Windows Modules Installer Worker- What is It and How to Stop It from High CPU & Disk Usage?

Are you facing a high CPU or Disk Usage problem with the ‘Windows Modules Installer Worker’ on your Windows 10 computer? Almost 50% of the Windows users have suffered this issue in their lifetime and have got frustrated due to that. However, there is nothing to get frustrated as here you will get every information regarding windows modules installer worker, what it is, why it is there in your PC, how it works and what issues it creates.

What is Windows Modules Installer Worker?

You must be aware of the fact that Windows looks for updates and then installs them on your device. But that is not it about the process, Windows Modules Installer Worker is the program that checks for the windows updates for your device and it helps in automatically checking the updates and installing them on your PC. 

Even if you decide to remove an update or add or delete an optional Windows feature, the Windows Modules Installer Worker process will do the job. If you are looking for the process in the Windows 10’s Task Manager, the process is named Windows Modules Installer Worker on the normal Processes tab. The file name is displayed as TiWorker.exe on the Details tab.

Is Windows Modules Installer Worker a Virus or Malware?

Most people seemed to be worried about this Windows Modules Installer Worker thinking of it as a virus or malware that is affecting the smooth functioning of their device. Let me tell you there is nothing to be concerned about as this process is just a part of Windows and there have been no reports about any malware disguised as the Windows Modules Installer Worker, or TiWorker.exe process. 

Still, if you are worried about your system getting affected by malware, it is always better to run a scan using a powerful antivirus to check if your system is at risk.

High CPU Usage Caused by Windows Modules Installer Worker

This is the main issue that is often faced by Windows users if they have installed Windows Modules Installer Worker on their device.

If you have ever checked the Task Manager, you must have noticed that the TiWorker.exe process is taking more than 50% of CPU resources i.e. that half of it. Even in some worse situations, it can also lead to 100% disk error on Windows.

That was the bad news and the good news is if you let it run, the process will ultimately finish and stop using CPU and disk resources. As soon as the process will finish, you will not see it there in the Task Manager. 

However, the duration for which this process will run depends on your computer’s speed and storage and how many updates are remaining to be installed.

How long it will take to complete the process depends on the speed of your computer’s CPU and storage, as well as on how many updates it needed to install.

How to Fix Windows Modules Installer Worker Consuming High CPU Resources?

The windows module installer service runs when your device checks for new updates and if it finds any, it downloads and installs the updates on your PC. Normally there is no issue caused during the process, however, in case WMI Worker goes corrupt, it will lead to high CPU usage issues and can also result in 100% disk usage. 

Maybe you have tried to reboot your device to fix your problem but this is not the way you can resolve it. However, there are several other workarounds and solutions that can stop Windows Modules Installer Worker from consuming all the CPU resources. 

Solution-1 Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

The first step is to try running the Windows Update troubleshooter to fix the issue with the tiworker.exe file. Follow the steps listed here to run the troubleshooter:

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ section of your Windows and then click on ‘Update and Security’.
2. Click on ‘Troubleshoot’ and finally click on ‘Windows Update’.
3. Click on the option ‘Run the troubleshooter’.
4. Once the troubleshooter is done checking for the issues, fix the ones that are suggested by it.

Solution 2- Disable Automatic Windows Update

Most of people will recommend you to disable the Windows Module Installer worker service to stop it from consuming high CPU resources. However, this will also prevent Windows from installing the updates properly on your device. I know you can install the updates manually but this process will also run during a manual update. So the choice is yours, however, it is always better to let the TiWorker.exe process do its job usually. 

Still, if you want to disable the Automatic updates, here’s how to do it:

1. Open the ‘Run’ dialog box by simply pressing the Windows key and R on your keyboard.
2. Type in services.msc and then hit ‘Ok’.
3. Look for ‘Windows Module Installer’ and double-click on it.
4. Thereafter, choose the manual option from the drop-down menu; you will find it set to ‘Automatic’.
5. Look for the ‘Windows Update’ option and double-click on it.
6. You will see a dialog box where you have to select the startup type to manual or disabled whatever option is available and then click ‘Ok’.
7. Reboot your device and then check if your system is doing fine. 

Solution 3- Change the Internet Settings

Changing your internet settings can also let you disable Automatic Windows update on your PC. Out of the two ways given below, you can choose the one as per the network you are using:

Method-1 Wi-Fi Network

1. Click on the Start menu and then go to ‘Settings’; select ‘Network and Internet’ and from there click on ‘Wi-Fi’ and then click on ‘Advanced Options’.
2. Click on the button given below the option ‘Set as metered connection’ and then if the issue got resolved.

Method-2 Ethernet Network

1. Press the Windows key and R at the same time on your keyboard and this will open the Run dialog box.
2. In the dialog box, type regedit and click on ‘Ok’; click on ‘Yes’.
3. In a new window, open the folder ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE’, then click on ‘Software’ and then go to ‘Microsoft’. Click on ‘Windows NT’ and then click on ‘CurrentVersion’; select ‘NetworkList’ and finally right-click on ‘DefaultMediaCost’ and select ‘Permissions’.
4. Click on ‘Add’ and then type in your username in the space given under the heading ‘Enter the object names to select’.
5. Next, click on ‘Check Names’ and then click on ‘Ok’.
6. Select the new user and select the box for ‘Allow to enable Full Control’.
7. Click ‘Ok’ and then click all the Windows; after that restart your device and let the changes settle and then check if the error got fixed.

Solution 4- Fix TiWorker.exe

If you are dealing with the same issue and your PC is still getting heated for no particular reason, this time you have to fix the TiWorker.exe file that is built into Windows Update.

Here are the instructions you need to follow one-by-one:

1. In the Windows search box, type ‘Troubleshooting’ and then select the same option from search results.
2. In the new window that opens, click on the option ‘View All’ given on the left side.
3. Again a new window will open where you have to look for ‘System Maintenance’ and then click on it; wait for some time and then restart your computer. Most probably, this step will fix the issue for you.

Solution-5 Remove Software Distribution Folder

The updates downloaded on your device are kept in the SoftwareDistribution folder and those updates are then installed into your computer. However, if any of the files are corrupt, Windows Updates will not be able to install them and get stuck resulting in a high CPU or Disk usage issue on your Windows computer.

To fix the issue with Windows Modules Installer Worker, remove the SoftwareDistribution folder as follows:

1. Press Windows+R and then type services.msc in the box and find Windows Update and then stop this service. This is an important step if you want to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder.
2. Go to the C drive of your computer and look for the SoftwareDistribution folder and then delete it.
3. This will help clean all the downloaded files and Windows Update will download them all over again.
4. Once you have deleted the folder, restart your device and check for the updates again.

Solution 6- Restart Windows Update Service

You can also try restarting the Windows Update service to fix the problem. Press Windows + R and in the Run dialog box, type services.msc to open Windows Service application.

Next, find Windows Update, right-click on it and click on the ‘Restart’ option to restart the service.

Solution 7-Check Disk Drive Errors

If there are disk drive errors, that can too cause the high disk usage making the system unresponsive. To check the errors, you can use the CHKDSK command-line utility of Windows. Open the command prompt (cmd) as an administrator and type command CHKDSK c:/f/r/x and press enter. When prompted to schedule a disk check on the next restart, click on the Y Key and Restart Windows. The CHKDSK utility will try to repair the driver’s errors if found. 

After the repair process is complete, Windows will restart automatically. Check if there is any high CPU usage issue, if yes, then try the next method. 

Solution 8- Run DISM Command

Running the DISM command i.e. DISM/Online/Cleanup-image/RestoreHealth will help to improve the system Image and Enables the SFC to do its job. Now, run the SFC/Scan command to repair the missing system files. Restart the windows and check if your system is free from high CPU usage issues.

These were some of the methods that can help you to fix the High Disk usage, 100% CPU usage issue with windows module installer, TiWorker.exe on Windows 10.