Fix CompatTelRunner.exe Process High CPU Usage (2024)

Rick Akura on 12/23/2021

This article will cover why the CompatTelRunner.exe process is running high CPU usage and how to stop it.

If you're using Windows 10 and CompatTelRunner.exe is taking up a lot of your CPU, it may be time to figure out what's going on. CompatTelRunner.exe is used when you're updating Windows. It's also the process that handles diagnostics for compatibility when Windows 10 runs programs written for previous versions of Windows.

If this process has high CPU usage, then there can be some serious problems with your computer. For example, it might slow down your device and make it sluggish to use. In rare cases, it may even run you dry of resources and cause a system crash. This could result in losing your work or important files.

In this article, we will detail how to fix CompatTelRunner high CPU usage in Windows 10 so you don't have any more headaches!

What causes CompatTelRunner.exe to have high CPU usage?

There are a few different reasons why CompatTelRunner.exe may have high CPU usage on your Windows computer. Usually, it’s an error with the Windows Telemetry service itself. Some other issues may include:

Corrupt system files
Badly configured services
A recent Windows 10 update bug
Outdated operating system
Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser is enabled
Malware infection

Luckily, whatever caused the high CPU usage, you can easily fix it by applying one of our troubleshooting methods below! You’ll get your device back to functioning properly in no time.

Solved: CompatTelRunner high CPU usage

Here are the solutions to CompatTelRunner.exe high CPU usage you can try in order to restore your computer and performance!

Method 1. Fix corrupted system files

Corrupt system files are the most common cause for this error. You can easily restore all damaged files with a utility found in Windows 10 itself, called the System File Checker; SFC scan for short. This tool checks for all of your system files, takes note of any missing or corrupted ones, and replaces them with the default unaltered files.

By running the SFC scan, you’ll restore all possibly corrupt or missing system files on your device, which may lead to fixing the high CPU usage of the CompatTelRunner process.

Open the search bar in your taskbar by clicking on the magnifying glass icon. You can also bring it up with the Windows + S keyboard shortcut.
Type Command Prompt in the search box. When you see it in the results, right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator. If you're using a local account that doesn't have administrator permissions, click here first.
When prompted by the User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to allow the app to launch with administrative permissions.
Type in the following command and press Enter to execute it: sfc /scannow
See Also
How To Fix Avast Service High CPU and Disk Usage on Windows 11/10
Wait for the System File Checker to finish scanning your computer. In the case of a discrepancy, the utility will restore system files and fix all errors related to them.

Method 2. Remove CompatTelRunner.exe from your computer

Since this issue is directly related to the CompatTelRunner.exe file, you can fix it by taking ownership of the file and then deleting it.

Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard. This is going to bring up the Run utility. Type in C:\Windows\System32 and click on the OK button. This will open up a File Explorer window in the correct location.
When you find the CompatTelRunner.exe file, right-click on it to bring up a context menu and select Properties from that list of options.
A new window will appear. Here, switch to the Security tab, and then click on the Advanced button to access special permission and settings.
Click on the Change link next to the current owner of the CompatTelRunner.exe file, which should be TrustedInstaller. You’ll need administrative permissions to be able to do this.
Type Administrators in the Enter the object name to select field, then click on the Check Names button. The system should automatically input the full name. When done, click the OK button.
Afterwards, select the administrator group, and click on the Edit button. A new window should open up.
Click on Select a principal and choose the Administrators group like you did in Step 5. Place a checkmark next to the Full Control option to grant administrator accounts full permissions to the folder and its files.
Click the OK button twice to save your changes and exit the advanced properties window. Now, you should be able to right-click on the CompatTelRunner.exe and pick Delete from the context menu.
Restart your computer and see if there are any improvements to your CPU usage and performance.

Method 3. Disable CompatTelRunner.exe in the Task Scheduler

Another way of fixing this problem is by disabling the Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser in your Task Scheduler. By doing so, you’re telling Windows 10 that you don’t want this service running, which will stop it from consuming any resources on your computer.

Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard. This is going to bring up the Run utility. Type in “taskschd.msc” without the quotation marks and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
Using the left-side pane, navigate to the Library > Microsoft > Windows > Application Experience location.
In the middle area, right-click on any of the tasks labeled Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser, and then choose the Disable option from the context menu.
Reboot your computer and see if this helped your issue with the CompatTelRunner.exe process using too much CPU.

Method 4. Make an edit in the Registry

The Registry is your one-stop-shop for system customization on the deepest level. You can use it to customize Windows down to each and every app and service, — you can even create new rules for your computer to follow! This is what we’ll be doing in this guide.

By taking advantage of the Registry Editor, you can create a new key which disables the Telemetry service directly related to the CompatTelRunner process.

Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard. This is going to bring up the Run utility. Type in “regedit” without the quotation marks and press the Enter key on your keyboard. This will launch the Registry Editor application.
Use the Navigation pane to reach the following Registry key, or use the address bar and copy-paste the file’s location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection

3. Right-click on any empty space in the right pane, and then select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value from the context menu that appears.

4. Name the new value “Allow Telemetry” and press the Enter key to create it. You may need to have an administrator account to be able to perform this step!

5. Double-click on the value you just made, and then set its value to 0. Click OK and reboot your computer.

Method 5. Disable Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry in Group Policy

Another way of turning off the frustrating Telemetry service is by using the Group Policy. Here’s what you need to do in order to fix the high CPU usage of the CompatTelRunner.exe process in Windows when using the Group Policy interface.

Search for Group Policy in your search box, and click on Edit group policy from the search results.
Navigate to the following location within the Group Policy window: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds.
Double-click on the Allow Telemetry entry.
Select the Disable option, and then click OK. Make sure to reboot your computer to make the change final, and then monitor your CPU usage.

Method 6. Change your Feedback & diagnostics setting

Oftentimes, problems like this require complex troubleshooting steps that could be confusing for some, especially beginners. If you’ve never done troubleshooting before, definitely give this method a try — a simple setting change may do the trick in restoring your device’s performance.

Open the search bar in your taskbar by clicking on the magnifying glass icon. You can also bring it up with the Windows + S keyboard shortcut. Type in Feedback and Diagnostics and launch the system settings from the matching results.
Make sure that you have “Basic: Send only info about your device, its settings and capabilities, and whether it is performing properly.” instead of any other option in the Diagnostic data section.
Restart your computer and check if your situation with the high CPU usage has been resolved after making this change.

Method 7. Disable relevant services

If none of the methods above seem to work, there's one more thing you can try. You could try to disable any services relevant to CompatTelRunner and this might fix problems with high CPU usage when those particular processes are running on your system.

Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard. This is going to bring up the Run utility. Type in “services.msc” without the quotation marks and press the Enter key on your keyboard. This will launch the Services application.
Right-click on the Connected User Experiences and Telemetry service, and then select Properties from the context menu. A new window should open.
In the General tab, make sure that you set the Startup type to Disabled. This is going to completely block this service from starting the next time you boot your computer.
Click OK and restart your system. The next time you boot, monitor your CPU usage and see if the CompatTelRunner.exe file still uses high resources.

Final thoughts

Our team of experts are always available to answer any questions or concerns! Contact us by email, live chat, and phone every day of the week.

Get early access to our blog posts, promotions, and discount codes when you subscribe to our newsletter! You’ll get the best price on all products we offer at SoftwareKeep. Want more articles from us? Check out our blog page for more tech articles updated regularly!