Processor Overheating

[mauval]

Dear All,

I have written several macros for text handling by Macro Express. Text files to be processed are huge, so macro runtime is very long (even one day may be required, although the macro runs very quickly).

 

On more than one occasion, the macro freezed. I couldn't find the reason why it happened, but I suspect it depends on processor overheating. In fact, whenever a macro is executed, the CPU works all the time (CPU usage= 100%). This is not a usual condition, although the same happens with other programs, such as Windows defrag utility (this is another case when the runtime may be long).

 

So I have assumed that these macros are a sort of endurance test for the computer.

 

And now, my question:

 

Can you envisage a way to write a macro encorporating the following logic:

 

Read CPU temperature (T)

If T > 60 ° Celsius then pause until T <= 60 ° Celsius

(60 is an arbitrary value)

 

In other terms, the macro is supposed to take a break whenever the CPU becomes too hot.

 

This requires an utility such as MBM 5 (freeware) that reads CPU temperature.

 

Am I asking the moon? Has somebody faced with this problem?

 

I have already considered improving ventilation inside my PC, but this is note something that can be easily accomplished on my laptop.

 

TIA

[floyd]

If there is a way to grab the info from MBM5, then this most certainly can be done using Macro Express. Can the info be placed into the clipboard? How about an output text file?

 

Another avenue that you might want to investigate is the Macro Express Priority setting in your Registry, which sets the amount of CPU cycles that Macro Express uses.

[mauval]

If there is a way to grab the info from MBM5, then this most certainly can be done using Macro Express. Can the info be placed into the clipboard? How about an output text file?

 

Another avenue that you might want to investigate is the Macro Express Priority setting in your Registry, which sets the amount of CPU cycles that Macro Express uses.

If there is a way to grab the info from MBM5 ...

 

No, there's no way. MBM5 displays a sort of a car instrument panel, where you can see the Sensor 2 real-time value among the things, representing the CPU temperature. (Please see the attached image file).

 

Macro Express Priority setting in your Registry ... I couldn't find it with regedit and then looking for macro express priority or cpu speed etc.. There are so many entries for macro express ..

 

Thank you

[floyd]

Download the TweakMe3.mxe file from Macro Express and import it into your macro library. You can get an overview of features here and within the macro itself. Also, here is an excerpt from the Macro Express Explained book:

Macro Priority

This integer value specifies how much time that Macro Express is allowed to use your computer's CPU/processor. The allowable range is 0 through 2,147,483,647. The default value is 1,000. Zero turns this feature off, which gives full priority to Macro Express. You will need to enter a "-1" in the dialog to turn it off, which is then converted and stored as a zero. A "1" gives the lowest priority to Macro Express. The higher the number the more priority is given to running your macros and conversely for the lower the number. Experiment with caution!

[Noggin the Nog]

I would have thought that before embarking on adding code to monitor temperature, you should be a bit more clear on the cause of your problem. If you have found some software to measure cpu temperature, it will not take more than an hour to manually monitor and see what the temperature plateaus at while running your text handling macro. The temperature should stabilize in much less time than an hour.

 

Anyone who has run ME over an extended period has probably encountered freeze problems. Lots of causes unrelated to the processor. If I am away for a week and running macros round the clock, I do a reboot every 24 hours. I also do an externally-induced forced reboot every 24 hours (12 hours off from normal reboot) to ensure any hang up is cleared. Even XP gets tired with extended running.

[mauval]

Thanks to everybody for their contributions.

First, I wish to correct a statement I made in my original message: Another application gets frozen, not macro express.

 

In the meantime, I have installed another cpu temp probe which is specific and more accurate for my motherboard (which occurs to be an ASUS): Asus PC probe.

After that, I have seen I am experiencing the same problem (ie CPU overheating) not only with my long runtime macro but also when no macro is running, for example when Abby FineReader is OCRing a pdf file of about one hundred pages.

 

I think I have to improve heat removal and ventilation inside the case.