Why am I getting episodes of 100% CPU usage?

I use my main PC to run X-Plane 11 only (flight simulator). It mostly runs well, but for the past several days, every 10-15 minutes the CPU cores all start running at 100% and the simulator all but freezes up.

I am at a loss to explain this... I can't think of what has changed that might account for it. I ran Process Monitor and made a copy of the entries of a one-minute duration, during which time there was one of these '100% CPU episodes'. I can't see anything there that does not occur at other times when the CPU usage is quite normal, but I wonder if anyone more knowledgeable than I am might have a look at the attached PML file (opens with Process Monitor) and indicate any entry which looks 'dodgy' and may possibly be causing the CPU to run at maximum capacity?

I also have Process Lasso, but I am not sure how to use it to troubleshoot this kind of problem (I noticed a post somewhere which suggested using it for this very purpose, but with no indication as to how)..

Many thanks for any input here.

Martin

Try this:
- On services, set Windows Update to manual
- On WU page set to never check and unmark Recommended updates.

Thanks. I have seen in the interim though that it is X-Plane.exe that suddenly goes to 100%. No other processes seem to be involved.

May be a bit 'specialist' for here then? Unless anyone knows how to use Process Lasso or other tool do see exactly what that exe file is doing.

Hi

As you now know that it is X-Plane.exe that suddenly goes to 100%, had you checked that the graphics > rendering options, within the simulator, have changed?

Some of the rendering options are to do with the graphics card, and these are listed on the left side of the menu; while the other rendering options are to do with the CPU, and these options are listed on the right side of the menu.

For example the option "draw parked aircraft" is listed on the right-hand side of the menu, and therefore its rendering is to do with the CPU.

Maybe if you reduce the rendering demands of some of the options listed on the right, then your CPU wont throttle to 100% when you use the simulator??

Hope that helps.

You can also try Process Explorer. If you right click the process and chose properties and chose threads you can hone in on what is utilizing the CPU.

Process Explorer - Windows Sysinternals | Microsoft Docs