100% CPU usage constantly with no apps running

[joycelewis]

I get a lot of "not responding" in various windows and find CPU usage almost always at 100%. Even with no apps running. The Processes tab in Task Manager shows various processes running but 00 for most of them in the CPU usage column. One or two processes will show 02 in that column, but I don't know how to find out what is using 100% of my CPU.

 

[Mellon Head]

Hi Joyce,

Have you ticked "Show Processes From All Users" at the bottom of the Windows Task Manager "Processes" screen? That will show you more processes, and possibly what is eating up your CPU.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
Yes use Task Manager/ resource monitor to see what is soaking up resources although it is probably svchost.exe

Most typical problem has been the windows update system running a muck

You'll need to change these settings anyway to manually install these updates if they aren't installed already,

When manually installing updates you need to switch your update settings to Never check for updates and restart the machine first.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2797-windows-update-settings-change.html

Make sure KB3020369 is installed if not manually install it this is the main article page with all versions,
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020369
These other links do prompt you to download as soon as you click on them just to give you a heads up
Win-7 32 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...B0A-35769CBBE6B0/Windows6.1-KB3020369-x86.msu
Win-7 64 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...020-EC41D56B074F/Windows6.1-KB3020369-x64.msu

Then manually install KB3172605 main article page with all versions,
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605
KB3172605
Win-7 32 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...A9C-6B30C3E1735A/Windows6.1-KB3172605-x86.msu

Win-7 64 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...67F-C713F7821374/Windows6.1-KB3172605-x64.msu

After switch your windows update settings back to what you had prior and manually check for updates and the rest should show up shortly.

 

[joycelewis]

Thank you ThrashZone. I tried to follow your instructions and the links, but when I try to install the KB3020369 update, I get a Windows Update Standalone Installer tiny window that tells me it is "Searching for updates on this computer..." and the little green bar just keeps grinding away. Over 20 minutes on the current try. I tried both the links you provided. My Windows 7 is the 64-bit version.

 

[joycelewis]

Thank you ThrashZone! The problem with installing KB3020369 was that it was already installed. Once I figured that out and went on to install KB3172605, everything went pretty smoothly. And it appears that the 100% CPU usage problem is solved!

Thank you thank you thank you!

 

[joycelewis]

It is no longer constantly at 100%, but spiking to 100% fairly frequently. However, when I do your last step, changing the setting back to the recommended setting to check for updates, it goes back up to 100% again. I now have it set to Never check for updates and the CPU usage is mostly below 100%. Can I leave it there? And just manually check for updates when I don't have anything else running?

 

[torchwood]

Hi Joyce,
You sure can, quite a lot of us here use those settings, me included.

Roy

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I would use these settings personally


Finally I would reset the update system,
Try using this to reset the update system it's very good,
Use Option 2 on the list after right clicking it and select run as administrator
https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Reset-Windows-Update-Agent-d824badc

Download it to your downloads folder
Right click it and select Extract all to the downloads folder.
Then right click ResetWUEng and select run as administrator
Follow the rest of the prompts
Press any key to continue
Type 2 for that Option on the list and the Enter key to reset update services..
Press y for Yes and then the Enter key I believe twice
After it has completed
Type 15 for that option and the Enter key to restart the machine.
Should say will restart in 60 seconds save your work.... press any key to continue.
After restart go to windows updates and manually check for updates shouldn't take a few minutes.

 

[d4g4m]

Start, scroll to Resource Monitor, click on. Apps are running. When searching for updates, wuauserv [update search] is usually the culprit in the services section. Right click to stop it.