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Resource Monitor has some kind of leak that eats CPU. Is it a known bug?

Nunya Bidness 0 Reputation points
2025-08-21T01:02:53.4533333+00:00

Resource Monitor, if left running, consumes more and more CPU as time goes on, and becomes less responsive. On a weak enough system, this can overwhelm everything in several minutes; on a strong system, it might take days before the problem becomes noticeable, but it eventually will.

I'm basing this observation on Resource Monitor's own CPU graph. However, it seems to under-report its own (perfmon.exe) percentage in the list. But restarting Resource Monitor clearly illustrates that it was the culprit, as the graph is immediately tamed.

Is this a known bug, or should someone with the ability file one?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Quinnie Quoc 10,730 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-08-21T06:28:38.14+00:00

    Hi,

    Thanks for contacting us.

    Your description aligns with what appears to be a memory or resource leak behavior—where Resource Monitor becomes progressively less responsive and consumes more CPU, especially on systems with limited resources. The fact that restarting the tool immediately resolves the issue further supports this.

    Summary of Observations

    • Resource Monitor’s CPU graph shows escalating usage over time.

    The perfmon.exe process under-reports its own usage in the task list.

    Restarting Resource Monitor resets the graph and restores performance.

    Behavior is consistent across systems, though severity varies by hardware.

    Is This a Known Issue?

    As of now, this specific behavior does not appear to be widely documented in official Microsoft channels or known issue lists for Windows. While there have been past reports of Resource Monitor performance degradation, your findings suggest a reproducible pattern that may warrant further investigation.

    Recommended Next Steps

    1. File a Bug Report
      • If you have access to Microsoft’s feedback or developer channels (e.g., via Feedback Hub or Partner Portal), I recommend submitting a bug report with:
      • System specs
      • Windows version/build
      • Steps to reproduce
      • Screenshots or logs showing CPU usage over time
    2. Temporary Workaround
      • Until resolved, consider using Task Manager or Performance Monitor (perfmon.msc) directly for long-term monitoring, as they tend to be more stable.
    3. Monitor with Logging
      • You can use perfmon.msc to log Resource Monitor’s own performance counters over time to validate the leak and provide evidence for escalation.

    Let me know if you’d like help drafting the bug report or collecting diagnostic data. I’d be happy to assist.

    Best regards,

    Quinnie Quoc.

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  2. IGYQ 19,275 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-08-21T01:40:11.0033333+00:00

    Hi!

    There’s no widely reported or documented bug in Microsoft sources specifically stating that Resource Monitor leaks CPU over prolonged use. It's not recognized as a systemic issue by Microsoft.

    If you can consistently reproduce this with Resource Monitor, and especially if Process Explorer doesn’t reflect the same CPU usage, submit feedback to Microsoft via the Feedback Hub. Describe the behavior, include duration, your system specs, and before/after data comparison across tools.

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