Help! CPU usage constantly at 100%. PC hangs every 5 mins.

[Justicar]

The past few weeks my PC is seeing more and more BSOD. Sometimes it would be KERNAL SECURITY CHECK FAILURE, IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL, DRIVER VERIFIER DETECTED VIOLATION. Sometimes it dies without reason. It's especially prone to hanging if I am on Chrome.

Then BSOD started happening multiple times a day. My PC also slowed tremendously till even a YouTube video stutters. I did memory diagnosis, sfc /scannow, chkdsk and so on, but everything reported my computer to be fine.

When I checked my task manager, my CPU usage was at 100% but I couldn't find out why. The application using the CPU keeps changing. It would be Chrome using 40%, Windows Compatibility 40%, everything else using the last 20% at one moment, and when I restart my PC without using any applications, I could see a whole bunch of random Windows programs using the full 100%.

Virus scan with AVG revealed nothing.

I did a reset of my PC and reinstalled Windows 10. It didn't help. If anything, the PC was now hanging within 5 mins of starting up, or getting into a restart loop. I did the following actions next:

1) I ran MalwareBytes but my PC is clean

2) I cleaned off all the dust in my PC

3) I reapplied thermal compound to my CPU

4) I used start-up repair multiple times. It either fails, or it does nothing

5) When I start up with 'Disable Signed Driver Enforcement', my PC gets out of the restart loop. But it still dies after 10 mins

6) Safe Mode is the only thing that works long term. CPU using be used at 100% in Safe.

These are the readings after my Windows was reinstalled (take note my computer is 3 years old)

My PC specs > https://imgur.com/AdzyfKN

Open Hardware monitor 1 > https://imgur.com/0kENEHA

Open Hardware monitor 2 > https://imgur.com/qCVJkVt

CrystalDiskInfo 1 > https://imgur.com/uIJOBwO

CrystalDiskInfo 2 > https://imgur.com/bEZuQRJ

I am at my wit's end. What am I missing here? If my CPU's health is good, then why is its usage at 100% even when I am doing nothing?

 

[LiLAsN]

If Safe Mode is the only way that works long term, there is a very bad driver in your Windows. Corrupted over time.
What is taking up the 100% of your CPU usage? Check Task Manager and rectify the issue.
If everything is fine in Safe Mode, then it's time to do a reformat and DO NOT install whatever it is that is causing a 100% CPU usage.

After reformatting, for me, I will install all the necessary software only that is vital for my PC. Signed in to everything that need be and then use an old 250GB SSD to copy the exact image of my OS over.
As per normal, ALL my data is stored on a separate drive. So it makes reformatting and restoring my OS image way easier.

This way, in a case of an OS instability, I can use the external SSD to boot up to my Windows as per normal and do what I must or just do an exact copy of my external SSD back to my PC's OS drive.

And best of all, I know that my OS drive is extremely stable. Including if there's a future Windows 10 update that makes my PC act all weird.

But in your case, why is there an app that is at 100% usage? Well, your FREE antivirus might not be able to detect it especially the notoriously bad Norton AV. And/or there is a bitcoin mining virus disguised as a software since it's just mining your PC's hardware devices. Thus why it remains undetected?

One such 'legitimate' mining software is Razer's Softminer software.

 

[Justicar]

If Safe Mode is the only way that works long term, there is a very bad driver in your Windows. Corrupted over time.
What is taking up the 100% of your CPU usage? Check Task Manager and rectify the issue.
If everything is fine in Safe Mode, then it's time to do a reformat and DO NOT install whatever it is that is causing a 100% CPU usage.

Task Manager doesn't tell me exactly what it is because the apps using up to 100% keeps switching. If I use Chrome now, then it would show me Chrome at 40-60% usage. If I use Internet Explorer, then it would be IE at 40-60% usage. If I do nothing, then it's the task manager itself using nearly all of the CPU.

It's not one app that is using 100% CPU but rather any-and-all of my apps are using the CPU at 100%.

After reformatting, for me, I will install all the necessary software only that is vital for my PC. Signed in to everything that need be and then use an old 250GB SSD to copy the exact image of my OS over.
As per normal, ALL my data is stored on a separate drive. So it makes reformatting and restoring my OS image way easier.

This way, in a case of an OS instability, I can use the external SSD to boot up to my Windows as per normal and do what I must or just do an exact copy of my external SSD back to my PC's OS drive.

And best of all, I know that my OS drive is extremely stable. Including if there's a future Windows 10 update that makes my PC act all weird.

But in your case, why is there an app that is at 100% usage? Well, your FREE antivirus might not be able to detect it especially the notoriously bad Norton AV. And/or there is a bitcoin mining virus disguised as a software since it's just mining your PC's hardware devices. Thus why it remains undetected?

One such 'legitimate' mining software is Razer's Softminer software.

Isn't resetting my PC + reinstalling Windows the same as reformatting? I did that already. It did nothing.

I am not using Norton AV. I am using AVG.

Even if I turn off my internet, my PC doesn't get any better either.

 

[stooopidboy]

try to avoid using avg as it uses considerable system resource, windows defender + malware is sufficient.

Sent from Samsung SM-G975F using GAGT

 

[LiLAsN]

Task Manager doesn't tell me exactly what it is because the apps using up to 100% keeps switching. If I use Chrome now, then it would show me Chrome at 40-60% usage. If I use Internet Explorer, then it would be IE at 40-60% usage. If I do nothing, then it's the task manager itself using nearly all of the CPU.

It's not one app that is using 100% CPU but rather any-and-all of my apps are using the CPU at 100%.



Isn't resetting my PC + reinstalling Windows the same as reformatting? I did that already. It did nothing.

I am not using Norton AV. I am using AVG.

Even if I turn off my internet, my PC doesn't get any better either.

Hmm... Looks like you'll need experts to handle this. I also can't help much if you do not state the PC parts that you have on your right like mine -->

Once you do, others might be able to help.

As for mine, I sometimes have a lot of tabs open for chrome but CPU usage is at 0% like now currently even though there are 22 instances of Chrome opened as seen on Task Manager. But then again, my CPU is a 9900K. Thus why it may be so. Exactly why putting in the necessary PC system specs will help others help you.

And no, I do not believe in other antiviruses that are not Karspersky for their very fast reactions and updates when they discover new viruses
or ESET for their early threat detection algorithm that prevents a virus from completely finish downloading including blocking of sites and even advertisements that have malicious coding in them such as once it blocked a malicious advertisement on HWZ forum itself.

Times may have changed but trust me, I can check the logs and see an almost daily worth of logs depending on what I am using. Including Chrome wanting to activate my webcam and mic when I access my Outlook live email account. Small things, but privacy matters.

 

[watzup_ken]

Looking at some of the symptoms that you mentioned, i.e. crashing using Chrome and stuttering Youtube playback, I would recommend downloading the latest graphic driver to see if it works. Just about a month back I observed instability with my laptop, along with my younger sis' laptop after a Windows update. For my case, I downloaded the latest AMD graphic driver and the issue went away. The symptoms then was a sluggish system and in some cases, take a very long time to boot into Windows and load up my applications. I am unable to launch any application when starting my startup apps. And I did experience a couple of BSOD. My sis' laptop experienced worst, i.e. frequent BSODs.

 

[Justicar]

Hmm... Looks like you'll need experts to handle this. I also can't help much if you do not state the PC parts that you have on your right like mine -->

Once you do, others might be able to help.

As for mine, I sometimes have a lot of tabs open for chrome but CPU usage is at 0% like now currently even though there are 22 instances of Chrome opened as seen on Task Manager. But then again, my CPU is a 9900K. Thus why it may be so. Exactly why putting in the necessary PC system specs will help others help you.

And no, I do not believe in other antiviruses that are not Karspersky for their very fast reactions and updates when they discover new viruses
or ESET for their early threat detection algorithm that prevents a virus from completely finish downloading including blocking of sites and even advertisements that have malicious coding in them such as once it blocked a malicious advertisement on HWZ forum itself.

Times may have changed but trust me, I can check the logs and see an almost daily worth of logs depending on what I am using. Including Chrome wanting to activate my webcam and mic when I access my Outlook live email account. Small things, but privacy matters.

Do viruses remain even after a reformat? The first time I reset my Windows 10. Now I refreshed it. Still no improvement, it's getting into a restart loop.

I included my PC parts on the right now.

 

[Justicar]

Looking at some of the symptoms that you mentioned, i.e. crashing using Chrome and stuttering Youtube playback, I would recommend downloading the latest graphic driver to see if it works. Just about a month back I observed instability with my laptop, along with my younger sis' laptop after a Windows update. For my case, I downloaded the latest AMD graphic driver and the issue went away. The symptoms then was a sluggish system and in some cases, take a very long time to boot into Windows and load up my applications. I am unable to launch any application when starting my startup apps. And I did experience a couple of BSOD. My sis' laptop experienced worst, i.e. frequent BSODs.

I tried using the latest graphics driver. It didn't work.

In fact now my PC is stuck in a restart loop unless I go into safe mode.

 

[haylui]

Got try run without unnecessary hard disk?
Try with 1 ram or resit all ram?
Using AIO cooler that requires USB as control?
Can try with that.

I experienced boot loop was due to RAM not contacting properly.

 

[SkyShroud]

1. Update your bio to latest
2. Reformat PC, update Windows
3. Install latest drivers
4. Check CPU, still 100%?
5. Install chrome
6. Check CPU, still 100%?
7. Install your other software
8. Check CPU, still 100%?

If everything still 100%, despite formatted with latest windows update, latest drivers and latest bios. It is either your MB went crazy (going to spoil) or your CPU itself spoil.

Do note that the stages of the CPU 100% matter. If initial clean format does not result in 100% cpu but only after installing certain things. It just means there is incompatible softwares.

 

[hexenB]

Open Hardware monitor 2 > https://imgur.com/qCVJkVt

Your SSD has used up 79.4% of space, that means only 20.6% left for windows caching, which is not enough. Maybe that's why you get 100% cpu usage as the SSD is constantly 100% being read/write cache. Try to reduce the % free space down to 50%, or install windows 10 in another new harddisk from scratch.

 

[jas1701]

Check msconfig what is starting before you even use your PC. If possible screenshot here so those expert can help see what is the problem.

As usual, always partition your HD as C and D drive. OS will only be in C and whatever you save will be in D. As what a member stated here, anything wrong with OS, a recovery will be much easier.

 

[haylui]

Your SSD has used up 79.4% of space, that means only 20.6% left for windows caching, which is not enough. Maybe that's why you get 100% cpu usage as the SSD is constantly 100% being read/write cache. Try to reduce the % free space down to 50%, or install windows 10 in another new harddisk from scratch.

I think that won't cause hang issue. I have SSD that only left 5% of free space also no issue.

 

[aaragore]

Your SSD has used up 79.4% of space, that means only 20.6% left for windows caching, which is not enough. Maybe that's why you get 100% cpu usage as the SSD is constantly 100% being read/write cache. Try to reduce the % free space down to 50%, or install windows 10 in another new harddisk from scratch.

That only applies to mechanical drives and not solid state

 

[Justicar]

Problem solved. For reasons I cannot fathom, my driver verifier was the problem. I went to reset it and suddenly my Windows 10 is running smooth again.

 

[rrr2015]

how u spot driver verifier was causing the problem since u say u couldn't see cpu hogging processes in task manager?

i read that was only use in testing & debugging, so normally it shouldn't be running

Problem solved. For reasons I cannot fathom, my driver verifier was the problem. I went to reset it and suddenly my Windows 10 is running smooth again.

 

[Justicar]

how u spot driver verifier was causing the problem since u say u couldn't see cpu hogging processes in task manager?

i read that was only use in testing & debugging, so normally it shouldn't be running

It was one of the BSOD errors that cropped up since the very beginning. I went to try to troubleshoot the different BSODs one by one. Ironic that Driver Verifier was one of the last I decided to tackle, but it ended up being the primary cause.

 

[haylui]

It was one of the BSOD errors that cropped up since the very beginning. I went to try to troubleshoot the different BSODs one by one. Ironic that Driver Verifier was one of the last I decided to tackle, but it ended up being the primary cause.

previous version of nvidia driver? news reported it would take up CPU usage.

 

[d3adc3II]

It was one of the BSOD errors that cropped up since the very beginning. I went to try to troubleshoot the different BSODs one by one. Ironic that Driver Verifier was one of the last I decided to tackle, but it ended up being the primary cause.

Glad you solved it, wanted to tell you it could be due to bad driver version.



However, dun need to wait til BSOD then check. Run LatencyMon and leave it on for 10mins ( leave the PC there)


The result can tell you alot of hints. If any component/driver causes high cpu usage , you can see immediately from the log.

 

[rrr2015]

oic thanks for sharing

It was one of the BSOD errors that cropped up since the very beginning. I went to try to troubleshoot the different BSODs one by one. Ironic that Driver Verifier was one of the last I decided to tackle, but it ended up being the primary cause.

Is latencymon that used for checking windows system if suitable for processing real-time audio?

Glad you solved it, wanted to tell you it could be due to bad driver version.
However, dun need to wait til BSOD then check. Run LatencyMon and leave it on for 10mins ( leave the PC there)


The result can tell you alot of hints. If any component/driver causes high cpu usage , you can see immediately from the log.