Fixes: Cxuiusvc Service Having High CPU Usage

Cxuiusvc.exe runs the Conexant Utility Service, a process associated with Conexant SmartAudio II. So, if your audio device manufacturer is Conexant, you will have this process running in the background. Synaptics Inc. acquired Conexant in 2017, so newer devices with audio hardware from Synaptics will also have this process running.

Generally, a process such as Cxuiusvc should not be consuming too many system resources, even while running quietly in the background. However, sometimes Cxuiusvc service can unexpectedly consume more system resources, including high CPU usage.

If you are experiencing a choppy Windows experience because the service Cxuiusvc is consuming too much CPU usage, then worry not, for we have the solution for you.

Why Is Cxuiusvc Service Taking Too Much CPU Power?

There could be various reasons why a service like Cxuiusvc could be having a high CPU usage. Some of those reasons could be:

• A process is stuck in an infinite loop.
• Windows needs updating.
• Outdated driver.
• Updated driver has bugs.

How to Fix Cxuiusvc Service Taking Too Much CPU Power

Below we have tackled handling the problem of Cxuiusvc Service using too much CPU resources based upon the possibility that it could be stuck on an infinite loop. It could be conflicting with some other process. Also, there is the possibility that drivers are buggy or corrupted. 

Your system could be having a problem due to any of the aforementioned issues, so please try the solutions listed below one at a time to see if that fixes it.

Restart the Computer

You can try restarting the computer to see if this fixes the problem.

1. Click on the Start button and click on the Power icon.
2. Select Restart from the menu.
   
   
3. Wait for the computer to restart.

If the problem is a one-time issue, this will resolve it. However, if the problem shows up again, you should try one of the other fixes below.

Perform an End Task from the Task Manager

You can close the Cxuiusvc process from the Task Manager and this will stop it from consuming resources.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager.
2. Under the Processes tab, scroll down to find CxUIUSvc Service.
3. Right-click on CxUIUSvc Service and select End Task.

Be warned though that this is, again, probably only a stop-gap solution and the Cxuiusvc process could go on to start hogging CPU resources next time you restart the computer. However, you can work in peace for now.

Set the Cxuiusvc Service to Manual

You can set the Cxuiusvc Service to manual and disable it. Worry not, it will not affect your ability to listen to audio.

1. Press Win + R and type in services.msc to launch Windows Services Manager.
2. In the Service Manager window that you just opened, scroll through to find CxUIUSvc Service and right-click on it.
3. Select Properties and set Startup type to Manual.
   
   
4. Click on Stop button to stop the service and click Ok.
5. Restart your computer.

Reinstall the Audio Drivers

You can also try uninstalling and reinstalling the audio drivers to fix this particular problem.

1. Press Win + R and type in devmgmt.msc to launch Device Manager.
2. Find and expand Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Right-click on your speaker driver and click Uninstall device.
   
   
4. Click on Scan for hardware changes button
   
   

Windows will now automatically detect the audio device and install drivers for it.

Update the Audio Drivers

Updating your audio drivers might also fix this issue. Let’s give that a try.

1. Download the latest drivers from your device manufacturer.
2. Press Win + R and type in devmgmt.msc to launch Device Manager.
3. Find and expand Sound, video and game controllers.
4. Right click on your speaker driver and click Update driver.
   
   
5. Click on Browse my computer for drivers.
6. Browse to the location of the updated driver and select it.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions and restart your computer.

Rollback Audio Drivers

If neither reinstalling nor updating the audio drivers solved your problem, you should try rolling back the drivers.

1. Press Win + R and type in devmgmt.mscto launch Device Manager.
2. Find and expand Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Right-click on your audio device and select Properties.
4. Switch to the Driver tab and click on Roll Back Driver.
   
   

Remedial Action for Keylogger Issue with HP devices

HP laptops released in 2015 and 2016 with Conexant audio have buggy drivers. The driver code has debugging mode enabled, and it logs all your keystrokes into a file or a debug log. HP claims that it has no access to the logged data and the driver does not appear to be malicious in nature. However, since it’s always active and doing something that it was not intended to do, it tends to hog up system resources after a while.

Since it’s already 2022, there is a good chance that subsequent updates have already fixed this issue. However, if you have never updated your device, or you are using a backup device from your storage, it is well worth checking for.

Check if You Have Drivers With Keylogger Installed

1. Press Win + R and type in C:UsersPublic
2. Look for a file named MicTray.log. Delete it, if you find one.
3. Next, download and run Microsoft’s DebugView application.
4. Press some keys and look at the DebugView application.
5. If you see entries with “Mic target….,” then you have a Conexant driver with keylogger installed.

Stop the Keylogger

You should be able to fix this issue easily by applying the latest Windows updates.

1. First, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager. 
2. Locate MicTray.exe in the Task Manager and perform End Task on it.
3. Next, locate MicTray.exe installed in your HDD (usually found at C:WindowsSystem32 ) and delete it.
4. Press Win + I to open Settings.
5. Navigate to Windows Update and click on Check for updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is My Service Host Using So Much CPU?

The Service Host is a collection of essential system services in Windows. Any of the services malfunctionings could lead the Service Host to have a high CPU usage.

You can read more about Service Host high CPU usage and methods to fix it in this article.

What Is Considered High CPU Usage?

An idling CPU usually has less than 10% activity. A CPU that has 100% activity means that currently there are a larger number of threads than the CPU can handle on a queue. If your CPU usage is approaching a 100% usage, that would be considered a high CPU usage.