What is igfxem.exe and how to fix igfxem.exe High CPU Usage

We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about the igfxem.exe and we have recently crafted this article to help you develop a better understanding of what the application is and how you can counter some of its glitched states where it uses a lot of resources.

What is igfxem.exe?

IGFXEM stands for Intel Graphics Executable Main Module. Igfxem is Intel’s main control module for their graphics cards. It carries out and supports all important Intel graphic card features such as enabling screen rotation, modifying hotkeys settings, and also helps the GUI in keeping the resolution settings on when the display is turned off. Igfxem is not a core file of Windows but is supported fully by Microsoft.

The “.exe” extension of the igfxem identifies it as an executable file for all the Windows Operating Systems such as Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

Why is igfxem.exe running in my background?

You will find igfxem running in your background processes only if you use/have an integrated Intel graphics card. Although, some NVIDIA and AMD cards also make use of this module. Without igfxem running in the background you will not be able to handle and fully make use of the integrated graphics card.

Is igfxem.exe Safe?

IGFXEM is very important in carrying out your basic graphics settings and under no circumstance should igfxem be terminated from the task manager. It is not a Windows 10 genuine file but it is designed and developed completely by Microsoft which crosses out any suspicions regarding the file. However, the file can be cloned by Hackers to get access to your Computer and bypass any Anti-Virus software with the same file name and type.

To check whether the igfxem running in your background processes is a virus follow the steps below:

1. Right-click the Taskbar and from the drop-up menu click on “Task Manager”.

   

2. Now in the new pop-up window click on the “Processes” tab at the top and scroll down and locate the igfxem.exe process.
3. Now right-click the igfxem.exe process and click on the “Open file location” option.
4. If the file location is different than the following address and you’re probably dealing with a Virus.

C:\ Windows \ System32 \ igfxem.exe

If it’s the case then you can scan your system with powerful anti-virus software such as Windows Defender. Igfxem works to connect the Intel Integrated Graphics and your Windows but it can sometimes clash with other applications causing high CPU usage. Also as discussed above it can be malware constantly running in the background thus, causing very high CPU usage.

Fix igfxem.exe high CPU problem:

Solution 1: Restart the igfxem.exe Process

1. Right-click on the “Taskbar” and from the drop-down menu choose to select “Task Manager”.

   

2. Then choose to select the “Processes” tab at the top and scroll down to locate the “igfxem.exe” process.
3. Afterward, click on the “igfxem.exe/igfxem” module and then click on “End Task” at the bottom of the window.
   Note: This temporarily disables the files and helps control the high CPU usage.
4. Finally, check to see whether the igfxem.exe error windows 10 got resolved after this.

Solution 2: Stop All Unimportant Processes

If restarting the igfxem doesn’t fix the issue for you then try looking for other programs that might be the cause behind the problem. Open up the task manager window, and in the “Processes” tab click on “CPU”. Now all programs will be arranged according to the CPU usage percentage. Here look if a certain program is not necessary and putting extensive load on your CPU then select it and click on “End Task”.

Solution 3: Scan For Viruses

To run for a Virus scan on your system implement this procedure:

1. In the search bar near the Start menu search for “Windows Security” and click to select it from the search results.
2. In the pop-up Windows Security tab click on “Virus and Threat Protection” and then proceed to select “Scan Options”.

   

3. In the following window choose to select “Full Scan” from the list of options.
4. Finally, click on the “Scan Now” button. The process may take a while depending upon your data and once done now verify whether the igfxem.exe application error got rectified.

Solution 4: Update Intel Graphics Drivers

1. Proceed to the Official Intel website and download the appropriate “Drivers” for your Integrated Graphics card.
2. Once downloaded navigate to the search bar near the Start menu, search for “Device Manager” and then press “Enter”.

   

3. In the pop-up window double-click on the “Display Adapters” section to expand the menu.
4. Here right-click on your “Intel HD/UHD Graphics” and select “Update Driver” from the drop-down menu.

   

5. In the following window, select “Browse My Computer For Driver Software” and then go to the directory where you downloaded the driver in the first step and select it.
6. Then follow the on-screen instructions to “Install” the driver on your system and once installed now check if you got rid of the error.

Solution 5: Disable the igfxem Module

You can also try to disable igfxem module in MsConfig to prevent it from launching on Windows startup. To do so follow these instructions:

1. In the search bar near the Start menu type in “msconfig” and choose to select the “System Configuration” from the search results.

   

2. Then click on the “Services” tab at the top of the window and scroll down to look for the “igfxem” module.
3. Then click to “Uncheck” the igfxem module, apply all the changes made and click on “OK”.
4. Now proceed to verify if it resolved the igfxem.exe download problem successfully.

Solution 6: Uninstall the igfxem Module

Uninstallation is not recommended, but if it’s bothering you to the point and none of the above-indexed solutions prove to be helpful then move ahead to implement this fix. In order to do this proceed with these steps:

1. In the search bar near the Start menu type in “Control Panel” and click to select it from the search results.

   

2. Here proceed to the “Programs” section and then click on “Programs and Features”.
3. Under the section “Uninstall Or Change A Program” locate and then click on “Intel Graphics Driver” from the list of installed programs on your system.
4. Then click to select the “Uninstall” button at the top and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

   

5. Once completed check to see whether the issue persists or not.

Solution 7: Increase the Virtual Memory

1. In the search bar near the Start menu type in “Adjust the Appearance And Performance Of Windows” and hit “Enter”.
2. In the pop-up “Performance Options” window click on the “Advanced” tab at the top.
3. Then click on “Change” under the “Virtual Memory” section.

   

4. At the bottom of the window check what the “Recommended Value” is and how it compares with the “Currently Allocated” value.
5. If the Currently Allocated value is “Less” than the Recommended value, uncheck the “Automatically Manage Paging File Size For All Devices” box at the top.
   
6. Now enter the recommended value in the “Initial Size” box and a larger figure in the “Maximum Size” box.
7. Once done click on “OK” to save all the changes made and then verify if it helped in resolving the igfxem.exe application error.

Solution 8: Install the Latest .NET Framework

1. Open your PC and type in “.Net Framework” in the chrome browser and hit “Enter”.
2. Then proceed to open the first “Microsoft” website and go to the “Runtime” section.
3. From here download the “.NET Framework 4.7.2 Runtime” and once downloaded follow the on-screen instructions to install the application on your computer.

   

4. Now check to see if you have been able to get rid of the error.

Solution 9: Run SFC Scan

1. On the search bar near the Start menu type in “cmd”.
2. From the search results right-click on the “Command Prompt” and select “Run As Administrator” from the pop-up menu.

   

3. Then type in the following commands in the Command Prompt window one by one and hit “Enter” after executing each one of these:

   sfc /scannow
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
   DISM.exe /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

4. Once executing all of these now observe if the error got eradicated.

Solution 10: Perform A Clean Windows Install

In any case, if none of the solutions worked for you then the last option available to you is to install fresh windows on your computer. For this purpose, you can use RUFUS to create a bootable USB drive to boot your windows. Also, the latest version of Windows 10 can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website.

1. Once you create a “Bootable USB Drive” or if you have a Windows installation DVD insert it into your computer.
2. When the computer detects the drive “Restart” it as you would do normally.
3. On the first startup, your computer will ask you to press a “Key” in order to boot from the installation media. Press any key on the keyboard to continue.
4. Once Windows installation is accessed, select a “Language” and then click on “Next”.

   

5. In the proceeding window choose to select “Install Now”.
6. Now the installation will ask you for a “Product Key”, the product key can be found on the back of the DVD pack, you can also skip this step and enter your code once the installation is complete.

   

7. In the next step click on the “Custom” option and install Windows.
8. Then in the next window, you will be shown all your “Partitions”, windows will ask you to select a partition for window installation, click to select the “Appropriate Partition”.
9. Then click on “Next” to start the Windows installation.
10. This process may take a while so sit back patiently and when it gets completed try performing your task once again.

Carry out the above-listed fixes in order to successfully resolve the issue and for any further queries or assistance, you may Contact Us here.