What Is Wmpnetwk.exe in Task Manager?
Wmpnetwk.exe’s main purpose is to share Windows Media Player libraries with other networked players and media devices using Universal Plug and Play. If you aren’t using your Windows PC to stream with other players, it’s best to stop the WMPNetworkSvc from the Task Manager Services tab. You can restart it later if you want. Wmpnetwk.exe will always show in the Task Manager under the Services tab as WMPNetworkSvc, which stands for “Windows Media Player Networking Service”. Under the same name, it can also be found under the Processes tab. Whether or not you’re running Windows Media Player, the application’s overall impact on CPU, memory, disk, and power usage should be very minimal.
Causes for Wmpnetwk.exe High CPU Usage
The following are the main reasons you may be facing this issue on a Windows device.
Latest Windows versions make WMPNetworkSvc run automatically: The problem has been around since the Windows 7 era. In the past, Windows disabled WMPNetworkSvc from automatically running. However, in the latest versions of Windows, you may find it enabled automatically. Most choose to ignore this even though the process silently consumes a lot of memory in the background.The process is never ending: even if you stop the WMPNetworkSvc process from the Task Manager, it has a tendency to restart itself continuously. Sometimes the process springs back even after you’ve disabled it. Media library indexing accumulation over time: if you have enabled media streaming once and forgot to switch it off, the Windows Media Player will start indexing your media library with newer video and audio files. Even when you use other media players like VLC or Groove, the Wmpnetwk.exe process keeps consuming resources in the background.Duplicate and conflicting files: sometimes you have other programs and applications similarly named as Wmpnetwke.exe or Wmpnscfg.exe. This can cause a conflict with the original Windows Media Player file. A system cleanup works best in these cases.Dependent services: some services depend on other services, system drivers or load order groups. For Wmpnetwk.exe, the dependent services include MsQuic and Windows Search. You may find the application has restarted if you use them.Malware named after Wmpnetwk.exe: malware authors can name their spyware and viruses anything, and Wmpnetwk.exe is a common target. However, the Windows Defender-based security has a built-in mechanism to reject these vectors.
Solutions for Wmpnetwk.exe High CPU Usage
While the Wmpnetwk.exe and Wmpnscfg.exe application files cannot be removed entirely from your PC, their impact can be minimized. From terminating the executable files to turning off media streaming and uninstalling Windows Media Player, one of these methods is going to ease the problems of high memory spikes.
1. Disable Wmpnetwk.exe Service
Wmpnetwk.exe is not an essential service and disabling it won’t affect the operation of the system. It’s recommended to prevent the application from running automatically.
2. Use System File Checker and DISM to Repair Corrupt Files
If there are corrupt or duplicate Wmpnetwk.exe files in the system folders, you can get rid of them through command-line utilities, such as System File Checker and DISM.exe. To perform these actions, you need an elevated Command Prompt access. Alternatively, you can run the dsim command to repair all Windows components that have become resource hogs due to the lack of updates, faulty installations, duplicate files, or missing drivers.
3. Turn Windows Features Off for Windows Media Player
From the Control Panel, you can turn Windows features Off or On for all Microsoft apps. We will use this method to partially switch Windows Media Player off so that it gets a fresh restart to help resolve the Wmpnetwk.exe high memory issue.
4. Turn Off Media Streaming
Even if you don’t use Windows Media Player, you may have a “media streaming” option enabled in the app. This is a network sharing feature that can be safely disabled to reduce Wmpnetwk.exe’s overall footprint. It is, always best to keep the media streaming option turned off on your computer if you’re not using the service. After you do that, It will go back to showing “Media streaming is not turned on” in your media streaming options.
5. Check Windows Media Player Folder for Older File Versions
If you have any older Wmpnetwk.exe or Wmpnscfg.exe file versions lurking around in the Windows Media Player folder, it can cause conflicts and high memory spikes due to the Windows Media Player service. Here’s how to resolve this.
6. Disable Media Streaming through Registry Hack
This is a simple registry hack to permanently disable the WMPNetworkSvc process.
7. Virus Scanning
It’s always very important to check your overall system for potential malware. This will keep any virus or spyware variants of Wmpnetwk.exe at bay.
1. Is Wmpnetwk.exe malware or a genuine Windows application?
To tell the difference between genuine Windows applications and any malware, use a couple of simple tests. Firstly, download a program called CrowdInspect to identify multiple instances of the malware. For each instance, check the file’s properties. If the file is from Microsoft Corporation as part of Microsoft Windows Operating System, then it’s genuine. You can also open Advanced Security Settings for any application file from its Properties. If it shows TrustedInstaller or Microsoft as the owner, we can be sure there is no malware, as it’s impossible to fake these digital signatures.
2. How do I completely uninstall and reinstall Windows Media Player?
You can disable Windows Media Player and turn its features off. But you will not be able to completely uninstall it from your PC. While it appears tempting to uninstall Windows Media Player, there is no easy way around it. The application does not show up in the list of apps, and even if it does, it cannot be uninstalled from there.
3. What other causes could be behind my CPU usage being so high?
In a Windows device, high memory usage is a frequent problem that may affect your PC due to resource-intensive applications. There are many factors that contribute to this problem: from third-party antivirus software to enabling Superfetch in Windows search.
