Fixing "WMI Provider Host High CPU" Error (5+ Easy Solutions)

Lindsay Hayes

If you keep getting the WMI provider host usage error, your operating system might be bugging out. Go ahead and restart your computer and check whether this helps. At the same time, you might be dealing with outdated drivers. Updating them can get rid of the error message.

I haven't faced the issue in a while, but it used to pop up on the Asus I used to own. My friend faced it recently too and he came to me for help. I took him through the tips and tricks to try.

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How Do You Fix WMI Provider Host High CPU Usage?

There are a couple of fixes to try, and they include:

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Solution 1: Uninstall Malware

Malware can be causing the error message. You probably visited unwanted websites or clicked something that you weren't supposed to. Fixing this is easy. Use Windows Defender to check and get rid of any viruses.

Here's how you do this:

Solution 2: Restart WMI Provider Host Process

Sometimes, a minor glitch can make the WMI host to act up. Whenever it uses up too much space on your computer, this can happen. Restarting the WMI service should help.

Here's what you do:

Solution 3: Uninstall Faulty Drivers

Faulty drivers can cause the high cpu usage error message to appear. To sort this out, you will have to head to the Event viewer window and find and uninstall these drivers.

Depending on your Windows version, the process to enter the window will differ. I've run through each of them for you.

Here's how you open it on Windows 10 or 8:

On Windows 7:

Once you've entered it:

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Solution 4: Update Your Drivers

Once you've figured out that drivers are responsible, you might be able to update them and fix the high cpu usage issue. The process to follow will differ depending on the driver you've installed.

Head on over to your driver's website, then look for the latest version and click download. You should be good to go now.

Solution 5: Shut Down Running Processes

Are you still having no luck? Some processes might be requesting a lot of information from the WMI providers, and eating up system resources. This is most likely because of a bug or glitch.

Enter Event viewer to find out what these apps are. I've already run through how to do this in solution 2 in my article. Once you've figured out what application is responsible, you can either uninstall or update it.

Solution 6: Perform a Diagnostic Check

You might be able to fix the problem by entering Safe Mode. If some kind of system error is causing the windows management instrumentation high CPU usage error, it will automatically try to fix it.

Here's what you do to fix WMI provider host:

Can I Disable WMI Provider Host?

If you tried the above fixes but are still having no luck with the Windows management instrumentation service, you might think about disabling it. Although you can do this, I advise against it. It's an important part of your computer.

If you check the official description for the service, you will see that it says "“If this service is stopped, most Windows-based software will not function properly”.

What Is WMI Provider Host (WMIPRVSE.EXE)?

With the above fixes out of the way, I thought about looking at exactly the WMI host is. It's a built-in windows feature that standardizes the way administrative scripts request for information from your Windows operating system. As mentioned, it's one of the more important Microsoft services, so it acting up is trouble.

It doesn't have a high CPU capacity, so If you see error notifications saying that the WMI provider host service is wasting your CPU resources, something is going on. I went through a couple of troubleshooting tips to get the service back up again.

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Final Thoughts

The WMI honest process taking so much CPU usage on Windows 10 is not normal. A lot of the time, the CPU usage problem is due to a faulty driver or third-party application. Open the Task Manager, and select event viewer to see if there are any processes that are eating up PC resources, and delete them.

A virus can do this too. Get Windows Defender to scan your PC to fix this.

Lindsay Hayes

Author
Hi, I’m Lindsay, a techie from Kansas City. That’s right; I’m a born and bred Midwesterner. I learned to take electronics apart at my dad’s GameStop way back when, and I haven’t stopped since. I spend most of my time checking out new gadgets.
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