Windows Store Broker problem: very high CPU usage

Anonymous

Starting several weeks ago (January 2014) the task Windows Store Broker (wshost.exe) starts randomly and quickly climbs up to 50-60% CPU usage - even if no "Metro" apps are running and I haven't opened the Windows Store. I can end the task in the Task Manager yet it starts again within minutes and begins using 50%of my CPU again. (See screenshot).

Full anti-virus scan reveals no problems.

Resetting the Windows Store (wsreset.exe) doesn't solve the issue.

I searched the Windows\WinSxS directory and found wshost.exe in 3 places. One of them was updated January 17, 2014. My guess is that this update caused the problem.

Anyone else having the same issue?

Anyone found a solution?

Is Microsoft aware of the issue and working on a solution?

My only resort for now is to disable the Windows Store via a registry entry to avoid my laptop continually overheating due to extremely high CPU usage.

I appreciate any help.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Kill Store and Store Broker from task list.

Rename the Cache folder to CacheOld at:

C:\Users(Your User Account)\AppData\Local\Packages\WinStore_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState

(Your WinStore_gobblygook might be a different bunch of gobbblygook)

Create an empty folder called Cache.

Solved! For me anyway.

Enjoy,

Ron

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

It may be necessary to show both Hidden, and System Files, and also to uncheck "Hide known file types" in Control Panel/ Folder Options/ View, to navigate to the mentioned AppData location.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Select Options.

Folder options should appear:

Click the View tab then select "Show hidden files, folders and drives"

Select OK.

Proceed to Appdata

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66 additional answers

Anonymous

2014-04-10T02:03:12+00:00

Cache folder in use and cannot rename - suggestions?

You have to End Task on Store and Store Broker in task manager first.

They were not running. Had to delete several sub entries under Cache. It was not empty. There were dirs under CACHE for 0-7 and a dat file called cachemetadata.data. Deleted dirs 0-7 and restarted.

STORE does now work! New CACHE folder created as a result of running store.

Microsoft engineers NOTE THIS WORK AROUND. Lets figure out how to get this fixed properly and get us a Windows update.

This corrected my error - reported under jghcts as jacqueline3936
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Anonymous

2014-04-09T17:57:31+00:00

Dear Ron,

I found everything and renamed the cache to cacheold and put a new folder with cache.

I didn't delete anything in the old cache file, is that correct?

Anyway I then put in this to restart store:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRoot\WinStore\AppxManifest.xml

It seemed to work, or at least something happened.

But store wont open. Am I missing a step please?

Many thanks

L

UPDATE: I re-registered also the registry patch I used to disable store in the first place and I got to the store page:

STORE

Opening store...

But there it just hangs. It never opens.

Any ideas?

Thanks again

UPDATE AGAIN:

Closed Store and tried re-opening and it works! Can download apps without the store broker having a hissy fit.

Thank you so much Ron for your help and genius! Microsoft could do with people like you solving stuff!
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