Why does my CPU usage go up to 100% suddenly?

[0007776]

So my question is the title, I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary, just surfing the internet with google chrome, listening to music, and maybe having a pages document open, and my CPU usage will suddenly go up to around 100% and the computer will be unresponsive for a minute or two until it goes back to normal. I've tried looking in activity monitor but can't find anything that is using the CPU that much. I've attached a screenshot of activity monitor when this happens and hopefully that can help. Also this is on a 1.86 Ghz Macbook air, rev B with SSD.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Select All Processes:

image below uses sorting by CPU as an example

 

[0007776]

Thanks, I was thinking I was seeing everything, I'll try that the next time this happens and see if I can figure out what's wrong. If I can't I'll be back with an new screenshot.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks, I was thinking I was seeing everything, I'll try that the next time this happens and see if I can figure out what's wrong. If I can't I'll be back with an new screenshot.

It will probably be "mds" or "mdsworker", which are Spotlight related. Sometimes Finder also throws a tantrum, but closing all windows often helps that.

 

[IscariotJ]

Thanks, I was thinking I was seeing everything, I'll try that the next time this happens and see if I can figure out what's wrong. If I can't I'll be back with an new screenshot.

My MBP has recently started doing this, and it's Finder. If I click on Finder, and then close it, it goes....

 

[0007776]

It will probably be "mds" or "mdsworker", which are Spotlight related. Sometimes Finder also throws a tantrum, but closing all windows often helps that.

So I tried looking at all processes, and it said that it was kernal_task. I'm attaching another screenshot, any advice as to how to prevent this from happening again would be nice.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Kernel_task process taking up an inordinate amount of CPU
via "kernel_task mac cpu"