I'm dealing with an ongoing issue related to high CPU usage by the WMI process, WMIPrvSE.exe, after upgrading a client's Remote Desktop Services (RDS) setup from 2016 to 2025. The previous setup had CPU loads soaring to 80% when about 20 users were logged in. I had to limit the CPU usage as a temporary fix previously, but expected the problem to vanish with the new server. However, the issue persists, even on a powerful 32-core Hyper-V VM, with CPU usage between 30%-80% during user activity. When no users are logged in, the CPU usage returns to normal. I suspect this might be due to specific client software or possibly a printer driver, as other environments with the same software setup are running without issues. I've analyzed WMI usage through tracing tools, yet I can't pinpoint the cause. Any suggestions on how to further investigate this?
1 Answer
It sounds like client environment-specific software might be the culprit. I've seen that high WMI usage is often linked to inventory or security software like Qualys or Snow. In such cases, updating or even removing these products has resolved the issue. You should check if any such software is active on the server settings.
I initially thought so too, but the same software is running on multiple environments without this issue. I really think it’s a unique combination of software or drivers for this client. Thanks for the thought!