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TLDR: There are apps listed in the Task Manager > Startup apps that have been properly uninstalled and don't exist as files, folders or in the registry.
For the last several months my laptop has been consistently consuming high CPU levels even when nothing, or very little is running. With Chrome and Outlook open, it will be at 40-50% but when looking in task manager, adding the % used by each app only adds to ~15%.
After updating all my drivers and apps I disabled most of the programs that are supposed to open at startup (Task manager > Startup apps) and in doing so I discovered several apps listed there are aren't installed.
When I click on them and try to open the properities window I get errors like below. The files and folders associated with each app aren't there, and they were all uninstalled using the uninstall tools, not by simply deleting the files. I've also searched Regedit for records of some of the app and they don't exist in the registry either.
Aside from reinstalling Windows, what can I do?
There are two entries for Signal (one for Signal and the other for Signal-beta), which I've not actually be able to instal on my machine. I tried for several months to instal Signal, but it always errored and all attempts to find the problem (even with Signal's support) has failed.
Thanks
Click the link below to download a small free Microsoft utility that does not require installation.
https://download.sysinternals.com/files/Autoruns.zip
When the file downloads, unzip it.
Run Autoruns64 as Administrator
1
Select the 'Logon' tab at the top of Autoruns.
Please provide a screenshot of all entries on that tab.
2
Select the 'Scheduled Tasks' tab at the top of Autoruns.
Please provide a screenshot of all entries on that tab.
Thank for your reply. I might have already solved the problem.
I came across Autoruns and used it to hunt down some of the phantom files I'd found. There were entries in the Registry startup locations. I don't know if it was that which freed my CPU resources or disabling virtually everything in the startup menu, or disabling my 5 Chrome plugins, but I've now got my CPU back.
Below are the requested screenshots. I've already removed those pointing to an uninstalled EPSON printer and both versions of Signal.
That is great news, I am glad you were able to solve the problem using Autoruns, great troubleshooting.
