Hey folks! I'm having a frustrating problem with my computer where the 'system interrupts' task is constantly using 100% of my CPU. When I try to check the task manager, it completely freezes and I have to force quit it. Additionally, my PC won't turn off correctly; it just gets stuck on the shutdown screen and endlessly loops. I've tried running Windows Defender and Hitman Pro to check for malware, but nothing came up. I also searched for potential fixes online, updated my graphics card drivers, and ran DISM and SFC repairs through the command prompt, but none of that has helped. Oddly enough, the other day, my computer started up without any issues—CPU usage was normal and everything worked fine. Here are my PC specs: Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700HQ CPU @ 2.60GHz, RAM: 8GB, Storage: 932 GB HDD and 119 GB SSD, Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M and Intel(R) HD Graphics 530. Any insights on what might be causing this issue? I appreciate any help! Also, please excuse my English; it's not my first language!
3 Answers
In situations like these, it’s sometimes easiest to just back up your important data and reformat the drive. It might seem like a hassle, but it can save a lot of time in the long run, especially if your OS is acting up. Also, having a separate HDD for backup makes a huge difference to avoid data loss if your main drive fails.
Make sure to download and install the chipset drivers from your motherboard's support page. Sometimes after a clean OS install, essential drivers like the chipset can be missing, causing various hardware to not function correctly. Sometimes you might also have to manually select the right drivers for everything to be detected properly in Device Manager.
I tried updating the chipset drivers, but it didn’t solve the problem, so I opted for a reformat instead. Thankfully, everything is working well now! Fingers crossed it stays that way!
It sounds really frustrating! Have you tried booting into safe mode or doing a clean boot to see if the CPU usage goes down with fewer startup applications? Sometimes, old drivers or firmware can cause these spikes, so definitely make sure your BIOS and all drivers, especially for your GPU, are up-to-date. And while you’re at it, reset your power settings to balanced, disable fast startup, and check any power management settings in the BIOS related to your graphics card.
Thanks for the suggestions! I did update my chipset and BIOS drivers, but when that didn’t work, I tried reformating, and now everything seems to be running smoothly. Appreciate the support!
I actually did that after hitting a wall with troubleshooting, and it looks like that might have fixed the issue! It’s a relief to get things running again—thanks for the tip!