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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

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74 replies

Dec 28, 2011 10:09 PM in response to rcharbon

There are a number of discussions here looking at the different possible avenues. A quick troubleshooting would be to:


  1. 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). There seems to be quite a few issues with the APSDaemon.exe.
  2. Run the Diagnostics in the Help menu of iTunes and chack any issues using the help button.
  3. See what is using up the CPU & Memory besides APSDaemon.exe in Task Manager.
  4. If your Security Software is also constantly active see a) and b) below.


a) http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4123 [Not an issue for me]

b) http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3125

c) https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3540485?start=15&tstart=0


In my case it appears to be Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 (avp.exe) fighting with Apple Push (APSDaemon.exe) on my Windows XP Pro box. I am not set up with the “Sync with thisiOS deviceover Wi-Fi.” but APSDaemon.exe is running anyway. If I kill it in Task Manager the CPU resource usage drops to normal. No cure yet, just work arounds.

Dec 30, 2011 6:31 AM in response to rcharbon

I got the same issue on the last update of iTunes, and now with 10.5.2.11, but I've managed to fix it with the following (it's in the user forum in various places)


Open the command prompt from an Administrator user and enter: NETSH WINSOCK REFRESH


After a reboot everything should work fine (including APSDaemon.exe)


There's some additional info here: http://www.thebambers.me.uk/wordpress/?p=316

Dec 30, 2011 10:30 AM in response to DavidGgggg

DavidGggg - setting the process's priority to low isn't a very good workaround. It helps your computer work better, but since the process is still out of control, your CPU will always be running at a high level, you'll waste lots of power, generate more heat, etc... This is especially problematic if you're running it on a laptop, like Metal450.

Jan 5, 2012 7:45 AM in response to rcharbon

Hoping to keep this alive and maybe get a better solution. A daemon process taking up 50% of CPU cycles for no apparent reason or gain is a bug whether Apple would like it to be or not. It should be corrected. I know when I hear the fan on my work computer going into overdrive that I need to kill the daemon. Not an elegant solution at all, but it quiets the machine done and lets me get back to work... 😝

Jan 6, 2012 10:35 PM in response to rcharbon

Having the same issue on two different computers, one running XP Pro, the other running XP Home.

Both have CA Antivirus, but I don't think it's the antivirus problem, 'cos it is only apsdaemon that is using 100% of a CPU.

I'm having to stop iTunes and restart it several times a day. (sigh)

Also, I'm not sure that wireless syncing works once APSDaemon goes into its tight loop. :-(


Still waiting for Apple to supply a fix. Is there an official channel to get bugs like this dealt with?

Obviously the Discussion forums aren't an effective means to do bug reports.

A similar threadstarted on the 2nd of December.

Jan 7, 2012 8:16 PM in response to rcharbon

I have a similar setup with same problem - Can you try this for me...


1) Kill the process temporarily so it's not running (Ctrl Alt Del, and find it in the process list, then right click it and select end process)


2) In windows explorer, browse to APSDAemon.exe - it should be in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support


3) Right click APSDaemon.exe and select properties


4) In the "Compatibility" tab, check the "run this program in compatibility mode" checkbox and select "Windows 98 / Windows Me" (basically you are asking the exe file to run as if your version of windows was older.


5) Close and restart iTunes, or better still do a full reboot and let me know if it helped.


It did for me.

Jan 8, 2012 5:58 PM in response to rcharbon

I just want to throw in my two cents. I am having a similar problem with my middle-aged Qosmio laptop running Win XP. The APSDaemon takes over getting 99 on the Processes, with the added part of dropping the wifi connection, so that even if slowly, Mozilla Firefox cannot get to the internet either.

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I only just last week updated to iTunes 10 and iOS 5 for iPhone after turning off updates, and not allowing for a year. I had no problems. I heard it from coworkers that I am missing so much.

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My boss could even tell I had not updated because I was not in iMessage or something. I still have not cared to look that up because after taking some of my time to go and upgrade all the programs, 2 computers (only 1 is wifi, the other is older desktop) and my iPhone, now I have 100% CPU usage issues, and other problems I actually hate about the iPhone upgrade (no not "upgrade", more like a step sideways into the gutter, right off the expected path. Really though, why are my podcasts in two separate places? Why can my Video version and Audio versions not be side by side again? Worst of all, why can the video not rotate to standing position with the 30sec back loop? Why not? But I digress... for now.)

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So now things don't work, and there's no going back. No "Edit - Undo" my iPhone lost one of my most used features, and my laptop will not stop dropping the wifi. My podcast then miss updates I expect to be there in the morning, and I don't have time to fix it while getting ready for work where I listen to and watch them.

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Guess that was more of a nickle, but I just realized I am more upset about this than I realized when I began typing. This has been therapeutic.

APSDaemon.exe uses excessive CPU resources

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