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?
Just to add to Mike's post what power management setting are you using?
Make sure your set to balanced or power saver.
View attachment 35132
Just out of interest how much memory do you have and how much is it saying is in use?
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.
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
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?
Can you check the integrity of the datastore using: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.