Fix: PresentationFontCache.exe High CPU or MEMORY Usage
If your pc got really slow and you checked the Task Manager to see the process that might be using a lot of CPU, you might have seen the PresentationFontCache.exe process in that list. This process might be using 50% CPU or even 100% CPU (in some cases). The high CPU usage will keep your computer running at a slow speed which might disturb your work routine. Even if you end the process from the task manager, it will most probably come back either after a while or once you reboot the system. In some cases, the PresentationFontCache.exe might create problems in the startup and slow down your startup time significantly as well.
The PresentationFontCache.exe is associated with the .Net Framework. The main purpose of the Presentation Font Cache is to load the font glyphs in the memory so that all the WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) applications can use these fonts. So, whenever you use a Windows Presentation Foundation application, the PresentationFontCache.exe is initiated so that the font’s information is available for the WPF app. Now, to answer why the Presentation Font Cache is using a lot of resources, it has something to do with the corrupt font in the cache. After some time, the font’s information in the memory might get corrupted or unresponsive. This sometimes leads Presentation Font Cache to misbehave and stuck in a restart loop. So, all of this starts using a lot of CPU which creates a lot of problems.
Luckily, there are a couple of solutions for this problem. Go through each of the methods given below and apply the one that is suitable for you.
Method 1: Delete Font*.dat file
Locating and deleting the Font*.dat file seems to work for the majority of users. Basically, a .dat file contains information referenced to an application(s). This file might have been corrupted and causing the issue. So, deleting this file and rebooting will usually resolve the issue for you.
Here are the steps for deleting this file
- Hold Windows key and press R
- Type C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\ and press Enter
- Locate a file named Font*.dat (or FontCache 3.0.0.0.dat)
- Right click Font*.dat (or FontCache 3.0.0.0.dat) and select Confirm any additional prompts
- Once done, reboot.
Note: If you can’t access the folder then do the following. Hold Windows key and press R. Type control panel and press Enter. Select Appearance and Personalization. Select File Explorer Options (or Folder Options). Click the View tab. Select the option Show hidden files, folders, and drives in Advanced Settings section. Click Apply then select Ok. Now perform the steps given above. If you still can’t access the location then you will have to navigate to this location manually.
Everything should be fine after the computer is restarted.
Note: If you can’t delete the file then stop the PresenetationFontCache.exe from the Task Manager. Press CTRL, SHIFT and Esc (CTRL + SHIFT + Esc) simultaneously. This will open up the Task Manager. Now, select the PresentationFontCache.exe from the list and click End Task. Now perform the steps given above.
Method 2: Stop Presentation Font Cache Service
As mentioned in the beginning, PresentationFontCache.exe is used with the Windows Presentation Foundation applications. It will most likely be initiated once a WPF application starts running. So, if you don’t use any WPF applications then disabling the Presentation Font Cache service will resolve the issue for you. If you aren’t sure, WPF applications are the ones created in Visual Studio for Windows Desktop. So, if you aren’t using any of these applications or you aren’t a developer then you should be fine after disabling the Presentation Font Cache service.
Here are the steps for disabling the Presentation Font Cache service
- Hold Windows key and press R
- Type services.msc and press Enter
- Locate a service named Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache 3.0.0.0 and double click it
- Select Disabled from the drop down menu in Startup Type section
- Click Stop if the Service Status is Running
- Click Apply and select Ok
Once done, you should be good to go. The service shouldn’t start anymore and your CPU usage should go down.
Method 3: Repair .Net Framework
If the above two methods didn’t work then your last resort is to repair the .Net Framework. Since the Presentation Font Cache is associated with the .Net Framework, repairing and problems in the Framework will usually fix the issues with Presentation Font Cache as well.
- Hold Windows key and press R
- Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter
- Locate Microsoft .Net Framework 3.0 (you might have another version). Select this entry and click Change/Remove
- A new window should open. Select Repair and follow any additional on-screen instructions
- Repeat these steps for all the instances from the list (you might have multiple instances)
Once done, you should be good to go.
