Why Does my System Have Fewer or Missing Cores?
Content Type: Troubleshooting | Article ID: 000056742 | Last Reviewed: 06/03/2022
Support Knowledge Base
Environment
Operating System
Windows® 10 family
Description
- While setting up a system and checking for the number of the cores, the system shows four cores instead of six cores in the Task Manager.
- How do I activate the cores of my Intel® Core™ processor?
- Why does the system have missing cores?
- After enabling hyperthreading, not all processor cores appear to be active.
Resolution
Possible reasons fewer logical core or physical cores would be showing in Task Manager
- The number of cores might be changed in Windows*.
- Follow these steps to fix this issue in Windows using the msconfig
- Press on the Windows key
+ R at the same time on your keyboard to open the Run window. - Type msconfig in the Run window, and click OK.
- This will open the System Configuration window.
- Choose Boot tab.
- Click Advanced options.
- Uncheck Number of processors, under BOOT Advanced Options.
- Click Apply, then OK.
- Restart your system.
- Press on the Windows key
- Try to reinstall the OS.
- Follow these steps to fix this issue in Windows using the msconfig
- BIOS can modify the number of cores/logical cores shown.
- Try to reset BIOS settings, refer to How to Clear CMOS to Reset BIOS Settings in Systems with Intel® Desktop Boxed Processors. (Note: The current BIOS settings before resetting the BIOS.)
- Update BIOS in your system.
Additional information
Check this link in Microsoft Community.