Edge constantly uses too much CPU

[jul059]

It may or may not have come after an update, but Edge constantly uses too much CPU. Even closing it down doesn't kill the process and it keeps using CPU, I have to kill the process myself. Edge doesn't start at boot. Edge's behavior is also abnormal. If I click on the title bar, the computer becomes partially unresponsive: I can't click anywhere, but scrolling the pages work. The mouse also moves and either ctrl+alt+del or alt+tab seems to make it snap out of it until I click on the Edge title bar again.

View attachment edge-is-constantly-using-over-30-cpu-v0-c3qi3yg4uacd1.webp

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling it with Chris Titus' winutil, scanning the computer with malwarebytes.
Startup boost is disabled, efficiency profile et balanced savings, "continue running background extensions" is off even though there are no extensions installed.

Windows 10 x64 22H2 (19045.4651)

Any ideas how to solve this? I need to use Edge for some applications AND to use my battery, which are currently incompatible.

 

[ussnorway]

1 what you describe is a system running something in the background
2 you don't need a link to some 3rd party software [i removed it]
3 Edge is part of Windows and can't be removed
4 in your linked photo Edge is using 30% [ish] Cpu which is normal at boot up until edge finishes doing its scan... at that point it should drop to around 3% assuming you only have one non-vid tab open

in my opinion Microsoft has taken control of your system in order to upgrade Edge to their new Ai powered browser... once thats done it should hand it back to you

 

[jul059]

1 what you describe is a system running something in the background
2 you don't need a link to some 3rd party software [i removed it]
3 Edge is part of Windows and can't be removed
4 in your linked photo Edge is using 30% [ish] Cpu which is normal at boot up until edge finishes doing its scan... at that point it should drop to around 3% assuming you only have one non-vid tab open

in my opinion Microsoft has taken control of your system in order to upgrade Edge to their new Ai powered browser... once thats done it should hand it back to you

It has been going on for 2 weeks, and Edge has been running for hours over those 2 weeks. CPU usage stays problematic.

 

[ussnorway]

if Edge stays at 30% all the time then what tabs are open by default and just how much Ram is in this system... are we talking just the min 8G?

if your Ram is very low then you can try to disable tips

 

[Mike]

It may or may not have come after an update, but Edge constantly uses too much CPU. Even closing it down doesn't kill the process and it keeps using CPU, I have to kill the process myself. Edge doesn't start at boot. Edge's behavior is also abnormal. If I click on the title bar, the computer becomes partially unresponsive: I can't click anywhere, but scrolling the pages work. The mouse also moves and either ctrl+alt+del or alt+tab seems to make it snap out of it until I click on the Edge title bar again.

View attachment 44386

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling it with Chris Titus' winutil, scanning the computer with malwarebytes.
Startup boost is disabled, efficiency profile et balanced savings, "continue running background extensions" is off even though there are no extensions installed.

Windows 10 x64 22H2 (19045.4651)

Any ideas how to solve this? I need to use Edge for some applications AND to use my battery, which are currently incompatible.

Did you clear your cache and check for browser extensions?

 

[jul059]

Did you clear your cache and check for browser extensions?

cleared all privacy data, including IE data. no extensions installed.

The behavior is present even with a blank tab open (and even with edge closed).

16 Gb ram

I feel it came about after a windows update, but I haven't kept track of which one it might be. Edge seems buggy, as described in my first post with the strange behavior with the title bar. This is not low ram lag or cpu usage lag.

 

[Mike]

cleared all privacy data, including IE data. no extensions installed.

The behavior is present even with a blank tab open (and even with edge closed).

16 Gb ram

I feel it came about after a windows update, but I haven't kept track of which one it might be. Edge seems buggy, as described in my first post with the strange behavior with the title bar. This is not low ram lag or cpu usage lag.

Hmm.. that is unusual behavior...

 

[ussnorway]

its just edge? if you install another browser like firefox does it also struggle

 

[ChatGPT]

How to Reduce High CPU Usage by Microsoft Edge​

If you're experiencing high CPU usage with Microsoft Edge, follow these steps to troubleshoot and fix the issue: 1. Disable Hardware Acceleration

• Open Edge and go to Settings.
• Navigate to System and performance.
• Toggle off Use hardware acceleration when available.
• Restart Edge. 2. Reset Edge Settings
• Open Edge and go to Settings.
• Select Reset settings.
• Choose Restore settings to their default values. 3. Check for Malware
• Use a reputable antivirus program to scan your system.
• Ensure that no malware or unwanted programs are causing the issue. 4. Update Windows
• Open Settings and go to Update & Security.
• Check for updates and install any available updates. 5. Reinstall Edge
• Open Settings and go to Apps.
• Find Microsoft Edge, click on it, and select Uninstall.
• Restart your computer.
• Download and install the latest version of Edge from the https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge. 6. Monitor Task Manager
• Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
• Look for any processes that are using a high amount of CPU.
• End any unnecessary tasks or applications. Additional Tips
• Clear Browsing Data: Go to Edge settings, then Privacy, search, and services, and clear browsing data.
• Extensions: Disable or remove unnecessary extensions.
• Check for Edge Updates: Ensure Edge itself is up to date. By following these steps, you should be able to reduce the high CPU usage caused by Microsoft Edge. If the problem persists, consider seeking additional support from the Microsoft Edge support team.

 

[Mike]

I called in some reinforcements for you. The advice given is generally sound.

 

[Sunnyskyguy]

1 what you describe is a system running something in the background
2 you don't need a link to some 3rd party software [i removed it]
3 Edge is part of Windows and can't be removed
4 in your linked photo Edge is using 30% [ish] Cpu which is normal at boot up until edge finishes doing its scan... at that point it should drop to around 3% assuming you only have one non-vid tab open

in my opinion Microsoft has taken control of your system in order to upgrade Edge to their new Ai powered browser... once thats done it should hand it back to you

I agree so I uninstalled Edge (/w EdgeBlock) and Edge Webview (Edge Redirect) then renamed the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge.not\

 

[jul059]

its just edge? if you install another browser like firefox does it also struggle

Edge exclusively.

I tried reinstalling edge as suggested by the bot. The options are greyed out, only WebView2 Runtime can be "modified" and then "repaired".

 

[jul059]

I agree so I uninstalled Edge (/w EdgeBlock) and Edge Webview (Edge Redirect) then renamed the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge.not\

Unfortunately I have to use Edge for a very specific application, hence why I want to solve the problem.

 

[Mike]

Unfortunately I have to use Edge for a very specific application, hence why I want to solve the problem.

You can try How to reset Microsoft Edge completely from a Microsoft Account to make a fresh start if not its quite possible no one knows.

Running this as administrator in PowerShell will purportedly re-register Edge:

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}

If you're still seeing the issue after this, something else is going on with third party software on the system.

 

[jul059]

You can try How to reset Microsoft Edge completely from a Microsoft Account to make a fresh start if not its quite possible no one knows.

Running this as administrator in PowerShell will purportedly re-register Edge:



If you're still seeing the issue after this, something else is going on with third party software on the system.

that first link worked! amazing. Thank you so much!

 

[jul059]

You can try How to reset Microsoft Edge completely from a Microsoft Account to make a fresh start if not its quite possible no one knows.

Running this as administrator in PowerShell will purportedly re-register Edge:



If you're still seeing the issue after this, something else is going on with third party software on the system.

Should I still run the powershell command even if it seems to work? I'm not sure I understand what it does.

 

[Mike]

Should I still run the powershell command even if it seems to work? I'm not sure I understand what it does.

If it ain't broke don't fix it What it would do is register it again for all users.

 

[ussnorway]

it resets the default ... i assume whatever 3rd party software you ran messed something up

 

[Neemobeer]

For UWP applications like Edge an app reset is roughly equivalent to a re-install. A reset is meant to reset all settings back to a clean state.

MS Edge will have a number of extra processes as well as any extensions that can continue to run even after closing Edge or even start up at boot time called prelaunch. These activities are to meant to speed up load times for MS Edge. You can disable both 'run in background' and prelaunch. I won't spell out the steps, but rather link you an existing article with the steps.

How to Stop Microsoft Edge Running in the Background When Closed

Microsoft Edge runs in the background, even after closing it. This can impact performance and battery life, but you can change it.

helpdeskgeek.com

 

[ChatGPT]

Glad to hear the advice is coming together! If there's anything else that needs refinement or further troubleshooting regarding Edge's high CPU usage, let me know—I’d be happy to jump in and assist further!