It has been reported by some Windows users that their CPU usage is high, without any particular reason. There’s not a fixed timing as to when the problem turns up. It shows up whenever the computer wakes up from sleep, or even during regular work sometimes. If you’re facing the similar issue, you’re going to find a solution in this post.
Complications with high CPU usage can cause a drastic impact on your computer’s performance. Some users have reported the following problems as well:
- Service Host Local System high disk usage, network usage, memory usage – Many users reported other problems with this service. In their opinion, Service Host Local can also cause high disk and memory usage.
- Service Host Local System taking up resources –This is another common problem that can occur with this service, and many users reported that Service Host Local System is taking up various resources.
- Service Host Local System slow –Your system might get slow due to this hitch.
- Service Host Local System startup – It has been observed that right after starting up the system, high CPU problems showed up.
- Service Host Local System memory leak –Another hitch related to Service Host Local System is memory leaks. Memory leaks can be troublesome and can drastically affect your performance.
- Service Host Local Service virus –Sometimes, virus infections causes problems with Service Local Host. Be sure to perform a detailed malware scan if you suspect that your PC is infected.
After seeing so much memory being used by Service host local system you must be wondering how to stop Service host local system. Well, this article will help you get rid of such memory and network usage.
How to Fix Service Host Local System High CPU Usage Error
You can follow the given solutions to fix the High CPU usage error caused by Service Host Local System.
We have tried to include all the solutions that can help you fix the cpu usage error. The methods will fix high memory usage error from Windows 10 and Windows 8 computers.
Solution 1 – Disable Superfetch service
On exploring Task Manager a little bit, you’ll observe that Service Host is the cause behind high CPU usage. This is irrelevant to CPU’s speed or power as it can happen on any configuration.
Anyway, Service Host: Local Service (Network Restricted) contains a lot of sub-services, and one of these sub-services is causing Service Host: Local Service (Network Restricted) to use CPU to its maximum.
This service is known as Superfetch. The main use of Superfetch is that it’s used to pre-load data from hard disk into RAM memory. You will have to disable Superfetch service for improving your performance, and getting rid of the high CPU usage. Here’s you can do it:
- Go to Search, type services and open Services.
- Find Superfetch service, right click on it and go to Stop.
3. Restart your computer.
Your CPU usage should get back to normal once you’ve disabled Superfetch service. After that, you’ll be able to continue with work on your computer glitch-free.
Although according to Microsoft, Superfetch service improves computers’ performance over time, in practice, it’s actually the opposite. It has been complained by many users that this service keeps performance optimized only when the system is newly installed, but eventually, it actually minimizes the system’s performance.
Also, Superfetch services run on very low priority, so it should not affect other IO activities. That is because normal IO activities run at high priority. It has been reported by several users that they have fixed the problem simply by disabling Windows Update and Event Log service, therefore you can try that as well.
Solution 2 – Run SFC and DISM scan
Sometimes, due file corruption, Service Host causes high CPU usage. Your system files are prone to get corrupted, but hey! There’s no need to get tensed! You can simply repair them by running an SFC scan. For that, follow the given steps:
- Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu. Select Command Prompt(Admin) from the list. If Command Prompt isn’t available, select PowerShell (Admin) instead.
2. When Command Prompt opens, enter sfc /scannow. Then press Enter to run it.
3. SFC scan will now start. This will take you about 10 mins, so don’t interrupt it.
After the SFC scan is finished, check if the problem is resolved. If the issue still persists, or if you couldn’t run SFC scan at all, you’ll need to use DISM scan instead. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open Command Prompt as administrator.
- When Command Prompt starts, enter DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
3. DISM scan will now start. This process can take 15-20 minutes so do not interrupt it.
After the DISM scan is finished, check if the problem still persists. If you were unable to run SFC scan before, try running it now. The problem should most probably get resolved after both scans are completed.
Solution 3 – Run Windows Update troubleshooter
You might be able to fix this problem simply by running Windows Update troubleshooter. The problem can be related to Windows Update if Service Host is causing high CPU usage. By running the troubleshooter you should be able to fix it. For that, follow these steps:
- Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
- When Settings app opens, navigate to Update & security.
3. In the left pane, navigate to Troubleshoot section. Select Windows Update and click Run the troubleshooter.
4. Wait for the troubleshooter to scan your system and checks for problems.
The troubleshooter can also be run by following the given steps:
- Press Windows Key + S and click on Control panel. Select Control Panel from the list.
2. When Control Panel opens, go to Troubleshooting.
3. Click on View all in the menu on the left
4. Click on Windows Update
When the Windows Update window opens, click on Advanced.
Click Run as administrator and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the Windows troubleshooter.
Both methods are capable of checking Windows Update and can fix any potential problems.
After the troubleshooting is finished, check if the issue still appears.
Solution 4 – End unnecessary HP processes
The cause might be related to HP processes that are running in the background if Service Host is causing high CPU usage. For rectifying this error, you need to end all the HP processes from Task Manager by doing the following:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Look for any HP processes when Task Manager opens. It has been reported by users that HP Help process was causing this problem on their PC, but other processes can cause this issue as well. If you notice any kind of HP processes, right-click them and choose End Task from the menu.
3. After ending all HP processes, check if the problem still persists.
If by disabling the HP processes the problem can be fixed, then you can repeat this solution whenever this issue appears. For a lasting solution, you’ll need to find the HP applications related to those processes and uninstall them.
Solution 5 – Remove problematic applications to fix Service Host Local System high CPU error
The problem can be related to third-party software. As stated by some users, it seems that the complication was caused by Dragon Naturally Speaking software.
For fixing this high cpu usage error, it has been suggested by some users to completely discard this application from your PC. If you have been using Dragon Naturally Speaking frequently and you don’t want to remove it, be sure to update it to the latest version and check if that solves the problem.
MSI Command Center is another application that can cause this problem to appear. Many users have reported that removal of this application fixed the problem on their PC, so you can try that one too. It is known that the issue can be caused by a Chrome VPN extension, so if you installed any new extensions recently, ensure its removal and check if that solves the problem.
Solution 6 – Perform a Clean boot
As already mentioned above, sometimes third-party applications and services can be the cause behind this problem. It’s recommended to perform a Clean boot if Service Host is causing high CPU usage on your PC. This is done in order to find the application that is causing it. To do that, follow these steps:
- Press Windows Key + R and enter msconfig. Press Enter or click OK.
2. Go to the Services tab and check for Hide all Microsoft services option. Now click on Disable all button.
3. Go to Startup section. Then click on Open Task Manager.
4. List of all startup applications will now appear. Now you will have to right-click the first entry on the list and choose Disable. You will have to repeat this step for all entries on the list. Close Task Manager after disabling all startup items.
5. In System Configuration window, you need to click Apply and OK to save changes. For applying the changes, you will be required to restart your PC.
After restarting your PC, check if the problem still persists. If not, then one of the disabled applications or services was the cause of this problem. For ruling out which application caused the error, enable apps and services one by one or in groups until you find the one that is causing this issue. After finding that problematic application, either disable it, remove it or reinstall it. Then check if that solves the problem.
Solution 7 – Change processor scheduling
It has been observed that by changing the processor scheduling you might be able to repair the damage if Service Host is causing high CPU usage. This can be easily rectified by following the given points:
- Press Windows Key + S and enter advanced. Choose View advanced system settings.
- When the System Properties window opens, in Performance section click on Settings button.
3. Search for Advanced tab and set Adjust for best performance of Programs. Then click on Apply and OK to apply the changes.
4. After applying the changes, the problems with high CPU usage should preferably be resolved completely.
Solution 8 – Restart Windows Update service
If Service Host is causing high CPU usage, you might be able to fix the problem simply by restarting Windows Update service. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open Command Prompt as administrator.
- Now run the following commands:
- net stop wuauserv
- net stop bits
- Minimize Command Prompt.
- Open File Explorer and navigate to C: WindowsSoftwareDistribution directory. Delete all files from the SoftwareDistribution folder.
- Go back to Command Prompt. Then run the following commands:
- net start wuauserv
- net start bits
Now the error should be rectified. You should no longer be getting high CPU usage from Service host local system.
Final Words
Service Host and high CPU usage can cause many problems, but we hope that you managed to solve this problem by using one of our solutions.
If the error still persists, you can visit this page to find more solutions for the same error.
