virtualbox.org

Hi,
Windows 10 host, Ubuntu VM. I created a shared folder in order to be able to pass files between the two.
Even when I do not have Virtualbox running, if I access that folder on my Windows machine, my CPU usage (by "Windows Explorer") skyrockets and stays that way until I use task manager to restart Windows Explorer. Any idea why that is happening, and if anything can be done about it?
I have not precisely noticed whether it gets triggered just by observing the contents of the folder, or if it only happens after I open a file.
Thanks,

This sounds very unusual.

Try a couple troubleshooting things:

Move all the contents of that folder to a brand new folder not shared through Virtualbox, then reboot the PC. See if the old folder shared through Virtualbox still maxes out Explorer CPU usage, or the new folder does.

If the folder shared through Virtualbox continues to max out CPU despite being completely empty, remove the Virtualbox shared folder settings. See if the folder still maxes CPU.

If the new folder maxes CPU after having the old folder's contents moved to it, then it is something in those contents that is causing the CPU usage, perhaps through antivirus scanning.