How to fix CPU working 100%

Check your power supply

This is an issue that can affect both Windows 10 PC and laptop users. If your power supply fails (power cable on laptop, PSU on PC), then it can automatically power off your CPU to maintain power. When power has degraded, your CPU can only operate at a fraction of its actual capacity, so it is possible that the CPU can render at 100%.

To solve this problem on your laptop, it's very simple: unplug your computer. In the bottom right corner of the screen, tap the icon Battery -> Battery Settings.

In the left Menu column select Power & Sleep.

In the right pane you will go to Additional power settings.

The Power Options window appears, you choose the High performance plan, if your computer does not have this option, click Create a power plan to create a new plan.

In this section, choose High performance, you can name the plan as you like. Then click Next.

You have the following setup options:

1. Turn off the display: Turn off the screen after a period of inactivity.
2. Put the computer to sleep: Put the device to sleep for a period of inactivity.
3. On battery: When using the battery.
4. Plugged in: When the power cord is plugged in.

When you are done setting up your way, click Create.

Finally, make sure you select the Plan you just created.

After doing the above steps, if a problem occurs with your power supply then CPU usage will be back to normal.

On a PC, things can get a little more complicated, as you'll need to remove the PSU from your PC and attach another PSU to see if the CPU is working properly. Before doing this, you should try the tips below first!

Turn off Superfetch (or Windows Search)

Superfetch is the process by which Windows 10 learns which apps you use most often, then prefetches them for you to load faster each time you use them. This process works in the background and usually should not cause the problem, but it may not be working properly for your computer.

To find out if Superfetch (or another service) is affecting your CPU, open Task Manager (press Windows + X >> Task Manager).

Select the Details tab.

Click CPU to sort programs by their CPU consumption.

If you see a 'Service Host' like Superfetch or something else using a lot of CPU, click on it and select 'End Task'. Note that some services are systematic and you should consider before turning them off.

Also, to permanently turn off Superfetch, press Windows + R, type in the services box, and then Enter.

Select the Standard view.

You go to Superfetch, Right-click and choose Properties.

In the Properties window, pay attention to the Startup type, select Disabled.

You can technically do this with any service that is impacting the CPU, but some services are important to the system so you need to be careful. Another culprit of using multiple CPUs is 'Windows Search', you can safely disable it as well.

Reset your Power Plan

A change in Windows power options can significantly affect your PC's performance. If you ever set High Performance or changed too much in the settings, it could be overloading the CPU.

Enter power plan in the Start search box and open the Choose a power plan setting.

If you've ever selected High performance or Power saver, choose Balanced again. To be sure, select Change plan settings to Balanced.

Select Restore default settings for this plan to reset the plan's default settings.

Turn off third-party antivirus software

Although a little unreasonable, but can not remove the case that the anti-virus software you are using is causing conflicts with Windows 10, causing the CPU to have certain difficulties while operating.

Now, Windows Defender is powerful enough to protect your computer. If you don't need premium protection from software, don't be afraid to disable it, or even uninstall it.

Conclude

Not all, but these are the basic errors that we often encounter when the CPU is running at 100%. Hope one of the above remedies will help you fix the error successfully. If you have experience with 100% CPU operation, please share in the comments below!

Jessica Tanner

Update 16 February 2021