How to fix Windows Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) high CPU usage in Windows?

Question

Issue: How to fix Windows Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) high CPU usage in Windows?

Hello. My Windows PC has gotten really slow and I notices that a process called perfmon.exe is using high amounts of CPU. How do I fix this?

Solved Answer

Windows Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe)^[1] is a built-in Windows tool that allows users to monitor and analyze system performance. The tool provides real-time and historical data on a variety of system resources, including CPU usage, memory usage, disk activity, network usage, and others. While the Windows Performance Monitor is useful for diagnosing and troubleshooting system performance issues, some users have complained that it can result in excessive CPU usage.

The issue with high CPU usage can occur when the Windows Performance Monitor is constantly collecting and processing data in real-time, causing the CPU to work harder than usual. This problem is more likely on systems with low-end hardware specifications or when the tool monitors too many system resources at the same time.

This problem may have an impact on users by causing system slowdowns and lowering overall system performance. It can even cause the system to crash or become unresponsive in some cases.

Users can try disabling or reducing the number of performance counters monitored, using the Windows Resource Monitor instead, or configuring the Windows Performance Monitor to collect data less frequently to resolve this issue. Users may also want to think about upgrading their system hardware to better handle the tool's demands.

In this guide, you will find 8 steps that should help you fix Windows Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) high CPU usage in Windows. You can also try using a maintenance tool like FortectMac Washing Machine X9 that can fix most system errors, BSODs,^[2] corrupted files, and registry^[3] issues. Otherwise, follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Method 1. End the Perfmon.exe Process

• Open Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys or by right-clicking the Windows Start menu and selecting Task Manager from the context menu.
• Once Task Manager opens, find the perfmon.exe process in the list of running processes.
• Right-click on the perfmon.exe process.
• In the context menu that appears, select End task to terminate the process.
• If prompted with a confirmation dialog box, click End process to confirm that you want to terminate the process.

Method 2. Repair Corrupted System Files

Use Command Prompt commands to repair system file corruption:

• Open Command Prompt as administrator
• Use the following command and press Enter:
  sfc /scannow

• Reboot your system
• If SFC returned an error, then use the following command lines, pressing Enter after each:
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Method 3. Install Windows Updates

• Click Start and select Settings.
• Go to the Windows Update section.
• Click Check for updates and wait.
• Go to the Advanced options and install optional updates.
• Reboot your system.

Method 4. Update Drivers

Outdated drivers could be the cause of this issue. In this case, you can fix it automatically by using DriverFix, which will scan your PC for missing and out-of-date device drivers. Or you can update them manually:

• Open Settings.
• Click on Update & Security.
• Click on Windows Update.
• Click the Check for updates button.
• Click the View optional updates option.
• Click the Driver updates tab.
• Select the driver you want to update.
• Click the Download and install button.

If the View optional updates link is not available after checking for updates, then Windows Update does not have any new drivers or any updates for other products at that particular time.

Method 5. Try Clean Boot

• Open the Search menu, type in system configuration, and press Enter
• Under the Services tab, tick the Hide all Microsoft services box
• Click on Disable all button

• Head over to the Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager
• Select a third-party program and click on Disable at the top
• Repeat this step to disable all third-party apps and programs
• Restart your PC to enter the clean boot state and see if the issue persists
• If the issue disappeared in the clean boot state, then you can be certain that a third-party app is causing it
• Go through all recently installed apps or programs and remove them one by one

Method 6. Perform a Malware Scan

It is possible that a malware infection may be the cause of perfmon.exe using high amounts of CPU. It is important to run a comprehensive security scan to rule out this possibility and ensure that the computer is not infected. This can help to prevent further issues with the Windows operating system and ensure that it is functioning properly.

If you have access to a security scanner, or if your organization pays for one, you can use it to scan your entire system to check for a virus infection. Otherwise, you can use Windows Defender to scan your system:

• Click on the Windows Start menu or press the Windows key on your keyboard
• Type Microsoft Defender in the search bar and click on Microsoft Defender Antivirus to open the application
• Click on the Virus & threat protection option in the left-hand menu
• Click on the Quick scan or Full scan option, depending on your preference

• If you choose Quick scan, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will scan the most vulnerable and commonly infected areas of your computer
• If you choose Full scan, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will scan your entire computer, including all files, folders, and programs
• Click on the Scan now button to start the selected scan type and wait for the scan to complete
• The time it takes will depend on the size of your hard drive and the number of files being scanned
• Once the scan is complete, you will be informed of any detected threats, and you can choose to quarantine or remove them
• If no threats are found, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will inform you that your device is secure

Method 7. Use System Restore

System Restore is a feature in Microsoft Windows that allows users to revert their computer's state to a previous point in time. This can be helpful if you have made changes to your system that are causing problems.

• Go to the Start menu, type restore, and click on Create a restore point
• Click System Restore, then follow the prompts until you can select a restore point
• Select the one you want (ideally before the issue started occurring) and go ahead with the process

Method 8. Repair Install Windows

• Visit the official Microsoft website to download Windows 11 or Windows 10 Installation Media
• Run the Media Creation Tool and select Create Installation Media for another PC
• Select your USB drive
• Let the Process complete of writing the Installation files to the USB drive
• Click Finish
• On the PC you wish to upgrade, Press Windows + E to open the File Explorer
• Open the Removable drive and click Setup.exe

• Accept the license terms on the next screen
• Confirm the Upgrade options – Files, apps and Settings are kept
• Click Install, and the upgrade should start

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