Hello.
One of the most common reasons why a computer slows down is because the processor is loaded, sometimes by incomprehensible applications and processes.
Not long ago, on a friend’s computer, I had to deal with an “incomprehensible” CPU load, which sometimes reached 100%, although no programs were open that could load it like that (by the way, the processor was quite modern Intel inside Core i3). The problem was solved by reinstalling the system and installing new drivers (but more on that later...).
Actually, I decided that this problem was quite popular and would be of interest to a wide range of users. In the article I will give recommendations that will help you figure out why the processor is loaded and how to reduce the load on it. So…
1. Question No. 1 - what program is the processor loaded with?
To find out what percentage of the processor is loaded, open the manager Windows tasks.
Buttons: Ctrl+Shift+Esc (or Ctrl+Alt+Del) .
By the way, very often the problem arises as follows: you worked, for example, in Adobe Photoshop, then closed the program, but it remained in the processes (or this happens all the time with some games). As a result, they “eat” resources, and not small ones. Because of this, the computer starts to slow down. Therefore, very often the first recommendation in such cases is to restart the PC (since in this case such applications will be closed), or go to the task manager and remove such a process.
2. Question No. 2 - there is CPU load, but there are no applications and processes that load them! What to do?
When setting up one of the computers, I encountered an incomprehensible CPU load - there is a load, but there are no processes! The screenshot below shows how it looks in the task manager.
On the one hand, it’s surprising: the “Display processes of all users” checkbox is turned on, there is nothing among the processes, and the PC load jumps by 16-30%!
To see all processes that load your PC - run the free utility Process Explorer. Next, sort all processes by load (CPU column) and see if there are any suspicious “elements” there (the task manager does not show some processes, unlike Process Explorer).
Link to office Process Explorer website: https://technet.microsoft.com/ru-ru/bb896653.aspx
Process Explorer - system interrupts and DPCs load the processor by ~20%. When everything is in order, usually the CPU load associated with Hardware interrupts and DPCs does not exceed 0.5-1%.
In my case, the culprit turned out to be system interrupts and DPCs. By the way, I will say that sometimes fixing the PC load associated with them is quite a troublesome and complicated task (besides, sometimes they can load the processor not only by 30%, but by 100%!).
The fact is that the CPU is loaded due to them in several cases: problems with drivers; viruses; hard drive does not work in DMA mode, and in PIO mode; problems with peripheral equipment (for example, printer, scanner, network cards, flash and HDD storage devices, etc.).
1. Problems with drivers
The most common reason CPU load by system interrupts. I recommend doing the following: boot your PC into safe mode and see if there is a load on the processor: if there is none, the reason is very high in the drivers! In general, the simplest and quick way in this case it is to reinstall Windows system and then install one driver at a time and see if the CPU load appears (as soon as it appears, you have found the culprit).
Most often, network cards are to blame here + universal drivers from Microsoft, which are installed immediately when Windows installation(sorry for the tautology). I recommend downloading and updating all drivers from the official website of your laptop/computer manufacturer.
Plus check your computer sometimes third party programs(which search for advertising modules adware, mailware, etc.): about them in detail.
3. Mode work hard disk
Mode HDD operation It can also affect the loading and performance of the PC. In general, if the hard drive is not operating in DMA mode, but in PIO mode, you will immediately notice it with terrible “brakes”!
4. Problems with peripheral equipment
Disconnect everything from your laptop or PC, leave the bare minimum (mouse, keyboard, monitor). I also recommend paying attention to device Manager, won't it contain installed devices with yellow or red icons (this means either there are no drivers or they are not working correctly).
How to open device manager? The easiest way is to open the panel Windows management and drive into search bar the word "dispatcher". See screenshot below.
Device Manager: there are no drivers for devices (disk drives), they may not work correctly (and most likely not work at all).
3. Question No. 3 - could the processor load be caused by overheating and dust?!
The reason why the processor may be overloaded and the computer will start to slow down may be due to overheating. Typically, characteristic signs of overheating are:
- Increased hum of the cooler: the number of revolutions per minute increases because of this the noise from it becomes stronger. If you have a laptop: then by passing your hand next to the left side (usually there is a hot air outlet on laptops) you will be able to notice how much air is blown out and how hot it is. Sometimes the hand doesn’t tolerate it (this is not good)!
- braking and slowdown of the computer (laptop);
- refusal to boot with errors indicating failures in the cooling system, etc.
For example, in the AIDA 64 program, to view the processor temperature, you need to open the “ Computer/sensor«.
AIDA64 - processor temperature 49 degrees. C.
How do you know which temperature is critical for your processor and which is normal?
The easiest way is to look at the manufacturer's website; this information is always indicated there. It is quite difficult to give general figures for different models processors.
In general, on average, if the processor operating temperature is not higher than 40 degrees. Ts. - everything is fine. Above 50g. C. - may indicate problems in the cooling system (for example, an abundance of dust). However, for some processor models this temperature is the normal operating temperature. This especially applies to laptops, where limited space makes it difficult to organize good system cooling. By the way, on laptops and 70 gr. C. - may be normal temperature under load.
Cleaning from dust: when, how and how many times?
In general, it is advisable to clean your computer or laptop from dust 1-2 times a year (although a lot depends on your room, some have more dust, some have less...). Once every 3-4 years it is advisable to replace the thermal paste. Both operations are not complicated and can be performed independently.
To avoid repetition, I will provide a couple of links below...
How to clean your computer from dust and replace thermal paste:
Cleaning a laptop from dust, how to wipe the screen:
PS
That's all for today. By the way, if the measures suggested above did not help, you can try reinstalling Windows (or even replacing it with a newer one, for example, changing Windows 7 to Windows 8). Sometimes, it’s easier to reinstall the OS than to look for the cause: you’ll save time and money... But in general, sometimes you need to do backups(when everything works well).
One of the many troubles we have to face Windows users, is CPU utilization at 100 percent. With such a high load, the operating system responds extremely slowly to commands and working with it becomes at least uncomfortable. There are not many problems that lead to such behavior, and the methods for solving them are quite simple.
Most probable cause, why the CPU is loaded at 100%, programs are running in the background. Quite often you can encounter a situation where a resource-intensive application that the user was working with is not completely unloaded from memory. To some extent, this can be considered a type of “freezing.” The difference is that a frozen program does not allow its “window” to be closed and does not respond to commands. In this case, the “window” closes, but the process remains in RAM. The computer considers such a program to be running and continues to allocate computing resources to it. As a result, the processor is loaded at 100 percent while there are visually no running tasks.
Windows 7 Task Manager
So, let's see what to do in Windows 7 when faced with such a problem. Microsoft gives us a full-fledged OS process management tool. To use it, just call context menu on the taskbar.
Select the item marked in the screenshot to launch the dispatcher.
Open the “View” item in the top menu and go to the marked position.
To quickly identify the “culprit”, check off the indicated items. Now our dispatcher is ready for use. The window parameters are remembered, so next time additional settings not required.
We enable sorting by the “CPU” column, which displays the load percentage. The “culprit” is immediately visible. In this case, it is an archiving program that consumes half of the system resources. Select the process and click the button circled in the screenshot to forcefully terminate its activity.
Confirm your actions, and the resource-consuming program stops working. So in a simple way You can quickly reduce CPU usage in Windows 7.
Windows 10 Task Manager
IN latest version Microsoft OS has expanded the capabilities of the task manager. Added to it useful tool, by working with which you can reduce CPU usage in Windows 10.
We use the designated “Startup” tab to bring order to applications that start with the operating system and reduce CPU load. For some users, in this place you can find a real “zoo” of programs. At the same time, more than half of the automatically launched software is not used in the future. For example, let's disable the OneDrive service. Few people store information in it, and the system defines its influence as high. In this way, you can reduce CPU usage in Windows 10 on a permanent basis. A disabled service will not start at startup and will consume computing resources.
System infection
Large load CPU failure may be a direct result of the system being damaged by a malicious product. Only a ransomware virus makes itself known immediately. The most interesting representatives of this “fauna” will use the computer for their own purposes. There can be quite a lot of options, from banal spamming to participation in a botnet and the recently fashionable cryptocurrency mining. As a result, the processor is constantly loaded with actions not authorized by the user.
Not every such “guest” can be detected in a timely manner by an antivirus program. In this case, healthy suspicion and utilities can come to the rescue, allowing you to obtain comprehensive information about the processes occurring in the system. Task Manager can show you this information, but it's not that easy to figure out. For example, the presence of a dozen svchost processes in a running OS is considered normal, provided that they are launched on behalf of the system.
The screenshot shows the work of the Process Explorer utility, references to which are even given by the service technical support Microsoft. All processes are displayed in the form of a tree structure showing mutual dependencies. When using it, any attentive user has a chance of identifying a malicious process in disguise.
CPU utilization of 100 percent on Windows 10 or 7 may also be a consequence of the reverse process. An overly security-conscious PC owner installs several antivirus programs, which begin to conflict, using all available resources for this.
System Services
When upgrading to Windows 10, users may experience problems with the Modern Setup Host process. This system service is responsible for updating from older operating systems. At the same time, on system disk a complete copy of the existing OS is created to provide the ability to “roll back” changes. Its average size is about 20 GB, and if this space is not available, the service must abort the update. In some cases, its incorrect operation can lead to process freezes and increased CPU load. The problem is solved by manually freeing up the required space.
If your computer is not connected to the Internet, you can reduce CPU usage on Windows 7 or 10 by disabling unused services. The operating system launches network-related services by default. For example, on local computer no need for automatic update service. Its operation in the absence of an Internet connection can also lead to an uncontrolled increase in load.
In conclusion
The vast majority of CPU usage cases are software related. Try not to mix work and gaming configurations, turning your computer into a testing ground. Verified set necessary programs allows you to ensure OS stability and avoid unnecessary crashes.
– Igor (Administrator)In this article, I will tell you what to do if the CPU load is 100% in Windows 7, as well as the nuances associated with this.
It is very unpleasant to find that your computer is busy with something incomprehensible and the entire system is slowing down. And most importantly, what to do in such situations? Most users ordinary people, and not technically advanced craftsmen. Of course, sometimes there are comical situations when the user is to blame for running a lot of resource-demanding programs, but more often the opposite is true. You’re sitting at your computer, surfing the Internet, and suddenly the system starts to slow down.
The processor is 100% loaded, what should I do in Windows 7?
In fact, there can be a lot of reasons why the processor is 100% loaded in Windows 7, and some of them are very specific. Likewise, there are just as many possible answers to the question of what to do. However, do not be disappointed and sad. In most cases, the problem is solved by independent efforts. So next I will tell you the most typical reasons and methods for solving them.
Note: In addition, this is simply a useful procedure, sometimes allowing your computer to run noticeably faster.
4. Frozen programs. There are no perfect programs. There will always be mistakes and problems. So it is quite possible that some programs are simply loading your processor due to failures or the calculation of some complex algorithms. What to do in such situations is written in How to close a frozen program in Windows 7.
5. You need to clean your computer. It would seem that, for example, ordinary dust can be associated with slowness operating system. But, directly. The fact is that to protect against overheating, device manufacturers (including the processor) provide them with special sensors. And if the temperature reaches its maximum, then either the device turns off or the computer turns off completely. There are several such zones in the processor, and when one of the upper zones is reached, in order to reduce heating, the CPU’s performance simply begins to drop and, accordingly, the computer begins to “become terribly slow.”
Note: The material from paragraph 5 contains a good selection of articles that covers a lot of issues, as well as a number common problems, so I recommend reading it, even if you have already solved your problem.
Now, you know the main reasons for computer slowdowns and 100% CPU load in Windows 7, as well as what to do in such situations.
Overloading the processor of a computer or laptop can be caused by a number of reasons - from technical obsolescence of hardware to viruses that load the system.
High CPU usage in itself is not a problem. All resources can be consumed when launching games, ultra-high quality videos, video editing applications, archivers, and antivirus checks. First of all, you need to check whether the processor is really overloaded or the cause slow work there were other problems.
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager and click on the CPU column to sort. You can also get to the dispatcher by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and selecting the desired item in the menu that appears.
Normally, a task list should look something like this. When the load is high, one or more tasks will consume most of the CPU time. If one of the applications takes 50-100% of its power constantly, this may be a symptom of a problem.
For example, in the screenshot, almost half the power of the i5-2500k processor is occupied by the “Task Manager” and system interrupts, which should not be the case.
Hardware causes of overload
Despite popular misconception, it is rarely the cause of CPU overload. The processor is more likely to cause the system to reboot or freeze completely than to for a long time operate at 100% power. However, such cases sometimes occur and the user needs to know how to protect themselves from them.
Outdated equipment
The most common cause of processor overload is an aging PC or laptop. Software does not stand still: if five years ago for a comfortable Google work Chrome needed a single-core processor with a couple of hundred megabytes of RAM, but now several heavy tabs can use the resources of several cores and several gigabytes. In 2018, for comfortable work you will need a 4-core processor with 6-8 gigabytes of memory.
If you don’t have money for new hardware, try to follow these tips:
- Don't run multiple applications at once. This not only makes it difficult for the processor in itself, but RAM that is filled to capacity creates additional load;
- If possible, use older versions of programs. Yes, it may be inconvenient and unsafe, but older versions of applications will be much less demanding;
- disable unnecessary services and programs in startup. This can be done in the “Startup” and “Services” tabs of the “Task Manager”;
- try to avoid situations in which the processor will be loaded at 100% unnecessarily. For example, don't open many browser tabs or 4K videos on a small laptop screen.
Overclocking
The next situation that can cause overload is overclocking or overclocking. There is nothing wrong with overclocking the characteristics of devices in itself; all major manufacturers provide programs for adjusting the operating frequencies of the processor and video card. However, exceeding processor limits may result in:
- overheating;
- image artifacts;
- errors and application crashes;
- freezing;
- 100% CPU load for trivial tasks.
Here, to check, you should use diagnostic utilities that record the results in the log. For detailed statistics MSI Afterburner is suitable for all components.
CPU overheating
High temperature itself rarely causes overload directly; more often it destroys the processor or triggers mechanisms that reduce the frequency and voltage on the device to protect it. You can look at the sensors in AIDA64.
How to solve the overheating problem?
- clean the case system unit from dust. Pay special attention to the heatsink and processor fan. For a laptop, the cleaning procedure should be carried out at least once every one and a half to two years;
- If the computer has been in use for two years or more, remove the thermal paste between the fan and the processor cover. Apply the new one in an even layer;
- if standard cooling cannot cope or the cooler does not work, replace it with a more powerful one. Preferably with a massive aluminum radiator with copper tubes;
- Do not block the ventilation holes of the system unit when installing it in place.
Pay attention! Normal temperature working processor - about 40 degrees, at 70-80 the BIOS protection mechanisms are activated.
Software causes of overload
It is much easier to get 100% CPU load using software than using hardware - you just need to make a mistake in the antivirus scan settings or download an incompatible one. new system program.
Antiviruses and viruses
Of the entire list of causes of possible problems that lead to 100% processor load, problems most often arise with antiviruses. Real-time file checks are a resource-intensive task that, when incorrect settings may take forever.
On weak computers, installing a cloud antivirus like Panda Cloud Cleaner will help. It is much more demanding on the quality of the Internet, but the load on the processor is minimal.
In Windows 10, you can use the built-in Defender, which is quite sufficient for home tasks.
The other side of the coin is viruses on an unprotected PC. Malicious programs can use your computer for mining or as a gateway for DDOS attacks. For one-time cleaning of existing problems, use the Dr.Web Cureit utility!
Automatic update
The cause of the overload may be a failed update of the operating system or drivers. Such problems occurred in 2015 among users of beta versions of Windows 10. To solve the problem, try installing different versions of drivers, rolling back updates through a system restore point, or disabling them completely.
In Windows 10, disabling updates has no visible effect on overload protection.
Background applications
A number of programs to support their functionality work in background. For example, Skype and LibreOffice are permanently in RAM for quick loading. In some situations, this can become a problem - for example, when a program hangs in the background and takes up half or all of the computer's resources.
Disable background application You can also use the “Task Manager” if you hover your mouse over the selected running application and use the “Cancel task” button.
Video - CPU utilization 100 percent, what to do on Windows 7,8,10?
The processor is a key element in a PC; data is processed through it. Any program or application loads the processor to one degree or another. The less the processor is loaded, the faster and more stable the system works (files, folders, and applications open quickly). Therefore, it is very important that the processor is not 100% loaded and has free resources to process the necessary tasks.
Main reasons for maximum load
There may be several reasons for the maximum CPU load of 100% in Windows XP, 7, 8, 10, and each has its own solutions. Most common cause is consumption specific program or service of all processor resources. It could also be a malfunction in the service that causes it to begin to behave unstably.
Many don't give of great importance cleaning the PC from dust and replacing thermal paste, which leads to overheating, thereby putting a greater load on the CPU.
To make sure exactly what is causing the high CPU load, you need to run a number of diagnostic procedures to identify it.
Defining a program that loads the processor
To reduce CPU load, you can use Task Manager. You can get into it in different ways
: press Ctrl+Shift+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+Delete at the same time, or go through the start menu to the taskbar context menu and find the manager there. 
When the task manager is open, you need to go to the " Processes", which will display the processes and services of the system. For convenience, you can sort them by clicking on the column at the top " CPU" or " CPU" (V different versions Windows varies).
And after these manipulations, you can see which program or service is loading the CPU. It often happens that “heavy” programs (which consume a large amount of PC resources) left after closing residual services or applications that are not terminated correctly, thereby affecting the performance of the computer. Browsers very often do this. In addition, often videos in high quality, which the PC simply cannot cope with, can load and slow down work.
You can solve this by clicking LMB (left mouse button) on the application that is consuming CPU and clicking “ Cancel task", thereby removing the program from the PC resources. You have to be careful here because there is a possibility terminate some system service and then you will have to manually restart the computer.
CPU usage for no reason
It happens that in standard utility Task Manager doesn't show processes that are using up the CPU, but the CPU is still running at 100 percent for no reason. In such cases, you can contact third party programs.
Download and run the AVZ program. Go to "Tools/Process Manager" there will be all processes are shown running on the computer. Main advantage AVZ is what the program marks system processes green. Those. You should take a closer look to see if there is a process called svchosts.exe, which is colored black. 
If there are no third party processes not found, you can try disable automatic update Windows.
To disable updates, you need to go to the “ Services", the easiest way is to press Win + R, write services.msc in the window that appears and click "Ok". In the window that opens, find the line “ Update CenterWindows", double-click on it and select “Startup type” - Disabled, and click the “Stop” button below. Then save the settings and restart the PC.
CPU load due to overheating
The key parameter for stable operation of a computer is its temperature. If the CPU begins to overheat, then the user notices unstable system operation, freezes, “ blue screen"and sudden PC shutdowns. 
To find out the CPU temperature, you should use third-party programs, for example Aida 64.
The computer may overheat several reasons:
- Pollution. A computer or laptop requires constant cleaning (every 6-12 months), because during use dust accumulates in it, which impairs the operation of coolers and heat transfer of the radiator, thereby contributing to overheating.
Solution: take the computer to service center to clean it, or open the side cover yourself and carefully but thoroughly remove all accumulated dust. (If you are the owner of a laptop, you will have to take it to the service center)
- Cooler malfunctions. The main task of the cooler is to continuously supply cold air to the radiator to cool the CPU. If it malfunctions, the computer begins to overheat. You can verify the malfunction yourself; you should open the side cover of the computer and see if the cooler rotates normally (are there any creaks or crackles)
Solution: If the cooler is really faulty, you should immediately contact the service center for its subsequent replacement.
- High room temperature. This problem is very relevant in the summer, it is hot at home and outside, therefore the cooler will draw in hot air. Because of this, its cooling efficiency decreases significantly.
Solution: You can open the side cover of the computer yourself and point a regular fan there. Special cooling stands are produced for laptops.
Outdated PC
New technologies are moving forward very quickly, the computer sphere is one of them. Updates are released every day for various programs and every year standard programs start consuming everything more resources.
If at startup standard application (browser, paint, viewing photos) CPU usage becomes 50% or 100% and does not decrease, then most likely it’s time to update the PC configuration.
Startup applications
Many people have been using PCs for years without Windows reinstallation and cleaning it from programs. Over time and the installation of certain applications, the system's autostart becomes clogged and when loading the OS, programs are loaded that a person has not used for a long time. Because of this, the CPU may be constantly loaded, so this should be avoided clear "Startup"
There is a popular utility CCleaner, with its help you can remove programs, which you haven’t used for a long time, leaving only the most current ones and antivirus. 
