High CPU when using Word/Excel/OneNote and also online.

Anonymous
2018-04-01T23:46:55+00:00
  1. I am running Windows 7 (about to upgrade to Windows 10) and Office 365 from my university-> Office 2016 programs installed on my laptop
  2. If I am working on Word (or One Note or Excel) while connected to the internet (but not using Word Online  etc through my Office account), it starts chewing up CPU , lap top starts overheating and I have to shut program down.
  3. When I try close Word (or One Note or Excel) it will eventually close the window but the program keeps running until I stop it via Task Manager.
  4. This only happens if I am using an Office product - Word, One Note, Excel - when I am online (usually via mobile broadband)
  5. This has been happening for about two weeks after some auto update
  6. I have run virus checks, removed all add ons (there was only one), run repair, uninstalled and reinstalled Office.

This is infuriating as I often access online databases, library catalogues etc as I work. I now cannot work while online which basically means I cannot work at all and have to revert to Office 2007.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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.

0 comments

43 answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2018-04-02T06:56:52+00:00

    Hi KathieXX,

    According to your descriotion, I still need some more info to narrow the scope.  

    1. Please check the  Task Manager to see which application result this issue actually? 
    2. How much CPU usage it take?
    3. Is it always hign CPU usage while you using OneDrive?
    4. How a try: Close OneDrive and disable the click to run service in  Task Manager > service to see the outcome.

    In addition, I need to know theOffice versionyou use for the further investivation.

    Here is a thread for your reference which may help solve this issue.

    Microsoft office Click-to-run process running with high CPU and memory

    Regards,

    Jerry

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2018-04-02T09:03:28+00:00

    Hi, Jerry

    Thanks for your reply

    1. This happens with any or all of the following programs (i.e. regardless of whether I have one or more than one open): Word, Excel, One Note, Power Point
    2. Machine starts whirring when it gets to about 30 CPU and I usually stop it about there. If I don't it just progressively increases. I have had it go as high as 60 but never let it get further before stopping. As it is the documents freeze as the CPU increases
    3. One Drive magically appeared in my File Manager after a recent auto update but I don't use it so I have no idea what that does to CPU
    4. There is no One Drive process or service showing on my Task Manager (even when I expand it to show all processes). I ended the Click-to-Run process as you suggested; it keeps restarting. I stopped the Click-to-Run service through services.msc run as admin
    • I still have the same problem

    5.  Office365 Pro Plus; Word Version 1802 (Click-to-run build 9029.2253) Monthly. I am assuming the other products are the same build

    I have limited internet access and have nearly chewed up my monthly allowance just a few days in repairing, downloading, reinstalling so can't keep doing that.

    I am stumped.

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2018-04-02T11:19:57+00:00

    It is not at all unusual for Word to use 30 plus % of the CPU, but I would suggest that you are  more likely to have a hardware problem than a software problem

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2018-04-02T11:56:39+00:00

    Hi Doug,

    I'm very confident that it's not a hardware problem because

    1. It only happens when I'm using office products,  only when I'm online;  offline is fine.  It's the combination of working with the product while connected to the internet that seems problematic 
    2.  it does not happen when I use other software while I am online including Microsoft software like Wordpad
    3. I have been using Office 365 for about 3 years and Word never goes up as high as 30 CPU much less keeps climbing and climbing and climbing as it is doing now

    I have never let it get past 60  but it has spiked up to 90 to 100, and it never freezes as CPU incrrsses like  it does now

    1.  The problem is fairly recent

    Thanks  for your suggestion anyway. I appreciate  you taking the time to answer.

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2018-04-02T23:08:14+00:00

    Does the problem still occur if you start Word in Safe Mode by holding down the CTRL key while starting it until asked to confirm that you want to start it in that mode?

    If not, see the section dealing with Add-Ins in the KnowledgeBase article "How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word" at:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/921541

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments