abnormal CPU usage

System is not a process. Click the + next to System to expand the list.

Is your CPU dual-core?

system is expanded, none of the subprocesses are using any or really negligable amounts of cpu (.72% or no value listed, and never more than 2 using cpu) and as for dual core, not really its a P4 with Hyperthreading so its one core thats cloned

maybe if you have indexing on, it will do that when the pc is on idle.

as far as I know the indexing is turned off manually by me whenever i see it open (microsoft's searching thingy can't remember the real name) and its not even only when the computer is in idle state, anytime i try running anything the cpu jumps to 100% usage and rarely deviates from the 100%

also forgot to mention the memory committed to these processes seems really small, currently for system its 52K and idle process its 16K