"Windows 10 System Interrupts at 100% CPU Usage - How to Resolve?"

What are System interrupts? Why does System interrupts consume so much CPU on a Windows 10 computer? If you've stumbled upon the issue of Windows 10 System interrupts at 100% CPU usage, you're likely seeking answers to these questions. This article aims to address all your concerns. If you're unsure how to fix the high CPU usage by System interrupts, feel free to try any solution provided in this article. Let's dive right in.

What Are System Interrupts in Windows 10

System Interrupts is an integral Windows service that operates continuously in the background of your computer. In the Task Manager, it appears as a process displaying the CPU usage for all hardware interrupts, although it is not an actual standalone process. Its purpose is to monitor and manage CPU interrupts triggered by lower-level system processes and background services running on your computer. The System Interrupts process facilitates communication between the hardware and software components of your Windows PC.

This Windows service,尽管对于检测CPU故障和中断至关重要，但有时可能会导致CPU利用率过高。

What Causes System Interrupts to Use 100% CPU Usage

System interruptions function as a CPU's alarm mechanism. They alert the processor to a high-priority situation when a scenario demands the CPU's attention. The CPU then pauses its current activity, saves it, and attends to the critical task at hand. Once the task is completed, it resumes its original state.

Numerous interruptions indicate the potential for hardware issues, hence the increased resource consumption. System interrupts generally constitute around 0.1% to 2% of the CPU usage. Occasionally, it may rise up to 7%, which is still considered within normal limits. However, if you observe 100% CPU usage due to system interrupts, it becomes a cause for concern. A red flag should be raised when system interrupts exceed 10% of your CPU usage, as this is an indication that a hardware故障 has occurred.

How to Resolve High CPU Usage by System Interrupts in Windows 10

Upon understanding what System Interrupts are and the reason behind their existence, it's now time to explore how to resolve the issue of System Interrupts causing 100% CPU usage. Below are 7 solutions to help you address the problem of high CPU usage by System Interrupts.

1. Solution 1. End the Process Causing High CPU Usage
2. Solution 2. Update Device Driver
3. Solution 3. Disable Audio Enhancements
4. Solution 4. Disable USB Root Hub
5. Solution 5. Disable Windows Fast Startup
6. Solution 6. Check Failing Hardware
7. Solution 7. Update BIOS

Solution 1: End the Process Causing High CPU Usage

If a program is utilizing your entire processor, there's a good possibility that it's not functioning correctly. In this case, you can attempt to terminate the program or software. To do so, follow these steps:

Step 1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, click on the Processes tab, and then sort by the CPU column.

Step 2. Identify the process that is utilizing the majority of your CPU resources.

Step 3. Choose the program and click on End Task.

Solution 2: Update Device Driver

A malfunctioning hardware driver might lead to high CPU usage issues with System Interrupts. To address this, you can follow these steps to update your device drivers: 1. **Identify the problematic driver**: First, you need to determine which driver is causing the issue. You can do this by using the Task Manager in Windows. Press `Ctrl + Shift + Esc` to open it, then navigate to the "Performance" tab and click on "Open Resource Monitor." In the "CPU" tab, look for "System Interrupts" and check the "Disk", "Network", or "USB" columns to see which driver is consuming the most resources. 2. **Update drivers manually**: Once you've identified the driver, visit the manufacturer's website (such as Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD) and download the latest driver for that specific hardware component. Follow their installation instructions to update the driver. 3. **Use Device Manager**: You can also use the Device Manager in Windows to update drivers. Press `Win + X` and choose "Device Manager." Locate the device category related to the problematic driver, expand it, right-click on the device, and select "Update driver." Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software" and let Windows search for the latest driver. 4. **Windows Update**: Make sure your Windows operating system is up to date, as updates often include driver improvements. Press `Win + I` to open Settings, then go to "Update & Security" > "Check for updates." Install any available updates. 5. **Driver rollback**: If updating the driver doesn't help, you can try rolling back to a previous version. In Device Manager, right-click on the problematic device, select "Properties," then go to the "Driver" tab and click "Roll Back Driver." If this option is grayed out, it means there's no previous version to roll back to. 6. **Disabling or uninstalling the driver**: As a last resort, you can temporarily disable or uninstall the problematic driver to see if it resolves the issue. Be cautious with this step, as it might affect the functionality of your hardware. Reinstall the driver later if needed. Remember to restart your computer after making any changes to ensure the updates take effect.

Step 1. Press the Win + X keys and choose Device Manager from the menu.

Step 2. Expand the Device Manager window and right-click on the driver.

Step 3. Select Update driver, then choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

Windows will begin updating the driver. Allow the PC to search for and install the most recent driver software. Repeat this process for all other device drivers. After completing these steps, restart your Windows PC to check if the System Interrupts causing high CPU usage issue has been resolved.

Solution 3: Disable Audio Enhancements

There are numerous sound drivers that employ software enhancements to enhance audio quality. If these enhancements aren't functioning properly, issues like high CPU usage under System Interrupts may occur. In such cases, disabling Audio Enhancement might assist in resolving this problem.

Step 1. Right-click on the Sound icon in the taskbar and select "Open Sound settings."

Step 2. Select Sound Control Panel.

Step 3. On the Playback tab, right-click on your playback device and choose Properties.

Step 4. Click on "Disable all sound effects" in the Enhancements tab and then click OK.

Solution 4: Disable USB Root Hub

The USB Root Hub is not a physical device that you plug USB peripherals into. Rather, it is a software driver that facilitates connections between various USB devices and your computer. As most computers possess multiple USB root hubs, you can concurrently connect several devices to the data bus.

Step 1. Press the Win + X keys and choose Device Manager from the menu.

Step 2. Locate and click on "Universal Serial Bus controllers" to expand the category.

Step 3. Right-click on the USB Root Hub and then choose Properties.

Step 4. Open the "Power" tab in the properties, and verify if your mouse or keyboard is connected to this root hub. If not, disable it. Disable all root hubs except for the one that your keyboard and mouse are utilizing.

Upon disabling the USB Root Hubs, proceed to the Task Manager to verify if the System Interrupts at 100% or the high CPU issue has been resolved. If no improvement is observed, you can safely revert all the changes made.

Solution 5: Disable Windows Fast Startup

It has been discovered that disabling the Windows Fast Startup feature can assist in resolving the issue of high CPU usage due to system interrupts. Fast Startup allows your computer to start up more quickly when shut down. If you find that Fast Startup is enabled on your PC, you can follow these steps to disable it, which may help alleviate the problem: 1. Press the "Windows key + X" on your keyboard and select "Control Panel" from the menu. 2. In the Control Panel, choose "Hardware and Sound," then click on "Power Options." 3. On the left side of the Power Options window, click on "Choose what the power buttons do." 4. Click on "Change settings that are currently unavailable" if the option is grayed out. 5. Scroll down to the "Shutdown settings" section and uncheck the box next to "Turn on fast startup (recommended)." 6. Click "Save changes" to apply the new setting. After completing these steps, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. This should potentially reduce the impact of system interrupts on your CPU.

Step 1. Type "Control" in the search bar. Then click on "Control Panel" to open it.

Step 2. Click Power Options in the Control Panel.

Step 3. Click Choose what the power buttons do.

Step 4. Select Change settings that are currently unavailable.

Step 5. Untick the box next to Turn on fast startup (recommended), click on Save changes, and exit.

Restart your computer to see if the issue with high CPU usage by system interrupts has been resolved.

Solution 6: Check for Failing Hardware

Sometimes, errors on your hard drive can lead to high CPU usage by System Interrupts. Proceed with the steps outlined below to inspect your hard drive(s):

Step 1. Open File Explorer, right-click on the disk you intend to check for errors, and select Properties.

Step 2. Click Check on the Tools tab.

Step 3. Click Scan drive.

Step 4. If Windows detects any errors on the hard drive, allow Windows to fix them.

Solution 7. Update BIOS

The BIOS is the initial software that your Windows system runs when you start your computer. It aids in the booting of your operating system. However, an outdated BIOS can also lead to high CPU usage due to System Interrupts. Consequently, updating the BIOS might resolve the issue.

To accomplish this, you first need to identify the version of your BIOS. You can follow the steps below to check your BIOS version:

Step 1. Type "cmd" in the search box to launch the Command Prompt.

Step 2. Type each of the following commands one at a time, and press Enter after each.

• systeminfo | findstr /I /c:bios
• wmic bios get manufacturer, smbiosbiosversion

Once you've identified the BISO version, you can visit the manufacturer's website to check for updates and find installation instructions.

Important: Updating the BIOS can be a complex procedure. Incorrect actions during the update process might make your computer inoperable. Thus, it's highly recommended to back up your Windows 10 PC beforehand.

Additional Guide: How to Backup Windows 10 PC

Creating a backup of your computer is always deemed best practice, as it ensures you can easily and promptly restore your data in any scenario. As previously mentioned, while attempting to resolve the Windows 10 System Interrupts 100% CPU usage issue, there's a chance you might render your computer unbootable or lose data stored on it. Hence, it's crucial to create a computer backup to safeguard against potential data loss. In this situation, third-party backup software like Todo Backup proves to be quite useful.

Todo Backup Home is a professional and versatile backup software designed for Windows 11/10/8/7. It enables you to perform an automatic backup, scheduled backups, incremental backups, and differential backups. Additionally, it allows you to create a system backup to ensure comprehensive protection for your data. You can save your backups to a local drive, Network Attached Storage (NAS), Security Zone, or even the Cloud. Furthermore, it lets you create an ISO image from your hard drive or the operating system. The software offers several other useful features:

• Create a backup of the system, file, disk, partition, etc.
• Install Windows on a new SSD without using a USB.
• Clone a hard drive.
• Reinstall Windows without losing your games.
• Backup and recovery options.
• Create a WinPE emergency bootable disk.
• 250GB free cloud storage.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to create a system backup for a Windows PC: 1. **Access Backup and Restore**: Click on the Start button, type "Backup and Restore" in the search bar, and select it from the results. 2. **Open Backup Settings**: In the Backup and Restore window, click on the "Backup settings" link on the left-hand side. 3. **Choose Backup Destination**: You'll be prompted to choose where you want to save your backup. Select either an external hard drive or a network location that's connected to your PC. 4. **Select Backup Options**: Click on "More options" to customize your backup settings. Here, you can choose to back up specific folders, exclude certain files, or set up a schedule for automatic backups. 5. **Include System Image**: If you want to create a system image (a snapshot of your entire system), check the box that says "Let me also create a system image of my drives" before proceeding. 6. **Choose Drives to Backup**: In the "Select which drives to backup" section, ensure that the drives containing important data and the system drive (usually C:) are selected. 7. **Start Backup**: Once you've made your selections, click "Save settings and exit." This will return you to the Backup and Restore window. Now, click "Backup now" to start the backup process. 8. **Wait for Backup to Complete**: The backup may take some time, depending on the amount of data being backed up. Do not turn off your PC or disconnect the storage device during this process. 9. **Verify Backup**: After the backup is complete, it's a good idea to verify its integrity by checking the backup files. This ensures that everything has been successfully backed up. 10. **Regularly Update Backup**: To keep your backup current, remember to run the backup process periodically or according to the schedule you've set. Remember, having a regular system backup is crucial in case of any unforeseen issues or data loss.

Step 1. On the main page, click "Select backup contents".

Step 2. Click on the OS category among the four options available.

Step 3. Todo Backup will automatically select your system partition. You just need to choose a backup destination.

Step 4. You can save the backup file to either your Local Drive or NAS.

Step 5. Once the backup process is complete, you can check the backup status, recover, open, or delete the backup by right-clicking the backup task on the left panel.

Final Thoughts

That's all about how to resolve the Windows 10 System Interrupts 100% CPU usage issue. Ensuring a low background CPU consumption rate is vital, regardless of whether you have a basic or a high-performance CPU. When faced with this problem, you can utilize any of the solutions provided in this article to assist you in addressing the issues.

Backing up your computer is a good habit, as it allows you to swiftly restore your data in case of any issues. Todo Backup is a great tool to assist you with this. Give it a try!

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Why is my CPU usage suddenly so high? There could be several reasons for a sudden increase in your CPU usage. Here are some common causes: 1. **Resource-Intensive Applications:** A program or process running in the background might be using a lot of CPU resources. Check your Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) to identify the culprit. 2. **Malware or Virus:** Malicious software can cause high CPU usage by running multiple processes without your knowledge. Run a malware scan using an updated antivirus tool. 3. **System Updates or Software Updates:** Your computer might be downloading or installing updates, which can temporarily spike CPU usage. 4. **Hardware Issues:** A failing or outdated CPU, memory (RAM), or other hardware components can lead to increased CPU usage. 5. **Overheating:** If your computer is overheating, it may throttle the CPU to prevent damage, causing high usage. 6. **Too Many Open Programs:** Having numerous programs and tabs open simultaneously can strain your CPU. 7. **Driver Issues:** Outdated or incompatible device drivers can cause performance issues. Update your drivers to the latest versions. 8. **Virtual Memory Insufficiency:** If your RAM is full, your computer will use your hard drive as virtual memory, which can cause high CPU usage. To address the issue, try closing unnecessary programs, updating software and drivers, running a malware scan, and ensuring proper cooling for your system. If the problem persists, consider seeking professional assistance.

High CPU utilization can signify various issues. If an application is utilizing your entire processor, it's probable that it's malfunctioning. If your CPU is consistently at maximum capacity, it's crucial to address the possibility of a virus or adware presence promptly.

2. Are 100% CPU spikes normal? Yes, 100% CPU spikes can be normal under certain circumstances, especially for short periods. When a computer is performing intensive tasks such as running a complex software application, encoding videos, playing resource-demanding games, or during system updates, the CPU usage may temporarily spike to 100%. This is because the processor is working at its maximum capacity to complete these tasks. However, if 100% CPU usage persists over an extended period or occurs frequently without any apparent reason, it might indicate a problem. Issues like malware, a resource-hogging background process, hardware malfunction, or insufficient cooling can cause constant high CPU usage. In such cases, it's advisable to check for and address the underlying cause to prevent performance issues and potential damage to your computer.

Your machine is attempting to handle a workload that exceeds its capacity when the CPU utilization is nearing 100%. Although this is generally acceptable, it might lead to slight performance degradation in programs. When engaged in compute-intensive activities like running games, computers often utilize close to 100% of their CPU.