Why is ATH.exe using 50% of my CPU?

I can't believe I'm still dealing with this crap. This bug has been around so long that I forgot about it and accidently enabled WiFi sync again. I was wondering what was hogging my CPU.

Same old bug... Essentially, for all intents and purposes, WIFI sync is broken.

Seriously Apple, isn't this important to you?

I've been having this problem for a year now, even with the buying of a new faster PC the same ATH.exe takes 25% each copy of the exe that you use, two devices, two ATH.exe, and it's slowing my cpu to incomprehensible proportions and I can't do anything, except turn the **** thing off.

Please Apple, sort this out, as it's such a handy tool.

So I'm going to post here ATH using >40% CPU continuously. Everytime. Until you fix it, Apple.

This should keep this discussion HOT and ACTIVE. Everybody here having this problem should do the same.

When the thread gets CLOSED, we will start a new one, just look for "ATH using CPU"

I also see this message has been "branched to a new discussion" with a hyperlink that tells me I'm not authorized to view it. :-P

As I hinted above, us all posting here does help make sure that this topic gets bumped up when people search for the problem, but it doesn't affect Apple at all.

The ONLY way to make Apple spend time on the problem is to constantly call them. As an Apple product owner (otherwise you wouldn't have the issue) there's absolutely nothing wrong with dialing their toll free number for some customer service...

FWIW one of the techs I spoke to admitted she had the very same issue and found it frustrating too. Some cases apparently they can trace to conflicting issues so a call is not necessarily a waste of your time while trying to waste their time.

I believe you're right. We'll have to start sitting on the customer support lines to get any kind of traction on this issue.

Next time it happens, I'll stop working, call in and start complaining over the phone how this is costing ME time as well.

Then again, its just iTunes, and I can live outside of the Apple ecosystem.

I agree - Apple clearly aren't going to fix this as a result of our posts here. I think there are two things that can be done that might help us:

1. Apple need customer support calls (which unfortunately is likely to take lots of time from those calling - I guarantee we'll be asked to uninstall and reinstall software and possibly even reset/wipe iDevices before Apple investigate further).

2. This problem needs to be featured in 'the press', e.g. on The Register.

I've been on the Apple/Android fence for a long time (I currently use a Samsung Galaxy S3 and a 3rd Gen iPad), but "little" irritations like this decrease the chances that I will buy an Apple device again.

If you're willing to uninstall, clean your HDD, then reinstall, then call Apple. You're not going to get a better answer from them. They're going to give that default answer immediately so expect to be making multiple calls.

<Edited By Host>

Have you bothered to try and call? They sure didn't suggest I wipe my hard drive and reinstall everything on it or my iDevices.

One pc they did find a conflict with something and they suggested a work-around which solved the issue.

The thing is if they get more calls they get a wider range of people experiencing issues, they would have a better idea what is causing this.

Or you can just be negative and prefer to just complain here which will NEVER get their attention as it is NOT an official Apple support forum.

Of course I have called in and I am not saying you have to wipe your hard drive. Perhaps you should read the whole thread. I opened a case with Apple and followed their standard instructions located here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1923

The article tells you how to remove all Apple components from your hard drive, not wipe it clean. Be real.

Here is the case I had with them:358450263. It was closed October 6th, 2012.

I spoke with a "Genius" and checked every workaround, post, forum, Google, Bing, etc.

If you are saying they corrected the problem, then come out and state it instead of criticizing people who are trying to get a legitimate issue corrected.

Your post is ridiculous.

Maybe YOU are the one who should read the entire thread. I've posted in here numerous times. I've posted how I've solved the issue on one pc (because I know you're too lazy to go back and read I'll tell you it involves creating a task to run at scheduled intervals to stop and restart ATH).

Maybe you should also use clearer language. Wiping usually infers exactly that. Erasing everything.

And yes, learn to read, as I stated above on one of my pc's they DID solve my issue. Other ones still have it. But I'm unclear what your goal is here. If you believe there is no resolution for anyone and you're so dissatisfied with Apple, then why bother to come ack here and post?

But for the majority who still mistakenly believe Apple reads here, my advice above might work for some. It stands a lot better chance than YOUR advice, which is apparently to act like a 5 year old and throw a tantrum because they didn't solve your issue.

Grow up already.

Btw, you can answer all you want, I've unsubscribed from this thread as this has now sunk to a level below which will simply get this thread locked and deleted.

Thanks for offering great value to this thread.

RRRdddBBB wrote:

I've posted in here numerous times. I've posted how I've solved the issue on one pc (because I know you're too lazy to go back and read I'll tell you it involves creating a task to run at scheduled intervals to stop and restart ATH).

That is not solving the issue, that is a workaround for an issue that should never occur in the first place. I'm an application developer, when my app starts sucking down 100% of a cpu core, there's something wrong. Bad code. A runaway for(;;) loop in a state that has no exits.

In addition, RRRdddBBB, your general attitude stinks.

FWIW, I've had ATH.exe at 100% nearly constantly for almost a year. Running iTunes on a WIN7 Ultimate VM hosted on ESXi, just recently upgraded to 5.0. The server is locked up in a basement utility room, 3 flights of stairs from my office - not a convenient place to plug in my iPad to sync. Not that it ever worked very well, so when I recently got a MBP, I disabled wireless sync - and haven't had the problem since. It's been almost a week, and the problem would typically pop up within minutes of a reboot.

I have been able to resolve this by checking the settings in my Windows Firewall in Windows 7:

Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Windows Firewall with Advanced Security

Under Inbound Rules: create a new entry and allow iTunes to connect.

That fixed it for me.

That rule is in my Firewall already. But thanks anyhow. Good luck that it solves it for you.

Silly questions: Has anyone tried installing iTunes from scratch? I'm thinking about deleting everything and re-installing?

Newly bug is, that iTunes forgets it's windows size and opens up with a small windows only. Maybe because I sometime kill ath.exe...