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The virtual desktop infrastructure at our company consists of VMware Horizon with about 50 virtual machines running Windows 10 with the latest updates.

I have noticed on all user machines that the process explorer.exe is constantly using about 20% of the CPU (Thread shcore.dll!Ordinal247+0xc0).

Explorer.exe shcore.dll

After killing explorer.exe its CPU usage remains low for several minutes, but then the problem reoccurs.

Windows Performance Analyzer

Screenshot from Explorer Stack from WPA

Taskbar Settings

Blind Spots
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Marin Loop
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    [analyze cpu usage with WPR(UI) and WPA](https://superuser.com/a/1203562/174557). Expand the stack of the explorer.exe which has the high Weight (%) – magicandre1981 Feb 28 '18 at 15:55
  • Thank you for your answer. I will do this today on one virtual machine and check it... If i would need help, can you please assist me then? I can send you what you need for analyzing... Thank you – Marin Loop Mar 01 '18 at 07:22
  • I have done it with WPRUI, but I have a problem with analyzing it... which process makes the problem. Can you please assist me? I have uploaded ETL file - I can send you the link for download. Thank you – Marin Loop Mar 01 '18 at 08:54
  • WPA picture shows that drawing 32Bit Icons (in Taskbar?) is causing the cpu usage. what are your taskbar settings (app grouping, small/large icons)? Which win10 build do you use (1607, 1703 or 1709)? And do you use last updates? – magicandre1981 Mar 01 '18 at 16:18
  • I have put the screenshot from our Taskbar settings above (screenshot). We are using Windows 10 Pro (Version 1709 / 16299.125). We are doing Windows Update every weekend. – Marin Loop Mar 05 '18 at 07:51
  • 16299.125 is not the last version. install update [KB4074588 (OS Build 16299.248)](http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Search.aspx?q=KB4074588). This update includes GDI fixes. look if it is faster now. – magicandre1981 Mar 05 '18 at 16:07
  • Just want to give you info, that problem was resolved. Your advise help me a lot, with icons in taskbar. I have notice, that some icons in taskbar stayed highlighted for no reason (no notification on Skype...). Problem was solved with this strange setting -> Control panel / Keyoboard / Cursor blink rate - this was set on "None" and after we changed it to somewhere in the middle -> problem is gone. I don't know how/why, but this setting was problematic by us. Thank you very much with analyzing ETL file that I have send. – Marin Loop Mar 12 '18 at 07:03
  • ok, post a detailed answer on all steps (and pictures) you did to fix the issue – magicandre1981 Mar 12 '18 at 16:14
  • post the picture in an answer, not edit your question. Later you can accept the answer. – magicandre1981 Mar 14 '18 at 16:54

1 Answers1

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Under Control Panel -> Keyboard properties, the Cursor Blink Rate was set on "None" and after we changed it to somewhere in the middle -> problem is gone.

Screenshot of FIX

I don't know how/why, but this setting was problematic by us.

magicandre1981
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Marin Loop
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  • How did you reach the conclusion that this is the issue? –  Mar 02 '20 at 14:36
  • This has solved my CPU usage issue as well. The symptoms wer identical, the thread view of explorer.exe and all. However, the persistent application notification highlight on the taskbar remains -- interesting that we both have that bug too. This highlight bug, an issue in its own right, has persisted for at least half a year for me, with regular updates. – Irfy Nov 18 '21 at 21:25