ekrn.exe issue

My computer, XP SP3, has been running slow of late. Task manager shows that ekrn.exe is continuously running and taking up CPU usage.
Any suggestions?

 

ekrn.exe is NOD's kernel binary, I believe, it's supposed to stay continuously running. and how much CPU usage is it taking up?

 

Is it running at 90-99% cpu constantly? If so:

See this thread for people with a similar issue.
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=207359

Most common fix is deleting the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder.

Do this by opening a command prompt (start -> run -> cmd | hit enter)
Type:
net stop wuauserv
delet the contents of the c:\windows\softwaredistribution folder
Then in the command prompt type
net start wuauserv
After a few seconds the cpu usage should return to normal

 

Thanks Bakker.
I just disabled the windows update, and all seems fine for now.