Service Host: Dns Client, 100% Cpu

Whenever I open a browser or ask it to go to a new page my CPU usage shoots up to 100% & everything slows down for several minutes. In Task Manager, the main culprit seems to be 'Service Host: DNS Client' which is using maybe 40% CPU. I vaguely know that this is something to do with avoiding dodgy web sites but should it be running so high? Is there anything I can do to improve this? When everything has settled down & I am not surfing to a new web page, CPU is typically at about 20%.

Win10 64bit
16Gb RAM
AMD A4-5300

 

Thanks for your reply. I mainly use Firefox but the same seems to happen with other browsers.

 

If its not DNS related it could be due to a large amount of browser extensions, plugins or themes having to load.

It could also be adware related (browser hijackers etc), or even Cache related.

You would need to check all of these possible scenario's!

 

I think that has helped a bit. CPU still goes up to100% but seems to drop down quicker.

 

My browsers all run with default settings & very few ad-ons. I run weekly checks with Ccleaner, Tracks Eraser, Spybot, Malwarebytes & AVG.

 

Running 2 or more Anti-virus programs in conjunction may be the cause of high CPU usage!

 

Yes, I've deliberately kept to the version of Spybot without antivirus.

I've left Task Manager running & notice that, now DNS Client drops down the CPU usage list quicker, the main CPU hog is Windows Defender SmartScreen. Is that essential or something I can disable?

 

Here's everything you should know about Windows Defender SmartScreen.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...tscreen/windows-defender-smartscreen-overview
If you're not the only one using the PC, leave it enabled.

 

Thanks for that. After reading through, I've disabled SmartScreen. It seems to replicate functions already covered by AVG.

My CPU usage has improved (20% as I write this, goes up to ~60% momentarily). I think that it is not one problem here, more like an amalgam of several smaller items. I'll leave Task Manager running & keep chipping away at it. The comments on here have been extremely helpful, thanks everyone.