While this is a good thing, the problem happens when System Interrupts consumes a high CPU usage. It might be an indication that there is an underlying issue with one of your hardware components or its associated drivers. So, it is very important to check the CPU usage of System Interrupts now and then. If it is high, the first thing you have to do is to diagnose which piece of your hardware or its driver is failing. Then, you have to take the appropriate action to fix the issue. The following article helps you understand how to check the CPU usage of System Interrupts and the different methods to diagnose and troubleshoot the hardware issues.
What Exactly is System Interrupts and How to Check its CPU Usage?
System Interrupts may seem like a process but it is a representative that shows the CPU consumption of all hardware interrupts happening on your system. It monitors all the processes happening in your system and alerts the CPU if any tak needs priority. The CPU suspends the process that it currently works on and deals with the priority task. Once the task is finished, it resumes the process that it was originally working. You will be able to see the CPU usage in Task Manager. When you scroll down in the Task Manager window, you will see System Interrupts process and its CPU usage. It is normal for the CPU consumption of System Interrupts to rise up now and then. But, if it stays above 20% consistently, then it is an indication that your hardware component or its associated driver is malfunctioning.
Methods to Fix High CPU Consumption of System Interrupts
When the System Interrupts shoots up and stays at the same level, you should be quick to act. Otherwise, the problem will grow and you will end up replacing the hardware piece to resolve the issue. Below is a list of different methods that you can use to troubleshoot the high CPU usage of System Interrupts Issue.
Method 1: Disable or Disconnect all External Devices
The most common reason for this is a malfunctioning USB hardware. The simplest solution for this is to disconnect the external device that you have plugged into the USB slot. Alternatively, you can disable the USB Root Hubs. To do this, follow the steps below Find the section Universal Serial Bus Controllers in the Device Manager. Under this section, you will find the USB Root Hub entries. Right-click on them one by one and select the Disable option. Once you have disabled all the external devices, the issue of your System Interrupts causing high CPU usage should be fixed.
Method 2: Disable Internal Devices
If disconnecting the external devices did not work, then you will have to try disabling the internal devices. The internal devices include modems, sound devices, network adapters, and add-on cards. To disable these devices, follow the steps below: Open the Device Manager by searching it using the Windows search bar. Alternatively, you will also find this in the Control Panel. Click on the name of the internal device to expand it. Right click on the device and select the Disable option. Similarly, you can disable the devices one by one. After disabling each device, check the CPU usage of System Interrupts from the Task Manager. If there is no drop in the CPU usage, then the problem is not with the disabled device. Move to the next device. But, before moving to the next device, follow the same steps and select the Enable option at the last step to activate the device.
Method 3: Disable Sound Effects
The other option to reduce the CPU usage of System Interrupts is by disabling the sound effects in your system. Follow the steps below to perform this: You will find a speaker icon in your system tray. Right-click on it. Then, click on Playback devices. Open Properties by double-clicking on the name of your default audio device. Switch to the Enhancements section. There, you will see the option to disable or deactivate all the sound effects. Once you have disabled them, click on the Ok button to confirm the changes.
Method 4: Check or Update Hardware Drivers
As mentioned earlier, the problem can occur not only because of hardware components but also because of the associated hardware drivers. There are several third-party apps that you can use to check if any of your drivers are malfunctioning. One such app is DPC Latency Checker. The DPC stands for Deferred Procedure Call. It checks the latency of device drivers and analyzes if your computer can handle video and audio streaming. The System Interrupts calls on the DPC when it wants to delay a low priority task. The app represents the latency in the form of a bar graph. The red bars indicate there is a drop-out due to high latency. Once you have identified the driver causing the issue, you can sort out the issue by updating your drivers. Orelse, you can also restore the older version of the driver. Similar to the DPC Latency Checker, there is also another app called LatencyMon. As the name reveals, it monitors the latency and identifies the driver files that have high DPC count. Drivers with high DPC count have the potential to cause frequent interruptions.
Method 5: Excluding Failing Hardware
Similar to a corrupt driver, a failing hardware can also cause System Interrupts. The failing hardware includes a faulty laptop charger and a power supply as well. In this case, the only option is to replace the entire hardware. There are different tools using which you can identify which piece of hardware is failing. Windows 10 has two native hardware diagnostic tools. They are,
Performance Monitor
Performance monitor is the most holistic tool for identifying and diagnosing hardware issues. You can open the app by searching it with its name using the Windows search bar. Once you have opened the app, it will take a few seconds for the app to collect the data. For an overview of your system’s hardware, visit the System Diagnostics and click on your computer’s name from the left-hand panel. This will provide detailed statistics of your system’s hardware and software. If you want to dig a little deeper, then you can visit Performance Monitor under the Monitoring Tools section. There you will find live performance graphs and customizable data sets.
Windows Memory Diagnostic
This native app is used to run a memory test on your system’s RAM. When the RAM is about to fail, your system will experience different issues including corrupted data files, frequent crashes, and lagging. To run the memory test using this app, follow the steps below: Open the Run window by pressing Windows and R key together. Type mdsched.exe and press Enter. At this point, you will receive a prompt to restart your system. Once your system restarts, it will display the results on the Windows desktop. If in case, the system does not display the results automatically, then you will have to right-click the Start button and open the Event Viewer. Now, click on System under the Windows logs and select the recent file MemoryDiagnostic. This will display the results from which you can identify which of your hardware is failing. Apart from the native Windows 10 apps, there are several other third-party apps that you can use to diagnose hardware issues. The third-party apps include MemTest86, RWEverything, and CrystalDiskInfo. All you have to do is download and run any one of these apps. They will help you to identify the faulty hardware.
Method 6: Update BIOS to Latest Version
If the high CPU usage of System Interrupts issue is not because of any of the above issues, then it might be due to an outdated BIOS. The most obvious solution for this is to update your BIOS to the latest version. First, you will have to identify the current version of the BIOS your system is running. To do this, follow the below mentioned steps: Open the Run window by searching it in the Windows search bar or by pressing the Windows and R keys together. You will have to execute two commands. The first command is systeminfo|findstr /I /c:bios. Press Enter. After executing the first command, type wmic bios get manufacturer, smbiosbiosversion and press Enter to execute the second command. Once the two commands are executed, it will display the BIOS version. Then, visit the manufacturer’s official website to download the latest version of your BIOS. Open the setup file and follow the on-screen instructions to update the BIOS. Now, go to the Task Manager and check if the issue is fixed.
Conclusion
The difficult part is to diagnose which piece of your hardware or its associate driver is failing. If you have already figured it out, then you can directly use the appropriate method to fix the issue. Otherwise, you have to try out each method one by one to resolve the issue. Which of these methods did you use to fix the issue? Share your experience with us in the comments box. You can also post your thoughts and opinions using the comments section. Comment * Name * Email * Website
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