Fix WMI Provider Host High CPU Usage Crashes Windows PC

While using Windows 11 and Windows 10, you may have noticed multiple times that your CPU usage is touching 100% for several minutes without any heavy application running. In some scenarios, you will see in your Task Manager that your WMI Provider Host or WmiPrvSE.exe is causing extensive memory usage. WMI Provider Host is a system application; hence you can’t stop or uninstall it. This post will guide you on how to fix WMI Provider Host high CPU usage in your Windows.

What is WMI Provider Host (WmiPrvSE.exe)?

WMI Provider Host refers to Windows Management Instrumentation Provider Service and provides a way for applications to gather information and data regarding your OS. It is critical for Windows, and thus your OS will not be stable if you close it.

If you try to stop it, most of the features of your Windows OS will stop working, and you can even get a ‘Blue Screen of Death.’

Why Does the WMI Provider Host Use So Much CPU?

WMI Provider Host will remain idle for the most part and will only start running when some application requests any data from your OS. It should not consume any CPU resources in the idle state, and sometimes when running, it can consume a large chunk of your system’s resources for a short period, but the problem arises when it persists for longer.

If your WmiPrvSE.exe is hogging down your CPU memory, then it is an indication that there are problems with your computer.

These are the most common reasons why the WMI Provider Host (WmiPrvSE.exe) high CPU usage issue occurs.

1. The WMI could have got stuck or crashed. You don’t get notified if this happens.
2. An application could be using WMI Provider Host for a while.
3. Your system has malware that keeps the process up and running continuously.

Fix Wmi Provider Host High CPU Usage Crashes in Windows PC

Primarily, five solutions can fix the WMI high CPU usage problem.

1. Restarting the WMI Provider Host.
2. Run an antivirus scan to remove malware.
3. Booting your system in Safe Mode with Networking.
4. Identifying and Removing the process that is causing the problem.
5. Perform SFC and DISM scans.

1] Restarting the WMI Provider Host

If your WMI Provider host has crashed or struck, then a restart could solve the issue. Follow the methods below to restart your WMI Provider Host:

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type msc in the field and hit enter.
3. In the service list window, scroll and find the service names “Windows Management Instrumentation Service“
4. Right-click on the service and select restart.
5. Open Run prompt, type PowerShell, and press the Shift + Enter key.
6. In the PowerShell, type the commands given below one by one.

   net stop iphlpsvcnet stop wscsvc
   
   net stop Winmgmt
   
   net start Winmgmt
   
   net start wscsvc
   
   net start iphlpsvc

7. Restart your PC after the commands.

2] Run an Antivirus Scan to Remove Malware

If malware or virus is causing the problem, boot up your anti-virus software and run a full system scan to detect any harmful application.

After the complete scan, check and remove any unwanted programs or malware in the system and restart your PC afterward.

3] Booting Your System in Safe Mode With Networking

If your WMI Provider Host high CPU usage persists, you will have to boot your system in safe mode with networking to troubleshoot and solve the issue. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type msconfig in the box and hit enter.
3. This will open the System Configuration Click on the Boot tab.
4. Under the Boot option, select the Safe Mode option and then the Network option below it.
5. Click on Apply and Restart your PC in Safe Mode with Networking enabled.
6. Open PowerShell with admin permission
7. In PowerShell, run the following command and press the Enter key

   msdt.exe -id MaintenanceDiagnostic

8. This will open the System Maintenance window and will detect unnecessary and corrupt files.
9. Open PowerShell again and enter the commands below:

   msdt.exe /id PerformanceDiagnostic

10. This will open the Performance Trouble window; click on Scan to start the scan.
11. Once the process is complete, restart your PC in Normal Mode.
12. Open the MSconfig tool again and uncheck the safe mode option.

4] Identifying and Removing the Process That Is Causing the Problem

We can use an inbuilt Windows tool, Event Viewer, to remove components and drivers causing the problem. This tool allows us to look at the running applications and services in Windows and check which of them are not working properly and causing problems in the OS.

1. Press Windows Key + X and select Event Viewer from the list.
2. On the top menu bar, select View and click on Show Analytic and Debug Logs.
3. 
4. On the left side, navigate to Applications and Service Logs > Microsoft > Windows > WMI activity > Operational log.
5. Look for error processes and note down their Process ID.
6. Press CTRL + Shift + ESC to open Task Manager and go to the Details tab.
7. Look at the PID column and find the same ID as the error process in Event Viewer.
8. Right-click on that service and select either End Task or Uninstall.

5] Perform SFC and DISM scans

There could be a system file that might be causing the problem, and hence the System File Checker (SFC) scan can help if all the other methods fail. To do it, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows Key + X and select Windows PowerShell(Admin)
2. in the PowerShell, enter the following command to initiate the scan:

   sfc /scannow

3. This process will take some time; once it is done, check if your problem is solved or not. If it persists, you can then run a Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) scan.
4. In the PowerShell, type these commands and press the Enter key:

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /restorehealth

The scan might take some time, don’t interrupt the process.

Can I stop the WMI Provider Host Process?

Yes, you can kill the process from the task manager, but that will make your OS unstable, and more than 90% of your Windows System features will stop working. In some cases, it even leads to the Blue Screen of Death or System failure forcing you to reinstall your OS and lose all your data.

What is the use of WMI Provider Host in Windows?

The WMI Provider Host provides a standard path for the applications to request information about the state of your Windows OS and the data available in it. In simple terms, it makes sure that all windows processes and services work as they are supposed to and have access to all the necessary information and data.

How to check if the High CPU usage is due to the WMI Host Provider or not?

The WMI Host Provider may not always be the reason for High CPU usage. So if you feel like your memory is hogging, open Task Manager and click on the Memory column, and it will show you which services are taking the most of your memory resources.