High cpu usage after installing windows.
High cpu usage after installing windows.
Hi, a few days ago I finally started setting up a new system on my PC (latest Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft). After the installation was complete and I accessed my desktop, I noticed in Task Manager that my CPU usage was consistently above 40% even when no applications or games were running. The highest percentages were being consumed by "System idle process" and "System interrupts." I looked online for solutions but found nothing effective. I tried reinstalling Windows, installed Linux, unplugged USB ports, scanned for malware (which was a waste of time since it was a fresh install), adjusted BIOS settings, and ran a RAM check—nothing showed up. Now the PC is unusable; even simple games cause noticeable lag because the system is constantly hogging the CPU. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading, and have a good day.
List detailed specifications of your system.
What version of Windows is installed?
Display Task Manager images (upload to imgur.com and share the link).
System idle process information: it indicates the percentage of CPU usage, showing 40% idle and 60% active.
i7 4770 3.4Ghz, 16GB DDR3 RAM, GTX 1650, Windows 10 22H2
https://imgur.com/a/7WRWEJP
View: https://imgur.com/a/7WRWEJP
Long time using computers and never faced problems with these parts. The temperatures are also stable because I monitor them regularly.
Display Task Manager - Performance/Cpu area.
Also, present Resource Monitor - Disk/Disk Activity in the order of total column values?
Because after reinstalling Windows, many services will still be consuming CPU (until they complete tasks) such as defragmenter, Windows updates, search indexer, and Windows defender scan.
Make sure to install all drivers from the motherboard manufacturer's support site—you might have missed that step.
Begin with the Intel chipset drivers.
The reason for the new system installation was unclear. It is not specified whether a different drive was used for the operating system installation. No further details about performed steps or additional drives were provided.
Following the installation of Windows on an older system often requires patience, as it may need several restarts before all updates are completed. Installing previous versions of Windows on outdated hardware can lead to lengthy downloads and extended periods of inactivity. A system with a 2GHz dual-core processor and a standard hard disk tends to slow things down further. Take your time.
Years ago, I installed Windows 98SE on an old PC without disconnecting the internet. About half an hour later, McAfee detected a virus. Although Windows 10 includes Defender, it's possible an infection still occurred.
If you booted from a USB using MemTest86 and performed a comprehensive memory scan (which took several hours), or ran a quick RAM test (just a few minutes), errors might not have been apparent.
For this PC, the difference is that I don’t have a separate graphics card—only the integrated one. Check if your Windows installation medium is a spinning hard disk, a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, or an M.2 drive (SATA or NVMe). I’m using an i7-4770K processor from a 1TB M.2 NVMe drive.
Have you verified your disks for SMART errors or executed CHKDSK?
Links:
https://www.memtest86.com/
Same setup, but without a dedicated GPU (just the integrated one).
https://www.hdtune.com/download.html
https://www.howtogeek.com/1033/how-to-us...n-windows/
https://www.howtogeek.com/222532/ho...-s...-commands/
If the issue persists across both Windows and Linux environments, it likely points to a hardware problem or incorrect BIOS configuration, unless your boot drive is failing.