High Memory usage from pcaui

manage

I have a threshhold alert for memory usage for 85% or more for an hour and I'm receiving way too many notifications with the top process being PCAUI.

Anyone have any insight about this pcaui process and how come is using up so much memory recently?

Thanks in advance

tanderson

The PCAUI process is associated with the Program Compatibility Assistant (PCA) in Windows. This utility helps identify and troubleshoot compatibility issues with older software running on newer versions of Windows. Normally, PCAUI should only run when a program is installed or launched that has potential compatibility issues.

However, if PCAUI is consuming too much memory or running persistently, this could indicate a problem, such as:

Possible Causes:

1. Frequent Compatibility Checks: PCAUI might be scanning or interfering with applications more often than necessary. This can occur if an installed program continuously triggers compatibility warnings.
2. Corrupted System Files: Corrupted system files may cause PCA to malfunction and keep running in the background.
3. Third-party Application Conflicts: Some programs, especially older ones, can cause PCAUI to run excessively because they repeatedly trigger compatibility checks.
4. Windows Update: After certain Windows updates, processes like PCAUI can sometimes misbehave due to changes in system files or settings, leading to higher resource usage.

Solutions:

1. Check for Problematic Programs:
   • Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, and review recently installed programs. Try uninstalling any that might be triggering PCA.
2. Turn Off Program Compatibility Assistant:
   • If PCAUI continues to consume resources and you don’t rely on it for older software, you can disable it temporarily:
     1. Open the Run dialog (Win+R), type services.msc, and hit Enter.
     2. Find Program Compatibility Assistant Service.
     3. Right-click on it, select Properties, and set Startup Type to Disabled.
3. System File Check:
   • Run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth in the command prompt to check and repair any corrupted system files that might be causing PCAUI to act up.
4. Update Programs and Windows:
   • Ensure that all programs and Windows itself are updated to their latest versions. Often, compatibility issues are resolved by updates.
5. Investigate Memory Usage:
   • Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to the Processes tab, and sort by Memory usage to verify how much PCAUI is using.
   • Check for any associated programs that may be continuously launching it.