svchost.exe High CPU Usage in Windows 10

Problem Description:
Shortly after booting, the process “svchost.exe (netsvcs)” appears and consumes around 50% of CPU usage. This behavior may last for more than an hour before returning to normal. The system becomes slow during this period.

Cause:
The svchost.exe process is a container for multiple Windows services. High CPU usage by this process can be caused by:

• Windows Update or Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)

• Superfetch/SysMain

• Telemetry or Diagnostic Services

• Malware or corrupted services

Solution:

Step 1: Identify Services Using svchost.exe

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)

2. Go to the “Details” tab

3. Right-click svchost.exe using high CPU, then click “Go to service(s)”

4. It will highlight the services linked to that svchost instance

5. Note which services are using the most resources

Step 2: Disable Non-Essential Services

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter

2. Find services like:

• Windows Update

• Background Intelligent Transfer Service

• Connected User Experiences and Telemetry

• Diagnostic Policy Service

3. Right-click each one, choose “Properties”, and set Startup type to “Manual” or “Disabled”

4. Click OK and restart your PC

Step 3: Scan for Malware

1. Download and install Malwarebytes from:
   https://www.malwarebytes.com

2. Run a full system scan

3. Remove any threats found
   Also consider running Windows Defender Offline Scan or another antivirus you trust

Step 4: Perform Clean Boot to Identify Conflicting Software

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter

2. In the General tab, choose “Selective startup”, uncheck “Load startup items”

3. Go to the Services tab, check “Hide all Microsoft services”, then click “Disable all”

4. Click OK and restart

5. Observe CPU usage; if it drops, enable services one by one to find the cause

Step 5: Reset Windows Update Components (if needed)

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator

2. Type the following commands one at a time:
   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits
   rename C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   net start bits
   net start wuauserv

3. Close the window and restart your computer

Summary:
The svchost.exe (netsvcs) high CPU usage issue is usually caused by background services like Windows Update or BITS. Disabling unnecessary services, scanning for malware, and performing a clean boot can help resolve the issue.