100% CPU Usage in Windows 10? Here’s How to Fix it – Make Tech Easier

We’ve all been there. You turn on your PC, and instead of getting straight to work, you’re faced with horrific slowdown and loud-running fans. Hit Ctrl + Shift + Escape, and you will see that your CPU usage is inexplicably at 100%.

It’s a common problem that’s, luckily, not usually too hard to solve. Here are several fixes for the 100% CPU usage problem.

WMI Provider Host Using 100% CPU

The WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) Provider Host is a core service on Windows 10 that links up with various software on your PC to send it information about your operating system. In other words, it’s a very important process, and you shouldn’t disable it lightly. If, however, you see in the Task Manager Processes tab that it’s using a lot of CPU, then of course you should do something about it.

The first thing you can try is restarting the WMI service. Go to the Services app. (You can get there quickly by typing services in a Start menu search). Scroll down to Windows Management Instrumentation, right-click it, then click Restart.

If that doesn’t work, then the next solution is a little more intricate but also has the potential to offer more long-term solutions for your CPU woes.

If your 100% CPU usage is being caused by the WMI Provider Host process in Task Manager, then you can delve deeper into the problem. Press Win + R ,then open “eventvwr.” Here in the pane on the left, go to “Applications and Service Logs -> Microsoft -> Windows -> WMI-Activity -> Operational.” This will show you all the processes that the WMI Provider Host is dealing with.

Check the middle column, “Operational,” look for errors in the service, then under the “General” tab below that, check the “ClientProcessId” number. This should help you zoom in on the app or process clogging up your WMI Provider Host service.

Go back to Task Manager, click the “Details” tab, then sort the processes by “PID.” Find the process with the error, right-click it and click “Open file location.” This will give you an idea of what software the process is attached to and whether you can reinstall it, uninstall it, update its drivers and so on.

There may be multiple errors like this in the WMI Provider Host, in which case you should repeat the above process to address the different errors. It’s also possible that just one app/process has been hogging your CPU all this time, in which case you should be good to go after you’ve dealt with the culprit.

Disable Superfetch (or Windows Search)

Superfetch is a process by which Windows 10 learns which apps you use most often, then pre-fetches them for you so they load quicker each time you use them. It’s a constant background process that doesn’t usually cause problems, but it doesn’t always play nice with older devices.

To find out whether Superfetch (or another service) is hogging your CPU, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Escape), click “More details,” then click “CPU” to order processes by how much CPU they’re using.

If you see that a “Service Host” like Superfetch or something else is using a lot of CPU, you can try right-clicking it and clicking “End process.”

Alternatively, to disable it permanently (or until Windows switches it on again, which can happen after you update the OS), press Win + R, type services, then in the Services window scroll down to Superfetch.

Right-click Superfetch, click Properties, then in its Properties window click the drop-down next to “Startup type,” click “Disabled,” and OK.

You can technically do this to any service that’s hogging CPU, but some services are system-critical, so you need to be careful. Another culprit of high CPU usage is “Windows Search,” which you can safely disable, too.

Reset Your Power Plan

Twiddling around in Windows’s power options can have a substantial effect on your PC performance. If you’re set to “High performance” – particularly if you made tweaks to the “plan settings” – then it’s possible that you’re overloading your CPU. (Again, older devices are susceptible to this.)

Type power plan in the Start search ,bar then click “Choose a power plan.” If you’re on “High performance” or “Power Saver,” then switch to “Balanced.”

For extra certainty, click “Change plan settings,” then on the new screen click “Restore default settings for this plan.”

Check Your Power Supply

This one’s an issue that can affect both desktop and laptop Windows 10 users. If you have a faulty power supply (the mains cable on a laptop, the PSU in a desktop), then it can automatically start undervolting your CPU to preserve power. When undervolted, your CPU can function at only a fraction of its full power, hence the possibility of this manifesting as 100% CPU usage on Windows 10.

To solve this on a laptop is quite simple: unplug your laptop from the power cable, then click the battery icon at the bottom-right corner of your Windows 10 desktop -> Battery Settings -> Power & Sleep Settings -> Additional power settings, and select High Performance. If the issue was with your power supply, the CPU usage should return to normal in the task manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

On a desktop things can be a little more complicated, as you’ll need to physically remove the PSU from your PC and test a different one. We recommend going through our other tips listed below before trying this.

Disable Third-Party Antivirus Software

This one may be a bit contentious, but our view here is that if you’re using antivirus software on Windows 10, then you’re probably putting unnecessary strain on your CPU (particularly if its older). It doesn’t usually hurt to have the extra security, but you probably don’t need it.

Every year we write an in-depth feature about Windows 10’s onboard security software, Windows Defender, and every year it gets better and better. At this point, it’s more or less on par with the best antivirus software out there.

Don’t be afraid to disable your third-party antivirus software to see if it helps your CPU usage. If it does, then uninstall it, because Windows Defender should really have you covered.

With high CPU usage, it may be running pretty hot, too, so we’ve put together a bunch of ways you can bring the CPU temperature down. The WSAPPX process can also cause high CPU usage, so click through for our guide on how to address that.

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