One of the many annoyances that Windows users have to deal with is CPU usage at 100 percent. With such a high load, the operating system responds extremely slowly to commands and working with it becomes at least uncomfortable. There are not many problems that lead to such behavior, and the methods for solving them are quite simple.

The most likely reason why the CPU is running at 100% is because programs are running in the background. Quite often you can encounter a situation where a resource-intensive application that the user was working with is not completely unloaded from memory. To some extent, this can be considered a type of “freezing.” The difference is that a frozen program does not allow its “window” to be closed and does not respond to commands. In this case, the “window” closes, but the process remains in RAM. The computer considers such a program to be running and continues to allocate computing resources for it. As a result, the processor is loaded at 100 percent while there is visually no running tasks.

Windows 7 Task Manager

So, let's see what to do in Windows 7 when faced with such a problem. Microsoft gives us a full-fledged OS process management tool. To use it, just call the context menu on the taskbar.

Select the item marked in the screenshot to launch the dispatcher.

Open the “View” item in the top menu and go to the marked position.

To quickly identify the “culprit”, check off the indicated items. Now our dispatcher is ready for use. The window parameters are remembered, so next time no additional settings will be required.

We enable sorting by the “CPU” column, which displays the load percentage. The “culprit” is immediately visible. In this case, it is an archiving program that consumes half of the system resources. Select the process and click the button circled in the screenshot to forcefully terminate its activity.

Confirm your actions, and the resource-consuming program stops working. This is a simple way to quickly reduce CPU usage in Windows 7.

Windows 10 Task Manager

In the latest version of the OS, Microsoft has expanded the capabilities of the task manager. A useful tool has been added to it, by working with which you can reduce CPU usage in Windows 10.

We use the designated “Startup” tab to bring order to applications that start with the operating system and reduce CPU load. For some users, in this place you can find a real “zoo” of programs. At the same time, more than half of the automatically launched software is not used in the future. For example, let's disable the OneDrive service. Few people store information in it, and the system defines its influence as high. In this way, you can reduce CPU usage in Windows 10 on a permanent basis. A disabled service will not start at startup and will consume computing resources.

System infection

High CPU usage may be a direct result of the system being damaged by a malicious product. Only a ransomware virus makes itself known immediately. The most interesting representatives of this “fauna” will use the computer for their own purposes. There can be quite a lot of options, from banal spamming to participation in a botnet and the recently fashionable cryptocurrency mining. As a result, the processor is constantly loaded with actions not authorized by the user.

Not every such “guest” can be detected in a timely manner by an antivirus program. In this case, healthy suspicion and utilities can come to the rescue, allowing you to obtain comprehensive information about the processes occurring in the system. Task Manager can show you this information, but it's not that easy to figure out. For example, the presence of a dozen svchost processes in a running OS is considered normal, provided that they are launched on behalf of the system.

The screenshot shows the work of the Process Explorer utility, references to which are even given by Microsoft technical support. All processes are displayed in the form of a tree structure showing mutual dependencies. When using it, any attentive user has a chance of identifying a malicious process in disguise.

CPU utilization of 100 percent on Windows 10 or 7 may also be a consequence of the reverse process. An overly security-conscious PC owner installs several antivirus programs that begin to conflict, using all available resources.

System Services

When upgrading to Windows 10, users may experience problems with the Modern Setup Host process. This system service is responsible for updating from older operating systems. In this case, a complete copy of the existing OS is created on the system disk to provide the ability to “roll back” changes. Its average size is about 20 GB and if this space is not available, the service must abort the update. In some cases, its incorrect operation can lead to process freezes and increased CPU load. The problem is solved by manually freeing up the required space.

If your computer is not connected to the Internet, you can reduce CPU usage on Windows 7 or 10 by disabling unused services. The operating system launches network-related services by default. For example, you don't need Automatic Updates on your local computer. Its operation in the absence of an Internet connection can also lead to an uncontrolled increase in load.

Finally

The vast majority of CPU usage cases are software related. Try not to mix work and gaming configurations, turning your computer into a testing ground. A verified set of necessary programs allows you to ensure OS stability and avoid unnecessary crashes.

Quite often, situations occur when users, noticing that their computers are slowing down, to put it mildly, open the task manager and see an interesting picture there. The processor is 100% loaded, although no “heavy” applications are running. The full load of the processor is unknown and is the reason for the PC to slow down and freeze.

In this article we will give some practical advice on how to solve this problem.

Reasons why the processor may be 100% loaded

Now we will list the most likely reasons for the processor being almost completely loaded when there are no running programs or games at first glance.

1. The work of background system processes to install and download operating system updates, as well as its maintenance;
2. Viral activity;
3. Physical obsolescence of the processor.

Now about each in more detail.

Running background system processes

The Windows 7 operating system, like any other, is updated periodically. This process in most cases occurs hidden from the user and the service is responsible for it.

svchost loads the processor

It is also possible that the OS will be periodically checked for threats using built-in security tools.

In fact, it doesn't matter which system service is loading the processor. Something else is important. That it usually lasts no more than a couple of hours. Therefore, the first thing to do when detecting increased activity and processor load is to simply leave the computer for a few hours to give it the opportunity to do all its “maintenance business.”

Viral activity and viruses - miners

The second very common reason why a computer without visible programs loads its processor 100% is unclear - it is malware. For example, the so-called virus miner is now very popular. It gets onto your computer most often when downloading and installing something from the Internet. And the essence of its work is simple - when it hits your computer, special algorithms are launched to mine bitcoins on your computer and send the results via the Internet to a specific address. In this way, attackers make money on your computer, thereby leaving you with a slow computer, since its processor is 100% loaded. At the same time, they are disguised as the names of system processes!

Therefore, if, after several hours of inactivity, your computer has not reduced the processor load, we advise you, and it is better to use several different updated antiviruses.

Obsolescence of the computer and processor in particular

There is also a situation in which the computer is simply outdated and its processor simply cannot cope with the background system tasks of maintaining and protecting the operating system. But this is only possible on really old processors 10 or more years old with 1 core.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are not many possible options. And the method to fix the problem with CPU usage at 100 percent is as follows:

1. We check the processor to make sure it is not too old;
2. We leave the computer turned on and connected to the Internet for several hours;
3. We check it for viruses;
4. You can also open the task manager, sort processes by CPU load and read about the process that uses the most CPU on the Internet;
5. As a last resort, if all else fails, reinstall Windows and immediately .

The best way to thank the author of the article is to repost it on your page – Igor (Administrator)

In this article, I will tell you what to do if the CPU load is 100% in Windows 7, as well as the nuances associated with this.

It is very unpleasant to find that your computer is incomprehensibly busy with what and the entire system is slowing down. And most importantly, what to do in such situations? Most users are ordinary people, not technically advanced craftsmen. Of course, sometimes there are comical situations when the user is to blame for running a lot of resource-demanding programs, but more often the opposite is true. You’re sitting at your computer, surfing the Internet, and suddenly the system starts to slow down.

The processor is 100% loaded, what should I do in Windows 7?

In fact, there can be a lot of reasons why the processor is 100% loaded in Windows 7, and some of them are very specific. Likewise, there are just as many possible answers to the question of what to do. However, you should not be disappointed and sad. In most cases, the problem is solved by independent efforts. So next I will tell you the most common reasons and methods for solving them.

Note: In addition, this is simply a useful procedure, sometimes allowing your computer to run noticeably faster.

4. Frozen programs. There are no perfect programs. There will always be mistakes and problems. So it is quite possible that some programs are simply loading your processor due to failures or the calculation of some complex algorithms. What to do in such situations is written in How to close a frozen program in Windows 7.

5. You need to clean your computer. It would seem that, for example, ordinary dust can be associated with the slowness of the operating system. But, directly. The fact is that to protect against overheating, device manufacturers (including the processor) provide them with special sensors. And if the temperature reaches its maximum, then either the device turns off or the computer turns off completely. There are several such zones in the processor, and when one of the upper zones is reached, in order to reduce heating, the CPU’s performance simply begins to drop and, accordingly, the computer begins to “become terribly slow.”

Note: The material from paragraph 5 contains a good selection of articles that covers a lot of questions, as well as a number of common problems, so I recommend reading it, even if you have already solved your problem.

Now, you know the main reasons for computer slowdowns and 100% CPU load in Windows 7, as well as what to do in such situations.

The computer slows down terribly, and Windows takes a long time to load (reboot). The central processor is loaded at 100 percent. The cooler (fan) is humming and does not have time to cool the CPU. The sound in the speakers can be greatly distorted: wheezing, pulling, grunting. :)

However, if you open the task manager and look at the “Performance” tab, you will most likely see 100% CPU usage. Sometimes the dispatcher does not open, which means it is blocked by a virus and you need to unblock the dispatcher.

What to do? If you briefly install the security task manager, identify the slow process, remove the malware that creates maximum 100% CPU load.

100 CPU load

Strong braking also occurs after repeated installations and removal of various programs, during long or short periods of using the PC. And as a rule, this can be treated in most cases, without torturing yourself or the computer with dangerous experiments on the registry or reinstalling the Windows system. This is of course an extreme measure and yet... Yes, this happens, but not always with 100% CPU.

This also happens when malware gets into the system, which happens very, very often. The computer suddenly fails and this happens mainly during the first possible boot (reboot) after the virus is activated. If in the first case it is stupid, but the processor is not so loaded and you can still work on the PC, then if such a pest gets in and is activated, it is almost impossible to perform any actions on the computer.

100% CPU is a virus

To identify such guests that create 100% processor load, there is a very good utility. I say it’s not bad because I myself found myself in such a situation and she helped me out :)

Download!
Security Task Manager

Security Task Manager - Security Task Manager displays the level of possible danger of a particular process. That is, it finds and shows everything that not only interferes with loading the OS, but also prevents Windows from working correctly (in its opinion). And you decide for yourself what you need and what you don’t. If a program is at risk in the first position, and you have not installed it and do not know what it is, remove it immediately.

Install the manager and remove malware that interferes with the normal operation of the CPU.

The processor is a key element in a PC; data is processed through it. Any program or application loads the processor to one degree or another. The less the processor is loaded, the faster and more stable the system works (files, folders, and applications open quickly). Therefore, it is very important that the processor is not 100% loaded and has free resources to process the necessary tasks.

Main reasons for maximum load

There may be several reasons for the maximum CPU load of 100% in Windows XP, 7, 8, 10, and each has its own solutions. Most common cause- This is the consumption of all processor resources by a specific program or service. It could also be a malfunction in the service that causes it to begin to behave unstably.

Many people do not attach much importance to cleaning their PC from dust and replacing thermal paste, which leads to overheating, thereby putting a greater load on the CPU.

To make sure exactly what is causing the high CPU load, you need to run a number of diagnostic procedures to identify it.

Defining a program that loads the processor

To reduce CPU load, you can use Task Manager. You can get into it different ways: press Ctrl+Shift+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+Delete at the same time, or go through the start menu to the taskbar context menu and find the manager there.

When the task manager is open, you need to go to the " Processes", which will display the processes and services of the system. For convenience, you can sort them by clicking on the column at the top " CPU" or " CPU"(different versions of Windows vary).

And after these manipulations, you can see which program or service is loading the CPU. It often happens that “heavy” programs (which consume a large amount of PC resources) left after closing residual services or applications that are not terminated correctly, thereby affecting the performance of the computer. Browsers very often do this. In addition, high-quality videos that a PC simply cannot handle can often load and slow down your work.

You can solve this by clicking LMB (left mouse button) on the application that is consuming CPU and clicking “ Cancel task", thereby removing the program from the PC resources. You have to be careful here because There's a possibility terminate some system service and then you will have to manually restart the computer.

CPU usage for no reason

It happens that in the standard Task Manager utility, processes that load the CPU are not visible, but the processor is still loaded at 100 percent for no reason. In such cases, you can contact third party programs.

Download and run the AVZ program. Go to "Tools/Process Manager" there will be all processes are shown running on the computer. Main advantage AVZ is that the program marks system processes in green. Those. You should take a closer look to see if there is a process called svchosts.exe, which is colored black.

If no third-party processes are detected, then you can try disable automatic updates Windows.

To disable updates, you need to go to the “ Services", the easiest way is to press Win + R, write services.msc in the window that appears and click "Ok". In the window that opens, find the line “ Update centreWindows", double-click on it and select "Startup type" - Disabled, and click the "Stop" button below. Then save the settings and restart the PC.

CPU load due to overheating

The key parameter for stable operation of a computer is its temperature. If the CPU begins to overheat, then the user notices unstable system operation, freezes, blue screens and sudden PC shutdowns.

To find out the CPU temperature, you should use third-party programs, for example Aida 64.

The computer may overheat several reasons:

1. Pollution. A computer or laptop requires constant cleaning (once every 6-12 months), because dust accumulates in it during use, which impairs the operation of coolers and heat transfer of the radiator, thereby contributing to overheating.
   Solution: Take the computer to a service center to have it cleaned, or open the side cover yourself and carefully but thoroughly remove all accumulated dust. (If you are the owner of a laptop, you will have to take it to the service center)

1. Cooler malfunctions. The main task of the cooler is to continuously supply cold air to the radiator to cool the CPU. If it malfunctions, the computer begins to overheat. You can verify the malfunction yourself; you should open the side cover of the computer and see if the cooler rotates normally (are there any creaks or crackles)
   Solution: If the cooler is really faulty, you should immediately contact the service center for its subsequent replacement.

1. High room temperature. This problem is very relevant in the summer, it is hot at home and outside, therefore, the cooler will draw in hot air. Because of this, its cooling efficiency decreases significantly.
   Solution: You can open the side cover of the computer yourself and point a regular fan there. Special cooling stands are produced for laptops.

Outdated PC

New technologies are moving forward very quickly, the computer sphere is one of them. Every day updates are released for various programs, and every year standard programs begin to consume more and more resources.

If at startup standard application(browser, paint, viewing photos) CPU usage becomes 50% or 100% and does not decrease, then most likely it’s time to update the PC configuration.

Startup applications

Many people use their PC for years without reinstalling Windows and clearing it of programs. Over time and the installation of certain applications, the system's autostart gets clogged and when loading the OS, programs are loaded that a person has not used for a long time. Because of this, the CPU may be constantly loaded, so this should be avoided clear "Startup"

There is a popular utility CCleaner, with its help you can remove programs, which you haven’t used for a long time, leaving only the most current ones and antivirus.