The term “system interrupts” is shorthand for a display of how much of your computer’s resources are being consumed by the various hardware interrupts that occur at any one time.
If you open the Windows Task Manager, you’ll discover that System interrupts is one among the running apps. In addition, it is a Windows service that runs in the background and may go unnoticed.
The Windows OS (system) relies on System Interrupts to control how the software interacts with the hardware. The system interrupt is the CPU’s equivalent of an alarm system.
It serves to remind the CPU of any high-priority situations that require its immediate attention. The CPU will save its current state and cease working on whatever it was doing to focus on the more pressing task at hand.
This means that although though System interruptions behave like a typical PC process, they actually aren’t.
If the System interrupts are using more than 10% of the CPU’s time, you should investigate more because this could be a sign of a hardware failure.
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Is System Interrupts a Virus?
No. Disruptions to the system are not viruses. It is an official and necessary Windows component that facilitates communication between the operating system and the hardware.
The CPU time spent on the System Interrupts process shouldn’t be excessive under normal circumstances.
On the other hand, there have been reports of unusually high CPU utilization of system interruptions, leading some users to suspect a virus. As an added bonus, system interrupts is not a real process that is linked to any.exe or.dll files.
No virus or malicious software can take control of it in a straightforward manner. Even so, it’s still possible that malicious software or a virus is interfering with a device driver and so influencing the “System interrupts.”
What Does “System Interrupts High CPU” Mean?
“System Interrupts” is not an actual process like those you might find running in Task Manager. Instead, it’s a representation of the CPU time being used by hardware interrupts.
Hardware interrupts are signals to the processor indicating that a system event needs immediate attention.
When “System Interrupts” consumes high CPU resources, it means that a hardware or driver issue is causing the CPU to deal extensively with interrupt requests, impacting overall system performance.
Common Causes of High CPU Usage by System Interrupts
- Faulty Drivers: Outdated or corrupted drivers are often the main culprits behind excessive interrupt signaling.
- Hardware Issues: Faulty hardware components, including hard drives, network adapters, or even damaged USB ports, can generate excessive interrupts.
- Power Settings: Incorrect system power settings can cause higher CPU usage, particularly in the management of CPU power states.
- System Updates: Sometimes, recent Windows updates might introduce conflicts that lead to increased system interrupts.
How to Fix System Interrupts Using High CPU in Windows 10
When System Interrupts account for 10% or more of a computer’s CPU time on a consistent basis, it’s usually a sign that either a driver or the hardware itself is broken. This, thankfully, is correctable.
Solution 1. Unplug or Disable All External Devices
Frequently, the offending gear is a USB device. To prevent USB-connected devices from causing the CPU to stall, you can either remove them from the computer or, using the Device Manager (described below), turn off USB Root Hubs.
Step 1: The Windows + X menu will take you to the Device Manager, where you may turn off any USB Root Hubs you locate by browsing to the Universal Serial Bus controllers entry.
Step 2: Specifically, desktop PCs: You should unplug any extra SATA drives that may be connected to your motherboard.
Solution 2. Check Hardware Drivers
The DPC Latency Checker can be used to quickly determine if driver problems are to blame. Interrupt handling in the computer system is handled by the Deferred Procedure Call (DPC) process. The DPC is contacted whenever the interrupt handler has to put off until later a job with a lower priority.
The purpose of the DPC Latency Checker is to determine if your computer is capable of handling real-time audio or video streaming by testing the latency of kernel-mode device drivers. It’s a fast method of finding problems, and the tool doesn’t even need to be installed.
A problem exists if there are red bars, indicating frequent disconnects owing to high latency.
Solution 3. Disable Internal Devices
Instead of blindly updating drivers, you should try to isolate the problem by turning off particular device drivers.
If you know what could be the culprits, turn those off first. To disable any of the below devices, open Device Manager (it’s also in the Control Panel) from the Start menu by searching for it and opening it, then expand the categories shown below, right-click a device, and choose Disable.
Right-click a device, select Activate, and then proceed to the next device only after you’ve verified that the first device’s CPU consumption of system interrupts or DPC Latency Checker reruns is within acceptable ranges.
You might probably blame one of these gadgets:
- Adapters for networking systems
- Built-in modems
- Sound generators on the inside
- Cards that add functionality, such as a TV tuner, an ISDN or DSL adaptor, or a modem
If none of these are at fault, you can move on to temporarily deactivating (and reactivating) more drivers. Any drivers listed under Computer, Processors, and System device must always be kept active.
You shouldn’t turn off the screen’s display adapters, the computer’s boot disk, the IDE controllers, the keyboard, the mouse, or the monitor unless you have a backup input device.
Solution 4. Exclude Failing Hardware
The same way a bad driver can disrupt the system, faulty hardware can do the same thing. If that’s the case, you won’t get any results from trying to update your drivers.
However, if turning off the device altogether solved the problem, then your computer may have faulty hardware and you should follow our testing steps.
5. Disable Sound Effects
Maybe this is the answer you’ve been seeking for if you’re using Windows 7. Disable all sound effects by right-clicking the speaker icon in the system tray, going to Playback devices, double-clicking your Default Device (speaker) to enter Properties, and then clicking the Enhancements tab. Verify the status of system interruptions after clicking OK.
6. Update Your BIOS
When you power on your computer, the first program to load is the basic input/output system. It’s a boon to the efficiency of your operating system’s startup.
Initially, you’ll need to determine your system’s BIOS version so you can search the manufacturer’s website for any available updates and follow the provided instructions to install them.
Use the Windows key + R, then type cmd into the box that appears, hit Enter, and run the two instructions below in sequence to determine your BIOS version: Find out who made your BIOS and what version it is with this command:
systeminfo | findstr /I /c:bios
wmic bios get manufacturer, smbiosbiosversion
Please be aware that the I in /I is capitalized and not a lower case L.
Additional Tips
- Regularly Scan for Malware: Malware can sometimes cause abnormal system behavior, including high interrupts.
- Monitor System Performance: Tools like Windows Resource Monitor and Performance Monitor can help you keep an eye on what processes and services are using your CPU.
- Consult Hardware Professionals: If you suspect a hardware issue and are not comfortable troubleshooting yourself, it might be best to consult a professional.
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- Windows Modules Installer
- New World the First Thing I Remember
- Printer Cannot be Contacted Over the Network
Conclusion
Interrupts to the system are a supported feature of Windows. It controls how your computer’s components talk to one another and the operating system. It’s represented as a process in the system’s Task Manager.
It shows how much time each hardware interrupt is taking up in the CPU system interrupts high cpu. A Windows service called System Interrupts is always active in the background, waiting for any unexpected system events to occur.
While it may seem as a process in Task Manager, reporting CPU utilization for all hardware interrupts, it is not a process at all.
Its purpose is to analyze CPU interruptions caused by background services and activities in your operating system. The Windows System Interrupts procedure facilitates hardware-software interaction.