Every time I start up my computer, I open Task Manager, and it shows my CPU usage at 100%. It looks like there are about 10 instances of PowerShell running in the background, and I suspect that might be the problem. But when I check Task Manager, those PowerShell processes disappear after a few seconds and aren't using any CPU. It's almost like they're trying to hide. Once I manually end all the PowerShell tasks, my CPU usage drops back down to around 7%, and everything runs fine. However, this happens every time I boot up, and it makes my computer really sluggish. It's slow to respond to keystrokes and takes forever to open apps. I had a hacking scare last year, so I'm concerned that someone might still have access to my PC and could be using it for something malicious. I've run multiple scans with Malwarebytes, but nothing shows up. I'd really prefer to fix this without reinstalling Windows since I want to keep all my personal files, passwords, and games intact. Thanks for any advice or support!
2 Answers
If you're worried about malware, it's a good idea to perform a deeper scan using a different tool, like Windows Defender or HitmanPro. Sometimes, malware can hide well, so using multiple scanners can help. Also, you might want to check the startup programs to limit what runs at boot.
High CPU usage during startup is pretty normal because your system is trying to launch all the services at once. This is especially true for lower-spec PCs. I recommend checking what programs you have set to run at startup. You might find some that you don't need, which could help with performance.
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