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[Fixed] Ntoskrnl.exe High Disk & CPU Usage: Windows 11 & 10
Discover effective ways to stop high CPU usage
5 min. read
Updated onMarch 22, 2024
updated onMarch 22, 2024
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Key notes
In order to run properly, Windows 10 uses various processes in the background, and one of these processes is ntoskrnl.exe.
Even though this is a system process, many users claim that Ntoskrnl is causing high disk and CPU usage on their PC, and today we’re going to show you how to fix that problem.
Why does Ntoskrnl use so much CPU?
There are various factors that can cause the Ntoskrnl high disk and CPU usage. Below are some of the popular ones:
How do I fix Ntoskrnl.exe’s high CPU usage?
1. Perform SFC and DISM scan
Sometimes this problem can be caused byfile corruption on your PC. To fix it, it’s recommended to perform an SFC scan.
Other than following the manual steps, you can also try using adedicated programto finish this task automatically.
2. Perform a clean boot
3. Clean your registry
Your registry holds all sorts of information related to all installed third-party applications. If you tend to install many third-party applications, your registry can become filled with unnecessary entries that can slow down your system.
This can cause ntoskrnl.exe to register 100 percent disk usage. Furthermore, these entries might create issues with ntoskrnl.exe and excessive CPU utilization.
But you could useregistry cleaning softwareto resolve the problem. Before running any system file cleaning tool, we recommend creating a backup of your database.
To see how to export your registry, we advise you to checkSolution 1for detailed instructions.
4. Update your drivers
5. Switch to High-performance power mode
Windows comes with several power modes that you can use, and by switching to a different mode, you can increase your performance or lower power consumption.
According to users, you can fix the problem with high CPU usage simply by switching to aHigh performancemode.
After switching to a high-performance power mode, the problem should be completely resolved. Remember that this mode uses more energy, so it will drain your laptop battery a bit faster.
6. Check your PC malware
According to users, malware can often infect ntoskrnl.exe and cause many other problems. You must perform a detailed antivirus scan to ensure that you don’t have any malware on your PC.
We understand that searching for the ideal solution for your PC can be time-consuming, but we’ve got you covered.
With a list of the most popular and trustworthyantimalware solutionsto help you narrow your search, you’ll find one that works with your Windows 10 PC with no effort whatsoever.
7. Install the latest updates
8. Temporarily remove/uninstall your antivirus
According to users, this problem can sometimes appear due to your antivirus software. To fix this issue, we advise you to temporarily disable your antivirus software and check if that solves the problem.
If the issue persists, you might need toremove your antivirus software entirely.
Don’t give up on your protection against attacks and dangerous viruses. Looking deeper, you may discover a better suitable solution for your needs from our list of thebest antivirus software. Therefore we strongly recommend you read more about this in the article.
Admittedly, there are plenty of solutions to try in this article, but if you know of any other one we may have missed, tell us about it in the comments section below.
More about the topics:windows 10 fix,windows fix
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
