Top 8 Ways to Fix System Interrupts on Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP

Jun. 24, 2022 / Updated by Bessie Shaw to Windows Driver Solutions

Many users reported that Windows Systems Interrupts caused high CPU usage and slowed down the computer performance. There are many reasons could result in System Interrupts. Here are 8 common methods to fix high CPU usage issue caused by System Interrupts.

What Is "System Interrupts"

System Interrupts is also known as "Interrupts" and "IRQs", managing the communication between hardware and your Windows system. It occurs like a Windows process in the Task Manager, which reports the CPU usage of all interrupts that take place below the system level.

Every time a hardware device or a piece of software performs a certain task, it needs to inform the CPU in advance. When it communicates with the CPU, it raises an interrupt, and the CPU will immediately terminate the task at hand to process the interrupt. When the interrupt needs to defer a lower priority task until later, it calls on the Deferred Procedure Calls (DPCs). Combining the System Interrupts and DPCs processing together, the amount of CPU resources usage can be estimated.

Method 1. Unplug Your Power Adapter

The faulty power supply can make Systems Interrupts take place. Unplug your power adapter or change a different power adapter to check whether the issue is solved.

Method 2. End Redundant Processes

Press CTRL + ALT + ESC to start Windows Task Manager and end processes not needed under Processes tab. Besides, it is highly recommended to disable those processes through Startup. After disabling them, restart your computer to check whether your CPU usage is down.

Method 3. Disable USB Root Hubs

It is well-known that USB devices can result in System Interrupts and high CPU usage. Use Device Manager to disable some USB root hubs to check whether the issue has been resolved.

Step 1. Open the Device Manager.

Step 2. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.

Step 3. Right-click on all USB Root Hubs (except for ones related to your mouse and keyboard), and click Disable.

Step 4. Open the Task Manager and check whether the CPU usage is going down.

Method 4. Disable Network Adapters

To disable the network adapter, follow these steps:

Step 1. Click Start > Control Panel >Device Manager > Network Adapters.

Step 2. Click on the adapter you are currently using and choose Properties.

Step 3. Click Advanced tab.

Step 4. Disable the Wake on magic packet and Wake on pattern match functions.

Method 5. Disable All Sound Effects in Enchantments Tab

The Sound Enchantments could cause System Interrupts. When you play music or video files, the System Interrupts will go up, which will cause high CPU usage. Disable it through the steps below:

Step 1. Right-click on the speaker icon

Step 2. Select Playback devices

Step 3. Click on the speaker Properties

Step 4. Go to the Enhancements Tab

Step 5. Click Disable All Sound Effects

Step 6. Click OK.

Method 6. Update Your BIOS

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a piece of software which starts up before the primary operating system loads. Outdated BIOS can also cause System Interrupts. You could update your BIOS to fix high CPU usage issue and improve the performance of your computer. It is high recommended to back up your system before updating our BIOS.

For details on updating your BIOS, please refer to this article: Easy Way to Free Update Your BIOS on Dell, Acer, Asus, HP, Toshiba, IBM, Sony, Lenovo.

Method 7. Fix Corrupt Device Drivers

Corrupt device drivers often lead to a very high DPC latency, which can also cause Systems Interrupts. You could run the DPC Latency Checker to confirm whether the driver issues are culprits. If there are corrupted device drivers, you need to repair them and download and install correct drivers, such as chipset drivers.

The easiest and quickest method to download appropriate related device drivers is to use a widely-used drivers download utility - Driver Talent. With Driver Talent, you could instantly fix your corrupted drivers in minutes.

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Click "Repair" to download and install the correct device drivers automatically within a few minutes.

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3. Reboot your computer

Don't forget to restart your computer to allow all drivers updates to come into effect.

Note: Bear in mind that back up your drivers before installing new device drivers in case of power cut. You are also able to restore your drivers to a previous good-working version with Driver Talent.

For high CPU and memory usage, you could also refer to this: Top 10 Ways to Fix High RAM/CPU Memory Usage after Windows 10 Update.

Method 8. Reinstall Windows

If you've tried all the above-mentioned methods, but still fail to troubleshoot your high CPU usage caused by System Interrupts, you could reinstall your Windows system.

Any other solutions to fix high CPU usage caused by System Interrupts, please share with us in the comments section below. Many thanks.

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