Windows Driver Foundation, formerly known as Windows Driver Framework, is a collection of Microsoft libraries and tools designed to simplify the process of writing Windows drivers. Windows Driver Foundation pushes drivers into user mode. This is necessary for the overall stability of the system. However, in some cases, users may face the issue of Windows Driver Foundation consuming high CPU resources.
While this does not limit the functions of the CPU for most users, it will reduce battery life and cause system freezes in cases of 100% CPU usage. Attempting to kill processes in Task Manager also does not resolve this issue.
Explore some solutions to fix the issue of Windows Driver Foundation consuming high CPU in the article below by Mytour.
Fixing the problem of Windows Driver Foundation consuming high CPU or memory
To check if Windows Driver Foundation or wudfsvc.dll is consuming high CPU, open Task Manager by right-clicking on the Taskbar and selecting Task Manager.
Here, check if the process consuming high CPU is Windows Driver Foundation. Windows Driver Foundation may also be named User-mode Driver Framework (UMDF) or wudfhost.exe.
If Windows Driver Foundation is indeed the culprit consuming high CPU, here are some suggestions to troubleshoot the issue.
Method 1: Run Windows Update
Ensure that your Windows computer has been updated with the latest bug fixes and patches.
Method 2: Run Troubleshooters
Run System Maintenance Troubleshooter. To run System Maintenance Troubleshooter, first open the Run dialog by pressing Windows + R, then enter the command below and press Enter:
msdt.exe -id MaintenanceDiagnostic
Next, run System Performance Troubleshooter. To do this, first open Command Prompt with Admin privileges, then enter the command below and press Enter to run Performance Troubleshooter:
msdt.exe /id PerformanceDiagnostic
Troubleshooter helps adjust settings to improve the speed and performance of the operating system.
Method 3: Fixing errors in Clean Boot state
Clean Boot can help you troubleshoot issues. Log in to the system as Admin. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, then enter msconfig into it and press Enter.
Click on the General tab, then select Selective Startup. Uncheck Load Startup Items, and ensure that Load System Services and Use Original boot configuration are selected.
Next, in the Services tab, select the option Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
Click Apply and restart the system.
The reason for performing a clean boot is to isolate software causing the issue. If a clean boot resolves the high CPU usage issue, the next step is to pinpoint the exact software culprit. To do this, try enabling / disabling each process one by one.
Method 4: Try removing external devices from the system
Disconnect all peripheral devices from the system and check if it resolves the issue of Windows Driver Foundation consuming high CPU. If so, consider replacing the peripheral device or updating its driver.
Method 5: Update and reinstall Wifi driver
Many users have shared that reinstalling the Wifi driver also helps resolve the issue. To update Device Drivers, follow the steps below:
Press Windows + X to open the Power User Menu, then select Device Manager. In the Device Manager window, alphabetically locate Network Adapters and click on the down arrow icon.
Find the wireless driver in the list, right-click on each one, and update it.
Restart the system and check if the issue has been resolved. If not, proceed to reinstall the driver.
Open Device Manager again, right-click on the wireless driver, then select Properties. Open the Drivers tab and click Uninstall to remove the driver installation. Keep the system connected to Wifi, restart the system to automatically detect the driver.
Method 6: Tips for experienced users
The Performance Monitor tool integrated into the system allows you to monitor and study how applications run and affect computer performance, both in real-time and by collecting log data for later analysis.
This tool is quite useful for identifying and handling processes that consume a lot of resources and generating system status reports for your Windows computer. However, in some cases, using third-party free tools and software can help you control processes that consume a lot of CPU. Process Tamer is a free software tool that assists in managing high CPU usage or 100% CPU usage on the Windows operating system.
Download Process Tamer and install it here: Download Process Tamer
The article on Mytour has just provided you with some ways to fix the issue of Windows Driver Foundation consuming high CPU. Additionally, readers can refer to some other articles on the Mytour website to learn more about troubleshooting high CPU-consuming processes and programs such as Windows Defender consuming CPU, how to handle it?. Wishing you success!