100% CPU Usage

How to fix Explorer.exe causes CPU Usage at 100%

Explorer.exe causes 100% CPU Usage - When you run some programs or open some files nothing would happen. Then if you check Task Manager, it would say explorer.exe is using close to 100% of the cpu and memory leakage. Your pc just freezed.

Well windows seem to have a REALLY big problem when it comes to reading AVI files. It seems that when you click on an AVI file in explorer, it'll try to read the entire AVI file to determine the width,height, etc. of the AVI file (this is displayed in the Properties window). Now the problem with Windows is that if you have a broken/not fully downloaded AVI file that doesnt contain this info, Windows will scan the entire AVI file trying to figure out all these properties which in the process will probably cause 100% CPU usage and heavy memory usage.


Here are some best methods to fix the 100% cpu usage.

1. click Stat > Run and enter regedit.

Goto HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shellex\PropertyHandler

by clicking the + signs beside

Hkey_Classes_Root
SystemFileAssociations
.avi
shellex
>> then select (highlight) PropertyHandler

next Click File > Export and give the file a name. Then export (save) it to a convenient location before deleting it. It can be restored later if necessary by clicking the saved .reg file

after saving it, Right click on the PropertyHandler folder in the left hand pane and select "Delete"

2. To correct this misbehavior in Windows XP, remove the following registry key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}\InProcServer32

This will prevent Explorer from loading shmedia.dll in response to file property queries on these files. This will not effect your ability to play files, get file attributes, or even view thumbnails. Say goodbye to all explorer.exe 100% CPU usage issues.

3. First find and remember the folder you keep you video files in, the problem is usually a AVI file.
Restart you computer
Open My Computer
Open your tack manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del) go to processes Tab find and highlight explorer.exe. This should be running at almost no CPU usage
Open the folder where the video files are kept ****Important do not let your mouse pointer go into the display box until you are ready.
now let your pointer go down the list of video files one by one until you see the CPU Usage jump to a high number and stay there, usually 99%.
The file you are on when the number jumps is the one with the explorer conflict. You should delete this file, if you have to keep it you can download a conversion file to change it to some other format.
Note: Some times it may not be an AVI file but the check is the same, when the CPU jumps you have found your problem.
Sometimes the file will not delete....
Then you have to go to the Command prompt and get to that file and delete it directly.
Hope this helps. This method has always worked, it just takes time to find the corrupt file. It is possible that you have more than one corrupt file so restart after you have deleted the file and run your pointer down the list again with your Task Manager open.

If high cpu usage keep coming back or 100% cpu usage all the time and your computer run slow, you have to find out what's wrong and fix it.

1. Download Registry cleaner to scan your registry errors and fix it.


2. Download Anti-Malware to remove spyware and adware.