Fixed: SearchProtocolHost.exe High CPU Usage in Windows 10

What Is SearchProtocolHost.exe?

SearchProtocolHost.exe is used to run Search Protocol Host, which is an important part of the Windows Search component and helps index files on Windows computers. The SearchProtocolHost.exe file is located in the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

SearchProtocolHost.exe is used to execute the Windows Search utility and doesn’t pose any threat to your computer.

How to Fix SearchProtocolHost.exe High CPU?

Sometimes, the SearchProtocolHost.exe file consumes so much CPU because the Indexer cannot find certain files on the system. Then how to fix the SearchProtocolHost.exe high CPU error? There are three methods you can take to get rid of the error.

Method 1: Change Indexing Options

The first method you can try to fix the SearchProtocolHost.exe high CPU error is to change Indexing Options. Your search may not be as fast as before, but it may help you get out of the situation. Here is a quick guide:

Step 1: Type indexing options in the Search bar and then click Indexing Options to open it.

Step 2: In the newly pop-out window, click Modify at the bottom to open Indexed Locations.

Step 3: Click Show all locations, then uncheck huge locations (in this case, uncheck Local Disk C:) and other file locations that may prompt the search process to spawn again and again. Click OK to save changes.

Step 4: Reboot your system to check if SearchProtocolHost.exe is still using high CPU.

Method 2: Run the SFC Tool

If your system configurations are not set correctly on your computer, then you may meet the SearchProtocolHost.exe high CPU error. But luckily, there is a powerful built-in tool that you can use to check for any integrity violations and fix them. Here is the way you need to do:

Step 1: Type cmd in the Search bar and then right-click Command Prompt to choose Run as administrator.

Step 2: In the newly pop-out window, type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and then press Enter to execute it.

Step 3: Wait until the process is finished. Then type sfc /scannow in the window and press Enter to execute the SFC scan.

Step 4: Restart your computer to check if the SearchProtocolHost.exe file is consuming so much CPU.

Method 3: Disable the Windows Search Service

If you find that SearchProtocolHost.exe still consumes you a large amount of CPU after you tried the two methods above, then you need to disable the Windows Search service. But you should know that you cannot use Windows Search on your computer if you adopt the method.

Here is the tutorial:

Step 1: Press the Win + R keys at the same time to open the Run box.

Step 2: Type services.msc in the box and then click OK to open Services.

Step 3: Find Windows Search in the list and then right-click it to choose Properties.

Step 4: Set Startup type to Disabled and then click Stop. Click Apply and OK to save changes.

Step 5: Restart your computer to check if the error is fixed.

You Can Disable Unnecessary Services in Windows 10

To disable unnecessary services in Windows 10 is a good way to reduce the boot time of your computer. This post tells how to disable and what to safely disable.

Read More

Bottom Line

This post offers you some information about SearchProtocolHost.exe. And if you find that SearchProtocolHost.exe consumes high CPU, then you can try the methods mentioned in this post to solve the problem.