In this post, we’ll define what Tiworker.exe is and provide 3 fixes if it’s eating up too much of your system’s memory.
Over on Twitter, there’s a bunch of complaints:
tiworker.exe is slamming my box right now. Thinking of going outside and enjoying the weather.
— Bill Sempf (@sempf) October 24, 2012
Is it a hurricane? A jet airplane? A vacuum cleaner? No, just TiWorker.exe blowing the dust out of my laptop. Not a big fan, not a big fan.
— Mikko Järvinen (@mikko_jarvinen) July 18, 2018
Indeed, on Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8, this is one of the Windows Modules Installer Workers – which is specifically related to Windows Updates, and ensures your Windows Updates get installed properly.
Occasionally, we find ourselves wondering what is Tiworker.exe as it’s causing exceptionally high disk usage on Windows 10 / 8.1 /8. The fixes involved are actually different based on if you’re on Windows 8 or 10, so we’ll look at both.
However, first: don’t panic! Should you be facing exceptionally high disk usage from Tiworker.exe – it’s just a technical problem, with many different possible technical solutions.
Quick Video Fix: Resolving High Disk Usage By TiWorker.exe on Windows 10 & 8
You can read more surrounding my whole theories around the troubleshooting process right here on Error Codes Pro (nestled in the first few paragraphs, under Root Cause, in an otherwise unrelated article).
We can work together – or you can turn to a more techy person for help – but either way, someone will have fixed this issue for you by the end of this article!
Root Cause: What Exactly is Tiworker.exe?
Tiworker.exe is a specific instance, as I’d mentioned, of a Windows Modules Installer Worker (as in the above screenshot) which occasionally will be very, very busy while – for instance – installing a particular Windows Update update, and will then begin to consume a whole lot (or all) of your CPU / Disk usage.
While this is perfectly natural – on and off – some of us may experience Tiworker.exe consuming all of our disk’s usage, more than we’d like, and so we find ourselves checking our favorite Search Engine for results akin to the article you’re reading now.
That being said – now that you’re here – fear not! We have the most common solutions, for both the Windows 8 / 8.1 platform as well as Windows 10 platform!
Using Windows Task Manager
P.S. you can find the above screenshot by simply pressing Control + Shift + Esc, then optionally hitting ‘More details.’
This is the Windows Task Manager, a program that people with much Windows experience are very familiar with. It provides you with useful diagnostic information, particularly (and commonly among Windows 8 / 8.1 and 10) the Processes tab – which will show you should, say, any number of your running processes are running and taking up too many of your computer’s different resources – ie. CPU, or thinking power, Memory – or, specifically RAM.
You can read here right on Error Codes Pro where I elaborate in detail in a mostly unrelated post how memory works on any given device, including computers), Disk – or, more specifically your Hard Drive/s and how much of their maximum performance capacity they’re running at, and Network – which reflects the same idea but this time about the performance capacity of your Wi-Fi / wired connection’s theoretical max. capacity for throughput.
You’ve found this article, likely, due to an extensive (and bravo! A truly great example of a) Google or Bing (or what have you) search because Tiworker.exe is consuming too much of your Disk capacity on Windows. Let’s look, together, at how we can resolve this issue, shall we?
Solution: How to Fix Disk Usage Issues
1. Just Let Tiworker Do Its Job and Install Updates
- Windows 8 / 8.1:
- Press the Windows Key + X simultaneously, then select Control Panel.
- In the Large icons view, select Windows Updates.
- On the left-hand side, select to Check For Updates.
- This will force your Windows 8 or 8.1 computer to scour the internet for any and all Windows Updates that may apply, and then install them in order. This process may take awhile – but should your computer fully update (and possibly restart any number of times) then you’ll find that Tiworker.exe no longer has a job to do, and your issue should be resolved!
- Windows 10:
- Hit the Windows Key once, which will open up the Cortana / regular search menu..
- Type in ‘Windows Updates.’
- Depending on how fast your computer is, it will eventually suggest the option to ‘Check for updates,‘ Click this.
- Next, click the button that says ‘Check for updates.’ This will immediately begin the process of checking Microsoft servers for any and all updates you may require (for everything from touchpad and video drivers, to updates for Windows itself). Should you successfully install of these updates (and go through as many system restarts as that may potentially require – you’ve been warned), then you’ll find yourself in the evenutal position where Tiworker.exe simply has no further work to do and now you’re sitting pretty with your resolution to your original issue!
2. Run System Maintenance To Find Potential Issues and Solutions
- Windows 8/ 8.1:
- On the Desktop, press Windows Key + W.
- A box should pop up in the upper-right hand corner – type in ‘troubleshooting’ to search.
- Select Troubleshooting, that would have been a result from your search.
- Click on View All, which is in the top-left corner.
- Click System Maintenance.
- Click Next, and follow through with any and all next steps Windows has in store for you.
- Now, should you find yourself having identified possible issues with Windows and working through possible resolutions – you may find yourself without Tiworker.exe woes!
- Windows 10:
- Hit the Windows Key once, to pop open Cortana / Search.
- Type ‘maintenance’ to search.
- Security and Maintenance will pop up. Click it.
- Next, click the dropdown next to Maintenance.
- Now, you’ll see all your maintenance options.
- Click ‘Check for Solutions.’ Follow through with those next screens.
- On the same screen as step 5., click ‘Start maintenance.’ Follow through with the next few screens.
- Restart your computer and voila! You may find yourself with little to no disk usage by Tiworker.exe!
Video Guide: How to Run System Maintenance Troubleshooter
3. Perform a Clean Boot (click on the link for Microsoft’s instructions)
- In either Windows 8 / 8.1 or 10, you can use the link in the title of this subsection to find out how to restart your computer into ‘clean boot.’
- What this means is that, after following these directions, your computer will load up without excessive services / startup programs that you’ve collected along your way, by using Windows this whole time.
- Should you find – in ‘clean boot’ – that you’re no longer experiencing issues, then you can rest assured that some ‘extra’ service or startup program you’ve installed (or someone installed…) on your computer is causing your issues. Pro Tip: your next Google searches should involve ‘msconfig services’ ‘msconfig startup items.’
- Otherwise, if you’re down to this final point in our troubleshooting steps and you’re still experiencing your problem – even in clean boot – then fear not! There is a final ‘Hail Mary’ in the Conclusion, read on!
Conclusion
Firstly, should this article have resolved your Tiworker.exe issue – then congratulations! Your Search Engine skills and your ability to identify your issue, find possible solutions, and give them a try have paid off and you have your resolution. Pat on the back!
However – should your efforts have left you without a solution, and you’re still experiencing issues after finding out what is Tiworker.exe and why it causes high disk usage in Windows, then fear not! Also, pat on the back, for you, too!
I have some final, end-all-and-be-all answers for you to follow this and another paragraph, which should sort you out.
However – before you try my (potentially destructive, ie. data loss may be involved) solution below, try your gambit at searching the internet for other solutions, again.
You’ve already astounded me with your ability to find my article you’re currently reading – so, really, bravo! This was a good first (or one of many, possibly) step(s), and it shows promise for your ability to find out a solution that will – in the end- work for you. Best of luck, and use Search Engines to your advantage!
Pro Tips Galore:
- When all else fails – on Windows, the final solution is a ‘Reformat Reinstall.’ Google it, and other things such as:
- Windows 10 free .iso download (from Microsoft – it really is free 🙂 )
- Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool
- Finally, you’ll need a USB device with 4 or 8gb of memory+ (that you don’t mind losing the data on), or a blank DVD to burn.
- Hey – you might not need to reformat, and lose all your data! Google ‘non-destructive Windows 10 reinstall’ to see how to navigate the Windows installation menu to not have to reformat your hard drive, however move your old Users, Program Files (and, potentially, x86), and Windows folders into a new place stored at C:Windows.old.
- Ask a friend for help, should this process lose you!
- That’s actually my best Pro Tip for Windows issues that are ‘beyond fixing.’
Lastly: Should you still be reading, pat on the back again! Not many people make it to the very end of an internet article. That being said, should you have enjoyed my writing – feel free to click on my Author Name, near the top of this article, to find other Error Codes Pro articles I’ve written that I truly hope are as informative, helpful and – above all else – that my articles do a good job at alleviating the tension and panic that many feel when facing a particular technical issue.
Moreover, try searching in the top-right for specific error codes – across mobile devices, appliances, the web in general, Windows / Mac / Linux, what have you – we potentially have solutions for errors you’re facing that you weren’t even aware could be fixed!
