Explorer.exe constantly consumes CPU around 20% just after recent Windows Update

Question

This issue has just started after recent Windows Update yesterday. No running application on my Windows 10. I had never seen it ever. How could I resolve this issue? This issue continues more than 30 hours.

Windows 10 Home
Version: 2004
Installation Date: 2021/01/12
OS Build: 19041.746

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8265U CPU @ 1.60GHz 1.80 GHz
RAM: 8 GB

Answer 1

Just t be sure the problem comes from the update, uninstall the latest update and see if it happens again...

With Process explorer or procmon you can be lucky and find the cause pointing to the process and examine the stacks of the thread in use, but tipically only Microsoft should be able to solve this..

SO, uninstall the update and confirm the problem is no longer there.
Reinstall the update and if the problem repro again, report it to Microsoft..

HTH
-mario

Answer 2

Hi Mario,

This issue has been successfully resolved by removing KB4598242. CPU usage of Explorer.exe declined.

Before removing KB4598242. Explorer still looped.

After removed KB4598242. Explorer doesn't loop.

Thank you so much for your advice!

Answer 3

This is the official thread for your Windows Update:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/cumulative-updates-january-2021/b1de1a41-c428-4dbd-ac38-fb4ab6a7e061

You can report there your issue and asks for comments. Maybe it is a known issue..

HTH*
-mario