Deactivate WMI provider host - how it works

The WMI Provider Host system service consumes an unusually large amount of CPU power for some users. This practical tip shows you whether you should activate it and how you can do it.

Deactivating the WMI provider host - that's the reason

The service is part of the Windows Management Instrumentation, which enables access to other computers in the shared network.

• To do this, a small server is started on your PC so that you can perform operations as an administrator.
• The service is an integral part of your system. So even if you don't really need him, he's active.
• Under normal circumstances, however, the WMI provider host should not cause any problems. If the CPU usage is high, there is probably a problem elsewhere. In this case, scan your system for viruses and check whether an application other than WMI Provider Host might be masquerading.

Deactivate WMI Provider Host - this is how you proceed

To get to the source of the problem, you can deactivate the WMI provider host. Then you can see, for example, whether the CPU-heavy application continues to run.

1. Press the key combination [Windows] + [R] and enter "msconfig" there. Confirm with [Enter].
2. The Windows administration program starts. There, switch to the "Services" tab.
3. Click on "Service" above to sort the list alphabetically and scroll down a bit until you reach Windows Services.
4. Then remove the tick from the "Windows Management Instrumentation" service and confirm with "Apply"> "OK".
5. In order for the changes to take effect, you must briefly restart your PC.
6. To reactivate the WMI provider host, simply perform the same steps again and check the box again.

This practical tip is based on Windows 7. We will show you which other background services you can switch off in the next practical tip.