In Windows 11 "shell infrastructure host" process using a lot of CPU when viewing Photos on external SSD

Anonymous
2021-11-11T17:25:41+00:00

I have two computers on Windows 11 22000.318 and on both of them when I connect my 512GB Samsung SSD "shell infrastructure host" starts to use a lot of CPU and power usage is "very high" in task manager. I understand this may be normal when browsing large folders on the SSD or copying files to/from the SSD but even if I close all the File Explorer windows to the SSD "shell infrastructure host" continues to use a lot of CPU. If I try to eject the SSD it says its in use. So my only option is to log out of Windows and log back in and that stops "shell infrastructure host" and it goes back to normal. Could this problem be part of the Windows 11 memory leak bug with File Explorer I've been hearing about? Or maybe something to do with indexing going on? My external SSD has thousands of photos and I am using the Photos app.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-02-13T20:14:57+00:00

    Wow, this is an ongoing problem. It reliably happens in photos when I am viewing many images. Nothing but reboot solves the problem, until the next time. Update sihost.exe at 9% cpu all else zero

    Not true in my experience and other's as well (see previous posts). You can log out and back in or you can kill the process with task manager.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-02-13T19:59:01+00:00

    Wow, this is an ongoing problem. It reliably happens in photos when I am viewing many images. Nothing but reboot solves the problem, until the next time. Update sihost.exe at 9% cpu all else zero

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-01-23T09:00:36+00:00

    Same problem. I killed the process, and it stopped. I had indeed opened the Photos app a few times... I closed it, and this shell infrastructure host bug ran wild.

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-01-11T15:01:54+00:00

    that is mine too

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  5. Anonymous
    2021-12-16T20:51:00+00:00

    I can confirm the issue is with the Photos app. My wife was browsing the photo archive on my NAS using the Photos app and that's when it started. I suspect it kicks of a process to index the photos or something similar and that process hogs the CPU and continues even after the app is closed.

    Logging out stops the process.

    This is a serious defect as it runs down the battery and heats up the CPU.

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    30+ people found this answer helpful.
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