You may come across Nvidia container process nvcontainer.exe gets broken and starts using high CPU resources. The PC starts hanging and the users are not able to run their tasks smoothly. This normally happens when a user is playing games or doing editing work which requires GPU usage.
Reports are that some users aren’t able to open the File Explorer either, let alone perform any other work. Some are even confused about whether it is a legitimate process or a virus.
Continue reading down this article to learn more about Nvidia Container and how you can fix its high CPU consumption issue.
Table of Contents
What is Nvidia Container
Nvidia Container, like every other container, is a shell around one or multiple Nvidia processes which isolates them from other processes so that they do not interfere with one another. This architecture helps the processes run smoothly.
The file running the Nvidia Container process is “NVDisplay.Container.exe.”
Is Nvidia Container a virus?
Although the process is legitimate and starts showing up in the Task Manager right after installing the Nvidia driver on your device, it can still be a virus. This is because hackers nowadays tend to disguise their work-of-art with legitimate process names so that they could go undetected, hiding in plain sight.
However, you can confirm whether the Nvidia Container process running on your machine is legitimate or not by confirming its digital signature. Digital signatures are electronic elements that confirm the authenticity of the process, app, or program. If the Nvidia Container on your device is authentic, it is bound to be signed by Nvidia themselves. Here is how you can confirm it.
Open the Task Manager using the Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut keys, right-click “Nvidia Container” and click Open file location.
File Explorer will now launch. Right-click NVDisplay.Container.exe and select Properties from the context menu.
In the Properties window, switch to the “Digital Signatures” tab and there you will find the name of the signer, as highlighted in the image below:
If, however, you do find the signer space empty, it means that the process is not legitimate and probably is a virus. In which case, you will need to perform a full system scan using third-party antivirus software to remove any potential threats.
Fix Nvidia Container high CPU utilization
Install old Nvidia driver
If you are experiencing high CPU utilization due to the Nvidia Container process after you have just updated the driver, it may be possible that the new driver has some bugs that are yet to be fixed. Therefore, we suggest that you revert to your older driver using the guide given.
Open the Device Manager by typing in devmgmt.msc in Run, expand Display adapters, then right-click the Nvidia graphics adapter and click Uninstall device from the context menu.
Now, download the old driver from Nvidia’s website. Click the link to open it up, enter your Nvidia adapter model details and click Search.
On the next page, click Download to download the driver. When it does, right-click it and select Run as administrator to install it. Follow through with the installation wizard. When it installs, reboot the computer and check if Nvidia Container is still using up the same amount of CPU.
Disable in-game overlays in GeForce Experience
GeForce Experience is an application used by games to stream, share images, videos, and snapshots with your teammates. The app also uses Nvidia Containers to run its processes.
A feature within the GeForce Experience app is an in-game overlay. This is a feature that allows you to record your gameplay and capture images while you are gaming. Although an excellent feature to have, it can be one of the reasons why the Nvidia Container is consuming so much of your device’s CPU power.
Disable the in-game overlay feature within the app by clicking the Settings (Gear icon) button in the top-right corner, and then in the General tab, toggle the slider in front of “In-game Overlay” to the Off position.
When off, check to see if the Nvidia Container is still utilizing the same amount of CPU.
Restart Nvidia services
In certain cases, all that is required is a reboot of the Nvidia services which contribute to abnormal functionality of the associated processes. Simply try and reboot these services using the given guide and check if it resolves the issue.
Open the Services window by typing in services.msc in Run. Here, look for all services starting with Nvidia, these include the following:
- NVIDIA Display Container LS
- NVIDIA FrameView DSK Service
- NVIDIA LocalSystem Container
Right-click each of these services one by one and select restart from the context menu to reboot them.
Note: If a service is not running, leave it as is.
Once the services reboot, check if the Container has freed up some CPU.
Disable Nvidia’s scheduled tasks
Nvidia software is accompanied by some automated, scheduled tasks whose sole responsibility is to gather information from your playing habits, create a log, and report any bugs to Nvidia.
Users have reported that disabling these tasks has often solved their problem of high CPU consumption by Nvidia Container.
Open the Task Scheduler by typing in taskschd.msc in Run, click Task scheduler library on the left, and then look for all tasks beginning with “NvTm” in the window on the right. Right-click on each of these tasks and click Disable from the context menu, as in the image below:
Once the task schedulers are disabled, reboot the computer and check if it resolved the issue of high CPU utilization.
Uninstall GeForce Experience app
Although The GeForce Experience app is a god-send for gamers, it is still a pretty heavy software accompanied by lots of gaming-related features. If none of the solutions have worked for you so far, it is likely that the GeForce Experience app is consuming CPU resources.
The app will then need to be removed from your PC. To do so, open the Programs & Features window in the Control Panel by typing in appwiz.cpl in Run. From there, double-click NVIDIA GeForce Experience to uninstall it. If prompted for confirmation, click Uninstall.
Once removed, reboot the computer to see if the issue has been mitigated.
Closing words
Not too long ago, the Nvidia Container was accompanied by another service known as “Nvidia Telemetry Container.” This container is used to collect your logs and data and report to Nvidia. It also consumed large chunks of CPU at the time. However, this container is no longer used by Nvidia software, hence any solution you find on the internet to disable this container service is null and void.
