How to Fix Windows Modules Installer Worker Causing High CPU?
One of the most frequent issues among Windows 10 users is unexpected High Disk usage, which in turn causes the system to freeze.
For the majority of the time, it has been often found that once the Task Manager is opened, it shows Windows Modules Installer Worker to take as much as 50% of the CPU and Disk Usage.
With such an intensive load on the CPU, it is bound to perform slower than usual.
The idea behind this article is to make you aware of what exactly Windows Modules Installer Worker is and how you can fix the issue of raising the CPU and Disk Usage.
What Exactly is Windows Modules Installer Worker?
As per the service description, it has been known that the Windows Modules Installer Worker is responsible for the installation, modification, and removal of all Windows updates and other optional contents.
Most of the time, all the updates in Windows 10 and other versions of Windows are done via the Windows Update Centre, so in this case, the process is just working in the background.
On the other hand, if you resort to making changes and uninstalling an update, this is where the Windows Modules Installer Worker starts.
If you open the Task Manager, under the normal processing tab, it is known as the Windows Modules Installer Worker.
But if you look closely in the details tab, you will find an EXE file named after TiWorker.exe.
Sometimes you might find occasional spikes in CPU usage under the name of Windows Modules Installer Worker.
This is mainly because Microsoft tends to release their updates on Patch Tuesday, but sometimes it might even vary.
So, during the entire installation process, you might see such usage, but once that is done, after giving a quick reboot, it all comes down to normal.
What Makes it Use So Much CPU?
It is very reasonable to expect an occasional rise in CPU usage from the Windows Modules Installer Worker.
But if the user tends to occur for a longer duration of time, that is when you should be concerned.
Yet, there is a relief that, if you allow the Windows Modules Installer Worker to run, it will eventually stop.
But at the same time, it completely depends on your computer’s hardware that determines the duration of the process.
Fixing the Windows Modules Installer Worker
There is a variety of ways in which you can fix the Installer Worker taking higher CPU usage.
Make sure to follow the step-by-step guide given below:
1) Changing the Windows Update from Automatic to Manual
One of the major reasons why there is an error with the Windows Modules Installer Worker is due to the Windows automatic update.
This particular issue is fairly common in Windows 10, but it can also be seen in other Windows versions.
One of the easiest and most convenient solutions to such as turning off the Windows update from automatic to manual.
What it does is that you have the liberty to take control of the Windows Update.
This also ensures that you don’t have to deal with unnecessary Windows Updates all of a sudden.
In this way, you can also make sure that you keep the CPU consumption to a minimum.
Here are some of the steps you can follow to change the update from automatic to manual:
STEP 1
Open the Run dialogue box by pressing the Windows + R keys altogether. And once the box appears, type services.msc and hit enter.
STEP 2
This, in turn, will open the services window. Now it’s time to locate the Windows Modules Installer.
STEP 3
Once you find the same, select the Startup Type and change it from automatic to manual, and hit enter.
STEP 4
Again, look for Windows Update in the service.msc and change it to manual as in the previous step.
STEP 5
Once you have updated these settings, go back to the Change Settings option, and choose the way in which Windows will update itself.
STEP 6
Select the option Check for an update but let me choose whether to download and install them and hit enter.
STEP 7
Close all these windows and give your computer a quick reboot.
The first and foremost thing is that it will help you to opt for updates only when it is required.
So, make sure to manually check your OS update at a regular intervals of time so that you don’t miss out on any critical updates.
2) Removing the SoftwareDistribution Folder
By default, Windows tends to download and store all the new updates in the SoftwareDistribution folder.
When these downloaded file gets corrupted, it can result in higher consumption of CPU while checking for updates.
One of the easiest fixes to this problem is to remove the SoftwareDistribution folder and refresh the Windows Update.
Down below are some of the steps on how to do the same:
Step 1
Stop the Windows Update Service. Press the Windows + R button to open the Run box and open the service.msc.
STEP 2
Look for the Windows Update service, right-click on it, and select Stop.
STEP 3
This will disable the Windows Update service.
STEP 4
Once the Windows Update service has been stopped, look for the SoftwareDistribution folder to delete it.
STEP 5
Make sure to open the File Explorer and head over to the C directory. Under there, you will find the Windows Folder.
Step 6
Look for the SoftwareDistribution folder, and delete it.
Now, it’s time to reboot your computer and check for Windows Update again.
This is more likely going to solve the problem as newer updates won’t be corrupted or less likely to be, for that matter.
3) Run the Windows Troubleshooter
There is no better to fix the Windows problem, apart from leaving everything to Windows itself.
The majority of the users suggest that running the Windows Troubleshooter helps them to fix the problem.
As a matter of fact, by default, there is a Windows Troubleshooter functionality for Windows Update.
Dow below are the steps one needs to follow to run the Troubleshooter program.
STEP 1
Head over to the start menu and select the settings option from there.
STEP 2
Go to the Update and Security option and select the Troubleshoot tab from there.
STEP 3
Under the Troubleshoot option, make sure to scroll down and choose the Windows Update option from there.
STEP 4
Once you have found the option, make sure to select the Run the Troubleshooter button and let Windows show its charm.
STEP 5
Once Windows is done with its initial diagnosis, you will be prompted with some on-screen instructions.
Make sure to follow them correctly, and you will find the recommended fix for your problem.
4) Using the DISM Tool to Fix Corrupt Windows
If you have never heard of the DISM Tool, chances are you have found it under a different name such as System Update Readiness Tool.
What this tool often does is that it helps Windows users to scan their entire Operating System for corruption and resolve them on its own.
To use the DISM tool, make sure to go through the following steps:
STEP 1
Press the Windows + X button and select the Command Prompt (Admin) option.
STEP 2
Once you are in the Command Prompt, make sure to type the following command:
Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth
Or
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
STEP 3
After you hit the command, let the DISM Tool scan your computer and resolve any issue that exists within the system.
Once the checking has been done, make sure to Reboot the system and check whether the Windows Modules Installer Worker is taking more CPU or not.
Chances are, it won’t.
5) Using the System File Checker Tool
The System File Checker Tool is not task-specific like that of the DISM Tool.
Instead, while running this tool, it can check for corrupt system files that are associated with Windows Update and fix them automatically for you.
STEP 1
Open the Command Prompt as before by pressing the Windows + X button.
STEP 2
Run the command sfc / scannow and hit enter.
STEP 3
Now the system file checker will look for corrupted files and fix them if they find any.
Concluding Words
If you look for a prominent solution to the Microsoft Community, you can find that the majority of the Windows problems can be resolved using the DISM and SFC too.
Apart from fixing the Windows Modules Installer Worker, you can fix other CPU-intensive and resource-consuming services such as CompatTelRunner.exe, WmiPrvSE.exe, as well as ntoskml.exe.
That being said, if your primary focus is just to get rid of the annoying TiWorker.exe, disabling the Windows update feature will just work fine.
The only downside to it is that you have to manually check for Windows Update every once in a while so that it can fix other bugs in the Operating System.
If you are having any other queries regarding the Windows Modules Installer Worker, make sure to leave a comment down below.