Windows 10 is supposed to run flawlessly on the same hardware as Windows 7 and 8.1, but for various reasons, it fails to do so, and in some cases, it actually leads to performance problems that make it completely unusable.
This is the case of an error that appears to lead to very high CPU usage in Windows 10, and according to reports by users who have come across this problem, Microsoft is yet to provide a fully working fix until now.
So your best shot is to try workarounds provided by the Windows community and other users who have experienced the same problem before eventually finding a way to address them.
How to fix the high CPU usage
Method 1
Launch the Registry Editor by typing regedit.exe in the Start menu and navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTimeBroker
Look for the Start entry and change its value from dword:00000003 to dword:00000004 (simply replace the 3 at the end of the value with 4).
Changing this value could have an impact on Cortana’s performance, but it appears to be closely connected to the high CPU usage in Windows 10. In case you’re not using Cortana at all, you’re on the good side. Otherwise, setting reminders won’t work.
Method 2
Launch settings and go to Update > Advanced. Here, you must disable P2P sharing, as it’s believed that, in some cases, your CPU usage could skyrocket because this process runs in the background.
Simply click the “choose how updates are delivered” option and toggle “updates from more than one place” to off.
Method 3
Additionally, it appears that, in some cases, the notification system is at fault for the high CPU usage, and some users recommend disabling the Windows 10 tips from the very beginning to avoid this.
To do this, go to Settings > System > Notifications & Actions and simply uncheck the box that says “Show me tips about Windows.” If you’re already familiar with Windows 10, you should have no problem at all.
Method 4
If your Windows 10 version already has support for Windows Spotlight, there are some recommendations to disable it. Once again, background services are believed to be at fault for what’s happening with the CPU, so the high usage could be the result of the services running in the background.
To do this, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen and change Windows Spotlight to Picture.
Other methods
There are several other recommendations in this Microsoft Community thread, including the removal of some apps such as OneDrive, Google Drive, external drives, and Groove Music. You can also try disable background apps, as one of these processes might not be optimized for running on Windows 10.
Last but not least, you can try a full Windows 10 refresh, which will reinstall the OS, but without removing your files, settings, and apps. This should work eventually, but it obviously takes more time.