{"id":6083,"date":"2016-09-30T15:11:54","date_gmt":"2016-09-30T07:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/?post_type=knowledgebase&#038;p=6083"},"modified":"2025-10-21T18:04:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T10:04:52","slug":"system-ntoskrnl-exe-high-memory-or-cpu-usage-in-windows-10","status":"publish","type":"knowledgebase","link":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/system-ntoskrnl-exe-high-memory-or-cpu-usage-in-windows-10\/","title":{"rendered":"ntoskrnl.exe High CPU or Disk Usage on Windows 10\/11 [Solved]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If your Windows is working slowly, and when you check your Task Manager and find that the <strong>System<\/strong> item is hogging much of your CPU (or Disk in some cases) usage, you&#8217;re not alone. Many Windows users are reporting this problem. Don&#8217;t worry, it&#8217;s possible to fix.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>*<\/strong> Right-click the <strong>System<\/strong> item and click<strong> Properties<\/strong>, you&#8217;ll see a new item called<strong> ntoskrnl.exe<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"397\" height=\"499\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b0f9d613fd6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25744\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b0f9d613fd6.png 397w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b0f9d613fd6-239x300.png 239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 397px) 100vw, 397px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-nbsp-ntoskrnl-exe-nbsp\">What is&nbsp;ntoskrnl.exe?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ntoskrnl.exe, short for<strong> Windows NT operating system kernel<\/strong>, is a fundamental part of the system. Usually, when you see the uncommon usage of high CPU or memory, you should shut down the possible programs that are causing the problem.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this happens a lot, you should see if there is something wrong with certain application settings or files in your system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-do-i-fix-it-nbsp\">How do I fix it?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are 4 methods for you to try. You may not have to try them all; just work your way down until you find the one that works for you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"#a\">Method 1: Disable Windows Search Service<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#b\">Method 2: Check Incompatible Programs&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#c\">Method 3: Run SFC and DISM<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#d\">Method 4: Disable Runtime Broker<\/a><\/strong><span><a href=\"#d\"> <\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"note info\"><span>It is always suggested that you keep your device drivers updated to eliminate the possibility of such problems.&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Driver Easy is a tool that detects, downloads, and updates drivers (if you go Pro). You can use it to fix any driver problems. If you go to Pro, you can even update all drivers with just one click. If the high system CPU usage problem is caused by drivers, you can use Driver Easy to fix it quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can update your drivers automatically with either the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/kb\/DriverEasy_Setup.exe\"><strong>7 days free trial<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/buy.php?comeid=kbde\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Pro version<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;of Driver Easy. It takes just 2 clicks, and you get full support and a 30-day money-back guarantee with the Pro version:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li><a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/kb\/DriverEasy_Setup.exe\">Download&nbsp;<\/a>and install Driver Easy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Run Driver Easy and click the\u00a0<strong>Scan Now<\/strong>\u00a0button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"660\" class=\"wp-image-201739\" style=\"width: 1000px;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DE-scannow-7.0-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DE-scannow-7.0-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DE-scannow-7.0-1-600x396.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DE-scannow-7.0-1-150x99.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the <strong>Activate &amp; Update<\/strong> button next to the flagged device to automatically download and install the correct version of this driver.<br \/><br \/>Or click\u00a0<strong>Update All<\/strong>\u00a0to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (You\u2019ll need the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/buy.php?comeid=kbde\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pro version<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for this \u2013 when you select Update All, you\u2019ll get a prompt to upgrade. If you\u2019re not prepared to purchase the Pro version yet, Driver Easy provides a 7-day trial at no cost, granting access to all Pro features like fast downloads and easy installation. No charges will occur until after your 7-day trial period ends.)<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"660\" class=\"wp-image-201741\" style=\"width: 1000px;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DE-update-all.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DE-update-all.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DE-update-all-600x396.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/DE-update-all-150x99.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After updating, restart your computer to take effect.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"note success\"><span>If you need assistance, please contact\u00a0<strong>Driver Easy\u2019s support team<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a0<strong><a href=\"mailto:support@drivereasy.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">support@drivereasy.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a\"><a id=\"a\"><\/a>Method 1: Disable Windows Search service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of users suggested that disabling Windows Search helps to reduce the CPU and Disk usage caused by ntoskrnl.exe. To see if this does the trick for you as well:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li><span><span>On your keyboard, press the&nbsp;<strong>Windows key<\/strong> and <strong>X<\/strong> at the same time, then click&nbsp;<strong>Computer management<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"536\" class=\"wp-image-6099\" style=\"width: 350px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/computer-management.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expand <strong>Services and Applications<\/strong>&nbsp;and click <strong>Services<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"355\" class=\"wp-image-6100\" style=\"width: 550px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/services-and-applications.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span><span>Double-click<strong> Windows Search<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"548\" class=\"wp-image-6101\" style=\"width: 550px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/windwos-search-6101.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/windwos-search-6101.jpg 598w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/windwos-search-6101-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>General<\/strong> tab, click&nbsp;<strong>Stop<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"524\" class=\"wp-image-6103\" style=\"width: 450px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/stop-button.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wait for the service to stop, then press <strong>OK<\/strong> to save the change and exit.&nbsp;<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"519\" class=\"wp-image-6104\" style=\"width: 450px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/ok-to-save-the-change-6104.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><span><a id=\"2\"><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"b\">Method 2: Check incompatible programs&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span>Some users say that this only happens when they use certain programs. Especially when they have antivirus software running in the background. The antivirus software might have some conflicts with certain programs. The next time you <\/span>encounter this situation, try to pay extra attention to see if you can find the program that is messing with your system. If such a program can be located, try reinstalling<span> it or uninstalling it completely.<\/span><br \/><strong><a id=\"3\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"c\">Method 3: Run SFC and DISM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Corrupted system files may cause high CPU and disk usage with ntoskrnl.exe, but luckily, there are two built-in tools that can help to identify and repair such bad system files. The whole process could take some time, and we suggest you don&#8217;t run any other programs when doing the test. To run these tools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3.1. Scan corrupt files with System File Checker <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>1) On your keyboard, press the <strong>Windows<\/strong> logo key and <strong>R<\/strong> at the same time. Type <strong>cmd<\/strong> and press <strong>Ctrl+Shift+Enter<\/strong> at the same time to run Command Prompt as administrator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"399\" height=\"206\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/cmd-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-109507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/cmd-1.jpg 399w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/cmd-1-150x77.jpg 150w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/cmd-1-300x155.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background has-small-font-size\">Click <strong>Yes<\/strong> when prompted for permission to make changes to your device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2) In the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following command and hit <strong>Enter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">sfc \/scannow<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>3) System File Checker will then scan all system files and repair any corrupted or missing ones it detected. This may take 3-5 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"979\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/scan-now.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-109509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/scan-now.jpg 979w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/scan-now-150x78.jpg 150w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/scan-now-300x157.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 979px) 100vw, 979px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3.2. Run dism.exe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>1) On your keyboard, press the <strong>Windows<\/strong> logo key and <strong>R<\/strong> at the same time. Type <strong>cmd<\/strong> and press <strong>Ctrl+Shift+Enter<\/strong> to run Command Prompt as administrator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"399\" height=\"206\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/cmd-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-109507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/cmd-1.jpg 399w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/cmd-1-150x77.jpg 150w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/cmd-1-300x155.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background has-small-font-size\">Click <strong>Yes<\/strong> when prompted for permission to make changes to your device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2) In the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following commands and hit <strong>Enter<\/strong> after each line:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">dism.exe \/online \/cleanup-image \/scanhealth<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">dism.exe \/online \/cleanup-image \/restorehealth<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>2) When the process finishes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the DISM tool gives you errors, you can always try this command line. This will take up to 2 hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">dism \/online \/cleanup-image \/startcomponentcleanup<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you get&nbsp;<strong>Error: 0x800F081F<\/strong>, reboot your computer, then open Command Prompt as administrator again (step 1) and run this command line instead:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">Dism.exe \/Online \/Cleanup-Image \/AnalyzeComponentStore<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>When these tests are done, see if the ntoskrnl.exe high CPU or disk usage problem remains. If the problem still persists, please move on to the next fix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"d\">Method 4: Disable Runtime Broker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Normally, the runtime broker process should only use a very low CPU resource, but if things go wrong, it could take up to 100% CPU and disk usage, making your Windows run slowly and buggy. In this case, you can try to disable it to see if it helps. To do so:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"note info\"><span>Incorrectly modifying Registry Editor files could cause severe computer problems, so please make sure that you always create a backup or a restore point for your computer first before you change anything in the Registry Editor.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li>Firstly, create a system restore point as instructed here:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/help\/how-to-enable-and-create-restore-points-in-windows-10\/\">How to enable and create restore points in Windows 10<\/a>&nbsp;(the screenshots here are from Windows 10, but the instructions work on Windows 11 as well).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On your keyboard, press the&nbsp;<strong>Windows<\/strong>&nbsp;key and the&nbsp;<strong>R<\/strong>&nbsp;key together. Type&nbsp;<strong>regedit<\/strong>&nbsp;and hit<strong>&nbsp;Enter<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"401\" height=\"208\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-27.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-27.png 401w, https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-27-150x78.png 150w\"\/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the following location:&nbsp;<code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\TimeBroker<\/code><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"551\" class=\"wp-image-188523\" style=\"width: 750px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/runtime-broker.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/runtime-broker.png 992w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/runtime-broker-600x441.png 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/runtime-broker-150x110.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the right side, double-click <strong>Start<\/strong>, and change its value to <strong>4<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"211\" class=\"wp-image-188524\" style=\"width: 350px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/runtime-broker-4.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/runtime-broker-4.png 333w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/runtime-broker-4-150x91.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>See if the ntoskrnl.exe high CPU or disk usage problem remains.<\/p>\n<div class='ja-gadget-virtual-assistant-subtle cleanslate' data-value='computer'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If your Windows is working slowly, and when you check your Task Manager and find that the System item is hogging much of your CPU (or Disk in some cases) usage, you&#8217;re not alone. Many Windows users are reporting this problem. Don&#8217;t worry, it&#8217;s possible to fix.&nbsp; * Right-click the System item and click Properties, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","knowledgebase_category":[17],"knowledgebase_tags":[],"class_list":["post-6083","knowledgebase","type-knowledgebase","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","knowledgebase_category-common-error"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.5 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>ntoskrnl.exe High CPU or Disk Usage on Windows 10\/11 [Solved] - Driver Easy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Solved system ntoskrnl.exe high CPU and Memory usage sometimes could be over 50% in task manager in four easy and effecitve ways on Windows 10.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/system-ntoskrnl-exe-high-memory-or-cpu-usage-in-windows-10\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ntoskrnl.exe High CPU or Disk Usage on Windows 10\/11 [Solved]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Solved system ntoskrnl.exe high CPU and Memory usage sometimes could be over 50% in task manager in four easy and effecitve ways on Windows 10.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/system-ntoskrnl-exe-high-memory-or-cpu-usage-in-windows-10\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Driver Easy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-21T10:04:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b0f9d613fd6.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"397\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"499\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/system-ntoskrnl-exe-high-memory-or-cpu-usage-in-windows-10\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/system-ntoskrnl-exe-high-memory-or-cpu-usage-in-windows-10\/\",\"name\":\"ntoskrnl.exe High CPU or Disk Usage on Windows 10\/11 [Solved] - 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