Project: All Idle Processor Time Used by Project

 Last reviewed: September 29, 1997
Article ID: Q124481
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Project for Windows, version 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT versions 3.1, 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you run Microsoft Project under Windows NT, you may experience the following problems:

  • Screen savers in Windows NT do not work properly

    -and-

  • Windows NT Performance Monitor shows that all processor time is being consumed. The percentage processor time hovers at or near 100% all of the time until you do something in Microsoft Project (at which time it will decrease but then return to 100%).

    -or-

- Other applications run slower and don't seem as responsive.

WORKAROUND

Windows NT 3.1, 3.5, 3.51

Start Microsoft Project with its priority set to Idle. To do this, do the following:

  1. Using notepad or similar text editor, create a batch file similar to the
following: 

   Start /Idle /Shared C:\Winproj\Winproj.exe
where c:\Winproj is the path to the Microsoft Project executable program file.

  1. Save the file as Strtproj.bat or similar name.

  2. Click your Microsoft Project icon and click Properties from the Program Manager File menu. Change the Command Line to include Strtproj.bat such as c:\Winproj\Strtproj.bat.

  3. Click the Change Icon button and find Winproj.exe. Click OK. Click OK.

Setting Microsoft Project to use a lower priority thread will use less processor time and allow other applications to run smoother.

Windows NT 4.0

Windows NT 4.0 does not support the Idle command line switch. The only workaround would be to upgrade to Microsoft Project version 4.1a.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: 4.00 memory processor
Keywords : projwin kbenv
Version : 4.00
Platform : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: September 29, 1997
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