{"id":1243,"date":"2020-09-10T07:43:01","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T07:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/?p=1243"},"modified":"2025-01-30T10:14:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T10:14:12","slug":"fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows Explorer Using High CPU &#8211; How to Fix"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>You may sometimes open the Task Manager only to see a high CPU caused by Windows Explorer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It may happen for many different reasons. Read this article to discover how to fix the Windows Explorer high CPU problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Checking whether the system functions normally helps to identify the issue with Windows Explorer using high CPU. One way to do it is to run the <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/software\/pc-repair\/?m=site_blog_article_pcr_pplink&amp;utm_source=outbyte&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=article_pcr_pplink&amp;utm_term=Outbyte+PC+Repair&amp;utm_content=\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PC Repair tool<\/a> by Outbyte. It will scan your system, detect corrupted files and delete them, improving the overall performance of your PC system.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.promoblock-default {\r\n    color: #535969;\r\n    font-style: normal;\r\n    font-weight: normal;\r\n    font-size: 17px;\r\n    line-height: 26px;\r\n    margin-top: 20px;\r\n    margin-bottom: 20px;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock {\r\n    display: flex;\r\n    position: relative;\r\n    width: 100%;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-cell {\r\n\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-cell-2 {\r\n    padding-left: 40px;\r\n    max-width: 390px;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-title {\r\n    color: #2C313E;\r\n    font-weight: bold;\r\n    font-size: 21px;\r\n    line-height: 26px;\r\n    margin-bottom: 20px;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-step {\r\n    margin-bottom: 15px;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-step .promoblock-step-title {\r\n    color: #2C313E;\r\n    font-weight: 500;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-info {\r\n    padding: 30px 42px;\r\n    border: 1px solid #DFE3EA;\r\n    background-color: #F9FAFC;\r\n    margin-bottom: 30px;\r\n    margin-top: 5px;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-info .promoblock-info-line + .promoblock-info-line {\r\n    margin-top: 10px;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-info-title {\r\n    color: #2C313E;\r\n    font-weight: bold;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-btn-wrapper {\r\n    margin-top: 20px;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-btn-wrapper.second {\r\n    display: none;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-btn {\r\n    display: inline-block;\r\n    background-image: url(\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg width='24' height='24' viewBox='0 0 24 24' fill='none' xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%3E%3Cpath fill-rule='evenodd' clip-rule='evenodd' d='M12 15.3635C11.8072 15.3635 11.6222 15.2869 11.4858 15.1506L7.12218 10.7869C6.98971 10.6497 6.9164 10.466 6.91806 10.2753C6.91971 10.0847 6.9962 9.90225 7.13104 9.76741C7.26589 9.63257 7.44829 9.55608 7.63898 9.55442C7.82967 9.55277 8.01338 9.62607 8.15055 9.75855L11.2727 12.8807V3.72727C11.2727 3.53439 11.3494 3.3494 11.4857 3.21301C11.6221 3.07662 11.8071 3 12 3C12.1929 3 12.3779 3.07662 12.5143 3.21301C12.6507 3.3494 12.7273 3.53439 12.7273 3.72727V12.8807L15.8495 9.75855C15.9866 9.62607 16.1703 9.55277 16.361 9.55442C16.5517 9.55608 16.7341 9.63257 16.869 9.76741C17.0038 9.90225 17.0803 10.0847 17.0819 10.2753C17.0836 10.466 17.0103 10.6497 16.8778 10.7869L12.5142 15.1506C12.3778 15.2869 12.1928 15.3635 12 15.3635ZM18.7585 15.1221C18.8949 14.9857 19.0798 14.9091 19.2727 14.9091C19.4656 14.9091 19.6506 14.9857 19.787 15.1221C19.9234 15.2585 20 15.4435 20 15.6364V19.2727C20 19.4656 19.9234 19.6506 19.787 19.787C19.6506 19.9234 19.4656 20 19.2727 20H4.72727C4.53439 20 4.3494 19.9234 4.21301 19.787C4.07662 19.6506 4 19.4656 4 19.2727V15.6364C4 15.4435 4.07662 15.2585 4.21301 15.1221C4.3494 14.9857 4.53439 14.9091 4.72727 14.9091C4.92016 14.9091 5.10514 14.9857 5.24153 15.1221C5.37792 15.2585 5.45455 15.4435 5.45455 15.6364V18.5455H18.5455V15.6364C18.5455 15.4435 18.6221 15.2585 18.7585 15.1221Z' fill='white'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E%0A\");\r\n    border: none;\r\n    background-size: 24px 24px;\r\n    background-repeat: no-repeat;\r\n    background-color: #09AF78;\r\n    background-position: calc(100% - 20px) center;\r\n    padding: 10px 54px 10px 20px;\r\n    outline: none;\r\n    cursor: pointer;\r\n    font-style: normal;\r\n    font-weight: 500;\r\n    font-size: 18px;\r\n    line-height: 28px;\r\n    text-decoration: none;\r\n    box-shadow: none;\r\n    color: #ffffff;\r\n    transition: background-color 0.3s;\r\n    margin: 0;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-btn:hover {\r\n    background-color: #0bcd8c;\r\n    color: #ffffff;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-os-wrapper {\r\n    text-align: center;\r\n    white-space: nowrap;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-os {\r\n    display: inline-block;\r\n    background-position: center;\r\n    background-size: cover;\r\n    background-repeat: no-repeat;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-os + .promoblock-os {\r\n    margin-left: 20px;\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-os.w10 {\r\n    width: 109px;\r\n    height: 20px;\r\n    background-image: url('data:image\/png;base64,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');\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-os.w8 {\r\n    width: 106px;\r\n    height: 20px;\r\n    background-image: url('data:image\/png;base64,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');\r\n}\r\n.promoblock-default .promoblock-os.w7 {\r\n    width: 92px;\r\n    height: 20px;\r\n    background-image: url('data:image\/png;base64,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');\r\n    \r\n}\r\n@media (max-width: 900px) {\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock {\r\n        flex-direction: column;\r\n    }\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-cell-2 {\r\n        padding-left: 0px;\r\n        max-width: 400px;\r\n    }\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-btn-wrapper {\r\n        display: none;\r\n    }\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-btn-wrapper.second {\r\n        display: block;\r\n    }\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-os-wrapper {\r\n        text-align: left;\r\n    }\r\n}\r\n@media (max-width: 420px) {\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-cell-2 {\r\n        max-width: 100%;\r\n    }\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-os + .promoblock-os {\r\n        margin-left: 10px;\r\n    }\r\n}\r\n@media (max-width: 420px) {\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-info {\r\n        padding: 20px 15px;\r\n    }\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-os.w10 {\r\n        width: 87px;\r\n        height: 16px;\r\n    }\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-os.w8 {\r\n        width: 84px;\r\n        height: 16px;\r\n    }\r\n    .promoblock-default .promoblock-os.w7 {\r\n        width: 74px;\r\n        height: 16px;\r\n    }\r\n}\r\n<\/style><div class=\"promoblock-wrapper promoblock-default\">\r\n    <div class=\"promoblock\">\r\n        <div class=\"promoblock-cell promoblock-cell-1\">\r\n            <div class=\"promoblock-title\">Quick fix instructions<\/div>\r\n            <div class=\"promoblock-step\"><span class=\"promoblock-step-title\">Step 1:<\/span> <span class=\"promoblock-step-text\">Download Installation file<\/span><\/div>\r\n            <div class=\"promoblock-step\"><span class=\"promoblock-step-title\">Step 2:<\/span> <span class=\"promoblock-step-text\">Install PC Repair and scan your PC<\/span><\/div>\r\n            <div class=\"promoblock-step\"><span class=\"promoblock-step-title\">Step 3:<\/span> <span class=\"promoblock-step-text\">Click \u201cRepair\u201d to fix all items that may cause the issue<\/span><\/div>\r\n            <div class=\"promoblock-btn-wrapper\">\r\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/software\/pc-repair\/download\/\" class=\"promoblock-btn\">Download PC Repair<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"promoblock-cell promoblock-cell-2\">\r\n            <div class=\"promoblock-info\">\r\n                <div class=\"promoblock-info-line\"><span class=\"promoblock-info-title\">Total downloads:<\/span> <span class=\"promoblock-info-text\">1.300.000+<\/span><\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"promoblock-info-line\"><span class=\"promoblock-info-title\">Download Size:<\/span> <span class=\"promoblock-info-text\">16 MB<\/span><\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"promoblock-info-line\"><span class=\"promoblock-info-title\">Compatibility:<\/span> <span class=\"promoblock-info-text\">Windows 10, 8, 7<\/span><\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n                        <div class=\"promoblock-btn-wrapper second\">\r\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/software\/pc-repair\/download\/\" class=\"promoblock-btn\">Download PC Repair<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Windows_Explorer_High_CPU_Reasons\"><\/span>Windows Explorer High CPU Reasons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Windows Explorer is a system file of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Microsoft Windows operating system<\/a>. This core application takes up about 2 MB volume. Moreover, you can find it in this directory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>C:\\Windows\\SystemApps<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"816\" height=\"249\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-location.png\" alt=\"Windows File Explorer location\" class=\"wp-image-3033\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-location.png 816w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-location-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-location-768x234.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Normally, when you run it to look for files on your computer, it doesn\u2019t result in high CPU. However, some users experience the <a href=\"https:\/\/answers.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/forum\/all\/windows-10-explorerexe-takes-99-cpu-usage\/92772ba2-6bf8-44cf-bd95-9182d7b799f1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Windows Explorer high memory issue<\/a>. Some of the reasons for that may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Too many processes running on the background<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>System errors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Issues with Windows updates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Third-party applications<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>User profile corruption<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Viruses and malware<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Any of these factors can cause Windows Explorer to consume high CPU resources and lead to more performance issues. The same is true for other processes on your computer, including <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/high-gpu-usage-lockapp-exe\/\">lockapp.exe<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/windows-shell-experience-host-high-cpu\/\">windows shell experience host<\/a>. Knowing the reason behind the high CPU usage can help you quickly resolve the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps_to_Fix_the_Windows_Explorer_High_CPU_Issue\"><\/span>Steps to Fix the Windows Explorer High CPU Issue<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Check_All_Running_Applications\"><\/span>Step 1: Check All Running Applications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, it\u2019s not only Windows Explorer that causes high CPU. Firstly, you need to check whether other applications are creating the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Press <kbd>Ctrl<\/kbd> + <kbd>Shift<\/kbd> + <kbd>Esc<\/kbd> on your keyboard or right-click on the <strong>Menu<\/strong> button and open the <strong>Task Manager<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the Details tab to see all programs running on your computer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Close any applications using high CPU that you don\u2019t currently need running.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"844\" height=\"302\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/applications-high-cpu.png\" alt=\"High CPU usage applications - Task Manager\" class=\"wp-image-1267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/applications-high-cpu.png 844w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/applications-high-cpu-300x107.png 300w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/applications-high-cpu-768x275.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Read also: <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/microsoft-photos-exe-virus-fix-high-cpu\/\">Fix high CPU usage of Microsoft.photos.exe<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Restart_the_Windows_Management_Instrumentation_Service\"><\/span>Step 2: Restart the Windows Management Instrumentation Service<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes the CPU usage can be improved by restarting the Windows Management Instrumentation service. Do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Right-click on the Menu button and choose <strong>Run<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter <code class=\"inline\">services.msc<\/code> and hit OK.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Locate the Windows Management Instrumentation line, right-click on it and choose the <strong>Restart<\/strong> option.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"801\" height=\"248\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-management-service.png\" alt=\"Windows Management Instrumentation\" class=\"wp-image-1269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-management-service.png 801w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-management-service-300x93.png 300w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-management-service-768x238.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Create_a_New_User_on_Your_PC\"><\/span>Step 3: Create a New User on Your PC<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes it\u2019s reasonable to create a new user profile to see if the Windows Explorer high CPU remains on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Right-click on the <strong>Menu <\/strong>button and choose <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Press <strong>Accounts<\/strong> and choose<strong> Family &amp; other users<\/strong> from the menu on the left.<br><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"642\" height=\"281\" class=\"wp-image-1271\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-accounts.png\" alt=\"Windows Accounts\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-accounts.png 642w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-accounts-300x131.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" \/><\/figure><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Press <strong>Add someone else to this PC<\/strong>. Assign a username with a password and a password hint and press <strong>Next<\/strong>.<br><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"645\" height=\"310\" class=\"wp-image-1273\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/add-someone-else.png\" alt=\"Add someone else to this PC\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/add-someone-else.png 645w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/add-someone-else-300x144.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px\" \/><\/figure><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proceed again to <strong>Menu > Settings > Account > Family &amp; other users<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Change account type<\/strong> option and change the Account type to <strong>Administrator<\/strong>. Press OK.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restart your PC and log in to the new administrator account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Run <strong>Windows Explorer<\/strong> and check in the <strong>Task Manager<\/strong> how much CPU it uses.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Scan_for_Viruses\"><\/span>Step 4: Scan for Viruses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Viruses and malware may be the reason for Windows Explorer high memory usage. You may use your antivirus software to do that. Just follow the instructions that come up while you run the program and take note of any protection options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_5_Run_the_System_Maintenance_Troubleshooter\"><\/span>Step 5: Run the System Maintenance Troubleshooter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To see if any system issues are causing the Windows Explorer high CPU usage, you can run Windows Troubleshooter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Right-click the <strong>Menu<\/strong> button and press <strong>Run<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Type <code class=\"inline\">control<\/code> and click OK to open <strong>Control Panel<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Troubleshooting <\/strong>and choose <strong>View all <\/strong>options on the left side menu. <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"492\" height=\"414\" class=\"wp-image-1275\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/troubleshooting.png\" alt=\"Troubleshooting in Control Panel\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/troubleshooting.png 492w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/troubleshooting-300x252.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px\" \/><\/figure><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose <strong>System maintenance<\/strong> from the list, click <strong>Next <\/strong>in the appearing box and follow the on-screen instructions.<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"518\" class=\"wp-image-1277\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/system-maintenance.png\" alt=\"System maintenance - Troubleshooting line\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/system-maintenance.png 758w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/system-maintenance-300x205.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" \/><\/figure><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_6_Run_the_SFC_Scan_to_Fix_Windows_Explorer_Corrupted_Files\"><\/span>Step 6: Run the SFC Scan to Fix Windows Explorer Corrupted Files<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Running the system file check may help <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/find-and-fix-corrupted-files-on-windows-10\/\">fix corrupted files<\/a> that cause Windows Explorer using high CPU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Right-click the Menu button and choose <strong>Windows PowerShell<\/strong> (Administrator) or type <code class=\"inline\">CMD<\/code> and run the as Administrator (depending on your Windows system release).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Type <code class=\"inline\">sfc \/scannow<\/code> and hit <kbd>Enter<\/kbd> on your keyboard. <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"480\" height=\"148\" class=\"wp-image-1279\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/powershell-sfc-scannow.png\" alt=\"sfc \/scannow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/powershell-sfc-scannow.png 480w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/powershell-sfc-scannow-300x93.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/figure><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take note of messages appearing as scan results. In a good scenario, there will be no corrupted files or the system was able to fix them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Using the SFC tool is one of the most effective ways to deal with a wide range of Windows errors caused by system corruption. You can use it when you&#8217;re getting an application error, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/how-to-fix-error-0xc0000142\/\">0xc0000142<\/a>. Whatever the error is, deleting corrupted system files using SFC should be part of your troubleshooting process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_7_Run_DISM_to_Fix_CPU_Issue\"><\/span>Step 7: Run DISM to Fix CPU Issue<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether the SFC scan has found errors that couldn\u2019t be fixed, you can try running Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) to solve this. Go through checking, scanning, and restoring system health by doing the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Right-click the Menu button and choose <strong>Windows PowerShell<\/strong> (Administrator). Alternatively, you can press Windows Key and type <code class=\"inline\">CMD<\/code>. Right-click Command Prompt from the results and select Run as Administrator.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Type <code class=\"inline\">DISM \/Online \/ Cleanup-Image \/ CheckHealth<\/code> and hit <kbd>Enter<\/kbd> on your keyboard. <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"492\" height=\"193\" class=\"wp-image-1281\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/check-health.png\" alt=\"Cleanup-Image - CheckHealth\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/check-health.png 492w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/check-health-300x118.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px\" \/><\/figure><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After the process is over, type <code class=\"inline\">DISM \/Online \/ Cleanup-Image \/ ScanHealth<\/code> and hit <kbd>Enter<\/kbd>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Finally, type <code class=\"inline\">DISM \/Online \/ Cleanup-Image \/ RestoreHealth<\/code> and hit <kbd>Enter<\/kbd>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The process takes time. So, make sure you have enough of it before you run DISM. You can refer to Step 6 after and perform the SFC scan again and see if that solves the Windows Explorer high CPU issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_8_Perform_Disc_Clean-Up_and_Defragmentation\"><\/span>Step 8: Perform Disc Clean-Up and Defragmentation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Disc clean-up and disc defragmentation are two separate processes. You can choose to run both or either of them to fix system errors associated with corrupted files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To perform disc clean-up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <strong>Windows Explorer<\/strong> and go to <strong>This PC<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Locate the C drive, right-click on it, and choose Properties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the General tab click the <strong>Disc cleanup<\/strong> button.<br><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"358\" height=\"364\" class=\"wp-image-1283\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/disk-cleanup-1.png\" alt=\"Disk C cleanup\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/disk-cleanup-1.png 358w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/disk-cleanup-1-70x70.png 70w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/disk-cleanup-1-295x300.png 295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 358px) 100vw, 358px\" \/><\/figure><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Locate the <strong>Clean up system files<\/strong> button and click on it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check every option on the list except for the Downloaded program files option.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>To perform disc defragmentation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <strong>Windows Explorer<\/strong> and go to <strong>This PC<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Locate the C drive, right-click on it, and choose Properties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>Tools tab<\/strong> click the <strong>Optimize <\/strong>button.<br><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"356\" height=\"306\" class=\"wp-image-1285\" src=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/disk-optimize.png\" alt=\"Optimize Disk C\" srcset=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/disk-optimize.png 356w, https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/disk-optimize-300x258.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px\" \/><\/figure><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Locate and choose the C drive and press Optimize.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> disc clean-up and defragmentation can only be run with administrator\u2019s access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re wondering why is <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-file-explorer-is-slow\/\">File Explorer so slow<\/a>, then Windows Explorer high CPU usage might be the reason. This can happen when Windows Explorer is working in a strained environment, preventing it from functioning properly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You may sometimes open the Task Manager only to see a high CPU caused by Windows Explorer. It may happen for many different reasons. Read this article to discover how to fix the Windows Explorer high CPU problem. Checking whether the system functions normally helps to identify the issue with Windows Explorer using high CPU&#8230;. <a href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/\" target=\"_blank\">Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2683,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[57,129,29,43,91,137,119,59],"class_list":["post-1243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fixes","tag-cpu-issue","tag-disk-cleanup","tag-dism","tag-file-explorer","tag-sfc-scan","tag-slow-pc","tag-windows-powershell","tag-windows-system-file"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Windows Explorer Using High CPU - How to Fix - Outbyte Official Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Checking whether the system functions normally helps to identify the issue with Windows Explorer using high CPU. Look at 8 methods to fix it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Windows Explorer Using High CPU - How to Fix - Outbyte Official Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Checking whether the system functions normally helps to identify the issue with Windows Explorer using high CPU. Look at 8 methods to fix it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Outbyte Official Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/outbyte\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-09-10T07:43:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-30T10:14:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"797\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"273\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Richard Brun\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Richard Brun\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Richard Brun\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fef51a62e5c51be54b872ca5c60220\"},\"headline\":\"Windows Explorer Using High CPU &#8211; How to Fix\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-09-10T07:43:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-30T10:14:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/\"},\"wordCount\":1113,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png\",\"keywords\":[\"cpu issue\",\"disk cleanup\",\"DISM\",\"file explorer\",\"sfc scan\",\"slow pc\",\"windows powershell\",\"windows system file\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Fixes\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/\",\"name\":\"Windows Explorer Using High CPU - How to Fix - Outbyte Official Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-09-10T07:43:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-30T10:14:12+00:00\",\"description\":\"Checking whether the system functions normally helps to identify the issue with Windows Explorer using high CPU. Look at 8 methods to fix it.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png\",\"width\":797,\"height\":273,\"caption\":\"Windows Explorer high CPU load\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Windows Explorer Using High CPU &#8211; How to Fix\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Outbyte Official Blog\",\"description\":\"See the latest  news and research from the Outbyte team on our official blog.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Outbyte Computing Pty Ltd\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/logo-header-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/logo-header-1.png\",\"width\":682,\"height\":218,\"caption\":\"Outbyte Computing Pty Ltd\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/outbyte\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCI6brHKmaiiUCcseAlcV3tQ\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fef51a62e5c51be54b872ca5c60220\",\"name\":\"Richard Brun\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f261bd6dd9bd261413fd75fe3ec7ca2990a1ba1f1f912cc8588be8e3f93537a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f261bd6dd9bd261413fd75fe3ec7ca2990a1ba1f1f912cc8588be8e3f93537a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Richard Brun\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/author\/richard-brun\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Windows Explorer Using High CPU - How to Fix - Outbyte Official Blog","description":"Checking whether the system functions normally helps to identify the issue with Windows Explorer using high CPU. Look at 8 methods to fix it.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Windows Explorer Using High CPU - How to Fix - Outbyte Official Blog","og_description":"Checking whether the system functions normally helps to identify the issue with Windows Explorer using high CPU. Look at 8 methods to fix it.","og_url":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/","og_site_name":"Outbyte Official Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/outbyte","article_published_time":"2020-09-10T07:43:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-30T10:14:12+00:00","og_image":[{"width":797,"height":273,"url":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Richard Brun","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Richard Brun","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/"},"author":{"name":"Richard Brun","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fef51a62e5c51be54b872ca5c60220"},"headline":"Windows Explorer Using High CPU &#8211; How to Fix","datePublished":"2020-09-10T07:43:01+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-30T10:14:12+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/"},"wordCount":1113,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png","keywords":["cpu issue","disk cleanup","DISM","file explorer","sfc scan","slow pc","windows powershell","windows system file"],"articleSection":["Fixes"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/","url":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/","name":"Windows Explorer Using High CPU - How to Fix - Outbyte Official Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png","datePublished":"2020-09-10T07:43:01+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-30T10:14:12+00:00","description":"Checking whether the system functions normally helps to identify the issue with Windows Explorer using high CPU. Look at 8 methods to fix it.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/windows-explorer-high-cpu.png","width":797,"height":273,"caption":"Windows Explorer high CPU load"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/fix-windows-explorer-using-high-cpu\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Windows Explorer Using High CPU &#8211; How to Fix"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/","name":"Outbyte Official Blog","description":"See the latest  news and research from the Outbyte team on our official blog.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Outbyte Computing Pty Ltd","url":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/logo-header-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/logo-header-1.png","width":682,"height":218,"caption":"Outbyte Computing Pty Ltd"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/outbyte","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCI6brHKmaiiUCcseAlcV3tQ"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fef51a62e5c51be54b872ca5c60220","name":"Richard Brun","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f261bd6dd9bd261413fd75fe3ec7ca2990a1ba1f1f912cc8588be8e3f93537a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f261bd6dd9bd261413fd75fe3ec7ca2990a1ba1f1f912cc8588be8e3f93537a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Richard Brun"},"url":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/author\/richard-brun\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1243"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1243\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}