MATLAB high CPU usage on idle

After opening the Matlab Help Browser, Matlab might use 100% of one CPU core at about 25% duty cycle. Even after closing just the Help Browser while keeping Matlab itself open, this problem may persist.

Workaround: a one-time persistent setting. Type in Matlab:

com.mathworks.mlwidgets.html.HtmlComponentFactory.setDefaultType('HTMLRENDERER');

Restart Matlab, reopen and close Matlab Help Browser. The CPU is no longer hanging at 100% after closing the Help Browser. However, this simpler Help Browser is not as graphically nice as the default Help Browser. Clickable links won’t work in the help files.

Undo workaround: revert back to the default Help Browser with this one-time persistent setting. Type in Matlab:

com.mathworks.mlwidgets.html.HtmlComponentFactory.setDefaultType('HTMLPANEL');

then restart Matlab.