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High CPU % after scanning unreadable DVD

charlie92

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All 3 of our Windows Vista Home Premium (32 bit) PC's have this problem with AnyDVD 6.1.3.5 up to and including 6.1.6.0
After AnyDVD scans an unreadable DVD and displays the info screen accordingly it then begins using 90-99% cpu cycles and in effect freezes our PC's to a crawl. This is data from task manager and if we kill anydvd.exe process the cpu usage returns to normal and the PC's operate normally as
well. It took us a while to detect this as normally with any and all "readable" DVD's AnyDVD plays smoothly and is always reliable.

However for all of our 3 PC's after it scans an unreadable DVD the cpu usage skyrockets and basically shuts us down. I've seen a couple other posts about "system freezing" and they might also be related to scanning a bad DVD.

I have tested this with a known "good" DVD and an "unreadable" DVD on 3 different PC's using AnyDVD 6.1.3.5 and 6.1.4.3 and 6.1.5.5 and 6.1.6.0
and the high cpu usage as described above happens with those versions on all 3 of our Windows Vista PC's.



Thanks for any help I may get on this performance issue. ;)
 
All 3 of our Windows Vista Home Premium (32 bit) PC's have this problem with AnyDVD 6.1.3.5 up to and including 6.1.6.0
After AnyDVD scans an unreadable DVD and displays the info screen accordingly it then begins using 90-99% cpu cycles and in effect freezes our PC's to a crawl. This is data from task manager and if we kill anydvd.exe process the cpu usage returns to normal and the PC's operate normally as
well. It took us a while to detect this as normally with any and all "readable" DVD's AnyDVD plays smoothly and is always reliable.

However for all of our 3 PC's after it scans an unreadable DVD the cpu usage skyrockets and basically shuts us down. I've seen a couple other posts about "system freezing" and they might also be related to scanning a bad DVD.

I have tested this with a known "good" DVD and an "unreadable" DVD on 3 different PC's using AnyDVD 6.1.3.5 and 6.1.4.3 and 6.1.5.5 and 6.1.6.0
and the high cpu usage as described above happens with those versions on all 3 of our Windows Vista PC's...
The Webslinger man always gives good advice but I'd like to approach your question from a different angle. You use the word "unreadable" several times and also use "good" and "bad" to describe your problem "DVDs". Exactly what do you mean(?) ... are the originals scratched or damaged? You can't copy a severely damaged DVD without resufacing the damaged outer plastic layer of the DVD disk. Post back if you want information on resurfacing DVD original disks.

One explaination for your system's behavior (a guess): ... When a drive's laser beam makes multiple re-tries to read unreadable data through surface flaws, you may have created a sort of unstoppable, spiraling loop which quickly sucks up system resources. CPU usage can go through the roof and the drive sometimes spins wildly trying to read the data. ...presumably the data that AnyDVD is trying to decrypt which would account for the high taxing of your system's resources. I.E. when you shut down AnyDVD, the drive is not being instructed to read & decrypt impossible-to-read data and your system returns to normal.

Best regards,
Whisperer
 
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One explaination for your system's behavior (a guess): ... When a drive's laser beam makes multiple re-tries to read unreadable data through surface flaws, you may have created a sort of unstoppable, spiraling loop which quickly sucks up system resources.

That's an excellent point. charlie92, download Nero cd-dvd speed. It's a free program. Select the tab labeled "scandisc". Select the appropriate drive letter, and click "start". If Nero cd-dvd speed reports read errors, your disc is bad and needs to be exchanged--even if it plays fine.
 
Thank you both for your replies. I have since tried DVD Region Free & CSS Free and it copied the disks with no issues whatsoever. I found it by Googling the phrase "better than AnyDVD" - Google is our friend.....
 
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Just so you know, DVD Idle has not been updated since last year. It cannot handle any of the new protections.
 
Just so you know, DVD Idle has not been updated since last year. It cannot handle any of the new protections.

Yep, and development on it has been stalled indefinitely. Consequently, it's a fairly useless program.
 
I don't know if things have changed but back in 2003, DVD Idle supports certain programs. While AnyDVD works with anything. But we could go all day with this ...
 
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Thank you both for your replies. I have since tried DVD Region Free & CSS Free .... and it copied the disks with no issues whatsoever. I found it by Googling the phrase "better than AnyDVD" - Google is our friend.....

Come on. "better than AnyDVD"? You can't be serious.
 
Well my ONLY concern was too be able to prevent the 100% CPU usage I got
with AnyDVD. Switching to the trial of DVD Region Free proved the issue was related to AnyDVD..for my 3 pc's here at my location. I have no desire to start a "which program is better" war. Frankly, I thought,the days of "walking the plank" to defend one's choice of applications went out with Commodore 64 debate of Mr. Nibble vs. Fast Hack'em! Remember those apps?
Or how about the Epyx Fast Load cartridge. I'm not new to computers folks.

LOL!!!!! Anyway I am a registered AnyDVD user. If DVDRegion Free fails to copy "newer protection" DVD's I'll try the latest AnyDVD. I do diagree that
DVD Region Free is "pretty much useless" since it did work for us when AnyDVD would not....hardly "useless" for us. Everyone have a nice day
 
Nevertheless, AnyDVD should *never* cause a 100% CPU load over a longer period. Never. If it does, one of its threads hangs in a loop, which I consider a bug which should be fixed.
So, I would like to hear how I could reproduce this problem.

@charlie92:
How can I do that? What source disc(s) trigger this behaviour?
 
James since you are being civil I'll detail the way we can reproduce the problem we see on 3 different PC's here at our home. We currently use AnyDVD 6.1.6.0

1. Start Task Manager and begin monitoring AnyDVD.exe cpu usage

2.You need to have a DVD that is not playable / readable. We use a "King Kong" movie coaster.

3.Pop that baby in and note the "Any DVD is scanning the disk" balloon has
appeared. Eventually AnyDVD pops-up an "Unable to Read DVD" message.

4. Shortly thereafter about 5 seconds or so the AnyDVD.exe cpu % goes to 90%+ and requires a "kill process" from Task Manager.

5. Have fun!!!!
 
1. Start Task Manager and begin monitoring AnyDVD.exe cpu usage

2.You need to have a DVD that is not playable / readable. We use a "King Kong" movie coaster.

3.Pop that baby in and note the "Any DVD is scanning the disk" balloon has
appeared. Eventually AnyDVD pops-up an "Unable to Read DVD" message.

4. Shortly thereafter about 5 seconds or so the AnyDVD.exe cpu % goes to 90%+ and requires a "kill process" from Task Manager.
Done 1-3 (I used a badly scratched / unplayable Matrix disc). I get the read error message as expected.
Unfortunately 4. Doesn't happen, I can't reproduce the high CPU load. If I close the read error dialog, AnyDVD returns to idle state, just like it should.
The fact that I can't reproduce the issue doesn't mean that there isn't one, it just makes it harder to find the problem.
Could you please post an AnyDVD status window with this "bad" inserted?
Could you create an AnyDVD log (in settings->program , check "enable logging", then insert the disc, wait until AnyDVD locks, kill AnyDVD.exe, send the log in the "My Documents" folder)
Does the CPU load drop if you remove the "bad" disc?

Thank you for your help!
 
Hello James..here is the log and error msg screen.
Removing the DVD after the performance issue occurs did n ot result in lower cpu usage. This was also tested previously on all 3 pc's and again just now on one pc.

Regards,
Charlie
 

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Wooops! Wrong Image..Here is the AnyDVD Staus Window and task manger at no extra cost!
 

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  • AnyDVD Status Window and Task Manager.jpg
    AnyDVD Status Window and Task Manager.jpg
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Hello James..here is the log and error msg screen.
Removing the DVD after the performance issue occurs did n ot result in lower cpu usage. This was also tested previously on all 3 pc's and again just now on one pc.

Regards,
Charlie

Are you certain the log is complete? Does it really stop at:
debug: patch_title_ifo changed title_set size from 5 to 18
?
Thanks!
 
Yes I am sure James. Here is another error log I just created doing the same test.
 

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Yes I am sure James. Here is another error log I just created doing the same test.

Thanks, the log was very helpful. Found it, fixed it. Update coming soon.
 
Thanks for the update James....glad you wrangled it successfully!!! :agree:
 
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