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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.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
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
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.
Select Options.
Folder options should appear:
Click the View tab then select "Show hidden files, folders and drives"
Select OK.
Proceed to Appdata
What about the comment that "Avast" was involved? Does that apply to you too?
No, I don't use Avast. Just Microsoft Defender.
Hi Geethu B,
Thanks for the quick response and suggestions, but unfortunately, none of them help. There are several other threads in the Community dealing with exactly the same problem and the suggestions from Microsoft are always the same as you mentioned, and everyone (quite a large number!) who has tried them all report no success.
To clarify my issue: I can open the Windows store and use Metro apps without any problem. The problem is that wshost.exe. starts all on its own - even without me opening the Windows store or using Metro apps - and uses about 60% of my CPU. I can kill it via the Task Manager, but it starts all on its own within a few minutes and again uses about 60% CPU. I can repeat this cycle indefinitely and it keeps coming back.
My only solution was to add this registry key to disable the Windows Store:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore]
"RemoveWindowsStore"=dword:00000001
That immediately stops wshost.exe from starting. When I change the dword value to "0" then the problem with wshost.exe starting randomly and running CPU usage up to 60% starts all over again - even when the WIndows Store has not been opened.
Could this be a clue: I found in Windows\WinSxS a version of wshost.exe that had been updated January 17, 2014. That is about the time my problem started. (I've been using Windows 8 and 8.1 since they came out and never had this problem up until about a month ago.) It seems suspicious to me that the very task that is causing this problem was updated the very time that my problem started. Can Microsoft check out this possibility?
Please stay on top of this issue as it is very frustrating and seems to be affecting a lot of people. (Check out the other threads concerning "Store Broker" or "wshost.exe".)
Thanks!
