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Why is my computer slow and still running even when asleep?

Anonymous
2024-04-20T14:48:18+00:00

This problem popped up a few weeks ago, and seeing as it hasn't gone away on its own, I figured it's probably time to ask for help.

My laptop has been running slower than usual lately, and I don't know why. When it's awake and I'm using it, anything I'm doing (moving the mouse, typing, etc.) lags. I put it to sleep when I'm not using it, but even when it's asleep, the fan stays on as if it's still doing something. I have a drawing tablet plugged into the laptop, and up until recently, the lights on the tablet turned off when I put the PC to sleep, but now they're on even when the PC is asleep. Even when I'm not doing anything really taxing on the CPU, like working in MS Word or browsing a low-content web page, the system lags and the fan runs at a high speed like I'm doing something to push the machine's performance.

I tried the usual fixes, and they didn't really help. I don't think it's my mouse because the optic sensor is clean, and I have the same lag issue with typing and drawing on the tablet. I have plenty of disk space on my hard drive (it's less than half full), and I have a minimum of programs installed/running. My laptop is pretty new (2020) and has 16 GB of RAM, and I have all the latest system updates. Windows Security isn't detecting any malware, and I try to practice safe Internet browsing anyway. I used the disk cleanup tool, which got rid of several GB of unnecessary data, but the problem still persists. I don't think it's an issue with the laptop overheating, because it doesn't feel overly warm to the touch, and I live in a cold climate anyway, so it's not like the room gets too warm (this especially shouldn't be happening in the middle of the night when it's pretty cool in the house).

I took a look at the performance readouts in Task Manager, and the CPU utilization shows seemingly random spikes to at or near 100% every few seconds, even when I'm not doing anything.

So, I'm stumped. Any suggestions? I do a lot of writing and drawing on my PC for my job, and it's getting aggravating to have my typing and brushstrokes lag constantly.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-04-28T02:52:14+00:00

    Hello Teresa Arispe，

    Welcome to the Microsoft community.

    Have you tried the above steps?

    The screenshots you provided show that your cpu usage is really not obvious. When you took the screenshot, was your computer system in the process of system update?

    For your CPU overloading problem, is your computer a HP computer?

    If so, you can refer to the solution in:

    Solved: CPU overusage - HP Support Community - 9012177

    Disclaimer: Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology. 

    I will be very happy with any progress on your question, so please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

    Best wishes

    Lyla Liu - MSFT |Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-04-25T13:46:27+00:00

    Hi Lyla,

    Here is a screenshot of a 100% CPU utilization event. This is also when activity on my PC lags.

    Thanks,

    Teresa

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-04-25T03:09:01+00:00

    Hello Teresa Arispe，

    Welcome to the Microsoft community.

     From your screenshot, it seems that your computer is normal.

    Can you take a screenshot of your task manager?

    It's best to be able to intercept 100% CPU utilisation.

    If you have any other questions, please contact us

    Best wishes

    Lyla Liu - MSFT |Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-04-23T13:46:28+00:00

    Hi Lyla,

    Thank you for your response.

    I tried disabling Fast Startup, and reinstalling Windows 10, and the issue is persisting. When I reinstalled Windows 10, my PC worked like normal at first, but after a few hours it began to act up again.

    I've included a screenshot of the Resource Monitor showing one of these unusual spikes in CPU activity. As you can see, the only programs I have open are the Resource Monitor, Task Manager, and Google Chrome, with the only tab being my email. That should not be taxing the CPU that severely.

    Thanks again for your help. Hoping we can get this issue diagnosed.

    Image

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-04-21T10:02:46+00:00

    Hello Teresa Arispe,

    Welcome to the Microsoft community.

    Involves the only m.2 2280 SSD on your motherboard failing and the performance issues you are experiencing while trying to resolve the problem.

    Possible causes of the problem：

    1. **SSD Failure**: The operating system SSD on your motherboard has failed catastrophically, which may be due to hardware damage, firmware issues, or other reasons. You want to clone this SSD so that it can be quickly replaced if the original SSD becomes unusable.
    2. **PERFORMANCE ISSUES**: You notice that CPU utilisation randomly spikes to 100% or close to 100% even when no operations are being performed. This may be due to system resources being occupied by certain background processes or services, or may be caused by system instability.

    To further help you resolve the issue, it is recommended that you perform the following steps:

    **Task Manager Screenshot**: You can try opening Task Manager, switching to the "Performance" tab, and clicking "Open Resource Monitor". This will provide you with more system performance data, including CPU usage. Please capture this information so we can more accurately diagnose the problem.

    **Disable Fast Startup**: Fast Startup is a feature of Windows 10 that is designed to speed up system startup time. However, in some cases, it can cause performance issues. You can find and disable Fast Startup in Power Options.

    ** Override Installation**: If none of the above steps resolves the issue, you may want to consider reinstalling Windows in Safe Mode, which can help to eliminate interference from drivers or third-party software. In Safe Mode, you can select the Troubleshooting option, and then select Startup Settings in Advanced Options.

    Let’s try performing an in-place install or in-place upgrade which will refresh your Windows files and operating system without removing files or applications. That being said, we always recommend that if you have important data, you should back it up before making large system changes. If you want to back up your data first, please do so. Once you are done backing up, you can follow the steps in the following guides: 

    How to perform an In-place Upgrade with Windows 10 Step-by-Step Guide - Microsoft Community

    Disclaimer: Let's try to do a fresh install, we still recommend that you back up your computer beforehand if it contains important data.

    The above steps will help narrow down where the problem occurs.I look forward to sharing more information. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us

    Best wishes

    Lyla Liu - MSFT |Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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