System slowdowns on Windows are pretty common these days, with the slew of heavy programs available on the market. PCs have different processing powers and engineering make-ups that differentiate them according to what they can handle. While some programs will take a toll on certain computers, those with higher specs will handle the same applications better. However, in certain cases, unknown programs tend to drag down even powerful computers.

It’s normal to scrutinize a suspicious application that’s running on your computer, more so when you stumble upon the said program or process in your Task Manager when trying to understand why your system is slowing down.

GSvr.exe is one of those processes that many users can’t make head or tail of. According to some users, it uses way too much CPU power for a program they don’t know the purpose of. If you’re one of those Windows users, this article is for you. It will demystify the file and its uses (if any) and show you how to fix the GSvr.exe high CPU usage problem.

What is the GSvr.exe file?

The file having the EXE extension means it is an executable and has been installed on your system. If you can’t recognize it, then you might have downloaded and installed it unknowingly or you don’t recognize it as the name of the program you knowingly installed. It’s also possible that someone else installed it.

Another reason to entertain is that it’s a malicious program that installed itself on your computer from a website you visited.

The original GSvr.exe file is legitimate. It is developed by Giga-Byte Technology and part of a program known as Energy Saver Advance B. It’s an acronym for GEST Service for Program Management. The program is designed to manage and improve power efficiency in Gigabyte motherboards. It determines your CPU’s workload and shifts CPU power accordingly. It also takes overclocking into account.

The program isn’t a core Windows utility. This means that your system can afford to do without it.

Is GSvr.exe a virus?

As we mentioned, the original file isn’t a virus. However, one of the many known tactics of cybercriminals is camouflaging malicious programs as legitimate processes. Knowing this, you shouldn’t blindly write the tool off as a normal program. You should confirm that it’s not a virus.

To do that, you need to go to the file’s location. The original location for the GEST Service is C: >> Program Files (x86) >> GIGABYTE >> EnergySaver or C: >> Program Files (x86) >> GIGABYTE >> GEST.

If you don’t see the program in any of these locations, then it’s likely a virus. Even if the program happens to be in the right folder, it should not exceed 0.09 MB. If it does, it’s likely a malicious program in disguise.

If you’re still worried about the program and its high CPU consumption, you can delete it, as removing it from your system doesn’t pose any risk.

Why does GSvr.exe consume so much CPU power?

On its own, the GEST Service isn’t a CPU-intensive application. If it causes a spike in your CPU usage, then it has either encountered a problem or it’s a virus in disguise.

Malicious programs attack computers in different ways. Some are miners that use up your system resources and send out heavy chunks of data. Others simply work tirelessly to find sensitive data that can be used for extortion. In any case, reducing CPU usage involves getting rid of the malware program.

If GSvr.exe is important to you, then you can reinstall it and check if the problem continues.

How to decrease CPU consumption caused by GSvr.exe

As we mentioned earlier, deleting the file is the only way to go if it is malicious. There are other approaches to take as well. Below, we’ll be showing you different solutions to the problem.

Fix 1: Run a full malware scan on your system

When you see a spike in your CPU usage caused by GSvr.exe, your first guess should be that a malware application is running on your PC. To get that suspicion out of the way, run a comprehensive, system-wide scan with your antivirus program.

Note that running the normal “Quick scan” won’t cut it in this case. The antivirus has to check every nook and cranny of your system for possible virus infection. Running the full scan should be easy, as the option can be easily found in the scan interface of any antivirus program. If you don’t know how to find it, check the website or manual of your antivirus program.

One particular program that is known to take out malicious programs no matter how they’re masked is Auslogics Anti-Malware. This security application will do you a lot of good because it serves as an extra protection shield and can run alongside your main antivirus program without causing conflicts of any kind.

If you use Windows Security as the main protection program for your system, these are the steps that you should follow:

  1. Go to the taskbar and right-click on the Start button.
  2. Click on Settings after a menu appears on the left side of the screen.
  3. Once the Settings app opens, click on Update & Security.
  4. Go to the left side of the next interface and click on Windows Security.
  5. Under Windows Security, go to Protection Areas and select Virus & Threat Protection.
  6. When you see the Virus & Threat Protection interface, click on Scan Options.
  7. On the Scan Options page, select the Full Scan radio button, and then click on Scan Now.
  8. As the description points out, the scan could take more than one hour. So, don’t expect a snappy process.
  9. Allow the tool to perform the scan, and then permit it to execute the necessary actions.
  10. Once the process is complete, restart your system.

If the issue doesn’t go away, take things a step further by starting your system in Safe Mode and running the malware scan again. Some malware programs are quite stubborn, so you’ll need a secure environment like Safe Mode to properly get rid of them. If you don’t know how to start your system in Safe Mode, these steps will help:

  1. Go to the taskbar and right-click on the Start button.
  2. Click on Settings.
  3. Once the Settings app opens, click on Update & Security.
  4. Go to the left side of the next interface and click on Recovery.
  5. Go to the right side of the window and click on Restart Now under Advanced Startup.
  6. Your PC will now restart and take you to the Advanced Startup environment. You can also get to the Advanced Startup environment by pressing the Start button and clicking on Restart while holding down the Shift keyboard button.
  7. Once you get to the Advanced Startup environment and you see the Choose an Option screen, select Troubleshoot.
  8. After the Troubleshoot screen appears, click on Advanced Options.
  9. Next, click on Startup Settings immediately you see the Advanced Options screen.
  10. Click on the Restart Now button when the Startup Settings interface appears.
  11. After your PC reboots, tap on the number beside Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking.
  12. Your system will now boot up in Safe Mode.
  13. You can now open your antivirus program and run a full scan.

Move on to the next fix if you’re still experiencing the problem.

Fix 2: Uninstall the program

If you keep seeing the problem, then you have to get rid of the problematic program. You can easily do that via the Control Panel. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Search utility near the Start menu by clicking on the magnifying glass in the taskbar. You can use the Windows + S keyboard shortcut to open the Search function.
  2. Once the Search box appears, type “control panel” (don’t add the quotes).
  3. Click on Control Panel in the search results.
  4. After the Control Panel opens, click on Uninstall a Program under Programs.
  5. When the Programs and Features window opens, go through the list of programs and locate Energy Saver Advance B or Dynamic Energy Saver.
  6. Right-click on the application, and then select Uninstall.
  7. Accept any confirmation dialog window that pops up, and then follow the instructions that come up on the subsequent screens.

Check for the issue now and confirm that it’s gone. If the program is important to you, then you can go ahead and reinstall it. Hopefully, this time, the issue will not repeat itself as the uninstallation should have dealt with the elements causing the spikes in CPU usage.

If the problem persists, move on to the next fix.

Fix 3: Run the Disk Cleanup tool

Your next step should be to clear out temporary files created by GSvr.exe. Your CPU could still be trying to process these files, which causes it to use more resources. You can also use this opportunity to get rid of other junk and unneeded files that might be slowing your system down.

These steps will show you how to run the Disk Cleanup utility:

  1. Right-click the Windows logo key to summon the Power User menu on the left edge of the screen.
  2. After the menu opens, select File Explorer.
  3. Another quick way to launch File Explorer is by tapping the Windows and E keys together.
  4. Once the File Explorer window opens, go to the left side and click on This PC.
  5. Head to the right side of the next interface and locate the disk where GSvr.exe is installed. Normally, you’ll be working with Local Disk C.
  6. Right-click on the disk and select Properties.
  7. Once you see the Properties dialog window, click on Disk Cleanup.
  8. The Disk Cleanup dialog window will now show up.

Tip: You can also launch the Disk Cleanup utility by searching for “disk cleanup” in the Start menu. You’ll choose a disk, and the dialog window will appear.

  1. Now, go to the “Files to delete” list and tick the checkbox for Temporary Files.
  2. After that, click on the OK button.
  3. Once you’re done with that, click on the Delete Files button once the confirmation dialog window pops up.
  4. Allow the tool to get rid of the files, and then check for the problem.

You can also clear out temporary files in the Settings application. Follow these steps:

  1. Press the Windows logo and S keyboard keys to open the Settings application. You can also right-click on the Start button and click on Settings to open the app.
  2. After Settings shows up, click on System.
  3. Go to the left pane of the next interface and click on Storage.
  4. After the Storage tab shows up on the right, click on Temporary files under your main drive.
  5. Windows will now scan your drive for temporary files and list them.
  6. Delete the temporary files that you no longer need.
  7. You can now check if the problem persists.

If you want to get rid of junk files without having to remember to go to the Settings application or Disk Cleanup tool from time to time, install Auslogics BoostSpeed. The program does a great job of periodically removing unneeded files and fixing issues that slow down your system. It does a lot more than the Disk Cleanup utility, but its main advantage is that it can perform its duties without your involvement.

Fix 4: Check for corrupt system files

If your system’s speed hasn’t improved yet, then you have to check whether all your system files are intact. The virus camouflaged as GSvr.exe had most likely tampered with certain important Windows files before you got rid of it. To resolve that problem, you need to find the affected files and replace them using the System File Checker.

Note that you’ll have to run a tool known as DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) before running the SFC tool. DISM’s job is to provide the replacement files that SFC will work with.

Follow these steps to repair your faulty system files:

  1. Open the Search utility by clicking on the magnifying glass in the taskbar. You can use the Windows + S keyboard shortcut to open the Search function.
  2. Once the Search box appears, type “command prompt” (don’t add the quotes).
  3. When the Command Prompt shows up in the search results, right-click it, and then click on Run as Administrator.
  4. Click on Yes in the User Account Control dialog window that pops up.
  5. After the Command Prompt window appears, type the following line into the new line and press Enter:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

If Windows Update encounters an issue and refuses to provide the files requested by DISM, try using a Windows 10 DVD or any other installation media as the repair source for the SFC utility. Once you’ve provided the installation media, use the following command line instead of the one above:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:\source\Windows /LimitAccess

Please note that you have to replace the C:\source\Windows part of the line with the path to the installation media that you inserted. Move on to the next step once the command runs successfully.

Allow the command to execute before you run the System File Checker. Note that in certain situations, Windows may automatically replace the faulty files once DISM makes their new versions available. So, you can check to see if the problem has been resolved at this point before you move on.

  1. Now, type “sfc /scannow” (don’t add the quotes) into the elevated Command Prompt and hit the Enter key to run the SFC tool.
  2. The tool will produce a completion message once it’s done, providing the results of the scan. If you see a message that reads, “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them,” reboot your system and check if the issue has been resolved.

Conclusion

You should no longer panic whenever you see the GSvr.exe process in the Task Manager. If you have further questions or other issues that you’re struggling with, you can use the comments section below to lay everything out and we’ll get back to you.