Microsoft word using 25% of cpu on my hp spectre 360, so is it a word problem or a problem with the entire computer?

Apr 1, 2016
13
0
1,510
Short summary of my problem:
I can’t use word on my brand new hp spectre 360 because it uses too much cpu (25%) and causes it to overheat and lag. My pc only has trouble with that app, but I had a Microsoft office tech tell me my computer was bad and that amount of cpu usage was normal. I don’t think he was correct, my older computers that are not as good only use around 9%, and one only has an old i3 processor from five years ago and 4gb of ram. I can have many chrome apps open, be downloading something, and also watching a video and my spectre is fine and nice and cool. But the moment I use word it freaks out. So is it my computer or was that tech wrong and word really does have a problem?

Long summary if you have the time:
So I bought a HP specter around two weeks ago, and from the start it had trouble using Microsoft word. The CPU usage jumps to 50%, and then shifts between 19% and 32% in word. The pc’s fan then kicks in at the highest speed and it quickly becomes too hot to hold and lags. When using other apps, no matter if I am downloading, have multiple chrome tabs open, and watching videos at the same time, it sits at a calm 25% of total cpu usage and is cool and quiet. I contacted Microsoft only to have the tech say the moment he took over my computer that he could find nothing wrong with it. He seemed to think 25% of cpu usage from word was normal… I have two old computers, one from five years ago with only a i3 processor, and both stay around 9%. None have specs as good as my sixth gen i7 spectre. I managed to get the tech to take a closer look, and after almost an hour he came to the conclusion that my pc was slow and was bad. He was connected to me over my terrible satilite internet, so of course it would be slow. But, he thought it was the computer, and then tried to sell me an expensive patch for a computer that was bad? Doesn’t make sense to me. So is it really a bad computer, which cost me $1400, or is word really at fault and that tech just couldn’t fix the problem so he was blaming it on my computer?
 
Solution
Hey,

1) Word shouldn't be using ANY more processing power once it's launched and not doing anything. If your CPU usage jumps up a fair amount and stays there that's a software problem.

2) You can monitor with Task Manager if not aware.

3) MS Word repair-> go to the add/remove (Programs and Features), find MS Word, click "change" and do the quick repair. If that doesn't work do the online repair (if that's an option; depends if new or old version).

4) Overheating and lag?
Lag: only for MS Word?
Overheating: How do you PROVE this? Temperature monitor or just fan noise?

5) Bad computer?
I see NOTHING here to indicate a bad computer if WORD is the only thing causing issues.

6) Other repair options for software:
I won't bother listing...
Hey,

1) Word shouldn't be using ANY more processing power once it's launched and not doing anything. If your CPU usage jumps up a fair amount and stays there that's a software problem.

2) You can monitor with Task Manager if not aware.

3) MS Word repair-> go to the add/remove (Programs and Features), find MS Word, click "change" and do the quick repair. If that doesn't work do the online repair (if that's an option; depends if new or old version).

4) Overheating and lag?
Lag: only for MS Word?
Overheating: How do you PROVE this? Temperature monitor or just fan noise?

5) Bad computer?
I see NOTHING here to indicate a bad computer if WORD is the only thing causing issues.

6) Other repair options for software:
I won't bother listing these now until you confirm if it's Windows 10 or not. There are options such as:
a) in-place upgrade

7) MS Updates:
Are these all completed? (Should be if set to auto)

 
Solution
I'm not having any problem with Word 2007 or 2010 on any of my 3 desktops and one laptop. I'm running Windows 10 on two of the desktops and my laptop. The other desktop is running Windows 7 Pro. At the moment I'm looking at Task Manager on my laptop and it says Word is using 0% of the CPU. My total CPU utilization is running 7 to 12%.

Good luck.
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
Word should use nothing but that doesn't mean it can't have a buggy install. They may also have add ons that could be using the CPU as well.

Word 2016 uses very little as well in idle, but if i decide to scroll through a 52 page document it gets up to 36%, it really doesn't like all the tables in it. I noticed that a few days ago but its not a major deal and stops as soon as I do. It doesn't cause any inconvenience to me.
 
Apr 1, 2016
13
0
1,510
I know its been weeks, but I've had so much trouble with all of my pcs that I forgot about internet, aside from googling on my phone.
With this computer I kept the task manage opened to view at all times.
So by overheating, I mean it gets too hot to touch, the fan comes on at a high speed, and then everything starts to lag and slows to almost a stop. This only happens when word is active and I am typing, but when I manage to force it to close after a few minutes everything returns to normal.

When word is not active, everything else works fine. Word, when open though idle, operates normally, but when typing begins so does the high CPU usage. It fluctuates between 25% and 50%.

Everything is fully updated. It's set to auto, and I checked it to make sure it was, and also updated.
I took it to geek squad (only because it was free and it was worth a shot and I had to go to best buy anyway to buy a coffee maker) They fixed nothing, but I'm not surprised. I got a call from them saying my pc was ready and they 'update it' so it should work... If anything it was worse after that. What I had hoped was for them to find something and just replace it. It was only two and a half weeks old after all, though not eligible for a return because it was passed the 15 day return policy. :kaola:
I finally find a repair place with good reviews, and people who knew what they were doing ( I hoped at least, and they fixed my other computer and their main focus is building custom gaming pcs) and they could not find anything because everything appears to be fine until word is in use. Every came back find on the diagnostics. The SSD is fine, and so is the i7 cpu and ram and everything else you can check. There were many windows 10 notifications slowing the pc down, so those are now turned off, and it does seem to help a little. But still the cpu goes crazy and the computer starts to lag.

Now I am stuck and don't know what to do. The hp specter cannot be used for word, and I am a writer and need word. I cannot return it, its too late for that. Best buy 'can't find anything wrong with it' so they won't replace it. I can't trade it in either because they won't even offer me 50% back for a computer that looks brand new. (On their website it said I could only get $150 for a once $1450 laptop)

I have two laptops, one a five month old asus 2in1 with a non-operation tract pad and bad screen screen. The people at the computer repair store was able to fix it enough so I could turn it on and not have it freeze instantly (which was why I bought the spectre) but they and I know the hard drive is bad, so I was not charged much, and they did not replace the HDD,knowing the tract pad and screen was bad, and also said I could replace it myself to save money.

I built my own gaming pc, so it's not like I am completely clueless with computers. Sure, there's a lot I don't know, and when I built my gaming PC I only learned what I had to, so I could easy be missing something with this laptop.

My spectre cannot be fixed ( I asked HP support for help also, and they did try, but all the normal solutions did not work) at least that is as it appears.

I would be happy if the solution was very easy, and I could look like an idiot for not knowing how to fix it and saying all of these things. But right now, I don't know what to do. I'm trying to get my money back at least, but I don't have hopes.
The spectre was not my first choice, Lenovo yoga (two of them in two weeks), then think pad, then dell insprion 7000, then asus. The spectre is laptop number 7 in less than a year. The other ones, aside from the asus, were kind enough to have major critical issue before the 15 days were up. The only reason Inever took the spectre back right away was I thought the problem could be fixed. It seemed like a simple issue at the time... :(