The CPU usage remains consistently at 100%.
The CPU usage remains consistently at 100%.
My CPU appears to be consistently at 100% in Task Manager even when nothing is active. All other metrics seem normal—memory usage is around 20%. It doesn’t match any particular process; it just seems to be the most recently used. Here are my specs:
- Intel Core i7-13700K
- MSI PRO Z790-A MAX WIFI
- Microsoft Windows 11 Home (x64) Build 26100.3775 (24H2)
I’ve tried several steps:
- Updated BIOS
- Verified Windows updates
- Checked drivers
- Disabled all startup programs
- Ran two virus scanners
- Used sfc /scannow
- Defragmented and checked disk health
- Turned off print spooling
- Changed power plan to balanced
- Disabled tips and suggestions in notifications
- Cleaned fans
HWInfo lists 100% CPU usage and a temperature of 66°C when idle, with no thermal throttling. What should I do next? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Starting with a live Linux distribution would rapidly determine if the problem lies in hardware or software.
I recently used Process Explorer and noticed processor usage was only 1-2%, yet HWInfo, MSI AfterBurner, and Task Manager displayed 100%.
If it's a crypto miner malware, it could become inactive to evade detection in process explorer.
I should have mentioned which app uses the most CPU. Did you get Windows from the official MS website? Consider using Malwarebytes.
The method to check CPU usage in Task Manager involves navigating to the CPU column, sorting by usage from highest to lowest, and identifying the top processes. Clicking on the highest entry reveals details about the process and its location.