What Is Wuauserv and How to Fix Wuauserv High CPU Issue?
When the Windows Update service is running on the computer, wuauserv will run in the background. This post introduces what it is. Besides, you can know how to disable it and how to fix the wuauserv high CPU issue on Windows 10. Keep on your reading.
What Is Wuauserv?
What is wuauserv? Wuauserv is the Windows Update Service, which is responsible for automatically downloading and installing software created by Microsoft on your computer. It is a vital component that helps keep your PC up to date with important security patches.
How to Disable It?
If you don’t want it to run on your computer, you can choose to disable it. Here is how to do that:
Step 1: Type services in the Search box to open it. Then, you need to click the Standard category.
Step 2: Then, find Windows Update Service and right-click it to choose Properties.
Step 3: Under the General tab, you need to change the Startup Type to Disabled and click the Apply button. Then, you have disabled Windows Update Service successfully.
How to Fix Wuauserv High CPU Issue?
Wuauserv can also cause the high CPU issue. How to fix the terrible issue? Now, continue to read this post to find the answer.
Fix 1: Wait for Windows Update Process to Complete
You may be facing this problem because some important updates are pending on your computer. To check for Windows updates, follow the next steps below.
Step 1: Right-click the Start menu and choose Settings.
Step 2: On the Settings window, select Update & Security.
Step 3: Under the Windows Update section, click the Check for updates button to check if there are any new updates. Then Windows will search for available updates. Just follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.
After installing the latest Windows updates, restart your computer and check if the wuauserv high CPU issue gets fixed.
Fix 2: Uninstall the Latest Updates
If the wuauserv high CPU issue appears, you can try to uninstall the latest updates to fix it.
Step 1: Open the Settings application and then navigate to Update & Security > Windows Update.
Step 2: Choose View update history in the right panel and then click Uninstall updates.
Step 3: Right-click the latest update that probably caused the issue and then choose Uninstall.
Step 4: Reboot your computer and then check if the issue is fixed.
Fix 3: Delete SoftwareDistribution Folder
In this section, we walk through the third method – delete the SoftwareDistribution folder to fix the wuauserv high CPU issue. To do that, you can follow the steps.
Step 1: Type Command Prompt in the Search menu. Then right-click it to choose Run as administrator:
Step 2: Run the following commands one by one and press Enter:
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
Step 3: Now go to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and delete all the files & folders inside by pressing the Ctrl+A keys to select all and then right-clicking to choose Delete.
After emptying this folder, you can either restart your computer or type the following command one by one in Command Prompt and press Enter to restart Windows Update related services:
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
Now, run Windows Update again and check to see if you still meet the wuauserv high CPU issue.
Fix 4: Stop Wuauserv
You can also stop wuauserv. The steps are introduced on the how to disable it part. You just need to follow that guide to fix the issue.
Final Words
What is wuauserv? Read here, you may have an overall understanding of it. To be specific, the definition has being introduced. Besides, you have known how to disable it and how to fix the high CPU issue.