{"id":1498,"date":"2021-08-24T01:45:12","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T01:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cleanerone.trendmicro.com\/blog\/?p=1498"},"modified":"2021-08-24T01:45:12","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T01:45:12","slug":"fix-windowservers-high-cpu-usage-on-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cleanerone.trendmicro.com\/blog\/fix-windowservers-high-cpu-usage-on-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix WindowServer\u2019s High CPU Usage on Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"
Oh no. Your Mac\u2019s overheating like crazy. The fan\u2019s whirring non-stop sounding like it\u2019s trying to take off. You open Activity Monitor (Finder > Go > Utilities > Activity Monitor), and see that a process called \u201cWindowServer\u201d is using up huge amounts of CPU power. What gives?!<\/p>\n
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Your first instinct is to select the WindowServer process and click the \u201cX\u201d in the top-left corner to force-quit it. Unfortunately, it\u2019s not possible to do this because force-quitting WindowServer closes all active applications, refreshes the operating system, and logs you out of your Mac. So, if that method isn\u2019t going to work, how can you fix the WindowServer CPU usage issue and what exactly is it?<\/p>\n
What is WindowServer?<\/h2>\n
WindowServer automatically starts when you power on your Mac. It\u2019s an essential process that\u2019s responsible for projecting the visual interface of applications on your screen. Other important system graphical user interfaces (GUI) such as the Dock are also controlled by WindowServer. In a nutshell, it manages everything displayed on your screen.<\/p>\n
When you watch a video, open a website, or edit a picture, WindowServer is working restlessly drawing and refreshing all the graphical elements on your display. So naturally, the greater the visual effect demands are, the more processing power WindowServer will use.<\/p>\n
Normally, WindowServer works silently in the background and doesn\u2019t cause your Mac to overheat, but sometimes things don\u2019t work so well.<\/p>\n
How to reduce WindowServer\u2019s CPU usage<\/h2>\n
\u2022 Delete some items from your desktop<\/strong><\/p>\n
Everything displayed on the screen is controlled by WindowServer. The more icons, files, and folders there are on your desktop, the more CPU power WindowServer needs.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Close unneeded browser tabs, windows, and virtual desktops<\/strong><\/p>\n
Virtual desktops help a lot with multitasking, but they also create a heavy burden on WindowServer. It\u2019s the same with windows and browser tabs. You should close programs and tabs that you aren\u2019t using to make sure WindowServer can work more efficiently.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Turn off visual effects<\/strong><\/p>\n
While the visual effects in macOS do make your desktop look more beautiful, they also make WindowServer work extra hard. To turn off these visual effects, go to the Apple Menu > System Preferences > Accessibility > Display<\/strong> and check the boxes next to \u201cReduce motion\u201d and \u201cReduce transparency\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\u2022 Disconnect your external monitor (if you\u2019re using one) \nIf you have a monitor (especially one with a 4K resolution) connected to your Mac, chances are that WindowServer is going to be using a significant amount more CPU power.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Check your Mac thoroughly for viruses<\/p>\n
![\"WindowServer](\"https:\/\/cleanerone.trendmicro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/webp-express\/webp-images\/doc-root\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/windowserver-cpu-usage.png.webp\")
<\/picture><\/p>\n![\"Open](\"https:\/\/cleanerone.trendmicro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/webp-express\/webp-images\/doc-root\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/accessibility.png.webp\")
<\/picture><\/p>\n![\"Reduce](\"https:\/\/cleanerone.trendmicro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/webp-express\/webp-images\/doc-root\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/reduce-visual-effects.png.webp\")
<\/picture><\/p>\n![\"Antivirus](\"https:\/\/cleanerone.trendmicro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/webp-express\/webp-images\/doc-root\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/viruses-removal.png.webp\")
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