• Changed type Juke ChouMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Tuesday, December 04, 2012 7:00 AM
• Changed type David WoltersModerator Thursday, February 20, 2014 12:09 AM This is a question

Hi,

Does the issue persist if you boot your computer in Clean Boot? If so, I suggest you run SFC/scannow command to check system file integrity first, then check whether your system need to update.  

Hi,

Does the issue persist if you boot your computer in Clean Boot? If so, I suggest you run SFC/scannow command to check system file integrity first, then check whether your system need to update.

Hi,

Please follow the instruction below to add a trusted PC.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/account-security-password-information

If you have any problem related to adding it, please post the thread at http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windowslive/forum/wlinstall?auth=1

Hi,

Please follow the instruction below to add a trusted PC.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/account-security-password-information

If you have any problem related to adding it, please post the thread at http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windowslive/forum/wlinstall?auth

This servicing stack update did not do anything to fix the problem when the Windows Module Installer Worker was just  beating on my new hard drives.  As I was downloading this update, a task began looking for updates and then ended with a message that this update was not correct for my computer.  Eventually I shut the computer off and when I got up the next morning the Installer Worker began hammering away again.  I opened up the Task Manager and ended the Worker task but it restarted and this update began reinstalling and ended with "This update is already installed" and the Worker then stopped.  It took a moment until I decided to retry the Windows update KB278119 that fails with error 80070003.  After the update failed, the Worker started and began the heavy disk access.  I ran the reinstall on this update and the Worker stopped again.  So every time I do updates and one fails I guess I'll reinstall this update.  

Something is wrong with the Windows Module Installer Worker, when an update fails, it just keeps running with heavy access on the hard drives.

This servicing stack update did not do anything to fix the problem when the Windows Module Installer Worker was just  beating on my new hard drives.  As I was downloading this update, a task began looking for updates and then ended with a message that this update was not correct for my computer.  Eventually I shut the computer off and when I got up the next morning the Installer Worker began hammering away again.  I opened up the Task Manager and ended the Worker task but it restarted and this update began reinstalling and ended with "This update is already installed" and the Worker then stopped.  It took a moment until I decided to retry the Windows update KB278119 that fails with error 80070003.  After the update failed, the Worker started and began the heavy disk access.  I ran the reinstall on this update and the Worker stopped again.  So every time I do updates and one fails I guess I'll reinstall this update.  

Something is wrong with the Windows Module Installer Worker, when an update fails, it just keeps running with heavy access on the hard drives.

I found a solution tot his problem and is quite simple!

This is what i did..

Open Task Manager and End the task

Then if everything closes on your desktop no worries

CTRL+ALT+DEL and Click Task Manager

When it opens up go up on the left top corner and click on File

Select '' Run New Task ''

In the box that pops up type in   explorer.exe

Hit enter or okay and thats it :)

It won't come up till the next time you start the computer but im sure there is a fix to disable it from starting up all the time in the Schedule Task menu just don't know where bouts to find it but this is the best i could come up with for now and it works :)

If you go to the windows update settings and set it to "Never check for updates" it'll stop slamming your CPU. Worked on mine. 

Didn't work on mine, WMI Worker comes on idle, at least 5 minutes when keyboard+mouse+touchpad didn't touch and dissappear it self only if i touch one of it. Weird, WMIWorker behave just like a malware or something like that.

ps. even all the windows have been updated, it is still happening

I built a Windows 8 VM to beat on it and here's something that I discovered. I deliberately entered into one of those endless survey loops and they proceeded to load up the system with their malware, spyware, junkware. The system was bogged to a crawl.

I proceeded to uninstall each offending software through the control panel and slowly it started coming back to life. Once all the junkware was removed I noticed the Windows Module Installer was pegging the CPU. Reboot ... same thing. But after a little bit it calmed down and the system is normal.

I guess I'm thinking a good scan of the system to maybe pull out some leftover crap might be in order. I was thinking the malware uninstallers were still running in the background somewhere and the service was picking it up.

Just an observation.

No, it does not solves the problem. Clearly this is Windows 8.1. issue. I had the same problems with Indexer process before latest 8.1 update and now this. What are you doing Microsoft?

See if you have ALL the windows updates installed... It worked for me

I also have this but when I hear the CPU fan going I hit alt-ctl-del and start the Task Manager.  Within a few seconds it quiets down and Chrome becomes my biggest idle cycle thief.   It's like it is afraid to be watched and hides.

Laptop history: upgraded from Vista to 7 to 8 to 8.

Someone said that MSFT screws up every other release of Windows and you should only get the Odd numbered ones.

"you should only get the Odd numbered ones"

The rule is to only get the Windows versions that are a square of a Fibonnaci root derivitive.

• Proposed as answer by bryanthemayan Friday, September 12, 2014 2:29 AM

How exactly do you lower its privileges ? Besides, even when started in administrator mode, the service panel won't let me stop the service (the buttons are grayed out).

Hopefully, I've been able to change the startup strategy, so for now, the only solution will be to restart my computer.

getting the same thing today.  Looking into it still, but i can say that just yesterday I reinstalled my 'photo' tile app, since it wasn't picking up my photos. I hear it can sometimes take quite a while to 'index' all the photos once it finds them.. so I'm wondering if thats it - maybe it's considered part of the install..  Will give it a few hours and see if it goes away and my photos appear.

else it's nothing to do with that, and is more about some patch crap as mentioned..

I am also having this issue with "Windows Modules Installer Worker".  

My system is Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit. Completely clean install.  Fully patched.  Nothing else installed. After patching, the system was completely isolated and removed from any networks - no Internet, no USB sticks, no Wi-Fi etc...  Windows Updates are disabled.  Hence there is absolutely no possibility of anything else being installed - the system is just pure Windows 8.1.

So, why does my system sit there day-after-day with "Windows Modules Installer Worker" burning 50% CPU usage for over an hour, for a system that hasn't changed??  Nothing has been installed, no updates, no applications, no disks have been inserted - so what is "Windows Modules Installer Worker" trying to do???

How does Microsoft class this as optimization, when the system has burnt an extra 4 Wh of power unnecessarily?

Yes, I could stop the service from running, but that doesn't explain the issue. As an engineer I don't like un-explained problems. They tend to come back and bite-you when you least expect them.

This problem appears to have been around for years, with little or no support from Microsoft!

I wonder if Microsoft are going to do anything about this problem.

Since i updated from 8 to 8.1 i have this issue on my laptop. It takes 99% CPU usage and the fan is running full speed. Yes, it is fully updated.

It seem like a stupid way to fix the issue that i am forced to try to prevent the Windows Modules Installer Worker and the updater to run at all.

And yes, when i ctrl+alt+del it sometimes stops (gets scared? it really stop itself just by that) only to start again when i return to for example a browser. Sometimes it just continues and i manually stops it... 15 minutes later it start itself again. Noboby ain't got time for that.

Now i can't use my laptop for anything.

• Edited by Madsen777 Sunday, April 26, 2015 4:20 PM
• Proposed as answer by Arboretum87 Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1:50 PM
• Unproposed as answer by Arboretum87 Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1:50 PM

Hi all,

I'm posting this as it may be of some help to others having high CPU usage with the Windows Modules Installer Worker. 

My problem started with a clean Win 8.1 install and after all the Windows updates were applied.

Follow the steps given below (From Microsoft support engineer PranavMishra5582)

1. Press and hold the Windows button and the W button on the keyboard.
2. In the search box situated in the upper right corner we need to write Troubleshooting
3. Click(left click) on the Troubleshooting icon.
4. On the upper left corner of the Troubleshooting window we need to click(left click) on View All
5. Click (left click) on WINDOWS UPDATE
6. ParanavMishra5582 suggests performing the System Maintenance troubleshoot as well.
7. Click (left click) on Next and follow the steps presented on the screen.

I rebooted my notebook and the problem appears to be solved.

Good luck!

• Proposed as answer by ZLK314 1 hour 34 minutes ago