 PM

The problem is happening for me running under Win 98.

OOTP, maybe its at 68% because you have other windows open. Try closing all the other windows, and see if the usage for OOTP jumps higher.

theDutchman · 03-05-2002, 08:18 PM

I am at 100% CPU usage. When I right click on the OOTP4 program button in the task bar the CPU usage drops to 0%.

Don't know why that is, either. But I found it interesting that it would do that.

Night2000 · 03-05-2002, 11:20 PM

For those with the 100% cpu problem.
Check out this article:
<a href="http://search.support.microsoft.com/search/viewDoc.aspx?docID=KC.Q227131&url=kb;en-us;Q227131&dialogID=11019460&iterationID=1&session ID=anonymous|10236059" target="_blank">Q227131</a>
Since there are users using different versions of
Windows. You might want to do a search at the microsoft knowledgebase. Something like this:
100% cpu usage. Just choose which version of windows you are running then search.

[ March 06, 2002: Message edited by: Night2000 ]</p>

ChrisH · 03-06-2002, 12:15 AM

Ok this has been an issue for me under Windows 95 / 98 / ME and now XP on 2 different systems. I have monitored the CPU usage with a number of differnet tools and they all jump from 1%-2% with the PC idling as it does once booted, up to a constant 99%-100% usage while running OOTP. Quiting OOTP drops the CPU back down to 1%-2%.
I definately suspect that there is something wrong in the program somewhere, not the monitoring software reporting CPU usage / loading.

Current system is a P3 1Ghz, with 512Mb of RAM.

Chris

Night2000 · 03-06-2002, 01:10 AM

If you have tried other monitor CPU usage programs besides the one that comes with Windows. Then I would tend to agree that it may be correct
that OOTP4 is using 100%. However I also note that OOTP1 said, he had several programs running and didn't have this problem. Also this program
is doing intensive number crunching. I would imagine a lot of data has to be loaded.

[ March 06, 2002: Message edited by: Night2000 ]</p>

ChrisH · 03-06-2002, 01:37 AM

While I agree that there will be times during the game that intensive processing occurrs, I don't think that just starting the program and leaving it displaying the league standings screen is an intensive situation. Once the game has loaded and opened it's database + drawn the screen (say 30 seconds) it's doing nothing but idle as I am not requesting it to process anything. This is the issue it then just sits at 99%+ usage of the CPU and as far as a user is concerned it's doing nothing.

Example I can run Unreal Tournament in a windowed session and the CPU usage is only around 60%.

LetTheCubsWin · 03-06-2002, 04:48 AM

This is an issue with NT systems (Not sure about the 9X). The CPU is used 100% but it isnt inhibiting other programs UNLESS you are processing a season and the like. Then it can be a pain.

mwolin · 03-06-2002, 05:34 AM

I think the CPU running at 100% is real and not a false reading given the oveheating and constant fan running. This must be some kind of bug and I hope Markus takes a look at this. I am running XP but OOTP under win98 compatibility (based on some earlier posts). My laptop shuts off when the CPU overheats (per Compaq support) and this has happened on several occasions.

Steve Kuffrey · 03-06-2002, 05:41 AM

Not sure what you guys are using but I have this game running just about non-stop and have never had the CPU over-heat/shutdown. I know that it does use alot of resources but as was mentioned in another thread do you realize the amount of information that the game keeps at your fingertips? If it didn't we'd hear complaints, why can't I see this or that....

Just .0002

jameyhammock · 03-06-2002, 06:10 AM

OOTP1,

It's not an issue of using resources to do data processing, etc. The issue is that the application is still causing 100% usage when _nothing_ is going on. If I just open OOTP and let it sit there, it pegs the CPU and stays like that even if I do nothing.

ukbldodgers · 03-06-2002, 07:23 AM

Is this with the news marquee scrolling along the bottom?

And are you trying to do anything other than monitor cpu usage (any other programs)

If the answers are yes and no, then I don't think 99+% usage is a bug as:
1) the program is actually doing something (scrolling the news)
2) it's the only thing that wants to do any work, so the OS should let it

Now, whether it should take 100% cpu to scroll the marquee would depend on how the scrolling is done, how the screen redrawing is done (and windows can be a right pain when it comes to stuff like that) and how the delay between redrawing the text at a new position is done (which might depend on what sort of scrolling step is used)

If, however there's nothing moving on the screen, no disc access, and presumably no processing of data because all the program's doing is waiting for input then it'd look like there was some sort of busy loop being used rather than an event driven process (but I'm totally guessing as I don't have access to the source code)

I haven't had a look at this on my own machine yet

For the folks who are getting cpu overheats, I'd be worried about a system that suffered from that problem just because the cpu was running at 100% for a couple of hours; looks like the cpu cooler isn't big enough for the cpu.

Yossarian · 03-06-2002, 07:28 AM

I think this thread name is a misnomer because it's probably not a bug. Fact is on my system, running Win2k sp2, fully updated, OotP4.0a uses 95-100% cpu cycles at all times. This is measured using a program called Motherboard Monitor, one of the most accurate system measuring programs there is. Whether this high cpu usage is by design I don't know. Is OotP supposed to do this? Is there something that it is processing all the time that requires high cpu use?

I said it before, but if your computer is shutting down because of overheating, there is a bigger problem. CPUs are designed to operate at 100% usage. Try running another intensive program like Prime95 and see what happens.

wbonnell · 03-06-2002, 08:20 AM

forget about cpu overheating! what about my laptop's battery!?

OOTP consuming all the available processor cycles to presumably draw some scrolling text leads me to believe some inefficient algorithm was employed...

Yossarian · 03-06-2002, 09:08 AM

Heh didn't you hear? Markus has a deal with the battery vendor

03-01-2002, 04:29 AM	#1
ChrisH Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 110	100% CPU bug Since OOTP2 I've noticed that the program has a bug somewhere (or a designed feature) that means whenever OOTP2, OOTP3 or now OOTP4 are running the CPU usage jumps to 100%. I don't know of anyother game that that even when doing nothing runs the CPU to 100%. Can someone on the developement team please look into this and comment? Is it fixable? Ta, Chris __________________ Chris UKBL - For a fun time

03-05-2002, 09:15 AM	#3
Steve Kuffrey Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: S.E. TN - Georgia born and raised Posts: 17,023	Not sure what is going on with your system, I just checked mine while having 5 windows open and having OOTP4 simming a season and I am only running at 68%. Windows 98SE, 512 meg of RAM. __________________ Steve Kuffrey DABS Atlanta Braves - 2008 Eastern Division Champ *DBLC Atlanta Braves - 2011, 2014 East Division Champ, 2012, 2013 NL Wildcard Baseball Maelstrom-Montreal Expos-2013 Tourney winner, 2014 WC Team Sparky's League - Tampa Bay D'Rays Epicenter Baseball League - Astros 2014 The CBL Rewind - Phillies '95

03-05-2002, 09:40 AM	#5
patmondor Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 23	WOW....I have Windows XP/512 MB RAM on a P3 933 and OOTP4 hammers my CPU to 100%. I have no other windows open and the usual startup services are enabled. When exiting OOTP4...CPU dips down to 2%....don't know seems to be alot of similar stories out there.... __________________ Oriole Fan

03-05-2002, 11:20 PM	#9
Night2000 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Monroe, NJ Posts: 716	For those with the 100% cpu problem. Check out this article: <a href="http://search.support.microsoft.com/search/viewDoc.aspx?docID=KC.Q227131&url=kb;en-us;Q227131&dialogID=11019460&iterationID=1&session ID=anonymous\|10236059" target="_blank">Q227131</a> Since there are users using different versions of Windows. You might want to do a search at the microsoft knowledgebase. Something like this: 100% cpu usage. Just choose which version of windows you are running then search. [ March 06, 2002: Message edited by: Night2000 ]</p> __________________ http://night2000.blogspot.com/ This post has the Al Bundy and Homer Simpson stamp of approval!

03-06-2002, 12:15 AM	#10
ChrisH Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 110	Ok this has been an issue for me under Windows 95 / 98 / ME and now XP on 2 different systems. I have monitored the CPU usage with a number of differnet tools and they all jump from 1%-2% with the PC idling as it does once booted, up to a constant 99%-100% usage while running OOTP. Quiting OOTP drops the CPU back down to 1%-2%. I definately suspect that there is something wrong in the program somewhere, not the monitoring software reporting CPU usage / loading. Current system is a P3 1Ghz, with 512Mb of RAM. Chris __________________ Chris UKBL - For a fun time

03-05-2002, 09:01 AM	#2
mwolin Bat Boy Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 15	I have had the same problem and it causes my cpu to overheat. There are other posts on this and it appears to be some sort of threading or looping bug.

03-05-2002, 09:29 AM	#4
jameyhammock Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 223	What does it look like when you're not doing anything in OOTP? Does the CPU usage drop?

03-05-2002, 02:23 PM	#6
TRuschak Bat Boy Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 2	This probably happens only under Windows NT/2000/XP. I've run into the same sorts of issues using an old language called Clipper. It'd grab all idle CPU cycles to endlessly poll the keyboard. There were things you could do to force it to release the cycles. All of them worked on 95/98/98SE/ME, but most of them didn't work on NT/2000/XP. At any rate, it's a question of Marcus finding the right lib for whatever environment he's using. Tom

03-05-2002, 05:02 PM	#7
JimboJones Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 210	The problem is happening for me running under Win 98. OOTP, maybe its at 68% because you have other windows open. Try closing all the other windows, and see if the usage for OOTP jumps higher.

03-05-2002, 08:18 PM	#8
theDutchman Bat Boy Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 17	I am at 100% CPU usage. When I right click on the OOTP4 program button in the task bar the CPU usage drops to 0%. Don't know why that is, either. But I found it interesting that it would do that.

03-06-2002, 01:10 AM	#11
Night2000 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Monroe, NJ Posts: 716	If you have tried other monitor CPU usage programs besides the one that comes with Windows. Then I would tend to agree that it may be correct that OOTP4 is using 100%. However I also note that OOTP1 said, he had several programs running and didn't have this problem. Also this program is doing intensive number crunching. I would imagine a lot of data has to be loaded. [ March 06, 2002: Message edited by: Night2000 ]</p> __________________ http://night2000.blogspot.com/ This post has the Al Bundy and Homer Simpson stamp of approval!

03-06-2002, 01:37 AM	#12
ChrisH Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 110	While I agree that there will be times during the game that intensive processing occurrs, I don't think that just starting the program and leaving it displaying the league standings screen is an intensive situation. Once the game has loaded and opened it's database + drawn the screen (say 30 seconds) it's doing nothing but idle as I am not requesting it to process anything. This is the issue it then just sits at 99%+ usage of the CPU and as far as a user is concerned it's doing nothing. Example I can run Unreal Tournament in a windowed session and the CPU usage is only around 60%. __________________ Chris UKBL - For a fun time

03-06-2002, 04:48 AM	#13
LetTheCubsWin Bat Boy Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: US Posts: 1	This is an issue with NT systems (Not sure about the 9X). The CPU is used 100% but it isnt inhibiting other programs UNLESS you are processing a season and the like. Then it can be a pain. __________________ --At least the Cubs and BoSox have a chance now.....

03-06-2002, 05:34 AM	#14
mwolin Bat Boy Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 15	I think the CPU running at 100% is real and not a false reading given the oveheating and constant fan running. This must be some kind of bug and I hope Markus takes a look at this. I am running XP but OOTP under win98 compatibility (based on some earlier posts). My laptop shuts off when the CPU overheats (per Compaq support) and this has happened on several occasions.

03-06-2002, 05:41 AM	#15
Steve Kuffrey Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: S.E. TN - Georgia born and raised Posts: 17,023	Not sure what you guys are using but I have this game running just about non-stop and have never had the CPU over-heat/shutdown. I know that it does use alot of resources but as was mentioned in another thread do you realize the amount of information that the game keeps at your fingertips? If it didn't we'd hear complaints, why can't I see this or that.... Just .0002 __________________ Steve Kuffrey DABS Atlanta Braves - 2008 Eastern Division Champ *DBLC Atlanta Braves - 2011, 2014 East Division Champ, 2012, 2013 NL Wildcard Baseball Maelstrom-Montreal Expos-2013 Tourney winner, 2014 WC Team Sparky's League - Tampa Bay D'Rays Epicenter Baseball League - Astros 2014 The CBL Rewind - Phillies '95

03-06-2002, 06:10 AM	#16
jameyhammock Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 223	OOTP1, It's not an issue of using resources to do data processing, etc. The issue is that the application is still causing 100% usage when _nothing_ is going on. If I just open OOTP and let it sit there, it pegs the CPU and stays like that even if I do nothing.

03-06-2002, 07:23 AM	#17
ukbldodgers Minors (Single A) Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 57	Is this with the news marquee scrolling along the bottom? And are you trying to do anything other than monitor cpu usage (any other programs) If the answers are yes and no, then I don't think 99+% usage is a bug as: 1) the program is actually doing something (scrolling the news) 2) it's the only thing that wants to do any work, so the OS should let it Now, whether it should take 100% cpu to scroll the marquee would depend on how the scrolling is done, how the screen redrawing is done (and windows can be a right pain when it comes to stuff like that) and how the delay between redrawing the text at a new position is done (which might depend on what sort of scrolling step is used) If, however there's nothing moving on the screen, no disc access, and presumably no processing of data because all the program's doing is waiting for input then it'd look like there was some sort of busy loop being used rather than an event driven process (but I'm totally guessing as I don't have access to the source code) I haven't had a look at this on my own machine yet For the folks who are getting cpu overheats, I'd be worried about a system that suffered from that problem just because the cpu was running at 100% for a couple of hours; looks like the cpu cooler isn't big enough for the cpu. __________________ Andy Brown

03-06-2002, 07:28 AM	#18
Yossarian Minors (Single A) Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 87	I think this thread name is a misnomer because it's probably not a bug. Fact is on my system, running Win2k sp2, fully updated, OotP4.0a uses 95-100% cpu cycles at all times. This is measured using a program called Motherboard Monitor, one of the most accurate system measuring programs there is. Whether this high cpu usage is by design I don't know. Is OotP supposed to do this? Is there something that it is processing all the time that requires high cpu use? I said it before, but if your computer is shutting down because of overheating, there is a bigger problem. CPUs are designed to operate at 100% usage. Try running another intensive program like Prime95 and see what happens.

03-06-2002, 08:20 AM	#19
wbonnell Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 77	forget about cpu overheating! what about my laptop's battery!? OOTP consuming all the available processor cycles to presumably draw some scrolling text leads me to believe some inefficient algorithm was employed...

03-06-2002, 09:08 AM	#20
Yossarian Minors (Single A) Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 87	Heh didn't you hear? Markus has a deal with the battery vendor