Explorer.exe 50% CPU usage

[BSOD]

Well started noticing how explorer.exe keeps using loads of my CPU power, earlier both processes were using 40-50% of my CPU causing everything to work extremely slow/stop working, now one of them seems to have cooled down and it's the other one running at 48-52% the entire time. Has anyone got any idea why this is happening? And if possible, any solutions? Thanks in advance!

 

[Diparnak]

50% processor usage by explorer.exe PROBLEM SOLVED.

I faced the same problem myself, and while i was lookin around in forums I found no satisfactory answers. But finally i figured out the problem myself and apparently the solution is pretty simple. In my care the problem was a corrupted file on the desktop. In your case, This file may be anywhere in the users folder. Here are the steps i followed to get rid of it:
1. First identify the file. (in my case it was a flv file)
2. Uninstall all programs associated with the file.
3. Restart and go to safe mode. Now you should be able to delete the file.
4. If the file cannot still be deleted or renamed, go to another standard user account and access the file from there and delete it.
5. There you go!

N.B. Identifyin the file can be a headache. In my case it was right on my desktop but i didn't realis that this was the problem for more than one week. Do let me know if this works.

 

[guiLe]

have you try to close your Windows Explorer and re-open it ??

 

[BSOD]

Thank you for the replies.

As I posted this well over a year ago, and built a completely new computer with a fresh copy of Windows 7 on it, I don't have this issue anymore. I will however keep the suggestion from post #2 in mind in case it happens again. Post #3, restarting Explorer.exe didn't help, it would just go back up to where it was before I shut it down.

Anyway, thanks again guys, wish I had had these replies back when I posted the thread.

 

[wrojas]

Hi,
I faced this problem today, and follow the instructions of Diparnak, and solve the error.
In my case, I downloaded NexusFiles, a utility Norton Commander Style, to browse two folder at same time and open the task manager to monitor de CPU usage.
1.- I Killed the explorer.exe process
2.- In Nexus, I moved all the files from the folder with problem (in my case, Downloads Folder) to a Temporal Folder.
3.- I moved only few files to Downloads Folder and start Explorer.exe process from File->Run in Taskmanager
3.a.- Open the folder with problem in Windows Explorer
4.- I monitored CPU Usage in Taskmanager, If it keeped low then i Moved others files... I did this until i found the file/folder with problem (Cpu Usage Raised 99-100%).
5.- I killed, again, the explorer.exe process
6.- I deleted the file/folder with problem
7.- I started the Explorer.exe process again
... and voila!

Thanks a lot Diparnak!

Sorry the bad english, please... pacience and good luck!

 

[sharvinzlife]

I faced the same problem with win7,., And the Diparnak instructions completely sorted out my problem.., It was the right .flv file which created the problem for me., and my explorer was using 100% cpu and can't do anythin else in computer apart frm startin a browser frm start panel and browse internet. And wen i searched.. it eneded up in your answer Diparnak., Thanks a million.., U save me frm formatin my os., since i didn't have a restore option..

 

[Diparnak]

You are welcome!

 

[ccatth]

Windows 7 Explorer.exe 50% CPU usage

Had the same problem. Cause also appeared to be a corrupted .flv file on the desktop that I couldn't move, delete or rename. Had to boot up in safe mode with command prompt and delete it from the command line, other methods didn't work.

Would never have figured that out without these posts.

Thanks guys.

 

[GermanMorales]

Thanks to Diparnak.
Some days ago I faced with the same trouble (explorer.exe consuming 50% of CPU usage).
I check your recommendations and saw that I had a flv file that I download just some days ago.
The flv file on my desktop was the cause. It was not possible to rename, delete, etc.
I reboot in safe mode with command prompt, and delete the file, now the explorer.exe consumes less than 1% of CPU time.
I read other advices in differents forums but seems non sense to me, until reach this forum.
Thanks a lot!

 

[mrlumpy]

Hello,

I had the same problem and it also turned out to be a corrupt FLV file on my desktop (I have read other people have had the same problem with JPG files as well) so I deleted the file (it wouldnt delete so had to do it in safe mode) and explorer.exe went back to using nothing in taskmanager.

 

[fatih]

Hei

I have the same problem with my firefox but I couldnt find file.How and where I have to search?Do u have any suggestions

Thanks

 

[EzioAuditore]

Hei

I have the same problem with my firefox but I couldnt find file.How and where I have to search?Do u have any suggestions

Thanks

You mean in your case, firefox consumes 40-50% CPU?

 

[tenej]

There are alternate and easier way, that you can try

1. download free software called Process Explorer from internet
2. Run procexp.exe
3. Find explorer.exe in process tree, right click on it and click properties
4. in properties, click on threads tab
5. in column CPU you will see what thread used cpu on left side, and name of running file on right side.
6. browse your HDD for that file, if you dont know where is it, use search function instead
7. backup file (just copy in another folder or rename file)
8. if you copy file, delete it from original directory
9. go back to Process Explorer, mark thread those us CPU with left mouse click on it and click Suspend button on right bottom corner
10. enjoy

NOTE: if you not sure what is file those you need to delete, first google it for info to prevent your system damage

 

[asgardian13]

i'd love to say thank you to Diparnak and of course all of you guys, finally i can fixed the "HIGH CPU USAGE" , and in my case, the file is same, yes that was ".flv" after i uninstall the flv player, everything is fixed,, thanks God,,!!!!

 

[WinGoblin]

Thank you to all the contributions. I just have one more that solved the same problem for me. In the process of finding a corrupt .flv file, I realized that the recycle bin had thousands of deleted files. I just emptied the recycle bin and the CPU activity went down to about 15 to 20%. So simple it's worth trying.

 

[sired22]

just made an account to say thanks, for a little while explorer was stuck at 50%, strangely when i ran process explorer it would go down to the normal 0%ish, searched google and found this thread, after visually scanning my desktop i noticed that it actually had two hidden desktop.ini files, deleted one and the explorer usage immediately went down to normal.

thanks

 

[kliq07]

Thank you for the solution. In my case, it was a file with a .asf extension. was only able to delete it from command prompt and after restarting explorer, the problem was gone.

 

[myoutoo]

I, too, created an account to reply to this thread. Thanks! I deleted all .flv files on my desktop (I didn't care about their content) from C: drive and once again have control of my computer. Whodda thunk?