5 Ways to Fix High CPU Usage on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Use Task Manager to identify apps with high CPU usage and close them.
• Prevent unwanted apps from running in the background and disable the Superfetch service on your PC.
• If the issue persists, consider resetting the power plan to default settings or performing a system restore.

Try Basic Fixes

• Wait for Windows to finish updates: If Windows is in the process of checking, downloading, or installing any updates in the background, CPU usage may increase during that time. You can check whether Windows is in the process of downloading or installing any updates by heading over to Settings > Windows Update.
• Scan for malware and disable the third-party antivirus program: The presence of malware is another reason why CPU usage might shoot up from time to time. You can use the Windows Security app to run a full scan of your PC. Additionally, if you are using a third-party antivirus program, temporarily disable it and see if that helps.

Fix 1: Identify Apps With Higher CPU Usage

You can use the Task Manager on Windows to 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: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to launch the Task Manager.

Step 2: In the Processes tab, click on the CPU column 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 many apps 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 the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and go to Apps > Installed apps.

Step 2: Locate the app you wish to disable. Click on the three-dot menu next to it to select Advanced options.

Step 3: Under Background apps permissions, use the drop-down menu to choose Never.

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 the power plan settings in 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 the Windows key + S to open Windows Search, type in edit power plan, and press Enter.

Step 2: Click the Restore default settings for this plan option at the bottom. Hit Yes to 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 the Windows key + R to launch the Run command. Type in services.msc in the box and press Enter.

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

Step 3: Change the Startup type to Disabled and hit Apply followed by OK.

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 the search menu, type in create a restore point, and select the first result that appears.

Step 2: Under the System Protection tab, click on the System Restore button.

Step 3: Select the Recommended restore option and click Next.

Step 4: Review all the details and click Finish.