Windows Modules Installer Worker - high CPU usage

Anonymous
2014-05-03T15:13:42+00:00

Windows Module installer worker is constantly running with very high CPU usage.

My PC has suddenly ground to a halt.

All the latest updates are installed as well.

I'm running Windows 8.1 Pro 64 + update.

Thanks.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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Anonymous
2014-12-18T22:28:10+00:00

In Windows 8 or 8.1 laptop, sometimes CPU fan run very fast and make noise because Windows Module Installer Worker occupies CPU more than 50%.

In this case, you can solve the problem by changing windows update into manual mode.

How to do it:

  1. Open services.msc (In Windows 8, WindowsKey+R and enter services.msc)
  2. Search "Windows module installer".
  3. Double click the "Windows module installer", and make it manual. It is usually set Automatic.
  4. Search "Windows update".
  5. Double click the "Windows update", and make it manual.
  6. Open Control panel(click the right button of your mouse at the lower left of you display monitor or LCD, e.g., at the Windows logo. and then you can see control panel menu)
  7. Click "Windows update"
  8. In left you can see "Change settings"
  9. Change the setting into "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them". It is usually set automatic.
  10. Reboot

The Windows module installer workers cannot bother you anymore.

Important:

Because Windows update is set manual, you MUST check regularly (weekly or monthly) windows update by yourself.

Also, cleaning up your disk may help to reduce CPU usage by windows module installer worker

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Anonymous
2014-05-04T02:51:57+00:00

Hey Trek178 you should check if the PC is under schedule maintainance and try to troubleshoot the windows update to check if there was any problems. I've just got a same problem and troubleshoot it. Now it's over

Hope this may help you

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Anonymous
2015-01-11T07:32:43+00:00

Hi Louise,

Follow the steps given below.

  1. Press and hold the “Windows” button and the “W” button on the keyboard.
  2. In the search box situated in the upper right corner we need to write “Troubleshooting”
  3. Click(left click) on the “Troublesh o oting” icon.
  4. On the upper left corner of the Troubleshooting window we need to click(left click) on “View All
  5. Click (left click) on “System Maintenance”
  6. Click (left click) on “Next” and follow the steps presented on the screen.

Check for the issue and move to next method if you still face this issue.

  1. Press and hold the “Window” button and the “X” button on the keyboard.
  2. After the “Control Panel” is opened click (left click) on “Windows Updates”
  3. Select from the “View” menu in the upper right of the window “Large icons”.
  4. In the left side of the window click (left click) on “Check for updates
  5. After this is finished restart the Windows 8 PC and see if you still have this issue.

Let us know the status of the issue.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-05-16T07:03:00+00:00

    Let us know if you need help from us.

    I do, and from the looks of it, so do others, including those who worked around the issue by disabling critical functionality like auto-update.

    Is this "Windows Installer Module Worker" process actually doing something useful? If so, I would be willing to let it finish, although this is not really acceptable in the long run.

    If the process is just wasting CPU, a solution that actually resolves the problem would be in order.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-05-16T16:40:50+00:00

    I have Windows8.1 and Dell XPS 14 Z. It is expensive notebook, but also unfortunately very noisy, so even 30% of CPU generate very disturbing noise. I found that TI worker consumes 30% CPU permanetly after every Update. In order to find out what is it doing i inspected file reads in task manager and found that it read/save files to WinSxS folder. Because it seems that this is some folder for some side by side executions, the only way for me resolve issue was just place my computer for couple of hours active and give some time for Windows to build up images or optimise/zip/index these files. 

    I guess this problem was not solved by Microsoft by 2 reasons.

    1. It working for good computers (silent computers, ssd disks, enough memory, etc.)
    2. There is fundamental issues in. Windows code, and when support Engineers smells it, they went into decline mode, because thay know, nobody will rewrite core of windows to works it everywhere.

    just to finalise this thread.

    if you want solve this issue, you have to imagine that every after update Windows rebuild itself, and if your computer suck, it will be slow, and CPU consuming.

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