Windows 10 100% CPU load

[freevet]

Hey!

This is my first time posting on the forum, thank you for visiting the post!

CPU: i7-4770 3.40GHz
OS: Windows 10 Home

So, I have this issue on my computer with the task manager always showing CPU usage at 100%. I have attached the screenshots, but I do not think they are going to be of much use: googling my problem I generally found several processes that cause the issue, however, fixing them does not do much - the CPU load is still at 100%, only filled by other processes. (those processes do sometimes take the CPU, but not all the time)

Three snippets are taken with a time difference of around 15 seconds each - it is clearly seen that only one process is not taking up a CPU, but it rather cycles with different ones. I have also attached one snippet showing the CPU tab of the resource monitor. The program list is sorted by the CPU usage(high on top). The interesting thing is that despite the monitor showing CPU load at 108%, it does not seem like there are many programs that are currently using the CPU much(or maybe I do not understand how the resource monitor works).

I have performed a full Windows 10 system reset - the one which deletes the files and reinstalls windows, but this did not resolve the issue. Also, this means that the computer should be in "as in box" state right now. (This also means that the startup list is not crowded by useless programs)

I have also performed virus scans using different tools and antiviruses - nothing of the sort was found.

Again, thank you for visiting this post and thank you for your answers!

P.S. The fan does not seem like it is working harder than normal, hence, I do not think the CPU is overheating, as it generally would from such high use.

 

[Mike]

Your system, in the first two screenshots, is attempting to download or install Windows Updates. That appears to be why it is using so much CPU. Generally, your system will use all of its capability to speed up processes such as malware scans and Windows Updates. When these processes are done (for example, when all your Windows Updates are installed, when malware scans are done, etc.), you should see far less CPU utilization. Is this the case?

 

[nmsuk]

Third screenshot is windows defender doing a post update scan.

 

[freevet]

Hey! Thank you for answering!

Your system, in the first two screenshots, is attempting to download or install Windows Updates. That appears to be why it is using so much CPU. Generally, your system will use all of its capability to speed up processes such as malware scans and Windows Updates. When these processes are done (for example, when all your Windows Updates are installed, when malware scans are done, etc.), you should see far less CPU utilization. Is this the case?

This is not the case, as the CPU use stays at 100% always. Even when the system is done updating and no malware scans are currently active. Right now, as I am writing this, the CPU use is still at a 100%, 60% of which are taken by the Microsoft Edge and 20 - by the task manager. So, not only windows default processes cause the high CPU use. (forgot to mention this in the original post)

Just to add to Mike's post what power management setting are you using?

Make sure your set to balanced or power saver.
Link Removed

The system power management is set to balanced.

 

[nmsuk]

Just out of interest how much memory do you have and how much is it saying is in use?

 

[Neemobeer]

The easiest way to identify the culprit process is Process Explorer you should be able to drill down even in the svchost service containers to identify the problem.

I think the OP has enough memory it's only 44% usage in the screenshots. Generally if the memory usage is maxed out the CPU can thrash but that doesn't appear to be the case. I'm curious to know what CPU and generation is it. If it's an older processor it could explain the maxed out usage.

 

[freevet]

Hey! Thank you for answering!

Just out of interest how much memory do you have and how much is it saying is in use?

I have 8 gb of memory and around 30% are being used.

The easiest way to identify the culprit process is Process Explorer you should be able to drill down even in the svchost service containers to identify the problem.

I think the OP has enough memory it's only 44% usage in the screenshots. Generally if the memory usage is maxed out the CPU can thrash but that doesn't appear to be the case. I'm curious to know what CPU and generation is it. If it's an older processor it could explain the maxed out usage.

The CPU is not that old, it is an i7-4770 3.40GHz.
I have downloaded process explorer, and, as seen by the attached snippet, the program says that only 10 percent are being used. Could it be a visual bug in the Task Manager? This would explain the fan not working any harder then it usually does.

 

[Neemobeer]

Did you sort by CPU, it doesn't look like it

 

[freevet]

Did you sort by CPU, it doesn't look like it

Sorted everything by CPU use in this snippet.

 

[Neemobeer]

Go to File and select 'Show details for all processes'

 

[freevet]

Go to File and select 'Show details for all processes'

Done.

 

[Neemobeer]

Well one possibility is you have a rootkit and it's hidden from task manager . I'd reboot into safe mode with networking and download https://usa.kaspersky.com/downloads/tdsskiller

 

[freevet]

Well one possibility is you have a rootkit and it's hidden from task manager . I'd reboot into safe mode with networking and download https://usa.kaspersky.com/downloads/tdsskiller

Did that a second ago, nothing was found. Interestingly, the CPU load is still 100%(in the task manager) in the safe mode.

 

[Mike]

I don't get it, because with System Idle Process at 91.7% that means that only 8.3% of your CPU is being utilized. I would disable Cortana. Why it is using that much CPU is strange. Also, is Edge using that much CPU just idling? Really even when you open MSN.com with Edge, with this processor, you should see it using no more than around 3-4% CPU and then going back down. And thats just on page load. If you go to Event Viewer do you see any serious warnings/errors re-occurring?

 

[freevet]

I don't get it, because with System Idle Process at 91.7% that means that only 8.3% of your CPU is being utilized. I would disable Cortana. Why it is using that much CPU is strange. Also, is Edge using that much CPU just idling? Really even when you open MSN.com with Edge, with this processor, you should see it using no more than around 3-4% CPU and then going back down. And thats just on page load. If you go to Event Viewer do you see any serious warnings/errors re-occurring?

That is the thing, the Process Explorer shows entirely different, more believable numbers than the Task Manager. For Edge using so much CPU looks impossible to me, and again, the Process Explorer's 2.5% for the Edge are much more believable. I have disabled Cortana on the system, but the 100% are still filled with different programs. I don't think it is a single process that is causing the issue, as the task manager would always show 100%, even if all non-vital processes are stopped. Going to edit the post as soon as I check the event viewer.

And again, the weirdest thing to me is that the issue is occurring after a full windows reset; again, if there was to be a rootkit or something of the sort, it should have been deleted during the reset.

Edit:

I am seeing a(VERY) long list of DistributedCOM errors, such as "DCOM got error "1084" attempting to start the service ShellHWDetection with arguments "Unavailable" in order to run the server:"
"DCOM got error "1084" attempting to start the service WSearch with arguments "Unavailable" in order to run the server:"

Other errors occur once in a while, and look quite normal.

More Edit:

Googled a bit, people with this error suspect a coming hard drive failure. Can this cause abnormal CPU numbers on the Task Manager?

 

[Mike]

That is the thing, the Process Explorer shows entirely different, more believable numbers than the Task Manager. For Edge using so much CPU looks impossible to me, and again, the Process Explorer's 2.5% for the Edge are much more believable. I have disabled Cortana on the system, but the 100% are still filled with different programs. I don't think it is a single process that is causing the issue, as the task manager would always show 100%, even if all non-vital processes are stopped. Going to edit the post as soon as I check the event viewer.

And again, the weirdest thing to me is that the issue is occurring after a full windows reset; again, if there was to be a rootkit or something of the sort, it should have been deleted during the reset.

Edit:

I am seeing a(VERY) long list of DistributedCOM errors, such as "DCOM got error "1084" attempting to start the service ShellHWDetection with arguments "Unavailable" in order to run the server:"
"DCOM got error "1084" attempting to start the service WSearch with arguments "Unavailable" in order to run the server:"

Other errors occur once in a while, and look quite normal.

More Edit:

Googled a bit, people with this error suspect a coming hard drive failure. Can this cause abnormal CPU numbers on the Task Manager?

Can you check the integrity of the datastore using:

cmd.exe
sfc /scannow

Also
chkdsk /f

These errors could indicate there is a potential for disk failure on your system.

Note: Also, if there is some kind of disk r/w/seek i/o problem, this could be why there is high CPU utilization.

 

[HenkB]

For what it is worth:
Try creating a new user account and once logged on check whether it has the same issue. If it is OK switch to that account.
Once I had the same issue, I never found the answer, very unsatisfactory, but this is how I got around it.

 

[freevet]

Can you check the integrity of the datastore using:

cmd.exe
sfc /scannow

Also
chkdsk /f

These errors could indicate there is a potential for disk failure on your system.

Note: Also, if there is some kind of disk r/w/seek i/o problem, this could be why there is high CPU utilization.

Well, the first one found corrupt files and was unable to fix some of them. After browsing the CBS file, I saw this fail repeatedly

"
2017-07-24 13:17:29, Info CBS Failed to internally open package. [HRESULT = 0x800f0805 - CBS_E_INVALID_PACKAGE]
2017-07-24 13:17:29, Info CBS Failed to OpenPackage using worker session [HRESULT = 0x800f0805]
"
Doing the Disk Check in a moment.

 

[nmsuk]

In a elevated command prompt do "dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth" and then try the sfc /scannow again.