iCloudFix

iCloudFix Fix the issue of iCloud Windows App having high CPU consumption during idling/display off. By leveraging Task Scheduler, iCloudFix closes the iCloud UI during system idle periods, reducing CPU load while preserving core iCloud functionality.

A template version of this to fix other programs with similar issue is available, can be found in https://github.com/Zenqlo/idleFix.

Table of Contents

• Background
• Features
• Installation
• Configuration
• License

Background

One day, I discover my PC fans always spin much louder during idle screen off. And then I found there is 30% increase in CPU usage and 20 Watts increase in power consumption on my PC, during display OFF idle. Using System Informer, I found out the issue: iCloud application on Windows (iCloudHome.exe) consumes excessive CPU resources, due to its iCloudHome UI thread (dwmcorei.dll!LiftedCompositionEngine_Uninitialize) keep running and use lots of CPU cycle .

This issue is most noticeable in the following cases:

• Display Off or Absent: When the display is turned off or unavailable (e.g., in virtual machines or remote desktops), the iCloud UI attempts to render to a non-existent display, causing high CPU usage.
• Auto-Run During Logon: iCloud may launch automatically at logon but fail to minimize its UI, leading to persistent CPU consumption.

iCloudFix mitigates the issue, by closing the iCloud UI (Only keep iCloud services running without UI) during system idle periods, optimizing resource usage without disrupting functionality.

Features

• Automatic UI Termination: Force closes the iCloudHome UI, when the system is idle for more than 1 minute, reducing CPU usage without affecting iCloud services.

• Lightweight Implementation: Uses minimal resources via a simple VBScript launcher and simple PowerShell script, executed through Windows own Task Scheduler.

• Task Scheduler Integration: Configured to run indefinitely during idle conditions and restart if idle state resumes.

• Logging: Maintains a log file at %APPDATA%\iCloudFix\iCloudFix.log (capped at 20KB) for debugging.

• Customizable Settings: Easily adjust Task Scheduler parameters (e.g., idle duration, execution time) via the XML configuration.

Installation

Follow these steps to install and configure iCloudFix:

1. Download the Project:

   • Download the iCloudFix folder as a ZIP file from the repository/release.
   • Extract the ZIP to a directory of your choice
   • Do not change the extracted folder structure before running Installer.bat

2. Run the Installer:

   • Locate Installer.bat in the extracted folder.
   • Right-click Installer.bat and select Run as Administrator.
   • Confirm the User Account Control (UAC) prompt by clicking Yes.
   • The Installer.bat will install by doing following:
     • Copy Launch.vbs and Fix.ps1 to %APPDATA%\iCloudFix.
     • Create a Task Scheduler task named "iCloudFix".
     • Set up logging at *%APPDATA%\iCloudFix\iCloudFix.log.

3. Verify Installation:

   • Upon completion, the script will display "Task scheduler setup complete."
   • The task will then automatically run when the system is idle for 1 minute.

Uninstall

Uninstall by removing the scheduled task "iCloudFix" in Taskschedular and your Task Schedular folder %APPDATA%\iCloudFix.

Configuration

The Task Scheduler settings are defined in iCloudFix_Settings.xml. You can modify these settings before running Installer.bat to customize the task behavior. Below is a detailed guide to key settings and how to adjust them.

Key Task Scheduler Settings

The following settings can be modified in iCloudFix_Settings.xml before running Installer.bat:

How to Modify Settings

1. Open iCloudFix_Settings.xml in a text editor
2. Locate and modify the desired settings
3. Save the file
4. Re-run Installer.bat as Administrator to apply changes

Core Settings

• Idle Duration (<IdleSettings><Duration>):

  • Specifies how long the system must be idle before the task runs
  • Default: PT1M (1 minute)
  • Format: n is a number, PTnH for hours, PTnM for minutes, PTnS for seconds

• Priority (<Priority>):

  • Sets task process priority level
  • Default: 10 (Idle, Lowest prority)
  • Format: Number between 0-10
  • Values:
    • 0-1: Real-time (use with caution)
    • 2-3: High
    • 4-6: Normal
    • 7-9: Below normal
    • 10: Idle
  • Recommendation: Use 10 for background tasks, 4-6 for normal operations

• Wait Timeout (<IdleSettings><WaitTimeout>):

  • Maximum time to wait for idle conditions
  • Default: PT0S (In iCloudFix, have to wait any idle indefinitely)
  • Format: n is a number, PTnH for hours, PTnM for minutes, PTnS for seconds, PT0S for no limit

• Restart on Idle (<IdleSettings><RestartOnIdle>):

  • Controls whether task restarts when system becomes idle again, if it is pause by ended idle
  • Default: false (Have to be false in iCloudFix)

• Execution Time Limit (<Settings><ExecutionTimeLimit>):

  • Maximum allowed runtime before task termination
  • Default: PT60S (Normally iCloudFix will finish within a seconds, I set to 60 seconds just in case prority is too low and get on hold by other high cpu demand process)
  • Format: n is a number, PTnH for hours, PTnM for minutes, PTnS for seconds, PT0S for no limit

• Multiple Instances Policy (<MultipleInstancesPolicy>):

  • Controls behavior when new instance triggers while task is running
  • Default: StopExisting (Remove other iCloudFix before begin new iCloudFix if it is stuck)
  • Options:
    • Parallel: Allow multiple concurrent instances
    • Queue: Run new instances after current completes
    • IgnoreNew: Skip new triggers if instance running
    • StopExisting: Stop current and start new instance

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

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Author: Zenqlo
Last Updated: May 15, 2025