How to limit a specific program?

[Scott_Y]

I'm having a problem with a specific program. I think PT can help, but I don't know how to set it up.

I use Eudora for my email client. Usually it runs on very low CPU, but occasionally when I open an email message, CPU usage jumps up to 25% until I close that message. It doesn't slow down my computer, but its temperature rises.

I'd like to somehow prevent Eudora from running away like that. Can PT do that? If so, how? If not, can Process Lasso do it? Thanks very much.

EDIT: I should add that there are enough CPU cycles available for all my programs; I'm not experiencing a slowdown due to Eudora taking 25%. What I am trying to prevent is Eudora suddenly taking a lot of CPU cycles that it normally doesn't need -- and thereby prevent the extra heat in the computer.

EDIT 2: Perhaps what I need to use is an absolute, program-specific limiter such as Battle Encoder Shirase http://mion.faireal.net/BES/ (thanks to rasmnick for the tip http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=13003.0 )  Any comments on that as an option? I'm using Win7/64.

[Scott_Y]

Progress report and assessment:

I made an explicit rule for Eudora.exe in PT, to "Force Low" priority. But it doesn't achieve what I need. PT doesn't prevent Eudora from jumping to 25% CPU, apparently because no other programs are competing for the CPU. So Eudora is actually not "in the way" of other programs and slowing them down, and PT doesn't see a need to intervene.

So my goal is still to prevent Eudora from using so much CPU that it normally doesn't need, and thereby heating up the computer. PT doesn't do this.

I tried Battle Encoder Shirase, and it does accomplish what I need -- it reduces a specific program's CPU usage by a specified %, regardless of what CPU other programs may or may not need. Although the BES homepage says it is for "Windows XP/2000," it works fine on my Win7/64.

[Ath]

You'd better fix the issue with Eudora, then to fight the symptoms it's causing, that's way more productive.

Most likely the content of the message that causes high cpu can't be processed correctly, you could check the registration of the IE control or whatever Eudora uses to display the message. It could also help to update Eudora to the most recent stable release, or reinstall completely.

[Scott_Y]

Thanks, Ath; I agree it is better to solve the root problem. However, that is beyond my abilities. And I am using the most recent, stable release. I suspect that part of the problem is Eudora is an old 32-bit pre-Vista program (last updated in 2006), whereas I am using it on Win7/64. It is no longer being developed.

However, I also suspect that there is something more fundamental going on. Eudora causes the same problem on another Win7/64 machine, so it is not specifically the Eudora installation on my machine. I also experienced it in RightNote -- whenever I viewed any html page it had captured and stored as a note internally, CPU usage shot up to ~25%, and returned to 0% as soon as I switched to a non-html note in the program; then back up to 25% when viewing any html-based note.

So I agree that something is not being processed correctly, whether in certain email messages in Eudora, or html-based notes in RightNote. I suspect that troubleshooting it is not a trivial task, and as I say, it is beyond my abilities.

[Ath]

If rightnote is using the IE html control to display it's content, I'd reregister the IE stuff. Instructions can be found using Google (I'm typing on a tablet atm, so copy/paste is quite bothersome)

[Scott_Y]

Thanks very much for the tip, Ath. I won't be able to try it out until next week, and will report back after that.

[Scott_Y]

If rightnote is using the IE html control to display it's content, I'd reregister the IE stuff. Instructions can be found using Google (I'm typing on a tablet atm, so copy/paste is quite bothersome)

I'm not sure what I'm looking for. How about this link? Or should it be more specific? Thanks.
http://joejoeinc.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-to-re-register-internet-explorer.html

[Ath]

I'm not sure what I'm looking for. How about this link? Or should it be more specific? Thanks.
http://joejoeinc.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-to-re-register-internet-explorer.html

Not sure it's up to date for the IE you have installed, but I've seen this script solve similar problems before.
And it won't hurt if all was well already, so just run it.

[Scott_Y]

I really appreciate your input, Ath. The fix didn't solve my problem with Eudora, but it was worth a try. And I don't have access to RightNote Pro anymore. Again, thanks. (BTW, the script is tagged for IE7, IE8, and IE9.) I'll go back to using Battle Encoder Shirase for now to limit Eudora.