Excessive use of a computer's CPU can be a symptom of problems of a different nature. When a single program uses too high a percentage of CPU or is even occupying all the computing power of the microprocessor, it is very likely that it is not working correctly. When a computer's CPU is used to the limit of its capabilities it can be evidence of a virus or malware on the system, which should be resolved with the highest priority. In other scenarios this symptom could be completely normal and simply mean that the computer is not able to cope with the amount of work you are putting it through and therefore it would be desirable to perform a hardware upgrade.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Windows systems
Step 1. Press the key combination
Ctrl + ⇧ Shift + Esc to have access to the system "Task Manager" (renamed to "Task Manager" in more modern versions of Windows).
It is a system program whose purpose is to monitor all processes and programs currently running inside the computer.
Step 2. Access the tab
Processes. It displays the complete list of all processes and applications currently running on your computer.
Step 3. Click the "CPU" column header
This way the list will be sorted in real time based on CPU usage.
Step 4. Identify the processes that are currently using most of the computer's microprocessor processing capacity
Normally there should be only a single process that is using 99-100% of the CPU. However, there could also be a scenario where there are two programs that are using 50% of the processor each.
Many video games and programs for editing audio and video files use 100% of the CPU power while they are running. This is completely normal behavior since applications of this type are designed to be used exclusively and therefore to be the only software running on the system
Step 5. Make a note of the "Image Name" of the process under consideration
This information will allow you to do a thorough research later to determine which program is using the CPU abnormally and fix the problem.
If you are using Windows 8, in the "Name" column, you will see the name of the program appear directly instead of that of its system process. It will therefore be much easier to identify the cause of the problem
Step 6. Select the program that is causing the problem and press the button
End process.
You will be asked to confirm that you want to forcefully close the selected application.
- If you are using Windows 8 or later, you will need to press the End Task button.
- Remember that forcibly closing a program will cause the loss of all data not yet saved on the disk. It should be noted that the shutdown of a critical system process can cause the entire computer to lock up, the only solution being to restart the operating system.
- It is not necessary to close the "System Idle Process" or "System Idle Process". When that entry is occupying the CPU, it actually means that the microprocessor is not in use by any program or application. When the percentage of CPU used by the "System Idle Process" or "System Idle Process" is very high or even 99%, it simply means that the computer is not performing any particular operation and that the computing power is completely available.
- If you are having difficulty in forcibly closing a specific process, please refer to this article for more information on how to fix the problem.
Step 7. Determine how to fix the problem with the malfunctioning program
First run a web search using the "Image Name" of the process you closed. This way you will be able to find out the real name of the program, its purpose and how to prevent it from continuing to use an excessive percentage of CPU. There are usually several methods to try to limit the use of the microprocessor by a single program:
- Uninstalling - if the program that is causing the problem is not needed, uninstalling it from the system may be the best and easiest solution;
- Reinstall or update - in some cases the problem is caused by a bug in the program that causes it to use an excessive percentage of CPU compared to normal. Reinstalling or installing a corrective update, issued directly by the developers of the offending software, could solve the problem;
- Removing the process in question from the list of auto-running ones - if you need the program in question but it slows down the start-up procedure of your computer, you can prevent it from running automatically at system startup;
- Running a virus scan - if your research has shown that the program under investigation is a virus or malware, you will need to delete it using an anti-virus program. This is a procedure that can be complex and in the most serious cases the only solution is to reinstall the operating system. See this article for more information on how to remove a computer virus or read this guide to find out how to get rid of malware or adware.
Step 8. Check the power management settings (for laptops only)
If you are using a laptop in "battery" mode (ie without having connected it to the mains), it is very likely that the operating system has automatically entered "power saving" mode which consists of limiting the processing capacity of the entire computer. Optimizing power management settings can help increase microprocessor performance, but will reduce battery life as a result.
- Access the "Control Panel" and choose the "Power Options" item. If this icon is not visible, select the "Hardware and Sound" category and choose the "Power Options" link.
- Select the "Show additional combinations" link to expand the list.
- Choose the "High Performance" option. In this way, 100% of the microprocessor's computing capacity will be available to any program that needs it.
Step 9. If you are having difficulty running most of the programs you normally use, upgrade your computer hardware
If the CPU usage is constantly at 100% and no specific program is using all the computing power of the microprocessor, it means that the computer most likely needs more modern and performing hardware components.
- Make your computer perform better by increasing the system cache by taking advantage of the ReadyBoost mode of a USB memory drive.
- See this article for more information on how to increase the amount of RAM on a computer. Adding more RAM can help lighten the microprocessor's workload.
- Read this guide for more information on how to replace a computer's microprocessor.
Method 2 of 2: Mac
Step 1. Launch the "Activity Monitor" app
The relative icon is contained in the "Utility" folder stored in the "Applications" directory. You can directly access the indicated folder by using the "Go" menu by choosing the "Utility" option.
The "Activity Monitor" window shows the complete list of all processes currently active on the Mac
Step 2. Click the "CPU" column header
This way the list will be sorted in real time, based on CPU usage.
Step 3. Identify the processes that are currently using most of the computer's microprocessor processing capacity
Normally there should be only a single process that is using 99-100% of the CPU. However, there could also be a scenario where there are two programs that are using 50% of the processor each.
A large number of audio, video, or image editing programs often use 100% of the CPU while they are running, especially when rendering, recording or converting. In this case, this is completely normal behavior since software of this type is designed to take full advantage of the processing capacity of the entire computer
Step 4. Make a note of the "Process Name" of the process under consideration
This information will allow you to do a thorough research later to determine which program is using the CPU abnormally and fix the problem.
Step 5. Select the program that is causing the problem and press the "Exit Process" button
You will be asked to confirm that you want to forcefully close the selected application.
- Remember that forcibly closing a program will cause the loss of all data not yet saved on the disk. It should be noted that closing a system process can cause the entire computer to stop working, the only solution being to restart the operating system.
- If you are having difficulty terminating a specific process, please refer to this article to find out how to fix the problem.
Step 6. Determine how to fix the problem with the malfunctioning program
First run a web search using the name of the process you closed. This way you will be able to find out the real name of the program, its purpose and how to prevent it from continuing to use an excessive percentage of CPU. There are usually several methods to try to limit the use of the microprocessor by a program:
- Uninstalling - If the program that is causing the problem is not needed, uninstalling it from the system may be the best and easiest solution;
- Reinstall or update - in some cases the problem is caused by a bug in the program that causes it to use an excessive percentage of CPU compared to normal. Reinstalling or installing a corrective update, issued directly by the developers of the offending software, could solve the problem;
- Removing the process in question from the list of auto-running ones - if you need the program in question but it slows down the start-up procedure of your computer, you can prevent it from running automatically at system startup;
- Running a virus scan - if your research has shown that the program under investigation is a virus or malware, you will need to delete it using an anti-virus program. Normally viruses and malware are not a big threat in the Mac world, however they also exist for this platform. The most common problems are caused by adware which can generate excessive processor workload. One of the best anti-adware programs for Macs is AdWare Medic, which can be downloaded for free from the official adwaremedic.com website.
Step 7. Delete the files on the desktop
The Mac operating system generates a preview of all the elements on the desktop so, if it is video files, it is very likely that the CPU workload will increase rapidly and that the Finder program will use 100% of the processor.. Remove these files from the desktop by moving them to a folder on your hard drive. This way you will still notice a slowdown in computer performance, but only when you access that directory.
Step 8. If you are having difficulty running most of the programs you normally use, upgrade your computer hardware
If the CPU usage is constantly at 100% and no specific program is using all the computing power of the microprocessor, it means that the computer most likely needs more modern and performing hardware components. When it comes to a Mac the possibilities of replacing hardware components are very limited compared to the PC world, however increasing the overall amount of RAM can increase the performance of the computer.
