Even though System Interrupts aren’t actually processes, they show up in the Task Manager and are an important feature of Windows. System resources required by all hardware interrupts in a CPU can be seen here.
Input and output devices Interrupts are a crucial aspect of the computer’s ability to handle multiple tasks at once and to do so successfully. Also, the computer will be executing a number of processes at once.
As a mechanism of informing the computer that a given instruction is ready for execution, interrupts can be used in conjunction with other methods. System Interrupts are essential to the operating system and machine, although they should not exceed 2% to 3% in any given situation.
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Understanding System Interrupts
Before diving into the causes and solutions, let’s clarify what System Interrupts are:
System Interrupts refer to a mechanism in computer hardware where the CPU temporarily stops executing its current tasks to attend to a higher-priority task.
These higher-priority tasks often involve hardware devices or components signaling the CPU that they require attention.
System Interrupts are essential for the proper functioning of hardware, as they ensure that input/output operations and other hardware-related tasks are handled efficiently.
However, when the System Interrupts process consumes an unusually high percentage of CPU resources, it can lead to performance issues and sluggishness, affecting the overall user experience.
Causes of High CPU Usage by System Interrupts
Several factors can contribute to System Interrupts consuming a significant portion of CPU resources. Understanding these causes is crucial to effectively addressing the issue:
- Driver Issues: Outdated, corrupted, or incompatible hardware drivers can trigger excessive System Interrupts, as the CPU struggles to communicate with hardware devices. This often occurs after driver updates or system upgrades.
- Hardware Problems: Faulty or malfunctioning hardware components, such as malfunctioning USB devices, graphics cards, or network adapters, can generate an unusually high number of interrupt requests, leading to increased CPU usage.
- Software Conflicts: Certain software applications, especially those dealing with low-level system functions or device management, may conflict with hardware drivers, causing spikes in System Interrupts.
- Interrupt Storms: In rare cases, malfunctioning hardware or driver issues can lead to what is known as an “interrupt storm.” This is when the CPU receives an overwhelming number of interrupt requests, causing a surge in System Interrupts and high CPU usage.
- Overclocking: Overclocking your CPU can lead to instability and increased interrupt requests, resulting in high CPU usage by System Interrupts.
Fix: System Interrupts High CPU Usage
Surely there’s a problem when the range reaches 20% and doesn’t change. Fast boot, poorly configured drivers, external devices, and so on can all be found to be the source of the issues.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of possible solutions, ranging from the most basic to the most involved.
1. Unplugging the USB Root Hubs
Though it may sound like a physical device that needs to be plugged in, you can really use the USB Root Hub to connect several USB devices to your computer. Most PCs feature numerous USB Root Hubs to share the data bus with different devices.
In order to disable the USB root hubs that are not in use by both the keyboard and mouse, we need to locate the USB root hubs and disable them.
After identifying the ones in use, it will be simple to disable the ones that are not in use, and perhaps the issue of high CPU utilisation will be resolved.
Step 1: The first step is to type “devmgmt.msc” into the Run box and then press Enter.
Step 2. Expand the “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” category, and then look for all of the root hubs that appear.
Step 3: After that, right click and choose properties for your root Hub. Check to see if your devices are connected to the computer after the properties window has opened. Your root hub will show up here if your keyboard and mouse are connected.) Except for those now in use, the rest of them can be turned off now.)
Step 4: Once you’ve identified the Root Hub, right-click on it and choose “Disable.”
No matter what happens, if the problem persists after a reboot, simply undo the changes you made.
2. Disabling Audio Enhancements
High CPU Usage may be caused by incompatibilities between some sound drivers and the devices they support. We can see if the CPU consumption problem is resolved if we disable the audio enhancements.
Sound blasters, for example, may have Enhancement tabs because not all sound drivers perform the same functions. We can now experiment with turning off the sound effects.
In addition, only a few sound card drivers offer a “Exclusive mode” option, which prevents other apps from taking complete control of the sound card. It wouldn’t be a problem to check it out once to see whether it solves the problem.
Step 1: To open the Control Panel, type “Run” into the search box and hit the ‘Win+R’ key. A search box appears in upper right corner of the Control Panel. Type ‘Sound’ into it. When the search results appear, select Sound from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: Click on the audio device that’s connected to your device after the sound option is displayed. Select Properties from the context menu by selecting it with the right mouse button. To disable all the enhancements, go to the ‘Enhancements tab’ and uncheck all the ones you want to disable.
In the ‘Advance tab,’ remove the check from the ‘Exclusive mode,’ which permits applications to override the settings. You can re-enable the options if the above technique does not work.
3. Disabling the Wake on Magic Packet Settings
During transmission, Windows offers a capability that allows the network adapter to wake the PC.
The data packet is referred to as “Wake on Magic Packet” by the system, which may lead to the high CPU Usage issue because the system has to cope with so many interrupts. You might disable this option in settings, however if it doesn’t work you can always reactivate it if necessary.
Step 1: Press “Win+R” to open the Run, and type “devmgmt.msc” in the search field to open the Device Manager.
Step 2: The Device Manager organises all of your computer’s peripherals into categories. Afterward, select the Network Adapter drop-down menu to see the rest of the adapters. Right-click and select ‘Properties’ on the Ethernet and WiFi device you just found.
Step 3: As you progress through the steps, there will be an abundance of options available under the “Advanced” tab. After searching for the option “Wake on Magic Packet,” locate it and change its value from “enabled” to “disabled.” Then, save the modifications and leave the application.
To see if this helps, try restarting your computer.
4. Installing Intel Rapid Storage Technology
System performance and reliability are enhanced for SATA disk-equipped systems with Intel Rapid Storage Technology, a Windows-based application. Using one or more SATA disc drivers can provide benefits such as improved performance and reduced power usage.
As a result, the risk of losing data due to disc failure is reduced when many discs are used. The Intel Rapid Storage Technology module was installed in a few cases where users reported that their difficulties were solved.
The software is easy to install, but you should be warned that it will change the computer’s default SATA Controller driver. Install the module from Intel’s official website if you are aware of this fact and its consequences. Icons show in the taskbar after the product is successfully installed.
5. Turning Off the “Fast Startup” Feature
Windows 10’s “Fast Startup” mode is comparable to previous versions of Windows’ hybrid sleep modes (also called fast boot). The hibernate feature is used in conjunction with the cold shutdown feature.
Users are logged off and all applications are closed when the computer is shut down, and Windows likewise performs the same function. Users have been logged out and all apps closed, thus the newly booted state is very identical to that of Windows.
There is also a running system session, and the kernel has been loaded. After that, Windows notifies all of the device drivers that hibernation is about to begin, and the current state of the system is then preserved for later use in the form of a hibernation backup.
It’s now possible to avoid reloading the kernel, drivers, or the system state when Windows is restarted. Instead, the RAM is refreshed with a loaded image from the hibernation file, and the starting screen is shown.
Users that were experiencing high CPU utilisation found relief by removing this feature, thus it’s a possible remedy. That’s because if you turn off the feature, you won’t have much of an impact because it doesn’t shut down the system in a typical manner.
Step 1: The first step is to open the Run by hitting ‘Win+R’, type ‘Control Panel’ in the search bar, and then click Enter. Please be patient; the Control Panel is about to emerge! Once you’ve done that, head to the Power options.
Step 2: Select “Choose what the power buttons do” on the left side of the screen after the Power options have opened.
Step 3: Find and click on the “Change settings that are presently unavailable” option that states it requires administrative access. At this point, you can save your changes and exit the programme by clicking the “Exit” button at the bottom of the screen.
Lastly, restart your computer to determine if the adjustments you made to your system actually fixed the problem.
6. Troubleshooting Devices and Drivers
Finally, if you’ve tried all of the aforementioned options and still haven’t figured out what’s causing the problem, you may need to diagnosis the disk/drivers. With a few software exceptions, poor drivers or devices are usually to blame for interruptions (that are covered above).
The first step is to disconnect all external devices and then move on to the internal devices, and the device drivers will be updated at each step.
Step 1: Disconnect any and all external devices, such as the mouse, keyboard, Bluetooth, and WiFi cards, from your computer. While you’re waiting, unplug each one and keep an eye on how much CPU time is being consumed.
It’s fine to keep disconnecting devices till it drops, but if it drops significantly (like 2% to 3%), then you know who’s been causing all the problems up to this point.
Step 2: Disabling the external devices does not yield any results, then it’s time to investigate the system’s internal components to determine if the issue persists. In addition, this step is more difficult than the previous ones because the devices cannot be simply unplugged. As a result, each device must be disabled in Device Manager.
First, put “Device Manager” into the Run window by pressing “Win+R.” Then, press Enter to open the Device Manager. Targeting devices like network adapters, speakers, and other add-ons is the next step, so proceed accordingly.
Next, disable each interrupt one at a time and check to see if it has any effect on CPU utilisation. As long as it remains consistent at around 20-30 percent, the enabled devices aren’t causing any issues.
Try to stay away from things like disc drivers and display adapters, as well as anything associated with computer processors or other system components.
Step 3: The final step is to update all of the computer’s device drivers. However, this solution is more difficult and time-consuming than the others, as previously stated. Drivers that are supposed to be updated automatically fail on occasion, necessitating manual intervention.
As an alternative, you can just select a driver and update to the most recent version, and if there are no noticeable changes, you can easily go back to the old version and continue using it.
Secondly, if no changes are detected after updating the current driver, you can proceed to the next driver and do the same until you locate the cause. The manufacturer’s website is the only place to get the necessary drivers.
Select “Update Device Driver” from the context menu. “Browse My Computer for Driver Software” is the second option you’ll want to choose.
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Conclusion
Many people found these typical remedies helpful in resolving their issues, as shown above. In certain cases, deactivating unnecessary external or internal devices, as well as installing the necessary drivers, may be all that is needed to fix the problem.
In order to avoid these issues from occurring, it is important to follow the preceding instructions attentively.
