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APSDaemon.exe uses excessive CPU resources

On my dual-core WinXP system, APSDaemon.exe (the wireless sync service) regularly uses all the cycles on one CPU (it runs at 50% CPU utulization in Task Manager). If I restart iTunes, the utilization drops to zero for a while, but soon rises back up. I have iTunes 10.5.2.11, and "Sync over Wireless" is disabled for my iPhone. I also connect a shuffle and a nano, but neither supports wireless, so they shouldn't matter (shouldn't...).


I've disabled automatic start of APSDaemon at boot in my registry but iTunes starts it when it runs anyhow. So I've renamed the .exe file, an inelegant solution at best.


Sadly, Apple doesn't let me report this as a problem, so I'm reduced to complaining here. I expected better of them.


Ideally, we should be able to turn off services we don't want to use, like wireless sync, so we can reduce iTunes' bloated footprint. And when they are enabled, but not in use, they should sit there quietly, of course.

iPhone 4, Windows XP Pro

Posted on Dec 27, 2011 1:42 PM

Reply
74 replies

Feb 4, 2012 3:08 AM in response to adwade

After having upgraded to ITunes 10.5.3.3 I plugged in my iPhone and synced and of course experienced the same problem as you all have experienced, APSDaemon.exe took 99% of my CPU. I am using Windows XP Home Edition SP3. But I equipped myself with patience and just first let the APSDaemon execute while my iPhone was synced and it took of course ages! After my iPhone was synced I disconnected it, and I just let the APSDaemon execute...

And after a while, 10-15 minutes, it seemed to be finished because it disappeared as a process! Then I connected my iPhone again, and hey, there were no APSDaemon started and the sync took the normal time to perform!

So my 2 cents is, try just to let APSDaemon execute until it is finished with whatever it is doing!!!

Feb 12, 2012 9:20 AM in response to TheMarmot

Marmot:


Where do I find this to Uncheck it?

"If you do not want/need to sync over wireless then disable it (uncheck the “Sync with thisiOS deviceover Wi-Fi.” when you have your device connected to iTunes"


In my ITunes >Edit >Preferences, under Devices I only see a check box that says: "Prevent Ipods, . . . from syncing automatically" but not what you've described.

Feb 13, 2012 8:43 AM in response to TheMarmot

Hi,


i have the exact same problem with the avp.exe using 65%+ of the cpu. I've read the links you provided but not being an expert it seems to be addressing other problems.


i have disabled avp.exe and get notification Kaspersky has stopped. if i restart Kaspersky i am protected and cpu is normal between 2% - 7%.


as soon as i start itunes again whack!! back up to 65%+ cpu usage.


how did you sort it? at present i just do the above and only start itunes when i back up my phone now once a week at most.


not ideal but i've been living with it for a wjile now. would be nice to sort it once and for all.


thanks


shaun😕

Feb 15, 2012 10:56 AM in response to shaunConnolly

shaun


Unlike APSDeamon, avp.exe is not an Apple program, so this is a somewhat

different issue. I don't use avp.exe, but on googling, avp.exe seems to

have a history of over CPU use, discussed in other fora eg


http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/forums/1/helproom/368571/kaspersky-avpexe-uses-excess ive-processor-pwr/


but maybe the interaction with ITunes is new


DashwoodTyne

Feb 15, 2012 3:38 PM in response to rcharbon

I spent 1 hr 20 mins with Apple trying to get i tunes to launch and it was only when he asked if apsdaemon.exe was there in task manager (and we closed it) that we succeeded. We renamed the file but it seems to generate it again when you relaunch. So at the moment my only way to launch i tunes is to go into task manager and stop the apsdaemon.exe file running.

This is ridiculous

Feb 20, 2012 10:39 PM in response to rcharbon

Today I installed the latest iTunes (10.5.3.3) on my XP desktop and then began to experience high CPU usage from APSDaemon.exe. Coincidently, both my iPad and my XP Laptop lost their Wi-Fi connections (perhaps APSDaemon was using up the entire wireless router bandwidth??) (The router is hardwired to the desktop.)


Anyway, after terminating the executable on my desktop I was able to get both the laptop and then finally the iPad to reconnect.


After rebooting my desktop, APSDaemon.exe is back on the list of processes, but isn't using any CPU time unless I unplug the wireless router. Once the internet connection is gone, APSDaemon once again uses about 1/3 of the CPU time. Plug the router back in, and CPU usage goes to 0%. Unplug it -- APSDaemon again uses 33%.


Sounds like ET is trying to call home, and goes crazy when no one answers. I'd hate to have iTunes installed on my laptop and then get out of Wi-Fi range. Perhaps this explains why some folks are experiencing problems at remote sites.


B>

Feb 21, 2012 6:25 PM in response to zbc

What I'd like to know is why in the world dose Apple make these process's mandatory instead of leaving it up to us what we use? Isn't it enough that our own Government wants to run our lives for us (for the other US folks on here)? We don't even own an iPad / iPod / iPhone. I don't need this!


I'm gonna go ahead and try the regedit option. I hope it works. All I have is an HP Mini with an Atom processor and XPSP3.

Feb 26, 2012 9:19 PM in response to rcharbon

For what it's worth I've found a workaround on my wife's system. It's an old Pentium M 1.7gHz HP laptop running XP Pro SP3. In this case the issue was that the built-in 10/100 NIC was disabled since she only ever uses wi-fi. I enabled the NIC, restarted the laptop and when I opened iTunes the CPU utilization for APSDaemon.exe was back to near zero. Disabled the NIC and rebooted and sure enough the issue returned. Hopefully that's the case for at least some of you experiencing this issue.

Feb 27, 2012 4:45 AM in response to okdba

I tried your workaround, okdba - I'm on a 2.2 GHz winxp home sp3:


On a "clean" (newly rebooted) system I re-enabled the Ethernet interface and started iTunes. No problems so far.

But when I closed the lid and opened it again, I got the usual 75% cpu usage for 10 seconds and then a steady 50%.... so unfortunately it didn't work.


Just to try it I then disabled both the wi-fi and the ethernet interface.... but when I opened iTunes again it displayed som error messages related to missing internet and when I closed the lid and opened it again iTunes hung and I had to kill it in the task manager.


Maybe I need to plug in a network cable for it to work? Did you do that?

Feb 27, 2012 11:27 AM in response to ocjay

I gave up and figure that Apple does not read these posts and if you do not have a current Apple device under warranty, there is no mechanism to report a software bug to them. It is obvious that there are many people that have the same problem and so it is not a simple configuration issue. Other than renaming the apsdaemon.exe to something else, the issue of excessive CPU comes and goes as fast as the suggested solutions on this topic. The one thing that is constant is that it is seems to be a bug with iTunes on the Windows XP OS and not visible on Windows 7. I had one system running Windows 7 and never saw the issue, so I decided to upgrade my other two computers to Windows 7, not because of this issue, but because of the benefit I saw with my new computer with the newer OS. Upgrading to a new OS is not a simple task because you have build your system from scratch and I'm not suggesting that everyone running Windows XP should upgrade (and I know that some systems are not upgradable, the cost and effort). I only mention it if anyone was considering upgrading their system to Windows 7 for some other reason that I have not seen this post's problem and I have been running all 3 systems for several weeks. The newer system is running 64 bit and my two older systems are running 32 bit Windows 7. I just like the UI and networking that much better. Oh...I'm running the Professional version on all 3 so I can use Remote Desktop Client.

Don't hate me for being a defector! ;-)

Feb 27, 2012 10:43 PM in response to ocjay

I've had the same problem under Windows XP SP3. I am not syncing with any mobile device. I believe the problem started when a search for some music landed me in the Apple Store website. Eventually I found out that I had been signed into the store without my permission, and every time I started ITunes I was signed in again because I still had that web page open. I closed the page and Signed Out from the Apple Store, which seems to have solved the problem, at least for now.

Mar 2, 2012 4:55 PM in response to rcharbon

Just my 2 cents, since I'm also having the problem:


No iTunes on this Windows XP machine, but I did add the Outlook 2007 to iCloud connection within the last month. I too am getting APSDaemon.exe using 50 to 60% of the processor for extended periods, then it stops, just as randomly as it had started.

So this problem may not be solely related to iTunes, since I do not have iTunes installed on this machine.

APSDaemon.exe uses excessive CPU resources

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