FIX: Background Task Host High CPU Usage [Windows 10 & 11]

If some application is using your CPU it will cause it to use more power, produce more heat as well as decrease your performance. Users have reported that Photo Background Task Host is using more and more CPU power over time, so let’s see if we can resolve this issue.

How to fix Photo Background Task Host high CPU?

Solution 1 – Disable Runtime Broker process

Users report that main cause for high CPU usage is the process called Runtime Broker. To reduce the CPU usage, you can always close this process from the Task Manager.

1. Open Task Manager. You can open it by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard.
2. Locate Runtime Broker process.
3. Right click it and choose End process.

We have to warn you that turning off Runtime Broker process will prevent Universal apps from working, so if you are using Universal apps regularly you might want to try something else.

Solution 2 – Kill the Photos Background Task Host process

This is also a simple workaround although it’s not a permanent solution.

1. Open the Task Manager.
2. Find the Photo Background Task Host process.
3. Right click it and choose End process.

Solution 3 – Disable your Windows Camera app

You can as well try to disable your Windows Camera app:

1. Go to Settings and then to Privacy.
2. Choose Location and scroll down until you find settings for individual apps.
3. Locate Windows Camera app.
4. Scroll the slider to No to disable it.

Solution 4 – Turn off Photos in Background Apps

1. Go to Settings > Privacy.
2. Next go to Background Apps > Photos.
3. Turn off Photos, and you problem should be fixed.

Solution 5 – Change Sources for your Photos app

Photos scans your computer for new pictures, but in addition it also scans your OneDrive for pictures from time to time, and this can increase the CPU usage, so the best way is to disable that.

1. Open Start menu and find Universal title called Photos.
2. Click it and choose Settings.
3. Go to Sources and from there turn off Show my photos and videos from OneDrive.

Solution 6 – Reinstall and re-register all Windows apps

And if nothing else helps, you can try with reinstalling Windows app, in case if some of the apps is causing the high usage problem. Here’s how to quickly reinstall your Windows apps:

1. Open PowerShell as administrator. You can do so by typing PowerShell into the Search bar and right clicking the
2. PowerShell icon and choosing Run as administrator option.
3. Enter this in PowerShell and press Enter to run it:
4. Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”}

That’s all, I hope at least one of these solutions was helpful. If you have any comments, or questions, just reach for the comments below.

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