Fix: WUDFHost.exe High CPU Usage

Occasionally, certain Windows users have noticed WUDFHost.exe process consuming high amounts of resources, including both RAM and CPU. The RAM usage has been reported to go as high as 1GB while the CPU usage could hit 30%. The problem persists even after rebooting and clean booting Windows.

For some users, the error was associated with an Intel Wireless Gigabit 17265 User mode driver. Others also traced the issue to the NFC hardware and an error with portable devices connected to the system.

In this article, we’ll get to know the WUDFHost.exe is and how to solve its resource usage issue. The suggested fixes include removing Intel Wireless Gigabit 17265 User mode driver and updating the Intel dock manager, disabling NFC, and disabling portable drives from the Device Manager.

What is WUDFHost.exe?

WUDFHost is a process introduced in Windows Vista through to Windows 10 PC’s. Some drivers (e.g. USB Drivers) which run in user mode make use of WUDFHost.exe. WUDFHost.exe stands for Windows User Driver Framework Host and it is mainly used to provide greater stability and security to MTP devices, Portable Devices, sensors, etc., thank kernel-mode drivers.

Fixing WUDFHost.exe Hogging Issues

The following methods involve disabling various devices which are known to cause this issue.

Method 1: Disabling Intel Wireless Gigabit 17265 User mode driver

1. Press the Windows Key + R, type devmgmt.msc and click OK.
   
2. Under the Network Adapters, locate Intel Wireless Gigabit 17265 User mode driver or any similar user mode driver, right-click on it and select Disable Device > Yes. At this point the hungry WUDFHost.exe process should cease.
   
3. Go to this website and download the Intel® Wireless Dock Manager Software.
4. Go to your download folder and launch the Intel Dock Manager ( the current filename is WiDock_2.2.0.14.exe). Follow the prompts to install the Dock Manager.
5. Reboot your PC and your WUDFHost.exe woes should be over.

Method 2: Disabling NFC

If your device has NFC, you should try disabling it from the device manager.

1. Press the Windows Key + R, type devmgmt.msc and click OK.
   
2. Locate NFC, right-click on it and select Disable Device > Yes. At this point the hungry WUDFHost.exe process should cease.
   
3. Reboot your PC and your WUDFHost.exe woes should be over.

Alternatively on Windows 10, you can:

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Windows settings.
2. Go to Network and Internet and select Airplane Mode.
3. You’ll find a list of all the communication cards on your system, toggle NFC from the list of devices.

Disabling Portable Devices

This process is quite similar to the others above. This error may persist if there’s a connected portable device. You have to find the portable device causing the issue and then disable it from Device Manager or disable the Device Install Service.

1. Take note and observe the spike in resource usage when a device is connected.
2. Press the Windows Key + R, type devmgmt.msc and click OK. This takes you the device manager.
3. Search for the device you inserted. Usually, it’s under Portable Devices, right-click on it and select Disable. Your device will continue to work normally even after this.

Alternatively, you can disable the Device Install Service by following the following steps. New devices may not be able to install automatically when you disable this.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press OK. This opens the service console.
2. Scroll through the list and search for Device Install Service and double click it and change the startup type to Disabled. You should also click Stop to stop the process from running.
   
3. Click on OK and check if the issue ceases to exist.

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