smc.exe high CPU usage

Updated: 15 Jul 2010 | 17 comments

Kruthven

0 0 Votes

I am in the process of preparing a new PC for deployment. I used the Migration and Deployment Wizard to install the client on the PC as I have recently done with other PC's on the network. This PC however, is now suffering from unually high CPU Usage by the smc.exe process. More specifically, the process constantly runs and fluctuates between 18% - 70% CPU usage.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Kevin

discussion Filed Under:

Security, Endpoint Protection (AntiVirus)

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Oct

2007

0 Votes 0

PcSysAdmin

Do you see any extreme fluctuation with the javaw.exe process when you first boot up the server? I'm testing on a Virtual Server and see a lot of insane processor usage. I used to use a virtual server with 256 MB of memory with SCS as my Primary Server.. Now with 2GB of memory it's still killing me...

Nov

2007

0 Votes 0

MMiller

I too am experiencing extremely high scm.exe CPU usage after installing the SEP client on one of our PCs running 32-bit Windows XP SP2. Two other recently installed clients are not exhibiting this behavior. Very concerned about rolling this out to additional clients until Symantec responds.

Marc

Nov

2007

0 Votes 0

enewton

I, too, am experiencing 50% cpu utilization in my virtual machines which has my physical server running at 80% utilization all the time.

Any thoughts, Symantec engineers?

Nov

2007

0 Votes 0

JimW

To help in the isolation of root cause can you disable Network Threat Protection and check if the percentage of cpu taken up by smc is reduced?

regards,

JimW

Jim Waggoner Director Product Management, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Enterprise Security Group, Symantec

Jul

2009

0 Votes 0

SAM_SHAIKH

Hi Jim, Me too facing the

Hi Jim,

Me too facing the same issue with the DELL brand PC.

Check the below post..

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/smcexe-takes-99-cpu#new

Rgrds,
SAM

Nov

2007

0 Votes 0

enewton

Jim,

We've turned off all the extras and left basic file system scanning active.

Another note: on these servers, when the machine is "idle" with no user, thats when smc.exe drives the cpu hard. When you logon, it stops. So some kind of idle loop code is not right.

Nov

2007

0 Votes 0

enewton

I'm confirming this phenomena,

when there's no user logged onto the server, SMC.EXE cpu utilization runs at 50% per server instance. (I have one physical Dell 2850 running 3 virtual servers)

In each of the 3 cases, once the administrator was logged onto the server, SMC.EXE usage went to 0%. When the user was logged off (no user logged onto the server anymore) SMC went right back to 50%.

Please have your engineers address this soon. Having all 3 virtual servers running at 50% is running my physical box at 80% overall, with no real work happening.

Nov

2009

0 Votes 0

reviewboy

A couple of years have

A couple of years have passed, and I'm experiencing high smc.exe CPU utilization with v11.

Has there been any progress in fixing this?

Nov

2009

0 Votes 0

teiva-boy

Guess it depends on what

Guess it depends on what version of 11 you are on? Specifically the build of the servers and clients.

Usually depicted as 11.0.XXXX. This will determine if you are on the later releases, or original builds that were problematic..

There is an online portal, save yourself the long hold times. Create ticket online, then call in with ticket # in hand :-) http://mysupport.symantec.com "We backup data to restore, we don't backup data just to back it up."

Dec

2009

0 Votes 0

reviewboy

So, is there a way for me to

So, is there a way for me to get the client to report the server version?

Dec

2009

0 Votes 0

Grant_Hall

Doesn't matter too much

Doesn't matter too much actually. Your client version is a little outdated, but it is hard to say whether an upgrade would fix your issue or not. First we need to identify what you are doing when the scan takes up the CPU. So first the most typical questions:

1. Are you utilizing any VPN client when you are seeing the high CPU?
2. Is this happening during a scan?
3. How many cores does your cpu have and what is the exact percent you are seeing? I ask this because certain problems will max out an entire core of the CPU and other "high" cpu usage can happen for other reasons. These other problems won't usually max out the whole core.

Cheers
Grant

Please don't forget to mark your thread solved with whatever answer helped you : )

Dec

2009

0 Votes 0

reviewboy

my details

Hi Grant -

Thanks for the reply.

Here are my answers.

0. The version of the client that I run is enforced by my IT dept. So, keeping myself on the very latest version is not necessarily an option for me.
1. There is no VPN in use on this PC.
2. No.
3. My CPU has one core. The percentages vary, but are not pegged at 100% if that's what you're asking. I did not save a screen shot of Task Manager showing the CPU pattern, but if that would be helpful I can do so next time it happens.

Nov

2009

0 Votes 0

reviewboy

My client is

My client is v11.0.2010.25.

Unless I get get the server version # through my client, getting the version # of the server from IT might be painful.

Thanks.

Dec

2009

1 Vote +1

mssym

Issue has been fixed in RU5, please upgrade your client. it was

Issue has been fixed in RU5, please upgrade your client. mos of time it was caused by incorrect default gateway setting.

Dec

2009

1 Vote +1

Vikram Kumar-SAV to SEP

Symantec Employee

Accredited

If you are using 11.0.2010

If you are using 11.0.2010 and can't upgrade then you can't complain much as symantec also accepts that From MR3 (11.0.3000.xxxx ) onwards performance has been increased dramatically.Latest is 11.0.5 which is sometimes referred to 0bug build.

Would suggest you to send this Release notes to your IT Department and tell them to have a look in it.
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ent-security.nsf/docid/2007121216360648

VMWARE-- SEP 12.1 vs McAfee vs Trend Micro

Dec

2009

0 Votes 0

reviewboy

chenh and Vikram Kumar

chenh and Vikram Kumar -

Thank you for the replies. You gave me exactly what I needed!

Jan

2010

0 Votes 0

ScottCushman

Endpoint 11.0.5002.333

I am running the above version, and am experiencing the smc.exe cpu drag - ONLY on this ONE workstation. I don't know what it is -

I tried to follow the instructions from JimW listed above by turning off the Network Threat Protection, but it's still beating the heck out of the box.

It's a Celeron 2.67 with a GIG of memory (no duo-core) - this meachine should scream, based on the few apps I've got running -

Any ideas on how to fix this?

Thanks!

smc.exe high CPU usage

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