Device Optimization

What's High CPU Usage?

A device's Central Processing Unit, or CPU, only has a limited amount of resources that it can provide to software running on the system. If there is a problem with the software installed and running on the device, it may be taking up a large amount of resources and not leaving enough for the other programs running. This will cause the device to run slower than normal.

A resource that the CPU is required to manage is its cores, each of which can typically focus on one task at a time. In contrast to just one single program or application demanding a significant amount of processing power, the cores of a CPU can also be used up if attempting to run more tasks than it has cores to allocate. Earlier computer processors would have just one core, while modern CPUs will typically have between two (2) and eighteen (18) cores. That being said, it's important to be aware of what kind of processor a computer is using and how many cores it has to allocate to various tasks. 

• When a device is slow, it's normally either due to the slow device or the slow Internet connection. if you have an ultra-fast computer, but a slow Internet connection, a browser will take a long period of time to load a webpage or a video stream will buffer for a long period, making it appear that the device is running slowly. On the other hand, if the Internet connection is fast and the computer is slow, you will always be able to see what program is causing it using the Task Manager in Windows or the Activity Monitor in Mac OS X.

What's Device Optimization?

When a device is running slowly due to high CPU usage, one method of resolving that issue is to rearrange what the device's processes and programs take up in resources to be used most effectively - this process may involve customizing, disabling or completely uninstalling certain programs to ensure that there's enough resources for more essential processes. Not only does optimizing a device allow it to run and get tasks done faster with less resources, but this will also allow it to function for a longer period of time before reaching end of life and even conserve energy while running. 

• Most of the processes that may be disabled for these purposes are not usually needed, wanted, or even known by the user - this includes disabling programs that are not used often from running upon powering on the device, or turning off visual effects in Windows or MacOS that are not needed for the device to run. 

Understanding Resources and Processes.

Using either Task Manager or Activity Monitory will tell you what programs are eating up all of the computer’s processing power. If you're troubleshooting the device of a family member or friend, you can ask what they do with their computer to find out what programs they use to check actual CPU usage. If, for example, a grandparent has CPU usage spikes every time they use Google Chrome and he or she is saying that Facebook games are slow, they'll likely need to be educated and advised to purchase a new computer - or maybe he or she just needs to close as many windows as possible before playing games on Facebook.

• In Task Manager, you can safely ignore System Idle Process. This is just the total amount of CPU usage that the computer has available.

• In rare cases, “svchost” may take up a lot of CPU usage for an unknown reason. This may be caused by a rootkit, so try using a wide variety of rootkit scanners to try to remove it. 

• The last way is through running the device in Safe Mode, instead of Normal Mode. If the device runs significantly faster in safe mode, then it’s most likely a software-related issue. Type “msconfig” into the Run box in Windows and try disabling everything, before rebooting back to normal and seeing if the speed remains the same. If it doesn’t stay fast, then check Task Manager to see what’s eating up the device's resources. Remember to re-enable anything that looks important, as you may make the problem even worse if you're not careful. Knowing what to leave enabled does take lots of experience.

• You may need to advise upgrading to a better computer, so be careful to double check the computer’s hardware. This may not even be the age of the device that's the issue, but the kind of device that is being used. For example; a cheap two-in-one tablet with internal flash memory just may not cut it when compared to a full sized desktop with a solid state drive , depending on what you're using the device for. 

• If all else fails, reinstalling the operating system almost always corrects these types of issues.

Other Possible Causes for High CPU Usage.

This section contains a list of fixes that may resolve high CPU usage issues. These fixes may not always work, and sometimes the device might just be too old and requires a new device. Feel free to read the Slow Device Troubleshooting guide to get a far better understanding of what's considered slow or normal.

dwm.exe

• • dwm.exe is Desktop Windows Manager, basically the theme for Windows. A quick and easy way to get a computer running faster is by downgrading the theme, however we need to check to see if the Aero theme is enabled for this procedure to be effective.

• 1. Mouse-over anything in the taskbar and see if a small preview window pops up.

     • If it does, then it means Aero is enabled and performance will improve by turning it off.

       • If there is no preview window, Aero is already off.

       • You can still perform this procedure as it may help give the illusion of "sharp responsiveness".

  2. Right click on Computer and go to Properties

  3. Click on "Advanced System Settings"

  4. Then click Settings

  5. Click "Adjust for Best Performance", but don't click OK yet.

  6. Scroll down and enable this option to prevent the theme from looking like "Classic".

  7. If you accidentally go ahead and the theme looks like "Classic", change it to the "Basic" theme if available.

     • If unavailable, change it for "Best Appearance" and then redo the steps from there.

mcafee.exe

• • Replace it with Microsoft Security Essentials or a less resource-heavy antivirus software.

dllhost.exe

• • A through disk clean up and deleting thumbnails tends to resolve the issue.

    1. Press the Windows key + R keys to open the Run dialog, type cleanmgr, and press Enter.

    2. Select the drive that you want to use Disk Cleanup on, and click/tap on OK.

    3. Check the Thumbnails box, and click/tap on OK.

    4. Click/tap on the Delete Files button.

    5. Disk Cleanup will now clear the thumbnail cache and close.