Discussion How to disable Windows Driver Foundation (for real)

[triton]

The How-To [But please see below first]

1. Install a program like Unlocker
2. Go into Windows/System32 and look for WUDFHost.exe
3. First copy and paste the file (CTRL C, CTRL V) to create a backup Copy just in case
4. Use Unlocker to rename the actual program--best is just append something on the end after .exe; I usually put DELETE or DISABLE in all caps

This allows you to come back and re-activate it when necessary (if ever) simply by changing the name back to WUDFHost.exe.

Why post this?
This is a Windows process which can cause extremely high CPU usage for some users, based on interactions with certain programs or devices which you may not be able to find, fix, or remove.

It seems that almost all of the information available through Google (including searching Discussions) is outdated or copy/paste garbage. Even the video How-To's are just a longer way of reading the same copy/pasted material.

So I'm hoping this will help someone else.

What you should try first
per Windows Driver Foundation using 50% of CPU when Windows Media Player running

If possible try to let the process run, update all your drivers, and run Windows Update.
Driver updaters abound, and if you have a name brand machine it likely includes something like that in its maintenance software.

What I did
I think I ran about 4 different driver update programs to ensure that everything is up-to-date (including BIOS), and allowed this Windows process to run for days on end.* It's certainly not about to conclude some kind of installation, and it's occupied 25-50% of my CPU the entire time. And if for some reason when working properly it needs a week to do it, I'd rather just disable it.
This laptop is 6 years old and can't handle this kind of CPU disruption. Just browsing was difficult, depending on what else was open.

I also disabled the Windows "automatically update [not install]" drivers option in Control Panel, just to make sure it wasn't trying to do that. I do want Windows to automatically download drivers for new devices, of course.
per Windows Driver Foundation CPU Problem

As soon as I soft-deleted this process my application speeds increased notably.

* I say for days on end...that's from when I first noticed it. God knows how long it had been running before that.

 

[Rathnhake]

I hate Windows. I love Microsoft.

 

[ubuysa]

The Windows Driver Foundation (WDF) is a set of callable libraries that make it easier for third-party driver authors to write drivers for Windows. Because WDF drivers link to the WUDFHost.exe process whilst they are running, high CPU usage by WUDFHost.exe is almost always caused by a third-party driver, you just see the effect of bad driver code in excessive CPU use by WUDFHost.exe.

The solution therefore, is not to disable WUDFHost.exe, because it's required by other WDF drivers. The solution is to update the rogue driver that's the root cause of the high WUDFHost.exe CPU use. Since it's not easy to identify which driver is at fault, you should update all of them.

In disabling WUDFHost.exe you're shooting the gamekeeper instead of identifying the poacher.

However, using any third-party driver search and update tool is unwise in the extreme. You have no idea whether the tool is really finding the best driver, nor do you know from where the driver itself has been sourced. Personally I think therefore, that the most likely source of your high WUDFHost.exe CPU usage is this...

I think I ran about 4 different driver update programs to ensure that everything is up-to-date (including BIOS)

Drivers should ONLY ever be sourced from these locations (and in this order)...

1. The laptop/PC vendor's website
2. Windows Update (check in 'View optional updates' > Driver Updates)
3. The motherboard vendor's website
4. The specific hardware device vendor's website

Where you go from here is tricky, because you now have no idea what drivers you have installed, nor from whence they came. If it were mine, I'd clean install and get back to a stable and reliable system, but if you use System Restore you can try restoring to a restore point before you used any third-partyd river install tool, or you could restore your whole system if you take system drive images (using Acronis or Macrium Reflect, etc.).

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Change the title of this thread to how to screw up your computer

 

[Colif]

I changed thread to a discussion, might not get seen as much then.

I didn't see this thread until now. I agree with ubuysa, better to fix the drivers than to stop a windows process. Most of the time windows isn't to blame, if you have a problem is a 3rd party program.

If possible try to let the process run, update all your drivers, and run Windows Update.
Driver updaters abound, and if you have a name brand machine it likely includes something like that in its maintenance software.

I have to say you shouldn't use 3rd party driver updaters. Programs like Driver Booster often get it wrong and can make matters worse.

The software from hardware makers is mostly safe except when it comes to utilities as then you get a bunch of crap like Norton included. Gigabyte does that with its App Store. If you aren't careful you get a bunch of stuff you don't need/want installed.

Getting new drivers is a cloudy affair. Should just be able to go to Motherboard website and dl from there but unless Motherboard is in the last few years, the drivers there will be old and probably been replaced by the people who make the chips on the board. This mostly applies to Realtek audio/network drivers or chipset drivers.

If anyone ever unsure where to get a driver from, ask here

 

[johnbl]

The How-To [But please see below first]

1. Install a program like Unlocker
2. Go into Windows/System32 and look for WUDFHost.exe
3. First copy and paste the file (CTRL C, CTRL V) to create a backup Copy just in case
4. Use Unlocker to rename the actual program--best is just append something on the end after .exe; I usually put DELETE or DISABLE in all caps

This allows you to come back and re-activate it when necessary (if ever) simply by changing the name back to WUDFHost.exe.

Why post this?
This is a Windows process which can cause extremely high CPU usage for some users, based on interactions with certain programs or devices which you may not be able to find, fix, or remove.

It seems that almost all of the information available through Google (including searching Discussions) is outdated or copy/paste garbage. Even the video How-To's are just a longer way of reading the same copy/pasted material.

So I'm hoping this will help someone else.

What you should try first
per Windows Driver Foundation using 50% of CPU when Windows Media Player running

If possible try to let the process run, update all your drivers, and run Windows Update.
Driver updaters abound, and if you have a name brand machine it likely includes something like that in its maintenance software.

What I did
I think I ran about 4 different driver update programs to ensure that everything is up-to-date (including BIOS), and allowed this Windows process to run for days on end.* It's certainly not about to conclude some kind of installation, and it's occupied 25-50% of my CPU the entire time. And if for some reason when working properly it needs a week to do it, I'd rather just disable it.
This laptop is 6 years old and can't handle this kind of CPU disruption. Just browsing was difficult, depending on what else was open.

I also disabled the Windows "automatically update [not install]" drivers option in Control Panel, just to make sure it wasn't trying to do that. I do want Windows to automatically download drivers for new devices, of course.
per Windows Driver Foundation CPU Problem

As soon as I soft-deleted this process my application speeds increased notably.

* I say for days on end...that's from when I first noticed it. God knows how long it had been running before that.

how to figure out what is going wrong with windows driver framework.
google how to force a memory dump using a keyboard. make the registry changes, then run your system, then force a kernel dump.

install windows debugging tools , run windbg.exe and load the memory.dmp file
Now you can look at the internal logs.
the debugger command will be
!wdfldr
it will show the main list of logs, then you can dump each log. Newer versions of the debugger will flag the errors in the log with red text.

 

[hotaru.hino]

I would argue almost every problem related to a Windows component having high CPU usage is either:

• A buggy driver
• Failing hardware

Now there are some things that do cause high CPU usage as part of their normal routines, like search indexing or Windows Defender, but most of the other components exist only to provide services to applications. If one of those things starts acting up, it's usually because whoever's pinging the service isn't behaving.

It's like complaining the fire department is busy all the time because someone keeps setting fires, so obviously you should cut out the fire department if you want to save public money.

 

[Colif]

I would argue almost every problem related to a Windows component having high CPU usage is either:

• A buggy driver
• Failing hardware

there are always the outliers, like a virus to blame instead.

WE had a problem with the heater in our house. we rang the place who is meant to service it and they showed us how to turn alert off... that is like this answer. It doesn't fix the actual problem, just makes it hidden.