The processor is loaded at 100, what should I do? Solving problems with unreasonable CPU load. Software causes of overload

A variety of troubles can occur during computer operation, but not all users know how to fix them. One of the most common problems is 100% CPU utilization, when the computer is literally loaded to capacity and stops functioning normally.

What is the problem?

Many people are looking for how to reduce CPU load when their computer starts to slow down very much, as a result of which it is impossible to open applications or use at least those that were launched previously. But at the same time, first you need to figure out what caused such a serious load and how to deal with it.

First of all, you should find out how powerful your processor is. If you bought a relatively cheap computer quite a long time ago, then it may be that it simply cannot handle some resource-intensive applications, and you shouldn’t even think long about why the CPU load is 100 percent. What to do in such a situation? All that remains is to update your PC if you really need some resource-intensive applications or modern games.

But such situations are often isolated, and the main reason most often lies elsewhere.

What else could it be?

If you don't know what to do if the CPU is 100% loaded, try the following:

1. Open Task Manager.
2. Click the Processes tab.
3. Filter all processes by the “CPU” parameter.
4. See which ones are consuming the most power from your processor and, if possible, disable them.

Most often, the reason for such a serious download is all kinds of browsers like Google Chrome, in which each individual tab is given its own process, and therefore creates a serious load on the computer. So, if you are looking for how to reduce CPU usage for running some games or programs, just close everything else before activating them.

In extremely rare cases, it happens that one or another program launches the svchost file, which often consumes the entire remainder of the processor and random access memory, which was available on this moment. When it appears, turn it off immediately this process and continue to use your PC normally.

Hello.

One of the most common reasons why a computer slows down is CPU load, sometimes by incomprehensible applications and processes.

Not long ago, on a friend’s computer, I had to deal with an “incomprehensible” CPU load, which sometimes reached 100%, although there were no open programs that could load it like that (by the way, the processor was a fairly modern Intel inside Core i3). The problem was solved by reinstalling the system and installing new drivers (but more on that later...).

Actually, I decided that this problem was quite popular and would be of interest to a wide range of users. In the article I will give recommendations that will help you figure out why the processor is loaded and how to reduce the load on it. So…

1. Question No. 1 - what program is the processor loaded with?

To find out what percentage of the processor is loaded, open the Windows task manager.

Buttons: Ctrl+Shift+Esc (or Ctrl+Alt+Del) .

By the way, very often the problem arises as follows: you worked, for example, in Adobe Photoshop, then closed the program, but it remained in the processes (or this happens all the time with some games). As a result, they “eat” resources, and not small ones. Because of this, the computer starts to slow down. Therefore, very often the first recommendation in such cases is to restart the PC (since in this case such applications will be closed), or go to the task manager and remove such a process.

2. Question No. 2 - there is CPU load, but there are no applications and processes that load them! What to do?

When setting up one of the computers, I encountered an incomprehensible CPU load - there is a load, but there are no processes! The screenshot below shows what it looks like in the task manager.

On the one hand, it’s surprising: the “Display processes of all users” checkbox is turned on, there is nothing among the processes, and the PC load jumps by 16-30%!

To see all processes that load your PC - run the free utility Process Explorer. Next, sort all processes by load (CPU column) and see if there are any suspicious “elements” there (the task manager does not show some processes, unlike Process Explorer).

Link to office Process Explorer website: https://technet.microsoft.com/ru-ru/bb896653.aspx

Process Explorer - system interrupts and DPCs load the processor by ~20%. When everything is in order, usually the CPU load associated with Hardware interrupts and DPCs does not exceed 0.5-1%.

In my case, the culprit turned out to be system interrupts and DPCs. By the way, I will say that sometimes fixing the PC load associated with them is quite a troublesome and complicated task (besides, sometimes they can load the processor not only by 30%, but by 100%!).

The fact is that the CPU is loaded due to them in several cases: problems with drivers; viruses; HDD does not work in DMA mode, but in PIO mode; problems with peripheral equipment (for example, printer, scanner, network cards, flash and HDD storage devices, etc.).

1. Problems with drivers

The most common reason CPU load by system interrupts. I recommend doing the following: boot the PC in safe mode and see if there is a load on the processor: if there is none, the reason is very high in the drivers! In general, the simplest and quick way in this case, it is to reinstall the Windows system and then install one driver at a time and see if the CPU load appears (as soon as it appears, you have found the culprit).

Most often, network cards + universal drivers from Microsoft are to blame, which are installed immediately when Windows installation(sorry for the tautology). I recommend downloading and updating all drivers from the official website of your laptop/computer manufacturer.

Plus check your computer sometimes third party programs(which search for advertising modules adware, mailware, etc.): about them in detail.

3. Operating mode hard drive

The operating mode of the HDD can also affect the loading and performance of the PC. In general, if the hard drive is not operating in DMA mode, but in PIO mode, you will immediately notice it with terrible “brakes”!

4. Problems with peripheral equipment

Disconnect everything from your laptop or PC, leave the bare minimum (mouse, keyboard, monitor). I also recommend paying attention to device Manager, won't it contain installed devices with yellow or red icons (this means either there are no drivers or they are not working correctly).

How to open device manager? The easiest way is to open the panel Windows management and drive into search bar the word "dispatcher". See screenshot below.

Device Manager: there are no drivers for devices (disk drives), they may not work correctly (and most likely not work at all).

3. Question No. 3 - could the processor load be caused by overheating and dust?!

The reason why the processor may be overloaded and the computer will start to slow down may be due to overheating. Typically, characteristic signs of overheating are:

• increased hum of the cooler: the number of revolutions per minute increases because of this the noise from it becomes stronger. If you have a laptop: then by passing your hand next to the left side (usually there is a hot air outlet on laptops) you will be able to notice how much air is being blown out and how hot it is. Sometimes the hand doesn’t tolerate it (this is not good)!
• braking and slowdown of the computer (laptop);
• refusal to boot with errors indicating failures in the cooling system, etc.

For example, in the AIDA 64 program, to view the processor temperature, you need to open the “ Computer/sensor«.

AIDA64 - processor temperature 49 degrees. C.

How do you know which temperature is critical for your processor and which is normal?

The easiest way is to look at the manufacturer's website; this information is always indicated there. It is quite difficult to give general figures for different models processors.

In general, on average, if the processor operating temperature is not higher than 40 degrees. Ts. - everything is fine. Above 50g. C. - may indicate problems in the cooling system (for example, an abundance of dust). However, for some processor models this temperature is the normal operating temperature. This especially applies to laptops, where limited space makes it difficult to organize good system cooling. By the way, on laptops and 70 gr. Ts. - maybe normal temperature under load.

Cleaning from dust: when, how and how many times?

In general, it is advisable to clean your computer or laptop from dust 1-2 times a year (although a lot depends on your room, some have more dust, some have less...). Once every 3-4 years it is advisable to replace the thermal paste. Both operations are not complicated and can be performed independently.

To avoid repetition, I will provide a couple of links below...

How to clean your computer from dust and replace thermal paste:

Cleaning a laptop from dust, how to wipe the screen:

PS

That's all for today. By the way, if the measures suggested above did not help, you can try reinstalling Windows (or even replacing it with a newer one, for example, changing Windows 7 to Windows 8). Sometimes, it’s easier to reinstall the OS than to look for the cause: you’ll save time and money... But in general, sometimes you need to do backups(when everything works well).

Is your processor constantly loaded and your computer or laptop slowing down a lot? And at the same time - in idle mode? High CPU (central processing unit) load is one of the most common problems today. And PC and laptop users constantly encounter it.

These tips are universal, so you can apply them on Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP. The processor model on a laptop or computer doesn’t really matter either.

What program is loading the processor?

First you need to launch the manager and see what percentage of the processor is loaded on your PC. To do this, press Ctrl+Shift+Del and pay attention to the item “CPU Load” (it is located at the bottom).

In principle, this value can jump. But not much. For example, the Core i5 loads 2-8% in idle mode (or with the browser turned on). And this is the norm. Although on weak processors (for example, 2-core Core 2 Duo), the load may already be 10-20%. It all depends on specific model CPU installed on a computer or laptop.

If the processor is loaded at 50 or 100 percent, then this is clearly overkill. To see why Windows 7 is using so much CPU, go to the Processes tab and then click on the CPU field. This will sort the list in descending order.

The screenshot below shows that only the plugin loads the CPU Flash Player(due to enabled browser). But not much, so in this case it is not critical.

By the way, quite often the following situation arises: you were playing a game or working in a program, and after a while you closed it. But the process itself may still be active. It turns out that you are no longer playing or working, but the program is still loading your processor. In this case, you need to go to the manager and manually end the process. Or just restart your computer.

Also, be sure to pay attention to unknown processes due to which the processor is loaded at 50 percent (or higher). Especially if you see them for the first time, and they load the CPU by at least 20%. It is quite possible that these are viruses.

What to do if the processor is loaded for no reason

Didn't find any processes in the manager, but the CPU is still heavily loaded when idle? To get started, you can click the “Display processes of all users” button. This usually doesn't help, but it may add new items to the list.

And to display all the processes due to which the CPU is constantly loaded, it is recommended to use free program. It's very easy to use:

1. Launch the utility.
2. Click on the "CPU" column to sort processes in descending order of load.
3. See why the processor is heavily loaded.

The screenshot above shows that the Interrupts process is to blame. It is this that loads the processor by 18% when idle. Although it can load 50 and even 100 percent!

Fixing a problem like this is extremely difficult. This is because such a high CPU load can occur due to:

• drivers on a computer or laptop;
• viruses;
• incorrect operating mode of the hard drive;
• problems with peripheral equipment (printers, scanners, HDD drives, etc.).

Most often, heavy CPU load occurs due to drivers. To test this and see if there is any CPU load. If not, then most likely the problem lies in the drivers.

The easiest way to fix it is. And then install the drivers on your computer or laptop one by one and check the CPU load after each of them. This way you can quickly find the culprit.

Usually this problem occurs due to universal drivers Microsoft, which are installed immediately after installation new Windows. In this case, it is better to find it yourself necessary drivers at the office manufacturer's website and install them. Read more about how to do this here:

And it wouldn’t hurt to use special utilities For search malware and advertising viruses (adware, malware).

Incorrect work hard disk may also cause the process to be heavily loaded. Especially if it works in PIO mode (DMA mode must be set). This must be checked and corrected if necessary.

And the last reason why system interrupts and high processor load occur is problems with printers, scanners and other peripheral equipment. To check this, disconnect all devices and leave only the mouse and keyboard.

Also go to Start - Control Panel - Device Manager and see if there are devices here that have a yellow icon next to them Exclamation point. Its presence indicates that the equipment is not working correctly and the driver needs to be updated (which is what needs to be done).

CPU is always 100 percent loaded in Windows 7

There is another fairly common problem that often occurs on Windows 7. It is that on many PCs and laptops the processor is constantly loaded at 100 percent when idle (that is, even on the desktop). And if you open the task manager, you can see the svchost.exe process there, which is duplicated several times.

The reason here lies in the automatic Windows update 7. The fact is that updates are now released only for Windows 8 and 10. For Windows 7, of course, they are not suitable, and therefore do not work correctly. It is for this reason that on Windows 7 the processor is loaded at 100 percent.

To fix this, you just need to disable automatic update. For this:

After this, the svchost.exe process should disappear, and with it the CPU load should decrease.

The computer is terribly slow, long loading(reboot) Windows. CPU 100 percent loaded. 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 occurs even after repeated installations and removals various programs, in the process of using a PC for a long time, or not at all. And as a rule, this can be treated in most cases, without torturing yourself, the computer with dangerous experiments on the registry, reinstalling Windows systems. 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 interfering malware normal operation CPU.

One of the most common and least understood problems is CPU usage. 100 percent of its work is taken away by incomprehensible processes and services, which makes using the computer extremely difficult. Why is this happening?

CPU utilization is 100 percent. What to do?

Quite often, computer owners may observe deterioration in performance, delays in response to user actions and other problems after some time of continuous use. Some of the most common reasons that can lead to this include the CPU becoming completely overloaded with obscure running processes. The simplest advice is to restart your computer. In some cases it can help. You can advise reinstalling the system, but this is the most extreme method, already included in the category of anecdotal recommendations on most technical forums.

The most common reasons for increased CPU load

There are quite a lot of people who are concerned about this issue. And they are all looking for an effective solution to their problem without using drastic methods. And to do this, it is necessary to understand the reason that could lead to such a situation. If you turn to forums where questions related to such computer behavior occur quite often, you can identify the most common situations:

• Running a program or process that uses increased computer resources.
• System malfunctions.
• due to accumulated dust and insufficient cooling.

Identifying problems and solving them

In order to determine why the interest occurs, you will need to carry out a number of diagnostic procedures. Once the cause has been established or there is reason to choose one thing, you will need to take the actions necessary to eliminate it. Details of what needs to be done in each specific case are discussed below.

Determining the program that loads the processor

The first thing to do when your computer starts to slow down and respond poorly to mouse commands and other actions is to open the task manager. To do this, you can simultaneously hold down the key combination Ctrl, Alt and Del or Ctrl, Shift and Esc, or call context menu in the taskbar area and find the corresponding item in it.

In the window that opens, you need to select a detailed view so that tabs appear, among which will be the one we need - “Processes”. In it you can see when the CPU load is 100 percent. What to do next in this case?

The tab will display full list all processes that are currently running in the system. By default they are sorted alphabetically, but you can select the CPU usage column to determine which one is causing the problem.

Quite often it happens that a massive program that requires a lot of resources does not unload correctly after closing. As a result, processes remain running and the processor load continues. In this case, just click on the “End task” button to solve the problem. In this regard, rebooting the system, which was recommended at the very beginning, may be effective. Roughly speaking, during it the same removal of tasks occurs. In addition, additional resources are freed up that you may not notice on your own.

The list of processes may also contain unknown ones that were not there before. Moreover, they can also take part in loading the system. This behavior is typical of viruses, so it would be good to know the names and characteristics of the processes that are constantly running on a particular system, and periodically check the list of running ones for suspicious activity.

System malfunctions

The first method does not always allow you to determine the reason why the CPU load is 100 percent. What to do in this case? In practice, it may turn out that the entire load falls on the “System inactivity” item. And in this situation it will not be possible to cancel the task.

The recommendation in this case would be to run the utility, which is distributed by Microsoft completely free of charge. presents an expanded picture of what the task manager is showing. In the situation under consideration, the processor load may be 100 percent due to system interrupts, which in this program are designated as Interrupts. It is difficult to say what exactly is the reason for this behavior unless additional steps are taken.

What can load the processor in the system?

Incorrectly written drivers often lead to this problem. Booting the system using safe mode. If the CPU is not experiencing the same load, then with a high degree of probability the reason is in the drivers. You need to look for their new versions, provided directly by the manufacturer of the computer or laptop.

Also, various viruses that have settled in it can lead to such behavior of the system. In this case, you need to run a system scan with antivirus software.

Problems with connected devices may also result in 100 percent CPU usage. What to do about this? The advice is pretty simple. It is enough to disconnect everything from the computer, leaving only the most necessary minimum set of mouse, keyboard and monitor. You should also look into it to check for possible problems there.

If these tips do not help solve the problem, you will have to reinstall the system. It’s good if during the work process rollback points are created to which you can restore if the system was working properly at that time.

Dust accumulation and overheating

Often, loud operation of the cooler and an increase in processor temperature can help determine why the CPU load reaches 100 percent. As a rule, this indicates that it is high time to clean the computer or laptop from accumulated dust and dirt, and replace the thermal paste. This also leads to slowdown and failure of the system. It is recommended to clean at least once a year.