Hello everybody!
In this video, I will show you what to do if the CPU in your computer is at 100% usage
all the time, why it happens and how it can be fixed.
We all know, the CPU is a key element in any computer as it processes all the data, so
any program or application you start uses a certain percentage of the CPU’s power.
On the other hand, the less loaded the CPU, the quicker and better the overall performance
(that is, files and apps open faster and so on).
That is why it’s very important to never have your CPU at 100% usage and to make sure
it possesses some spare capacity to handle other tasks.
In today’s video we will try to find out what causes the CPU to work at full load and
how you can avoid it.
So, let’s begin....
Why max CPU load happens With the things that may cause 100% CPU usage.
In a Windows operating system, there are several possible reasons for that, and each one has
a solution of its own.
The most widespread one is a certain service or program consuming all resources of the
CPU.
Another possible cause is failures in the work of a service which makes it behave in
a very unsteady way.
Most users don’t think much about cleaning their computers from dust or replacing the
thermal paste which often results in overheating the central processor and making it work at
full load.
Other things behind 100% CPU usage may include virus activities, driver issues, startup list
full of unneeded apps, hard disk problems, antivirus scans, troubled peripherals and,
unsurprisingly, the CPU that has become too weak for the current work.
Finding the actual root of the problem with 100% CPU usage requires a series of diagnostic
tests, and we’re about to start right away.
Find the troublemaker process Let’s begin with opening the Task Manager
to see if there is a process putting a lot of pressure on the CPU.
Open it by pressing the key shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
Now switch to the tab “Processes” that lists all processes and services running at
the moment.
For convenience, you can sort them by clicking on the CPU column.
This simple step lets you visualize what service or program consumes a considerable portion
of the CPU power.
Too often, after you finish work in resource-intensive programs they still leave behind some services
or incorrectly closed applications which affect the computer’s performance, and browsers
do it more often than any other software.
Also, playing high-quality videos could be a difficult task that older computers can’t
handle, as their processors would be struggling and making the entire computer feel sluggish.
To fix the problem, right-click on the application consuming the CPU’s resources and select
“End Task” from the list, to actually close it.
However, you should be careful – if you hit a system service, new problems are guaranteed,
and you will have to restart the computer manually.
High CPU load without an obvious reason If you don’t see any processes in the Task
Manager that could give your CPU a hard time but it’s still 100% loaded, try using third-party
tools for monitoring active processes.
For example, Process Explorer.
This is a free utility for Windows, and you can find it in Sysinternals website which
has been purchased by Microsoft back in 2006.
This utility can show you absolutely every process in your PC - and help you get rid
of the ones you don’t need.
“System idle process” – it shows how much system resources are free.
As you can see, my CPU is not overloaded at the moment.
This is a normal situation for a computer unless there’s some resource-intensive stuff
running.
The line “Interrupts” shows how often the system interruptions occur (normally,
it should stay within the limits of a few percent).
If this figure is several times higher - congratulations, you’ve find the culprit, and we’ll talk
about it a bit later.
Another process to reduce the computer’s performance is svchosts.exe.
In fact, this is a system process, but all kinds of viruses may use this name as disguise.
In today’s video, we will also show you how to deal with it.
Assuming you have found the process taking away all of the CPU’s resources, use the
Task Manager “End Task” option to put an end to that.
If there is evidence to believe the problem comes from Interrupts, the probable troublemaker
is drivers, or to be more exact, their incompatibility with the operating system, or with each other.
First of all, check the drivers for chipset, motherboard, graphics, Wi-Fi module, sound
and network adapters.
Learn how to install or update drivers from a video on our YouTube channel.
Find the link in the description.
Check and update drivers
If the Task Manager and Process Explorer couldn’t help you to find the cause for 100% CPU usage,
let’s move on to drivers.
Manufacturers often roll out new versions of drivers to improve performance of their
devices.
However, new doesn’t always mean better, and sometimes older drivers are more predictable
in their work.
So when you download and update drivers, look for the ones having the word “stable”
in their name – these are the versions that don’t have bugs or errors.
I’d recommend booting in safe mode and checking if the CPU is going to be running at 100%
again.
If there are no issues, there are high chances the drivers used to cause the problem – because
a computer booted in safe mode does not use drivers.
In most of the cases, the troublemakers are network adapters and generic drivers by Microsoft
which are installed with Windows.
Download drivers from the official website of the company that manufactured your hardware,
and update them.
To begin with, try installing the latest version (usually it has all bugs fixed), and if the
CPU problem reappears, try an earlier version.
In case you can’t find the manufacturer’s name or its official website, you can use
third-party utilities for updating drivers – for example, Driver Pack Solution.
Search and destroy viruses As I said before, another cause behind the
problem could be viruses.
Their presence on a computer always affects its performance.
Just as any other application, they consume a part of the CPU resources so it ends up
virtually gasping for breath.
If the CPU usage problem is caused by a virus, you can track it with the Task Manager or
the tool called Process Explorer.
To make things even worse, viruses often disguise themselves into system processes so users
are afraid to take a risk of removing them.
The process most frequently used that way is svchosts.exe /es vi si hosts/, and it is
pretty difficult even for a power user to understand whether it is a virus or not.
There is a good video about removing viruses in our channel - check the link below.
So the best option would be to scan the computer and remove any malware your antivirus can
detect.
Disconnect peripherals If the problem can’t be fixed, try disconnecting
peripheral devices one by one (scanner, printer, mouse, webcam and so on).
Also, make sure that the Device Manager doesn’t show you any peripheral devices missing proper
drivers.
Open the Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start menu and choosing the corresponding
line.
Now check the list on the left for any devices with a yellow exclamatory mark next to them.
For any of such devices, install proper drivers.
The svhost.exe issue Now let’s find out when the problem may
be caused by the process svchost.exe.
There are only two variants possible: it’s either a virus or this system process really
uses the central processor so much.
If it’s a virus activity, in most cases you can see it in Process Explorer as a process
started by administrator or by your account.
In this case, just end this task and clean the computer form viruses.
On the contrary, if svchost.exe is really a system process, try turning Windows automatic
updates off, and try disabling the antivirus - sometimes it may come into conflict with
other software installed on your machine.
To turn updates off, open the “Services” tab, find “Windows Update” service, open
its “Properties” and set its startup type as “Disabled,” then click “Stop.”
Save the settings and restart the computer.
With Process Explorer tool, you can monitor all running processes, including svchost.
Just enable the option to display process signatures.
Options – Verify Image Signature.
There will be one more line with Microsoft confirmation for the signature.
If one of svchost processes lacks this confirmation, it must be a virus.
Also, you can check any process with the help of Virustotal website.
Open Options and select it from the list.
One confirmation only, and you will see a new column with information from Virustotal.
You will see how many antiviruses find this process suspicious.
CPU Overheating One of the key conditions for any computer
to work properly is the temperature.
If the CPU gets too hot, you will notice it by lags, freezes, blue screens of death, and
sudden shutdowns.
To find out the current temperature of the central processor, use special tools like
AIDA64.
In fact, a computer may be overheating due to one of the following things: too much dust,
a malfunctioning cooling fan, high temperature in the room.
In the first case, all you need is to get rid of dust.
Be it a desktop PC or laptop, it needs to be cleaned every 6 months (or at least once
a year): all that dust clogging inside makes heatsinks and cooling fans less effective
and turns your computer into a really hot thing - which is not cool at all.
The choice is yours: you can either take it to a service shop or clean it on your own.
By the way, you can visit our channel to watch a special video tutorial about cleaning a
laptop - do it by just checking the link below.
In the second case, you need to replace the malfunctioning cooling fan with a properly
working one.
It’s quite easy to determine if the fan is to blame: open the system unit cover, listen
and look carefully - the fan should be rotating without any difficulty, and without any strange
sounds like squeaking or crackling.
If the cooling fan is out of order, visit a service shop immediately to have it replaced,
or do it on your own - if you know how.
If the problem is caused by the room being too hot, do something to cool it down.
If no other options are possible, open the cover of the system unit and position a portable
fan nearby to have it blowing in the direction of the computer.
If you use a laptop, there are special cooling pads for sale.
Check the startup list Many users tend to work with their computers
for years without reinstalling the operating system or cleaning it from the programs they
don’t need any longer.
Over time, with dozens of apps installed, the startup list of the operating system grows
too long, and every time you turn the computer on, it starts booting tons of stuff you haven’t
used for a long time.
That’s one of the things able to keep the CPU usage too high, and the solution is obvious:
clean the startup list.
There is a popular utility - CCleaner - capable of removing all the apps you don’t need
anymore, so use it to clean the startup list and leave only the antivirus and a handful
of products you need every day.
Otherwise, open the Task Manager and switch to the Startup tab.
Disable the apps you don’t use or the ones you use very seldom.
Too many processes running at the same time While the Task Manager is open have a closer
look at the list of processes: it’s possible that your computer is running too many apps
at the same time and the CPU can’t handle them all.
Sort the processes by their impact on the CPU usage.
Start ending the most resource-intensive ones.
If you are not sure what this or another process does, search this information on the Internet.
Hard disk issues One of the causes for high CPU usage can be
the hard disk.
In some cases, it can have the processor loaded even to 100%.
Most often, it happens when the hard disk is about to break down.
To be on the safe side, check it for errors as soon as possible.
I recommend watching a good video about it in our channel.
Find the link below.
An obsolete PC If your computer is rather old, most likely
it can’t keep up with the new tasks.
The progress of technology is especially evident in the IT field.
Updates for various programs come out every day, and standard apps are growing hungry
for more and more resources every year.
If you start a standard app like a browser, Microsoft Paint or a photo viewer, and the
CPU usage peaks to 50% or even 100% and stays there, it looks like it’s high time for
an upgrade.
Antivirus at work Talking of antiviruses, it’s a good thing
to have - but with a weak CPU, you will hardly fancy its permanent monitoring.
However, it is easy to check - just disable the antivirus or boot in safe mode.
If the central processor is nowhere the 100% figure, it must be the resource-intensive
antivirus you are using, so you can try switching to a product that needs less CPU power.
Summing up, here’s a piece of advice I’d like to give you.
If you own a low-end computer or it has a slow hard disk, disable automatic updates,
or replace the conventional hard disk with a solid-state drive.
If the hard disk is too slow, it has to work at max load all the time, and it keeps the
CPU busy as well.
However, it can be avoided by turning automatic updates off.
That’s all for now!
I hope this video was useful for you.
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Thank you for watching.
Good luck.