5 Ways to Fix High CPU Usage on Windows 11

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Try Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Identify Apps With Higher CPU Usage

You can use theTask Manager on Windowsto identify apps that show higher CPU usage. Once located, you can terminate apps that you don’t need to reduce CPU usage quickly.

Step 1:PressCtrl + Shift + Esckeys to launch the Task Manager.

Step 2:In theProcessestab, click on theCPUcolumn to sort the apps and services based on their CPU usage.

Step 3:Close all the unnecessary apps with higher CPU usage to check if that lowers the CPU usage.

Note that web browsers such as Google Chrome are notorious for consuming high CPU resources, especially when streaming something on video sites or listening to music while having multiple tabs open.

Fix 2: Limit Background Apps

If you’ve got too manyapps and programs running in the background, they might end up hogging the CPU every so often. To avoid this, you can prevent certain apps from running in the background.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Ito open the Settings app and go toApps > Installed apps.

Step 2:Locate the app you wish to disable. Click on thethree-dot menunext to it to selectAdvanced options.

Step 3:Under Background apps permissions, use the drop-down menu to chooseNever.

Repeat the same for all the apps you don’t want to run in the background.

Fix 3: Restore Power Plan to Default Settings

If you’ve tweaked any of thepower plan settingsin Windows to increase battery life, you might face such performance issues. You can easily undo those changes by restoring the power plan to its default settings.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Sto open Windows Search, type inedit power plan, and pressEnter.

Step 2:Click theRestore default settings for this planoption at the bottom. HitYesto confirm.

Fix 4: Disable Superfetch Service

Superfetch (Sysmain) is a service that allows apps on Windows to load content even before you open them. However, depending on the number of apps you use and your PC’s configuration, this can significantly increase CPU usage. To address this, you can disable the Superfetch service temporarily.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto launch the Run command. Type inservices.mscin the box and pressEnter.

Step 2:Locate theSysMainservice on the list and double-click on it to open its properties.

Step 3:Change the Startup type toDisabledand hitApplyfollowed byOK.

Fix 5: Perform System Restore

A recent change in system settings or an app installation may have caused the high CPU usage problem on Windows 11. If you can’t identify the culprit, you can use System Restore on Windows to revert to a point before the high CPU usage problem first appeared.

Step 1:Open thesearch menu, type increate a restore point, and select the first result that appears.

Step 2:Under theSystem Protectiontab, click on theSystem Restorebutton.

Step 3:Select theRecommended restoreoption and clickNext.

Step 4:Review all the details and clickFinish.

Was this helpful?

Last updated on 26 June, 2024

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked*

Name*

Email*

Comment*

Δ

The article above may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. The content remains unbiased and authentic and will never affect our editorial integrity.

More in Windows

4 Fixes if Windows 11 Touchscreen Is Not Working

6 Ways to Fix Failed to Load Web Page Error in Steam for Windows

JOIN THE NEWSLETTER

Get Guiding Tech articles delivered to your inbox.

© 2024 Guiding Tech Media. All Rights Reserved.