iCloud for Windows high CPU usage when PC is idle

Same here. I am running Windows 11 and I finally found when my PC is locked and idle, fan start running. In task manager, process history shows iCloud was running all the time when the PC was idle. If I killed all iCloud processes before locking my PC, fan is quiet. Easy to reproduce.

I also found that iCloudChrome.exe does not start when using bookmarks synchronisation, until I click on the iCloud extension icon in Edge. I can see the process iCloudChrome.exe start in Task Manager when clicking on the extension icon in Edge. Unless that, no sync until I click on the extension.

Please Apple, fix your app ASAP 🙃

My solution was (Win 11):

1) In Settings - Installed Apps - iCloud - App Settings - Background: Always

2) In Task Manager: right klick on iCloudHome.exe - check efficiency mode and lowest priority

I ended up disabling it from start up. it was taking my CPU from 10W idle power to 45-50W once the screen turned off. if I let my computer idle 24/7/365, that’s nearly $50 just to have icloud…doing what exactly?

(W11 23H2 KB5037771, i7 13700K)

I have also the same problem on latest Windows 11 Pro. I have disabled Drive and Photo but not help. But I found out that if you open iClous once from the taskbar and close it again in the taskbar the problem is gone.

what I did to solve (as a workaround) is to kill all iCloud related processes using a script windows execute based on a lock event ID in the event viewer… when I lock my station.

And when I unlock my station, windows start iCloud process, and again it is started based on an event ID in event viewer when unlocking occurs.

So that way, I never let iCloud running while my station is locked or idle for a while, because my station always lock itself after a period of inactivity…. no more issue since more than a month now….

I have the same problem with my Windows 11 VM. It started roughly 1 to 2 months ago. Did you find an solution?

Efficiency mode seemed to work as Andreas9999 points out, but simply killing it won't, get's restarted by some service (not immediately).

So far, I will not use iCloud Photo and iCoud Drive, unless Apple fix their app. So, I unchecked all iCloud app related in Windows Start Menu.... nothing will be loaded at boot time.

But, I am still use the iCloud Boomark Sync for Edge. If I click on extension iCloud bookmark in Edge, it starts synching, but if I look in the task manager, only iCloudChrome.exe is loaded... nothing else. And if I lock my PC and let it locked for a while, iCloudChrome.exe does not take CPU... and PC fan are quiet. Hourray!

So this is really related to Drive or Photo!?!?!