Windows 10 High CPU Usage After Update

Hey all
I've been using W10 for a couple of months.. No big problems so after.
After last week's updates, the cpu usage is around 20% idle. Which would be around 4-5% normally. My computer is always hot and fans do not stop.
Anyone with a similar issue?
No malwares detected with MBAM and Windows Defender. Nothing changed after the update. CPU is mostly used by System, Antimalware Service Executable, and Rainmeter (I know rainmeter is not microsoft's issue.. But closing it does not help.)

I am getting exactly the same since a recent update, system is using 25% CPU and antimalware service executable is also appearing at the top of the list with about 12% cpu use. My idle does not go below 55% so is heating up my dual core E8400 to 65 degrees celcius. I am sure the other day it was idling at 1%.

Using Windows 10 build 14393.105 (1607) x64

Will check my 32 bit of same build tomorrow.

Any fixes?

dalchina said:

Please provide screenshots of your task manager as appropriate....
Question is.. is Defender running 'cos it's scanning sthg because there's other activity, or just doing a routine scan.
Try turning Defender off.

Found the rogue program. It was the Prey Project for tracking stolen devices. I have forgot my password so cant remove the devices but as soon as I uninstalled prey from both machines, idle cpu is now a steady 0% when idle. Prey hooks into the system so something must have changed in that last update so making prey obsolete and using high cpu usage.

banger said:

Found the rogue program. It was the Prey Project for tracking stolen devices. I have forgot my password so cant remove the devices but as soon as I uninstalled prey from both machines, idle cpu is now a steady 0% when idle. Prey hooks into the system so something must have changed in that last update so making prey obsolete and using high cpu usage.

Thank you thank you thank you! For three days I've been dealing with this exact same problem and it was stressing me out. I uninstalled Prey and like that my CPU went from 35% at idle to less than 1%.

If anyone is having CPU problems post-Anniversary Update and also has Prey, I highly highly highly recommend uninstalling Prey first. It would have saved me hours of time...

StacyRH said:

Thank you thank you thank you! For three days I've been dealing with this exact same problem and it was stressing me out. I uninstalled Prey and like that my CPU went from 35% at idle to less than 1%.

If anyone is having CPU problems post-Anniversary Update and also has Prey, I highly highly highly recommend uninstalling Prey first. It would have saved me hours of time...

I fully agree. Unsinstalled Prey, and the fan finally stops making noise.
MsMpEng.exe (=Windows Defender) was permanently executing conhost.exe and Prey.

Thank you so much. Prey had sent me an email urging me to upgrade to the new version that fixes some "compatibility issues"...That was it!

Should we upgrade and continue using Prey? Or rely on Windows' own tracking?