How to Fix High CPU Usage

High CPU usage can indicate a number of problems. If a program eats up too much of the processor, it’s likely not performing well. CPU overload is also a sign that the machine is infected with a virus or malware and needs to be dealt with immediately. Or simply because your computer can’t keep up with the tasks you perform, perhaps you need to upgrade.

Table of Contents

Windows

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Press . Ctrl + ⇧ Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. This is a utility that monitors and reports all processes and programs running on the computer.

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Click on . Processes tab. The screen will show the entire process running on the computer.

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Click on the “CPU” column. It will sort processes by CPU usage.

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Find the process that uses the most CPU. Typically, you will see one process consuming close to 99-100% of the CPU, or two different processes using 50% of the CPU.

Many games and multimedia programs will use 100% CPU when running. This is normal because these programs are designed to run alone.

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Record the “Image name” of the process. So you can use this name to look up how to limit CPU overload.

On Windows 8, you can see the full name instead of the system name of the process. This will make the identification process much easier.

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Select the offending program and click the button . End Process . You are asked to confirm that you want to force the program to shut down.

On Windows 8, click the End task button.
Forcing the program to shut down can cause the loss of actions you have not yet saved. Forcing a system process to shut down can cause crashes if not restarted.
You don’t need to force “System Idle Process” to shut down. Although this process consumes a lot of CPU, it really doesn’t use that much. When System Idle Process uses a lot of CPU, it means that your computer has many energy processes available.
If you have trouble forcing a program to shut down, refer to some of the articles online for more details.

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Determine how to fix a program that doesn’t work. Search the internet for the name of the program you are forcing to turn off. Here’s how to help you determine the effect of this process as well as the steps to fix 100% CPU usage. There are a few typical ways to help you fix the CPU hog of a particular program: ^{[1] X Research Source}

Uninstall – If the program is not needed then uninstalling is the simplest way to prevent it from slowing down the system.
Reinstall or Update – Many times an error in a program causes it to consume a lot of CPU. Reinstalling the program and updating the new version from the developer may fix the problem you are having.
Remove a program that starts with your computer – If a program is causing your computer to start up slowly but you still need it, you can prevent it from starting with your computer.
Run a virus and malware scan – if you find malware, you need to remove it with an anti-malware and anti-virus program. This can be a complicated process and you cannot remove the virus without reinstalling Windows. You can refer to more articles online for how to remove viruses and malware. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Check the Energy setting (on the laptop). If using a laptop and not plugged in, the computer will automatically slow down to save battery. Adjusting the power settings can help you increase the performance of your processor, but shorten the time between battery charges.

Open the Contrp Panel and select “Power Options”. If you don’t see this option, click “Hardware and Sound” then select “Power Options”.
Click “Show additional plans” to expand the list.
Select “High performance”. This is the option that unlocks the full capabilities of the processor.

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Upgrading hardware if running any program also consumes CPU. If the CPU is constantly overloaded and none of the programs are too heavy, you should probably upgrade your computer’s hardware.

You can use USB to increase available system memory.
Upgrade RAM. More RAM is also a way to reduce the burden on the processor.
Processor upgrade.

Mac

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Open Activity Monitor. Go to Applications folder > Utilities. Or go directly to that folder by clicking the “Go” menu and choosing “Utilities”. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Activity Monitor shows all running processes on Mac.

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Click on the “CPU” column. Processes will be sorted by current CPU usage.

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Find the process that consumes the most CPU. Usually, you will see a program using 99-100%, or several programs using 50% of the CPU.

Many multimedia editing programs use 100% of the CPU when running, especially when encoding, recording, or rendering. This is normal because programs are designed to make the most of your processor.

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Record the “Process name” of the process that is not working properly. So you can look up how to limit CPU overload on the network.

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Select the offending program and click “Quit Process”. You are asked to confirm that you want to force the process to shut down.

Forcing a program to shut down can destroy actions you haven’t saved yet. Forcing a system process to shut down can cause the machine to stop working until it reboots.
If you have trouble finishing the process, refer to more articles online to know how to force a program on Mac to shut down.

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Determine how to fix a program that doesn’t work. Search the internet for the name of the program you are forcing to turn off. Here’s how to help you determine the effect of this process as well as the steps to fix 100% CPU usage. There are a few typical ways to help you fix the CPU hog of a particular program: ^{[4] X Research Source}

Uninstall – If the program is not needed then uninstalling is the simplest way to prevent it from slowing down the system.
Reinstall or Update – Many times an error in a program causes it to consume a lot of CPU. Reinstalling the program and updating the new version from the developer may fix the problem you are having.
Remove a program that starts with your computer – If a program is causing your computer to start up slowly but you still need it, you can prevent it from starting with your computer.
Run a virus and malware scan – if you find malware, you need to remove it with an anti-malware and anti-virus program. Macs don’t often get infected with viruses, but they still do sometimes. Malware is more common and they take a toll on the processor. One of the effective anti-malware tools is AdWare Medic, which you can download for free at adwaremedic.com .

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Remove files from the desktop. Mac will create a preview of the entire file on the desktop, if you store a lot of video files they will quickly overload the processor and cause Finder to use 100% of the CPU. Move files from the desktop to a folder, so the machine only slows down when you open the folder. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Upgrade your hardware if you have problems running any programs. If you’re constantly using 100% of your CPU and don’t see any unusual programs, you should consider upgrading your hardware. On a Mac there are fewer options than on a Windows computer, but you can still upgrade the RAM to improve performance.

Refer to the articles online to know how to upgrade RAM. More RAM can reduce the burden on the processor.

Steps

Windows

Mac

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