wmı errors

[PoinardKh]

Hello everyone,

I'm experiencing a persistent issue with my HP Spectre x360 related to the WMI Provider Host (WmiPrvSE.exe). The WMI Provider Host is generating multiple errors and consuming a significant amount of system resources. Specifically, when I first open Task Manager, the CPU usage is around 30%, but it drops to 3-4% after a short while.

To troubleshoot this problem, I've taken the following steps:

• Reset my computer to factory settings.
• Completely cleaned and reinstalled all drivers.
• Performed a full system format and fresh Windows installation.

Despite these efforts, the issue remains unresolved. I'm reaching out to see if anyone else has encountered a similar problem or can offer any advice on how to fix this.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[Raj_05]

Hi @PoinardKh,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The WMI Provider Host (WmiPrvSE.exe) errors and resource usage you're experiencing are common issues that can arise from underlying system misconfigurations, software conflicts, or faulty drivers. You've already taken significant steps, including a factory reset and reinstalling Windows, which eliminates many common causes. Below are additional troubleshooting steps to help identify and resolve the issue.

Check Event Viewer for Error Details

• Press Win + X and select Event Viewer.
• Navigate to Windows Logs > Application or System.
• Look for errors or warnings around the time WmiPrvSE.exe was consuming resources.
• Identify the source of the errors (e.g., specific drivers or services) to narrow down the cause.

Restart the WMI Service

• Open Services (Win + R, type services.msc).
• Find Windows Management Instrumentation.
• Right-click and select Restart.
• Check if the CPU usage stabilizes after the restart.

Identify Problematic Processes

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and switch to the Details tab.
• Right-click on the columns and enable Handles.
• Sort by Handles or CPU usage to see which process is interacting with WmiPrvSE.exe.
• Investigate the top-consuming process for misbehavior.

Run a WMI Diagnostic Command

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Run:

winmgmt /verifyrepository
 

• If it reports that the WMI repository is inconsistent, repair it:

winmgmt /salvagerepository
 

• Restart your system and monitor CPU usage.

Disable or Reconfigure Third-Party Software

• Check for software that frequently queries WMI, such as:
  • Antivirus programs.
  • Performance monitoring tools.
  • System optimization utilities.
• Temporarily disable these applications to determine if they contribute to the issue.

[Raj_05]

Update the BIOS and Firmware

• Visit the HP support website and ensure you have the latest BIOS and firmware updates installed for your HP Spectre x360.

Run a Clean Boot

• To isolate the issue:
  1. Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
  2. Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable all.
  3. Go to the Startup tab and open Task Manager to disable all startup items.
  4. Restart your computer.
• If the problem stops, re-enable services and startup items one by one to identify the culprit.

Use Windows Performance Recorder (WPR)

• To analyze WMI behavior in depth:
  1. Install the Windows Performance Toolkit from the Windows SDK.
  2. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

wpr -start generalprofile -start CPU -filemode
 

1. Let it record for a few minutes, then stop it with:

wpr -stop C:\Temp\WMI_Trace.etl

1. Analyze the resulting .etl file with Windows Performance Analyzer to identify problematic processes.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support