Have you recently come across unusually high CPU usage by the WMI Provider Host process in Windows Task Manager?

Many Windows 10 users have reportedly observed this sudden spike in CPU usage, which is eventually slowing down the computer considerably.

If you have yet to figure out a resolution for this WMI Provider Host high CPU usage issue, then we are here to help you out with this step-by-step tutorial.

 

What is WMI Provider Host?

Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Provider Host, commonly referred to as wmiprvse.exe, is a critical Windows Host Management Process.

WMI Provider Host facilitates system software and administrative scripts to fetch information about the state of the Windows operating system and the data residing on it.

Windows system administrators make use of this process to monitor various OS-related events.

 

Why is WMI Provider Host Important?

WMI Provide Host is a built-in Windows process that allows different programs and applications to communicate with the system.

When a particular program requires any information about the system or other application, the computer relays the information through Windows Management Instrumentation using the WmiPrvSE.exe process.

For your operating system to perform optimally, this process must always run in the background.

For enterprises that need to manage multiple computers centrally, WMI can be a particularly useful feature in the administrative console.

Even for a standalone home computer, installed programs and administrative scripts often send requests for information about drive encryption, event logs, and other applications through the WMI interface.

 

Why is wmiprvse.exe Using High CPU?

WMI hardly consumes noticeable system resources during its normal operation.

It may occasionally use just 1-2% of CPU resources while fetching the requested information on behalf of a particular program/script, but if you are noticing consistent CPU spikes for prolonged periods, then there is something wrong with the WMI Provider Host.

High CPU usage by wmiprvse.exe may result in unresponsive programs, slow processing speed, and excessive lag while starting new programs.

Your computer may also become pretty hot and crash often.

 

How to Fix the wmiprvse.exe High CPU Usage Problem?

Looking for an easy fix to get rid of this annoying issue? In this tutorial, we cover several methods of resolving the high CPU usage problem caused by the WMI Provider Host.

Let’s find out how to go about it!

 

Method 1: Restart Your Computer

Rebooting your PC can be of great help, especially if your wmiprvse.exe process is stuck in a bad state.

When you restart your PC, Windows shuts down all its components and then opens them up all over again. If something is causing WMI to malfunction temporarily, then it will go away when your system boots up again.

Check out the resource usage once your PC restarts. You will most likely observe a steep drop in the CPU utilization percentage for the wmiprvse.exe process.

However, if the issue continues to resurface time and again, then you will need to follow the other methods listed below.

 

Method 2: Restart WMI Service in service.msc Console

Sometimes the WMI service can itself be the root cause of the problem. In such a scenario, you can restart the WMI service to get rid of high CPU utilization.

1. Simultaneously press the Windows + R keys. It will open the Run dialogue box.
2. Type “services.msc” and then press Enter or click on the “OK” button.
3. In the new window, you will see a list of all services running on your computer. Scroll down and locate the Windows Management Instrumentation service.
4. Right-click on the service and select “Restart.” It will stop the WMI service before starting it afresh.

For most users, this method usually solves the high CPU usage problem. If you aren’t lucky, however, don’t lose heart and continue with the next method.

 

Method 3: Repair and Rebuild WMI

If rebooting your computer and restarting the WMI service didn’t solve the problem for you, then the next step is to repair the WMI file.

1. Hold down the Windows key and press “R” to open the Run dialogue box.
2. Type “Winmgmt /salvagerepository %windir%\System32\wbem” and press Enter. This command is for repairing your WMI file.
3. Now type “Winmgmt /resetrepository %windir%\System32\wbem” in the Run box and press Enter again. It will reset the WMI repository.
4. Finally, reboot your PC for the changes to take effect.

By following the abovementioned steps, you are actually resetting WMI to the default state again. The first command will repair the corrupt file, while the second one will restore it to its original state.

After your computer restarts, check the CPU usage in the Task Manager. If all goes well, you will not see a high CPU percentage for the WMI Provider Host process.

But if the problem persists (although the chances are pretty bleak), please follow the next method.

 

Method 4: Use Event Viewer to Diagnose the Problem

As already explained, WMI fetches information from different system components, apps, and administrative scripts.

If the particular program that WMI is requesting information from becomes unresponsive, the request will not go through and it will result in high CPU usage.

In such circumstances, it is important to figure out which program is actually at fault. Windows Event Viewer can come in handy in this investigative work.

1. 1. Open the Run box by simultaneously pressing the Windows + R keys.
   2. Type “eventvwr” (or eventvwr.msc) and press Enter.
   3. Now use the top navigation pane to go to “View” and enable “show analytic and debug logs.”
   4. In the left navigation pane, go to Application and Service Logs > Microsoft > Windows > WMI-Activity > Operational.
   5. Here you should be able to find the error log for the program that is causing the WMI high CPU usage problem.
   6. Click on the error event to find “ClientProcessId.” Note down the ID number.
   7. Now go to Google and input this ID number. You will be able to readily identify the program that is causing this error.
   8. Now open the Windows Task Manager by pressing ALT + CRTL + DEL together. Search for that particular program, right-click on it, and select “End.”

It will kill that particular instance of the troublesome program. You may even decide to uninstall the program from your PC if it is not useful.

That should do the job for you. Now restart your computer one last time and then check the CPU usage of the wmiprvse.exe process to confirm that the problem is permanently fixed.

 

Final Words

WMI Provider Host is a critical process as far as the health of your operating system is concerned.

If wmiprvse.exe is malfunctioning, then you should make investigating and fixing the issue a high priority.

We hope you have found this step-by-step tutorial useful in getting rid of the high CPU usage problem involving WMI Provider Host.