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In order to run properly, Windows 10 uses various processes in the background, and one of these processes is ntoskrnl.exe.

Even though this is a system process, many users claim that ntoskrnl.exe is causing high CPU and memory usage on their PC, and today we’re going to show you how to fix that problem.

How do I fix Ntoskrnl.exe’s high CPU and disk usage?

1. Disable the Superfetch service

Press Enter or click OK.

Locate Superfetch service and double click it to open its properties.

Lastly, click Apply and OK to save changes.

Some users are suggesting disabling a few more services in order to fix the problem.

According to the Windows Search, SuperFetch, Remote Desktop Services, and Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector can be related to this problem, so you might want to disable them and check if that solves the issue.

Several users are also recommending disabling TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper and Offline Files services, so feel free to try that as well.

After doing that the Superfetch service won’t run anymore and your problem should be resolved. If any other issues occur after disabling this service, you might want to turn it back on.

You can also disable this service by using Registry Editor. To do that, follow these steps:

Click OK or press Enter.

Set Value data to 0 and click on OK to save changes.

After doing that Superfetch service will be disabled and the problem should be fixed entirely.

Optional: Your registry holds sensitive information, therefore it’s advised to create a backup just in case anything goes wrong. Creating a backup is simple, and to do that you need to click on File > Export.
Now select All as Export range and enter the desired file name. Choose a safe location and click on the Save button.
In case anything goes wrong after modifying the registry, you can always run this file in order to restore it to its original state.

According to users, the main cause of this problem might be the Superfetch service. This service caches your data but despite its usefulness, it can cause this and other errors to appear.

If you have problems with ntoskrnl.exe and high CPU or memory usage, you might want to disable this service.

2. Create a reg file and run it

According to users, you can fix this problem simply by creating a single registry file and running it. By doing so you’ll make multiple changes to your registry with ease. To create a reg file, do the following:

Now click on File > Save as.

Set file name as script.reg, choose a save location and click the Save button.

Locate script.reg file and double click it to run it.

• A security warning will appear. Click on Yes to continue.
  

After running the file, your registry will be modified automatically and the problem should be completely resolved.

3. Delete or rename SoftwareDistribution directory

Navigate to C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution directory and delete all files from it.

After doing that, the problem should be completely resolved. If you don’t want to delete the SoftwareDistribution directory, you can rename it simply by following these steps:

According to users, the cause for this problem might be the SoftwareDistribution directory. Windows Update uses this directory to temporarily store files, but sometimes problems with it can occur.

If you’re having any problems with ntoskrnl.exe on your PC, you’ll need to remove this directory. After doing that, the SoftwareDistribution directory will be renamed and the problem should be resolved.

This method is a bit faster since you can do it entirely from Command Prompt. In addition to being faster, this method won’t delete any files, so feel free to try it.

4. Remove the problematic updates

When Settings app opens, navigate to Update & security section.

Click on Update history.

Now click on Uninstall updates.

Keeping your PC up to date is rather important, but sometimes certain updates can cause problems to appear. Several users reported that problems with high memory usage and ntoskrnl.exe appeared after installing certain Windows updates.

To fix the issue, you need to remove recently installed updates.

After you remove the problematic updates, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved. Keep in mind that Windows 10 will automatically install the updates, so you might want to prevent the problematic updates from installing.

To do that, you just need to download Show or hide updates troubleshooter. This is a tool developed by Microsoft, and it’s perfectly safe to use if you need to block a certain update. After stopping the updates from installing the problem should be fixed.

5. Stop all BlueStacks services

Enter script.bat as the file name and click on Save.

BlueStacks is a solid Android emulator, but according to users, this tool can lead to problems with ntoskrnl.exe. You can easily stop all BlueStacks services by creating a single bat file.

Once you run the file all BlueStacks services will be disabled and the problem should be completely resolved.

6. Disable hardware acceleration in Chrome

Click the Menu icon in the top right corner and choose Settings.

When Settings tab opens, scroll all the way down and click on Advanced.

Locate Use hardware acceleration when available option in the System section and disable it.

According to users, this problem can appear while using Chrome. The problem seems to be caused by hardware acceleration, but you can solve it by disabling this feature in Chrome.

After doing that, restart Chrome and check if the problem still appears. If you don’t use Google Chrome, be sure to disable hardware acceleration in your preferred browser.

7. Clean your registry

Your registry holds all sorts of information related to all installed third-party applications. If you tend to install a lot of third-party applications, your registry can become filled with unnecessary entries that can slow down your system.

Furthermore, these entries might create issues with ntoskrnl.exe and excessive disk utilization, but you could use registry cleaning software to resolve the problem. Before running any system file cleaning tool, we recommend that you create a backup of your database.

To see how to export your registry, we advise you to check Solution 1 for detailed instructions.

8. Disable your DVD drive

Press Windows Key + X and choose Device Manager from the list.

When Device Manager opens, locate your DVD drive, right-click it and choose Disable Device from the menu.

A warning message will appear. Click on Yes.

Several users reported this problem on Acer laptops. According to them, ntoskrnl.exe is causing high disk usage and in order to fix this issue, you need to disable your DVD drive.

After doing that, your DVD drive will be disabled entirely and the problem should be fixed. This is an unusual workaround, but it works according to users, so feel free to try it on your PC.

9. Uninstall Dell System Detect software

Third-party applications can sometimes cause problems with ntoskrnl.exe to occur. Several users reported that Dell System Detect caused this problem on their PC.

To fix the issue, you need to find and remove the problematic application and check if that solves the problem.

10. Change the Minimum Processor State

When Control Panel opens, go to Power Options.

Locate your currently selected plan and click on Change plan settings.

Now click on Change advanced power settings.

Set the value to 20-30% and click on Apply and OK to save changes.

According to users, you can solve the problems with high disk usage and ntoskrnl.exe simply by changing your power settings. To fix the issue, you just have to locate Minimum Processor State value and adjust it.

After doing that, the problems with high disk usage and ntoskrnl.exe should be completely resolved. If you can’t find Minimum Processor State setting, it means that this solution doesn’t apply to you.

11. Switch to High-performance power mode

Select High performance profile.

Windows comes with several power modes that you can use and by switching to a different mode you can increase your performance or lower power consumption.

According to users, you can fix the problem with high disk usage simply by switching to a High performance mode.

After switching to a high-performance power mode the problem should be completely resolved. Keep in mind that this mode uses more energy, so it will drain your laptop battery a bit faster.

12. End Outlook process

Right-click Outlook process and choose End Task from the menu.

Optional: If you can’t find Outlook task in Processes tab, go to Details tab and end Outlook process from there.

According to users, Outlook can sometimes cause this problem to appear. To fix the issue, you need to close Outlook and end its process. This is rather simple.

Users claim that this problem occurs with Outlook 2013, but if you’re using a different version feel free to try this solution as well. We have to mention that this is just a workaround, so you’ll have to repeat it every time this problem appears.

13. Disable Background Intelligent Transfer Service

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To fix this problem, few users are suggesting stopping Background Intelligent Transfer Service. To do that, you just have to go to the Services window, locate Background Intelligent Transfer Service and stop it.

For more information on how to stop a certain service, be sure to check Solution 1 for details. After you disable this service, you just have to restart your PC and the problem should be resolved.

Keep in mind that this is just a workaround and not a permanent solution, so you’ll have to repeat it whenever this problem appears.

14. Check your hard drive

Go to This PC, locate your hard drive, right-click it and choose Properties from the menu.

Go to the Tools tab and click the Check button.

According to users, this problem can sometimes appear due to bad sectors on your hard drive. As a result, your PC will have longer read times and higher disk usage.

To fix this problem, you need to repair bad sectors on your hard drive. Keep in mind that damaged sectors can appear due to hardware problems, and if that’s the case, you won’t be able to repair them at all.

On the other hand, if the damaged sectors are caused by software issues, you might be able to fix them by using this method.

Keep in mind that you might have to repeat this process for all partitions that are available on your PC. We also have to mention that this isn’t a universal solution and it won’t fix your problem if the bad sectors are caused by hardware damage.

15. Disable automatic defragmentation

Select Defragment and Optimize Drives from the list.

When Optimize Drives window opens, select your partition and click on Change settings.

Uncheck Run on a schedule (recommended) option and click OK.

Defragmentation can be quite useful since it will rearrange data on your hard drive so you can access it faster.

Windows 10 has automatic defragmentation enabled by default, and according to users that can cause problems with high disk usage and ntoskrnl.exe.

After doing that, automatic disk defragmentation will be disabled and any problems with high disk usage should be resolved.

You can also disable automatic defragmentation by removing its task from Task Scheduler. To do that, follow these steps:

Select Task Scheduler from the list.

In the right pane locate ScheduledDefrag, right-click it and choose Disable.

Alternatively, you can delete the auto defragmentation task by using Command Prompt.

After running this command you’ll delete the defragmentation task and your PC won’t perform automatic defragmentation anymore.

16. Use MSI Afterburner

Several users reported problems with high CPU usage and ntoskrnl.exe while gaming, and in order to fix this issue, you need to change your GPU clock speed.

According to users, you just need to run MSI Afterburner and lock the clock speed to the 3D clock speed value. After doing that, you shouldn’t have any problems with high CPU usage while gaming.

We have to warn you that MSI Afterburner is an overclocking tool, so be extra cautious while using it. Overclocking can damage your hardware if you’re not careful, so if you’re not familiar with overclocking you might want to skip this solution entirely.

17. Disable Show me tips about Windows option

Open the Settings app and go to the System section.

In the right pane, locate Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows option and disable it.

According to users, you might be able to fix the problem simply by disabling a single option in Windows. By default, Windows 10 will show you tips about Windows, and sometimes this option can cause high disk or CPU usage. To fix the problem, you need to disable it.

After disabling this feature, problems with high CPU and disk usage should be resolved.  This feature can be useful for first-time users, but if you’re already familiar with Windows 10, feel free to disable it.

18. Rollback to the older version of Intel Serial IO L2C driver

While it’s important to keep your drivers up to date, sometimes the latest drivers aren’t the best. In some rare cases, newer drivers can cause certain problems to appear.

Users reported that installing the latest Intel Serial IO L2C driver caused this problem to appear, and in order to fix it, you need to remove the driver and install the older version. After doing that, problems with ntoskrnl.exe should disappear.

19. Increase the paging file size

Choose View advanced system settings from the menu.

When System Properties window opens, click on Settings button in the Performance section.

Go to Advanced tab and click on Change button.

• Virtual Memory window will now appear.

Click the Set button and OK to save changes.

Several users claim that they fixed the problem with ntoskrnl.exe simply by increasing the paging file size. Your virtual memory is closely related to the paging file, and you can easily change its size by following the steps mentioned above.

After changing the size of your paging file the problem should be resolved. If the issue still persists, you might have to increase the size of the paging file.

20. Remove Zune software from your PC

According to several users, the main cause of this problem can be Zune software. It seems that Zune is indexing files in the background causing this problem to appear.

To fix the issue, you just need to remove Zune software from your PC and the problem should be resolved completely.

21. Disable P2P feature

Open the Settings app and go to Update & security section.

Click on Advanced options in Update settings section.

Now click on Choose how updates are delivered.

Turn off Updates from more than one place.

In order to deliver updates faster, Windows 10 is using a peer-to-peer feature. Using this feature you can download Windows updates from other users online.

This is a useful feature, but it seems that it can cause problems with ntoskrnl.exe. To fix the problem, you need to disable this feature by following the steps above.

After doing that, you won’t download Windows updates from other users, instead, you’ll download them directly from Microsoft. By doing that, all problems with ntoskrnl.exe and high disk usage should be resolved.

22. Install the latest updates

Several users reported that installing the latest updates fixed the problem for them, so be sure to try this solution.

23. Check your PC malware

According to users, malware can often infect ntoskrnl.exe and cause this and many other problems to appear. To ensure that you don’t have any malware on your PC, you need to perform a detailed antivirus scan.

We understand that searching for the ideal solution for your PC can be time-consuming, but we’ve got you covered.

With a list of the most popular and trustworthy antimalware solutions to help you narrow down your search, you’ll be able to find one that works with your Windows 10 PC with no effort whatsoever.

24. Perform SFC and DISM scan

Sometimes this problem can be caused by file corruption, and in order to fix it, it’s recommended to perform an SFC scan.

After the SFC scan is finished, check if the problem is resolved. If the issue still persists or if you can’t run SFC scan, you might have to use DISM instead.

To do that, just start Command Prompt as an administrator, enter this command and press Enter to run it.

• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

DISM scan can take a while, so be sure not to interrupt it.

25. Temporarily remove/uninstall your antivirus

According to users, this problem can sometimes appear due to your antivirus software. To fix this issue, we advise you to temporarily disable your antivirus software and check if that solves the problem.

If the issue still persists, you might need to remove your antivirus software entirely. If you decide to uninstall your antivirus, we strongly recommend using a dedicated removal tool that will remove any leftover files and registry entries.

Almost every antivirus company offers a dedicated removal tool for its software, so be sure to download one for your antivirus.

Don’t give up on your protection against attacks and dangerous viruses just yet. Looking deeper, you may discover a better suitable solution for your needs from our list of the best antivirus software, therefore we strongly recommend you to read more about this in the article.

By following one of these solutions, you should be able to stop Ntoskrnl.exe from using a high amount of CPU.

Admittedly, there are plenty of solutions to try in this article, but if you know of any other one that we may have missed out on, tell us about it in the comments section below.

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