Technology / Computers
How to repair WMI provider host's high CPU usage
30 Jul 2019 at 13:07hrs | Views
The WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) Provider Host is a vital aspect of Windows that often courses in the background. This service permits other applications on your device to request information about your system.
Typically, this process shouldn't consume many system resources, but if another process in your system is acting up, it may use a lot of CPU.
What Is WMI Provider Host?
WMI is a Windows feature that dispenses a standardized way for administrative scripts and software to request information about the condition of your Windows' operating system as well as the data on it. The so-called WMI Providers gives such information upon request.
For instance, commands or software could find information about request data from installed applications with a WMI provider, the view entries from the event log, and the state of BitLocker drive encryption, to name a few. Take note that Microsoft possesses a catalog of included WMI providers on its website.
This feature is useful for businesses that centrally managed computers as information can now be shown in a standard way in administrative consoles and can be requested via scripts. The only drawback is that some software you have installed may ask for information about the system through the WMI interface, even on a home computer.
Further, you can also utilize a WMI to search for useful pieces of information you usually can't find on your computer's Windows interface. For example, it can cover the WMI Command line tool (WMIC) to obtain the serial number of your computer, find the model number of your motherboard, or check a hard drive's health.
Yes, WMI is that important!
Why Is It Using So Much CPU?
As mentioned earlier, WMI Provider Host is not supposed to consume too much CPU, as it shouldn't be doing anything.
Occasionally, it may use some CPU such as when another piece of script or software on your device requests for information through WMI, which is normal. High usage of CPU could be an indication that another application requests data through WMI. But, prolonged high CPU usage is another story. It could be a sign of something serious as WMI Provider Host doesn't normally use too many CPU resources all the time.
Various reasons could be the culprits of high CPU consumption issue, particularly when the system files were corrupted or a problem occurs to WMI Provider Host's file. To identify and fix the issue, do the following methods below.
Fix the High CPU Usage by Restarting WMI Provider Host
Microsoft just pulled off its official repair method for high CPU usage. Here are what you need to do.
- Restart the WMI service.
- Press the Windows logo key plus R then key in services.msc and hit Enter.
- Search for Windows Management Instrumentation in the Services window. Press the right-click button and select Restart.
For the most part, restarting the WMI service will help you sort this issue of CPU usage.
Scan and Fix Corrupted System Files
Corrupted Windows system files may be one of the catalysts of this issue. To scan and fix the corrupted files, follow the steps below.
- Press Windows logo key plus X, and then A to open the application for Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
It may show you a YES/NO dialog box to ask you whether or not to run the program in case your Windows PC enables UAC (User Account Control).
- Type sfc /scannow then hit Enter in the Command Prompt window.
Proceed to the second command below once you complete this process.
- Input DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth then hit Enter.
Restart IP Helper and Security Center Fix
Apart from the Windows Management Instrumentation service, there are two other Windows services you need to restart to help you fix the issue.
- Security Center (wscsvc)
- IP Helper (iphlpsvc)
You will need to restart both services and the WMI as well. If you want to delve deeper, you can also input Event Viewer, proceed to Applications and Services Logs, then Microsoft, then Windows, and finally, WMI-Activity to check further details concerning WMI activity.
It will provide you with in-depth information which could be enough to help you identify the cause of high CPU usage. You can also navigate to Windows Services and pinpoint all non-Microsoft services. You will need to stop them one by one until the usage issue disappears in the WmiPrvSE.exe WMI Provider Host.
Use the Event Viewer to Look for Insistent WMI Provider Host Issues
Use the Windows Event Viewer if the issue with WmiPrvSE.exe keeps returning. There might be another system process that continues to make the WMI provider host busy that led to high CPU usage.
- For Windows 8 and 10, press the right-click button for Start and choose the Event Viewer.
- For Windows 7, use the Start menu to locate and run Eventvwr.msc.
Within the Event Viewer app, navigate through Applications and Service Logs, proceed to Microsoft, then Windows, then WMI-Activity, and finally, Operational.
Scroll through the catalog of operational events and look for current Error entries. Identify the ClientProcessId for each Error. Take heed that whenever you restart a process, the ID will change. That being said, checking older errors might be a waste of time.
Uninstall Incompatible Programs
Incompatible programs can also contribute to high CPU usage. The issue manifests after updating or installing a program in Windows. When the program is not compatible with WmiPrvSE.exe, it creates a problem.
If you just recently updated or installed any program on your computer, uninstall or disable its service in Windows Service to check if it's the cause or not.
It's also wise to check and install available updates, especially if you haven't updated Windows for a long time. Keeping your Windows device updated will help prevent errors.
Takeaway
It can be hard to track down High CPU usage in one direction. Although the problems listed above are some of the common causes, you will still encounter high CPU usage even after doing the suggested fixes above. If such is the case, search for a Windows support forum, where you can mine advice from the users regarding your problems.
Author Bio:
Petr Kudlacek is the founder and owner of Apro Software, a growing machine learning company. He's also a bonafide writer whose expertise extends to marketing, technology, and gaming. Petr is also a big tech-savvy and enjoys spending his free time finger playing with gadgets and other electronic devices. To know more about him, follow Petr's socials; https://twitter.com/PKudlacek, https://www.linkedin.com/in/petr-kudlacek, https://www.facebook.com/petr.kudlacek.167.
Typically, this process shouldn't consume many system resources, but if another process in your system is acting up, it may use a lot of CPU.
What Is WMI Provider Host?
WMI is a Windows feature that dispenses a standardized way for administrative scripts and software to request information about the condition of your Windows' operating system as well as the data on it. The so-called WMI Providers gives such information upon request.
For instance, commands or software could find information about request data from installed applications with a WMI provider, the view entries from the event log, and the state of BitLocker drive encryption, to name a few. Take note that Microsoft possesses a catalog of included WMI providers on its website.
This feature is useful for businesses that centrally managed computers as information can now be shown in a standard way in administrative consoles and can be requested via scripts. The only drawback is that some software you have installed may ask for information about the system through the WMI interface, even on a home computer.
Further, you can also utilize a WMI to search for useful pieces of information you usually can't find on your computer's Windows interface. For example, it can cover the WMI Command line tool (WMIC) to obtain the serial number of your computer, find the model number of your motherboard, or check a hard drive's health.
Yes, WMI is that important!
Why Is It Using So Much CPU?
As mentioned earlier, WMI Provider Host is not supposed to consume too much CPU, as it shouldn't be doing anything.
Occasionally, it may use some CPU such as when another piece of script or software on your device requests for information through WMI, which is normal. High usage of CPU could be an indication that another application requests data through WMI. But, prolonged high CPU usage is another story. It could be a sign of something serious as WMI Provider Host doesn't normally use too many CPU resources all the time.
Various reasons could be the culprits of high CPU consumption issue, particularly when the system files were corrupted or a problem occurs to WMI Provider Host's file. To identify and fix the issue, do the following methods below.
Fix the High CPU Usage by Restarting WMI Provider Host
Microsoft just pulled off its official repair method for high CPU usage. Here are what you need to do.
- Restart the WMI service.
- Press the Windows logo key plus R then key in services.msc and hit Enter.
- Search for Windows Management Instrumentation in the Services window. Press the right-click button and select Restart.
For the most part, restarting the WMI service will help you sort this issue of CPU usage.
Scan and Fix Corrupted System Files
Corrupted Windows system files may be one of the catalysts of this issue. To scan and fix the corrupted files, follow the steps below.
- Press Windows logo key plus X, and then A to open the application for Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
- Type sfc /scannow then hit Enter in the Command Prompt window.
Proceed to the second command below once you complete this process.
- Input DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth then hit Enter.
Restart IP Helper and Security Center Fix
Apart from the Windows Management Instrumentation service, there are two other Windows services you need to restart to help you fix the issue.
- Security Center (wscsvc)
- IP Helper (iphlpsvc)
You will need to restart both services and the WMI as well. If you want to delve deeper, you can also input Event Viewer, proceed to Applications and Services Logs, then Microsoft, then Windows, and finally, WMI-Activity to check further details concerning WMI activity.
It will provide you with in-depth information which could be enough to help you identify the cause of high CPU usage. You can also navigate to Windows Services and pinpoint all non-Microsoft services. You will need to stop them one by one until the usage issue disappears in the WmiPrvSE.exe WMI Provider Host.
Use the Event Viewer to Look for Insistent WMI Provider Host Issues
Use the Windows Event Viewer if the issue with WmiPrvSE.exe keeps returning. There might be another system process that continues to make the WMI provider host busy that led to high CPU usage.
- For Windows 8 and 10, press the right-click button for Start and choose the Event Viewer.
- For Windows 7, use the Start menu to locate and run Eventvwr.msc.
Within the Event Viewer app, navigate through Applications and Service Logs, proceed to Microsoft, then Windows, then WMI-Activity, and finally, Operational.
Scroll through the catalog of operational events and look for current Error entries. Identify the ClientProcessId for each Error. Take heed that whenever you restart a process, the ID will change. That being said, checking older errors might be a waste of time.
Uninstall Incompatible Programs
Incompatible programs can also contribute to high CPU usage. The issue manifests after updating or installing a program in Windows. When the program is not compatible with WmiPrvSE.exe, it creates a problem.
If you just recently updated or installed any program on your computer, uninstall or disable its service in Windows Service to check if it's the cause or not.
It's also wise to check and install available updates, especially if you haven't updated Windows for a long time. Keeping your Windows device updated will help prevent errors.
Takeaway
It can be hard to track down High CPU usage in one direction. Although the problems listed above are some of the common causes, you will still encounter high CPU usage even after doing the suggested fixes above. If such is the case, search for a Windows support forum, where you can mine advice from the users regarding your problems.
Author Bio:
Petr Kudlacek is the founder and owner of Apro Software, a growing machine learning company. He's also a bonafide writer whose expertise extends to marketing, technology, and gaming. Petr is also a big tech-savvy and enjoys spending his free time finger playing with gadgets and other electronic devices. To know more about him, follow Petr's socials; https://twitter.com/PKudlacek, https://www.linkedin.com/in/petr-kudlacek, https://www.facebook.com/petr.kudlacek.167.
Source - Byo24News
