Unreal and RUNDLL32.exe process using 100% CPU (Windows 7)

[Shivaxi]

So, I figured I'd post this information somewhere in-case anyone else has been running into this problem, as I found a solution pretty quick fortunately.

The Problem:

I don't have a lot of info as to WHY this is happening because I honestly don't know, but both Bleeder and I started having this issue around the same time, where you run Unreal, and Unreal starts the RUNDLL32.exe process for whatever reason, it's a normal windows process, used for shared dll's or whatnot, however RUNDLL32.exe starts using 100% of your CPU usage, just all of a sudden. Neither Bleeder nor I had run Windows Updates in forever, so this was really strange this was suddenly happening now.

I thought maybe it was a coincidence this was happening to both of us, until UberPwnr also messaged me with the same issue, and he is on Windows 7 as well (as is both myself and Bleeder). So if anyone else is experiencing this and maybe knows what is all of a sudden causing it, I'd be very interested in finding out. Anyway, onto the solution I found:

The Solution:

After a lot of digging about various issues that can occur related to RUNDLL32.exe suddenly using a crapton of your CPU, one of the known issues was that it could be caused by a service. So I went disabling services 1 by 1 until, wallah, I found the culprit.

It seems to be related somehow or caused by the DNS Client service. Simply stopping this service and disabling it brings RUNDLL32.exe back down to minimal to no CPU usage, you don't even have to restart or anything.

If you need help finding and disabling this service, just do the following:

-Click Start
-Type "services" and press enter
-Find the process titled DNS Client
-Right click and click "stop"
-Right click again and go to properties
-set "Startup Type" to "Disabled" and you should be good to go

UPDATED SOLUTION:

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/old_g ... ws_7/page1

Do this instead as this is the root of the issue and it'll fix the problem for any game using GameUX, and again it still only seem to effect Windows 7 users

[GamesHarder]

Had the same issue, thanks!

[sn260591]

It could be GameUX https://www.oldunreal.com/cgi-bin/yabb2 ... 1445253103

[Diego96]

Yeah. It's GameUX.dll.

So far the only game I know that needs it is Just Cause 2. Also in my case it doesn't really slow the game down when it's running.

[Shivaxi]

Yeah. It's GameUX.dll.

So far the only game I know that needs it is Just Cause 2. Also in my case it doesn't really slow the game down when it's running.

Well this issue just happened recently, whenever it's part of GameUX.DLL or not. As said, 3 of us from all different parts of the planet got this issue at the EXACT same time. That's not a coincidence. We didn't change our versions of Unreal, we didn't run Windows Update, we never changed on our ends. The only thing I can think of is like something changing with the master servers perhaps. I tested with a pre-227 version as well, just a fresh install of Unreal Gold 226 and the issue happened there as well, so still not sure what even caused this to begin with.

[Shivaxi]

aahh some guys on OU figured it out, there was a post about it on GOG: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/old_g ... ws_7/page1

So recently this address https://games.metaservices.microsoft.co ... rvice.asmx listed in the GameUX ServiceLocation went down, and that's what is suddenly causing this for Windows 7 users. Apparently this would also happen when trying to run Unreal offline and not connected to the internet as well.

You can follow the steps in the GOG link to just edit the URL in the registry to fix this once and for all, since any old games that use GameUX will run into this issue, and now you won't have to start Unreal twice anymore haha, good to know

[Diego96]

Thanks Shiv