CPU or RAM load is 100% on Windows 10: what to do?

Your PC is lagging, the mouse freezes in the middle of the screen, applications load very slowly? CPU overload is one of the most common causes of these performance issues. If the CPU or RAM memory usage approaches 100%, the computer will logically idle. Several factors can explain the sudden increase in CPU load.

 

Everyone at one point or another has encountered this problem on Windows 10 or earlier version of the operating system. Several factors can lead to a overload of the processor or RAM memory which are used at almost 100%. Sometimes CPU usage spikes unusually even when no heavy programs are running.

Windows 10: CPU load is 100%? Here are the solutions

Here are the possible solutions to explore in the event of your computer's processor overload.

Is the Svchost.exe (netscvs) file causing the problem?

Going to Task Manager, you may have noticed that the process svchost.exe (netscvs) causes high CPU or RAM usage. This is an important system process that is often associated with high bandwidth consumption, but also high resource usage.

Svchost.exe is required for the operation of many Windows 10 programs and services. To find out why it is overloading the CPU or RAM memory, you need to find out which programs or services are being requested by the process.

To identify programs or services that are using your CPU or RAM, close to 100%, follow these guidelines:

• Open the " Task Manager »(Ctrl + Alt + Delete).
• Click on the tab Details.
• Select an instance of the svchost.exe process that is using too many resources on your computer (often there are several)
• Made right click on one of the instances and select " Access services ».
• You will automatically be taken to the service that uses the Svchost process.
• Click on it with the right mouse button, choose " To restart " to restart the service.

Clarifications that Svchost.exe often shows high usage while downloading a Windows update, even after the update. In this case, simply let Windows Update go through the process and then restart your computer.

If other system services are causing high CPU or RAM usage, follow the directions above to restart it.

Check for viruses or malware

This is one of the most common causes of slow PC due to high usage of the CPU or memory. A virus infected system can run heavy processes in the background. Do a general scan of your PC in case you experience recurring slowness issues on your PC. You can consult our file on the best antiviruses under Windows.

Identify hidden processes

Sometimes, the use of the CPU or the RAM memory goes up without being able to identify the process which is at the base. Malicious programs like roolkits can install and operate stealthily on your computer. To help you identify these processes, you can use the Hidden Process Finder tool.

Monitor your web browser

Web browsers are very resource intensive. Each tab opened in your browser increases the CPU overhead a little more. If Google Chrome, Firefox or even Microsoft Edge consumes a large part of your resources, close as many tabs as possible or consult our article on how to efficiently save your resources used by your browser.

Cryptojacking: when sites mine cryptocurrencies behind your back

Cryptojacking is the unauthorized use of your PC to mine cryptocurrency. Hackers do this either by tricking you into clicking on a malicious link that loads cryptomining code onto your PC, or by infecting a website with JavaScript code that runs automatically once loaded into the victim's browser.

Several legitimate sites also engage in this practice as an alternative to ad serving for their monetization. Cryptojacking causes a sudden increase in CPU load and slows down your PC considerably. How to prevent this kind of attack on your PC? Just install an extension designed to block this practice. This is the case of minerBlock on Chrome. This extension is also available on Firefox.

 

The editorial advises you:

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3. How to install a Linux virtual machine in Windows 10

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