There CPU, the “brain” of the computer, can be overloaded if it is involved in too many processes and operations at the same time. In these cases the problem of 100% CPU with the relative warning of full memory used. In these 100% CPU situations the computer feels very slow and really “tired”. A similar problem to this is that of 100% disk usage, which we talked about in that guide: 100% Disk Usage on Windows 11/10.
Returning to the issue of high CPU usage, too Windows 11/10 unfortunately it is not immune to this problem, indeed from the reports we receive and from the many posts found online it would seem that despite increasingly powerful computers the 100% CPU problem is still present more than ever!
So how to prevent the high CPU usage on Windows 11/10? Below we give 8 tips that will surely help you.
INDEX
1. Disable the “antimalware service executable” service
When your Windows 11/10 PC is slow and the processor seems “packed”, by doing CTRL + ALT + DEL and accessing TASK MANAGEMENT you are likely to notice the “antimalware service executable” which takes up most of the memory and CPU.
This is a Windows Defender service that protects us from web threats but is often the root cause of 100% CPU. In these cases it is best to disable Windows Defender completely and use any other antivirus/antispyware instead that guarantees protection without overloading the CPU.
2. Turn off Windows suggestions
Have you noticed that some suggestions appear automatically with Windows 11/10? These tips could also be the cause of high CPU usage. Go to the Start menu and choose “Settings” -> “System” -> “Notifications and actions”, and from there turn off the “Get tips, tricks and suggestions” option.
3. Optimize Windows performance
Improperly adjusting system performance settings is another cause of high CPU usage on Windows 11/10. Luckily you can change these settings to achieve system optimization. Here’s how to do it:
1. Right-click on the “computer” icon and then click on “Property”
2. Go to “Advanced system settings” and select “System Properties”.
3. Choose “Settings” and “Adjust for best performance”, then click “Apply”.
4. Don’t forget to restart your computer afterwards.
4. Defragment the disk
To make your computer and hard disk more efficient it is advisable to use Wise Cleanerwhich can optimize and defragment Windows 11/10 disk.
5. Disable unnecessary programs at Windows startup
If the 100% CPU problem on Windows 11/10 occurs especially when starting the computer then access the Task Manager (by doing CTRL+ALT+DEL and clicking on “Task Manager”) and then access the tab START from which you can disable all unnecessary programs and services.
6. Manually set up Windows Updates
Often the 100% CPU problem arises when Windows updates (Windows Update) are set to start automatically. This “automatic” start of updates could “overlap” other operations on the PC and therefore bring the use of the CPU to 100%. Here are the steps to follow to disable automatic Windows updates. The case
> First things first Start key + R > In Run let’s type: services.msc > Enter
> In the Menu “Services” search and click on “Windows Update” > right-click > Stop.
> Then select again Windows Update right click and go to Property’. Here Select “Startup Type“: Manual > Apply > confirm by clicking OK
After following this procedure, you can decide when to download and install Windows updates. Obviously you will have to do this manually, but at least your CPU won’t be stressed!
7. Update PC drivers
Some outdated or missing drivers can also cause the CPU overload (and 100% CPU) issue. By updating your drivers to the latest version, you can fix compatibility issues or bugs that cause high CPU usage.
How to update PC drivers? Well, there are several methods. For those with technical skills, you can also do it manually by fiddling with the computer settings. For those who don’t want to risk causing damage, they can rely on software like Driver Easy which automatically detects missing or obsolete drivers, and updates them.
Once you have installed and opened this program, just click on Scan and wait for the analysis to finish. Then all the drivers with problems will appear and you can update them by clicking the reset/update button.
8. Identify and kill process causing 100% CPU
When you notice that your PC becomes slower than usual and CPU usage is at 100%, try opening Activity Management to check which processes are taking up so much CPU usage. Here’s how to proceed:
1) On your keyboard, press Ctrl, Shift And Esc to open Task Manager. You will be asked for permission. Click Yes to run Task Manager.
2) Click the CPU column heading to sort processes by CPU usage. Now you can control which processes consume your CPU.
Before killing processes that consume your CPU, you should Google the name of the process to check whether it is safe to kill that program or not. If you terminate a system process, your computer may crash and restart.
3) Select the CPU-consuming process, then click End task to finish this process.
