Fix Ntoskrnl.exe High CPU Usage on Windows 10

Does your Windows 10 PC freeze often and struggle to start up? While a lot of things could be causing this, the 20H2 update is known to have caused an issue with the ntoskrnl.exe process. If you open the Task Manager and notice ntoskrnl.exe high CPU usage, then most likely you’ve found the process responsible for the freeze-ups. Read on to learn how to fix it.

What Is Ntoskrnl.exe and Why Is It Freezing My PC?

Ntoskrnl.exe is the process name for Windows NT operating system kernel. It’s a vital part of the operating system that handles important services like process management, memory management, and hardware virtualization. It’s also responsible for many other important system tasks and processes.

The process may cause high CPU usage for a number of reasons, including a Windows 10 update error, malware, other Windows services and processes stuck in the background, and more.

How to Fix Ntoskrnl.exe High CPU Usage

Here are some tips that will help you fix ntoskrnl.exe high CPU and get your Windows 10 running faster again.

Fix 1: Install All New Windows 10 Updates

Often, users report that they start getting problems with ntoskrnl.exe after the 20H2 update. If that’s your case, check if all of the system updates were installed and no updates are pending. You can do that from the “Update & Security” section in the Settings or you’ll see a notification in the task bar.

Once you install all pending updates, restart your computer and see if it helped.

Fix 2: Scan Your PC for Malware

Even though Windows 10 handles malware a lot better than previous versions of the operating system, it’s still not virus-proof. A piece of malware hiding somewhere in your system can cause ntoskrnl.exe to consume CPU resources.

Scan your computer using a trusted security program and, if anything is detected, follow your software’s instructions on how to quarantine and remove the malware.

Fix 3: Disable Runtime Broker

Tips about Windows may be interfering with Ntoskrnl and causing it to use more CPU than necessary. You can disable these tips by following these steps:

1. Open “Settings” and go to “System”
2. Find “Notifications & Actions” and uncheck “Show me tips about Windows.”

Fix 4: Run Automatic Windows Repair Software

If you’re not too handy with the Windows registery and adjusting hidden OS settings, we recommend fixing ntoskrnl.exe high CPU usage with the help of our repair tool. Just follow these steps and it will fix all Windows 10 problems automatically:

1. Download our recommended Windows repair tool from the link below
2. Install it on your PC and run a scan
3. Let it fix all detected problems automatically
4. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect

We hope that this post helped you solve ntoskrnl.exe high CPU usage and your computer is back to normal.