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task manager disk usage 100

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10 Ways to Fix 100% Disk Usage in Windows 10

High disk usage can bog down your system.

task manager disk usage 100

A slow-running computer often bogs because Windows commits significant system resources into disk read and write operations. When you open Task Manager and see 100% disk usage, stopping the process that's forcing that use brings Windows back to normal working order.

Many of the following fixes for 100% disk usage in Windows 10 are relevant to Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista. However, some commands and system settings may vary.

Causes of High Disk Usage on Windows 10

There are several potential causes for high disk usage in Windows 10, but most come down to the same basic idea: Too many things are running for the computer to handle.

One common cause is swapping or paging. Swapping occurs when a computer runs out of physical memory (RAM) and needs more space to store information about the running processes and applications. It uses a file on the hard drive called swapfile.sys to hold it. As Windows works with that information, it constantly reads and writes to swapfile.sys, driving up disk usage.

You also might find that applications that search through or use many files at once access the hard drive at an alarming rate behind the scenes. Many applications can behave this way, including antivirus software and some utilities that are installed with Windows.

How to Fix High Disk Usage on Windows 10

Most of the time, the fixes for high disk usage come down to finding the process that uses the hard drive frequently and stopping it. Below are a few of the most common solutions.

Disable Windows telemetry . Windows 10 collects data about the way you use it in the background. It's been the topic of controversy for privacy reasons, and it's a common cause of high disk usage. Disabling the service responsible can help give the hard drive a rest.

Disable Windows search indexing . Windows keeps track of your files and where files are located on the drive, so you can easily search for the file you need. Sometimes, the process Windows uses to create an index of where those files are can slow down the drive. Disable search indexing to decrease stress on the drive.

Disable SuperFetch . The SuperFetch utility runs in the background on Windows, analyzing RAM usage to see which apps use the most. SuperFetch can use a lot of system resources, including writing to the drive frequently. Disable it to stop the process from running behind the scenes and writing to the drive.

Disable Windows Tips . As you use Windows, an integrated app running in the background offers notifications with advice about the operating system. While this is the least likely problem causing the disk usage utilization error, it is one more app running in the background that can cause problems. Turn off Windows Tips and see if it improves your system performance.

Give Skype write permissions. If you run Skype for Desktop on any Windows version before Windows 10, Skype could be causing the disk usage problem. If Skype doesn't have permission to write data to one of its subfolders in Program Files (x86), it continues to write and ramps up hard drive usage.

To change permissions, right-click Skype.exe in C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\ , then go to the Security tab and select Edit . Next, choose All Application Packages , then select the Write check box under Allow . Finally, to close, select OK .

Disable prefetch in Chrome . A few features in Chrome speed up your browsing experience. One of those services is a prediction service in Chrome that analyzes what site you're likely to visit and preloads those pages in the background. However, this service puts an extra load on your computer and the hard drive.

In Firefox, disable prefetching by visiting about:config in the address bar and setting the network.prefetch-next value to false .

Fix the AHCI driver. Microsoft acknowledges a known bug with some Advanced Host Controller Interface PCI-Express models on Windows 10. If your computer is affected, you'll experience 100% disk usage problems. To fix it, do the following as described below.

First, check that your computer has the AHCI driver by opening the Device Manager and looking at the item IDE ATA/ATAPI . If you see SATA AHCI Controller , open it and select Properties . Under the Driver tab, choose Driver Details . Here, look for the driver storahci.sys . If you see it, then your PC could be susceptible to this known bug.

If you discovered that the storahci.sys driver file is on your system, change its value in the Registry Editor. Go to Details in Device Manager and choose the Device instance path from the drop-down menu. From here, copy the value listed and paste it into a text editor like Notepad.

Next, open Regedit and browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\PCI\ . Expand the folder of the value you saved in a text editor. Inside this folder, open Device Parameters\Interrupt Management\MessageSignaledInterruptProperties , double-click MSISupported , and change its value to 0 .

Editing inside the registry opens the door to inadvertent, significant configuration errors. Changing the wrong values may destabilize your computer. Make a backup of the registry by clicking File > Export and saving the .reg backup file to a folder or external hard drive.

Add more RAM . If disk usage is high because your computer doesn't have enough physical memory (RAM), the best solution is to add more. RAM is one of the easiest upgrades on any PC, and it's relatively inexpensive. Plus, your computer will be able to multitask more efficiently as a result.

Disable automatic Windows Updates . Another common cause of high disk utilization sources from Windows Updates taking place at random times, automatically. Stop Windows from updating at random, and you'll stop the drive from maxing out.

If you disable automatic Windows Updates, run manual updates frequently. This process ensures you receive important security updates that keep your computer safe from viruses and malware.

Scan for malware . If all else fails, there's a chance your computer could have a virus or malware. The best thing to do at this point is to make sure you have good antivirus software and run a full system scan. A full scan can take a long time, but it finds and removes any malicious software running on the system and spiking the disk usage.

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[SOLVED] Windows 10 100% disk usage in Task Manager

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If your Windows 10 Task Manager shows 100% disk usage, something is causing your hard drive to over-work. The good news is, it’s usually not a hard problem to fix.

8 fixes for 100% disk usage on Windows 10

Here are a few fixes that have helped other users resolve their Windows 10 100% disk usage problem. You may not need to try them all; just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.

Fix 1: Disable SuperFetch

SuperFetch helps to decrease boot time and make must-load programs more efficiently. However, it has been identified as a potential cause of disk performance issues in Windows 8 and later versions of Windows, including Windows 10. Here’s how to stop this service:

1) On your keyboard, press Windows logo key , type command prompt , then select Run as administrator .

task manager disk usage 100

2) Click Yes at the User Account Control  prompt. 

task manager disk usage 100

3) The command prompt will once again display. Type in the following command: 

4) Hit Enter  on your keyboard. 

task manager disk usage 100

5) If the command above isn’t valid, try the following one instead:

6) Wait for a few minutes to see if your computer starts performing better. Or check your computer’s disk usage: Type “task manager” in the Windows search bar and select Task Manager , then in the Processes tab, look at the % at the top of the Disk column. If it’s no longer 100%, you’ve fixed the problem!

100% disk usage resolved

If the 100% disk usage problem persists, try the next method, below.

Fix 2: Update your device drivers

If the steps above don’t resolve your 100% disk usage problem in Windows 10, it may be caused by a device driver. 

You can automatically update all your device drivers to the latest correct version with Driver Easy .

Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. 

You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):

1) Download and install Driver Easy. 

2) Run Driver Easy and click Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.

task manager disk usage 100

3) Click the Update  button next to any flagged device to automatically download and install the correct version of that driver (you can do this with the FREE version).

Or click Update All  to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the  Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).

task manager disk usage 100

4) Check your computer’s disk usage: Type “task manager” in the Windows search bar and select Task Manager , then in the Processes tab, look at the % at the top of the Disk column. If it’s no longer 100%, you’ve fixed the problem!

Fix 3: Check for corrupted system files 

Corrupted or missing system files can also cause the 100% disk usage error. To see if this is the cause for you, run a system scan to detect broken system files with Reimage .  

Reimage is a professional Windows repair tool that can scan your system’s overall status, diagnose your system configuration, identify faulty system files, and repair them automatically. It gives you entirely fresh system components with just one click, so you don’t have to reinstall Windows and all your programs, and you don’t lose any personal data or settings. (Read Reimage Trustpilot reviews .)

task manager disk usage 100

Here’s how to use Reimage to check for broken system components in just one click:

1) Download and install Reimage.

2) Open Reimage and run a free scan on your PC. (This may take a few minutes and you’ll get a detailed report of your PC status after this.)

task manager disk usage 100

3) You can review a summary of the issues detected after the scan. Click Start Repair to start the repair process. (This requires the full version – which comes with a 60-day Money-Back Guarantee.)

task manager disk usage 100

Restart your computer to see if you still get the 100% disk usage error. If you do, please try the next fix below.

Fix 4: Perform a disk check

1) On your keyboard, press Windows key and X at the same time, then choose Command Prompt (Admin) . 

task manager disk usage 100

3) The command prompt will once again display. Type in the following command:

4) Hit Enter  on your keyboard, then type Y to confirm that you’d like to perform the disk check the next time you restart your computer. Please make sure you have closed all of your applications first.

task manager disk usage 100

IMPORTANT: Disk check will start the next time you boot your PC and it might take some time to complete (could be a day for some). If, when you restart, you don’t have time to wait for the disk check to complete, you can skip it. You’ll need to reschedule it again, as described above, though. 

5) Once you’ve completed the disk check, check your computer’s disk usage again: Type “task manager” in the Windows search bar and select Task Manager , then in the Processes tab, look at the % at the top of the Disk column. If it’s no longer 100%, you’ve fixed the problem!

Fix 5: Reset Virtual Memory

Virtual memory can be considered an extension of your computer’s physical memory. It’s a combination of RAM and a portion of your hard drive. When the RAM isn’t enough to perform a task, Windows will temporarily store files in virtual memory, then swap them back to RAM when required. 

To reset virtual memory: 1) On your keyboard, press Windows key and Pause/ Break key at the same time. Then choose  Advanced System Settings on the left panel.

task manager disk usage 100

2)  Go to the Advanced tab, then click  Settings . 

task manager disk usage 100

3) Go to the  Advanced tab again, and choose Change…  in the Virtual memory section. 

task manager disk usage 100

4) Ensure the  Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox is NOT ticked.  

task manager disk usage 100

5) Select your windows drive (the hard drive or partition that has Windows installed on it – usually  C: ) ,  and enter an Initial size and Maximum size for your virtual memory:

Once you’ve entered your virtual memory values, click  Set , then click  OK to continue.  

task manager disk usage 100

6) Clear all your computer’s ‘temp’ files. On your keyboard, press Windows key and R at the same time, then in the Run form, type temp and hit Enter . This will invoke Windows Explorer with your Temp folder open, showing you all the temp files on your computer. 

task manager disk usage 100

7) Select all the files in the Temp folder and delete them. 

task manager disk usage 100

8) Check your computer’s disk usage: Type “task manager” in the Windows search bar and select Task Manager , then in the Processes tab, look at the % at the top of the Disk column. If it’s no longer 100%, you’ve fixed the problem!

Fix 6: Disable Antivirus Software temporarily

If you’ve installed antivirus or anti-malware programs such as Norton, Kaspersky, AVG, Avast Behavior Shield or Malwarebytes, you should temporarily turn them off or disable them to see if they’re causing your disk usage problem. 

Please see your antivirus software’s documentation to learn how to disable it. You might also find these links useful: 

Note that Microsoft has its own default anti-malware, Windows Defender . It’s automatically enabled even if you also have other antivirus applications installed. Even if you disable your other antivirus programs, Windows Defender is always there for you during that certain time range. So, no need to worry too much about temporarily turning antivirus off. 

Once you’ve disabled your antivirus , check your computer’s disk usage again: Type “task manager” in the Windows search bar and select Task Manager , then in the Processes tab, look at the % at the top of the Disk column. If it’s no longer 100%, you’ve found the problem, and you should contact the vendor of your antivirus software to see if they can provide some help.

Fix 7: Fix your StorAHCI.sys driver

Note : A million thanks to our warm-hearted reader Javier for the following solution.

The Windows 10 100% disk usage problem might also be caused by some Advanced Host Controller Interface PCI-Express (AHCI PCIe) models running with the inbox StorAHCI.sys driver due to a firmware bug. 

Here’s how to determine if this is your problem and fix it:

1) Open  Device Manager by pressing Windows logo key and X at the same time to choose Device Manager . 

task manager disk usage 100

2) Expand the  IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers  category, and double-click the AHCI controller . 

task manager disk usage 100

3) Go to the  Driver tab and click Driver Details . If you can see storahci.sys stored in a path of system32 folder, then you are running the inbox AHCI driver. 

task manager disk usage 100

4) Close the Driver Details window and go to Details tab. From the drop-down menu, select  Device Instance Path . Make note of the path, starting from VEN_ . 

task manager disk usage 100

5) Type regedit in the search box of Start panel, then hit Enter  on your keyboard to run Registry Editor. Then go to: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Enum \ PCI \ < AHCI Controller > \ < Random Number > \ Device Parameters \ Interrupt Management \ MessageSignaledInterruptProperties

The  < AHCI Controller >  here refers to the name you see from step 2). 

The  < Random Number >  differs on different machines. 

task manager disk usage 100

6) Double click the MSISupported key and change the value to 0 . 

task manager disk usage 100

7) Restart your computer after the change, then check your computer’s disk usage: Type “task manager” in the Windows search bar and select Task Manager , then in the Processes tab, look at the % at the top of the Disk column. If it’s no longer 100%, you’ve fixed the problem!

Fix 8: Switch to ChromeOS

task manager disk usage 100

Windows is a very old technology. Sure, Windows 10 is relatively new, but it’s still just the latest iteration of a decades-old operating system, designed for a bygone era (pre-internet).

Now that we have the internet, fast connection speeds, free cloud storage, and endless web apps (like Gmail, Google Docs, Slack, Facebook, Dropbox and Spotify), the entire Windows way of doing things – with locally installed programs and local file storage – is totally outdated.

Why is that a problem? Because when you’re constantly installing uncontrolled third-party programs, you’re constantly opening the door to viruses and other malware. (And Windows’ insecure permission system compounds this problem.)

Plus the way Windows manages installed software and hardware has always been a problem. If your computer shuts down unexpectedly, or a program installs, uninstalls or updates incorrectly, you can get ‘registry’ corruptions. That’s why Windows PCs always slow down and become unstable over time.

Also because everything’s installed and saved locally, it doesn’t take long before you run out of disk space, and your disk gets fragmented, which makes everything even slower and more unstable.

For most people, the simplest way to solve Windows problems is to ditch Windows altogether, and switch to a faster, more reliable, more secure, easier to use and cheaper operating system…

Google ChromeOS.

ChromeOS feels much like Windows, but instead of installing heaps of programs to email, chat, browse the internet, write documents, do school presentations, create spreadsheets, and whatever else you normally do on a computer, you use web apps. You don’t need to install anything at all.

That means you don’t have virus and malware problems, and your computer doesn’t slow down over time, or become unstable.

And that’s just the start of the benefits…

To learn more about the benefits of ChromeOS, and to see comparison videos and demos, visit GoChromeOS.com .

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I'm a technical writer for Driver Easy. Before finding my love for writing tech posts, I had passion for technology goes back much further. I love tinkering with computers, smartphones, and other tech toys. I write articles to help people solve their problems, whether it's a hardware issue or system error. I'm inspired when my articles are of help, and that's what I have been aiming for. All I do every day is to write articles that are easy to read, and I do hope you find instructions in my posts easy to follow.

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How to Fix 100% Disk Usage on Windows 10

From the simple to the drastic

Author avatar

It’s surprising when your disk usage suddenly hits 100% for no apparent reason. Luckily, there are a number of ways to fix this error on your Windows 10 PC.

Since the actual cause isn’t known most of the time, follow the methods below sequentially, and one of them should fix your issue.

task manager disk usage 100

Before you get started, you can try to narrow down the issue by going to Task Manager in Windows 10 and looking for the process or program that’s hogging your disk. You can right-click on the Start button and choose Task Manager or you can press Ctrl + Shift + Esc together to open it. 

Click on the Processes tab and then click on the header for the Disk column to sort it. When performing methods 2 and 3 below, you can start with the process that’s using the highest percentage of the disk. 

task manager disk usage 100

1. Restart Your PC

When you restart your PC, many temporary settings get reset. This is useful to fix various types of issues, and can possibly fix the 100% disk usage issue.

To reboot your PC, open the Start menu, select the power icon, and choose Restart .

task manager disk usage 100

2. Disable Startup Programs

If your PC shows 100% disk usage when you first log onto the computer, but then the usage settles down after a few minutes, your startup programs are probably the culprit. These programs launch when your PC boots and they eat up a lot of resources.

In this case, you should turn all these startup programs off and see if that improves your disk usage by following the steps listed below:

task manager disk usage 100

You can always re-enable any startup program after you complete this test. It’s also worth noting that disabling the startup of a program does not uninstall it. You can run the program any time, you just have to manually launch it. 

3. Perform a Clean Boot of Your PC

When you clean boot your Windows 10 PC it only loads selected programs and services. This helps identify particular apps that may be causing the disk usage to reach 100%. Disable the identified apps to see if the issue gets fixed.

In Windows 10, use the built-in System Configuration app to perform a clean boot . We have a dedicated guide on how to do that, so check that out. It’s a bit of a time-consuming process, but it works really well for these types of situations. 

task manager disk usage 100

4. Update Your PC

You should always install the latest Windows updates as soon as they become available because they install bug fixes to enhance performance and could fix your disk usage issue, too.

Follow these steps to update your Windows 10 PC:

task manager disk usage 100

task manager disk usage 100

Reboot your PC to make sure the newly installed updates work properly.

5. Disable Scheduled Disk Defragmentation

If Windows 10 shows 100% disk usage only at specific times, scheduled disk defragmentation could be the cause. This is because the defragment task runs automatically at scheduled times and uses a lot of disk space.

Turn the scheduled disk defragmentation off and see if that fixes your problem. 

You can always manually run a defragment task using the defrag utility.

task manager disk usage 100

task manager disk usage 100

task manager disk usage 100

In the future, if you need to defrag your disks, select the Optimize button in the above utility. This runs a manual defragmentation task.

6. Delete Temporary Files

Many Windows 10 features and installed apps create temporary files that don’t need to be preserved.You can clear your temporary files using the following steps to see if that fixes the 100% disk usage problem.

task manager disk usage 100

task manager disk usage 100

This should, hopefully, fix the problem.  

7. Repair Corrupt Files

A corrupt system file can cause the disk usage to hit 100%. However, Windows 10 has a built-in tool to fix these files. You can follow the steps below to simply run the command to enable this tool. 

task manager disk usage 100

task manager disk usage 100

Wait for the process to finish and if this doesn’t take care of the issue move on to the steps below.

8. Run a Security Scan

One possible reason your PC shows 100% disk usage is that your PC may be infected with a virus or malware . You can run Windows 10’s built-in antivirus program to find and remove any malicious files from your PC by following the steps below. 

task manager disk usage 100

task manager disk usage 100

Wait for the antivirus program to find and remove viruses and malware from your computer, which will hopefully resolve the issue.

9. Modify Energy Options

Some users report that changing the energy plan can fix the 100% disk usage issue in Windows 10. 

task manager disk usage 100

task manager disk usage 100

7. Click the dropdown menu at the top and cycle through the other options with a PC reboot between each selection.  For example, if this menu has Balanced as the current selection, change it to one of the other available options. Select Apply or OK at the bottom to save your changes. Reboot the PC.  

task manager disk usage 100

8. If this does not fix the problem, repeat Step 7 with the other available options.

You can always go back and select the original energy plan if this does not fix the problem and try the steps mentioned below next.

10. Change Google Chrome Options

If you use Google Chrome, there are options in this browser that can cause your disk usage to reach 100% . Turn these options off and see if this resolves your problem.

task manager disk usage 100

task manager disk usage 100

You can always re-enable the options if this does not fix the issue and move on to the next step mentioned below.

11. Turn Off Your Antivirus Program

If you’re running a third-party antivirus program, you want to make sure it’s not causing this issue by temporarily disabling it. 

Also, Windows 10 comes loaded with an antivirus called Microsoft Defender Antivirus that does a pretty great job of catching most malware and spyware, thus negating the need for a third-party program in the first place. 

task manager disk usage 100

12. Clean Install Windows 10

If none of the above methods work, your last resort is to clean install Windows 10 on your computer. This removes everything that your PC currently has, and installs a fresh version of the Windows 10 operating system.

Make sure you backup your important files before you do that, or you’ll end-up losing your files.

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Article Number: 000125194

Windows 10 - Task Manager Reports 100% Disk Utilization with MSI Mode Enabled

Summary: this article addresses a windows 10 issue where windows task manager might show 100% disk utilization on devices with message signaled interrupt (msi) mode enabled., article content, article properties.

Symptoms of this issue include the following:

Microsoft has provided the following steps to disable MSI mode for specific devices using the registry:

Out of Warranty support

Last Published Date

20 Dec 2022

Article Type

task manager disk usage 100

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Fixed: 100% Disk Usage on Windows 10 Task Manager (Update)

To fix 100% disk usage on Windows 10 Task Manager, you can refer to 9 effective and easy methods in this post and try one or more.

task manager disk usage 100

Disk Usage at 100% on Windows 10/11 Task Manager

Sometimes, you may meet a problem with lag and everything seems to start up slow and take forever to load, especially Windows PowerShell and starting commands in it. The disk usage will spike from 0-1% all the way from 50-100%+ on 0.1 mbs of use from various programs.

This will noticeably come up with Windows PowerShell and executing commands, starting up Windows in general, or just different programs and applications wont loads right away. Here is the case:

“When I load into my Windows 10/11 computer, I can move the mouse but nothing else responsive. I tried to open the Task Manager, but when I click the Start menu, it took about a minute. What shocked me is that the disk usage is at 100% utilization in Windows Task Manager. Meanwhile, the CPU is at 17%, and memory is at 60%.

Windows 10 100 Disk Usage

So why would the disk usage at 100% in Windows 10/11? After few restarts sometimes it’s no more 100%, sometimes it’s again 100% usage. Anybody can help?”

About Disk Usage on Your Computer

Disk Usage (DU) refers to the portion or percentage of computer storage that is currently in use. It contrasts with disk space or capacity, which is the total amount of space that a given disk is capable of storing. Disk usage is often measured in kilobytes(KB), megabytes(MB), gigabytes(GB) or terabytes(TB). Well, what reasons could cause the “Disk Usage is at 100%” in the Task Manager?

Why Get 100 Disk Usage on Windows 10 Task Manager?

Windows 10/11 100% disk usage problem may be caused by many reasons, such as an antivirus software, a bug in Windows 10/11, a problem from SuperFetch Service, unreasonable virtual memory, the Flash, a common combination of Skype as well Google Chrome, hard drive error , etc.

But don’t worry too much! Sometimes, there is just nothing goes wrong on your computer, except for some settings.

How to F ix 100% D isk U sage on Windows 10/11 Accordingly ?

When Disk Usage is at 100% in the Task Manager, you can try the following methods until it works.

Method 1. Disable Antivirus Software temporarily

Method 2. change the settings in google chrome & skype, method 3. using control panel to uninstall all browsers, method 4. disable superfetch service, method 5. fix storahci.sys driver, method 6. disable windows search, method 7. upgrade device driver, method 8. reset virtual memory, method 9. perform a disk check.

When disk usage is at 100% on Windows Task Manager, you need to consider whether you’ve installed antivirus or anti-malware programs such as Norton, Kaspersky, AVG, Avast Behavior Shield or Malwarebytes, etc. If you installed such programs, you should temporarily disable them with their user manuals.

100 percent usage on Windows 10/11 may be caused by a common combination of Skype as well Google Chrome. Thus, you can change the settings of Google Chrome and Skype.

Google Chrome

In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Show Advanced Settings... > Privacy > Prefetch resources to load pages more quickly , untick it. Like the following screenshot:

Change Google Settings

Make sure you have exited Skype and it is not running in the Taskbar, if it is running in the Taskbar, quit it. Then, open Windows Explorer, and open the folder: “ C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\ ”(without quote). right click “ Skype.exe ” file, click “ Properties ”, open the “ Security ” tab, click “ Edit ”.

Change Skype Setting

Then, Highlight “ALL APPLICATION PAKAGES” and place a tick in the “Write” box. Click Apply and then click OK .

Skype Settings

After the proceed, run Skype and check the Disk Usage in Task Manager, it will not show you 100% disk usage on Windows 10 Task Manager.

Another effective way is to use Control Panel to uninstall all Browsers, except Edge and IE(Internet Explorer). Uninstall browsers is an effective way to isolate the issue with plugins. Otherwise, you need to remove the plugins one by one from each browser and test. The Adobe Flash and Shockwave Player are the usual culprits of Windows 10/11 high disk usage.

Fortunately, the browsers can be reinstalled in seconds. After uninstalling the browsers, please delete the files including ‘Temp’, ‘%Temp%’ and ‘Prefetch’. After that, restart the system and check whether the issue has been solved. If it does, wait for 10 - 15 minutes to verify that it doesn’t reoccur, and you can reinstall browsers.

Although SuperFentch can help to decrease the boot time and make must-load programs more efficiently, it is another potential cause of disk performance issues. Thus, when you meet the problem that Windows 10/11 disk usage at 100%, you can stop the service:

Press Windows + X simultaneously, choose Command Prompt (Admin) to open it. Type following command in the command prompt and hit Enter Key to run it:

net.exe stop superfetch

Disable SuperFetch

Wait for a few minutes to see if your computer starts performing better.

The Windows 10/11 100% disk utilization problem may also be caused by some Advanced Host Controller Interface PCI-Express(AHCI PCIe) models running with the inbox StorAHCI.sys driver due to a firmware bug. You need to make sure if it is the cause of Windows 10/11 100% disk utilization problem.

Press Windows + X simultaneously, choose Device Manager .

Expand the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers category, double-click the AHCI Controller.

AHCI Controller

Click Driver tab-> Driver Details . If you see storahci.sys stored in a path of system32 folder, then you are running the inbox AHCI driver and you need to fix the problem as the following steps.

Inbox AHCI Controller.jpg

Back to the AHCI Controller Properties, click Details , select Device instance path under Property . Make note of the path, starting from VEN_ . Click OK .

AHCI Controller Properties

Click Start , type regedit in the search box and hit Enter key. Then, go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\PCI\\\Device Parameters\Interrupt Management\MessageSignaledInterruptProperties

refers to the name of AHCI Controller.

differs on different machines.

Registry Editor

Double-click MSISupported , and set the value data to 0 . Click OK .

Value Data 0

After that, restart your computer.

The Windows Search Indexer is one process which is known to cause 100 percent disk usage Windows 10/11. To determine if Windows Search is the cause of 100% disk usage problem, you can temporarily disable Windows Search (temporarily disable Windows Search means that the Windows Search will start again when you restart your computer).

1. Press Windows key and X simultaneously, select Command Prompt (Admin).

2. When you get into the command prompt, type net.exe stop “Windows search ” and hit Enter key.

Disable Windows Search

Go to Task Manager to check if your disk usage deceased and the performance of you computer improved. If they do, you should permanently disable Windows Search as the following steps.

1. Press Windows key + R , type in services.msc .

2. Locate Windows Search option, double click it to enter its Properties window.

Locate Windows Search

3. In the Properties window, select Disabled under Startup type. Then, click Apply and OK .

Disable Windows Search Permanently

Upgrade Device Driver may help you get out of the 100% disk usage problem. To upgrade Device Driver, you can use Windows Update, download it from the manufacturer’s website or use a free Driver Update software.

Virtual memory is a portion of your hard drive and is regarded as an extension of your computer’s physical memory. It is another factor that may cause your disk utilization 100 percent problem. Reset with following steps.

1. Open Control Panel -> System and Security -> System . Select Advanced system settings .

Advanced System Settings

2. In the in the pop out window, select Advanced -> Settings . Then,go to Advanced tab in the second pop up window, and select Change... in the Virtual memory section.

Settings

3. Here you need to make sure that the option of Automatically manage paging file size for all drives is not ticked. Then, select the drive installed Windows 10, enter an Initial size and Maximum size for the virtual memory. Then, click Set and OK .

Virtual Memory Settings

Initial size – This value varies, depending on your computer. If you’re not sure what value to use, just enter whatever the number is in the Recommended category.

Maximum size – Don’t set this value too high. It should be about 1.5 times the size of your physical RAM. e.g. A PC with 4 GB (4096 MB) of RAM should have no more than about 6,144 MB virtual memory (4096 MB x 1.5).

4. After that, clear all your computer’s ‘temp’ files: Press Windows+ R , type ‘ temp ’ and hit Enter , it will show you the Windows Explorer with Temp folder, select all the files in the Temp folder and delete them.

100% disk usage on Windows 10 may also because of hard disk errors. Thus, it is necessary to perform a disk check. You can do this by using Windows CHKDSK, or by using the third party software AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard , which simplifies things within a few clicks. With this tool, you can check a single partition, or a check whole disk.

The software allows you to check based on partition and disk type according to your situations. No bundled ware and 100% clean. Free download and have a try.

Check Partition

Step 1 . Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Right click the partition you want to check, and select Advanced -> Check Partition .

Check Partition

Step 2 . Choose a way the check partition and fix errors here, click OK to back to main interface and click Apply in the toolbar.

Check Errors Way

Step 1 . Right click the hard disk, select Surface Test .

System Disk Test

Step 2 . It will show you the Disk Surface Test window, click Start to launch the progress.

Start Test System Disk

AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard is a great tool that can help you manage hard drive partitions in all aspects even you are not professional. You can also upgrade to AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional to get more advanced features, like recoverying lost partition, converting MBR system disk into GPT without data loss , etc.

Besides those ways, there are may other ways may help you solve the “100% disk usage on WIndows 10/11” problem. For example, you can upgrade firmware for SSDs if you have an SSD installed on your computer. Because SSDs are fast, and if you are having the 100% disk usage on Windows 10/11, it is most likely a problem with firmware;

You can also try to disable Windows Notification, use high performance power plan, upgrade Memory (RAM), perform a clean boot, etc. If you have found any other effective way to solve the problem, leave a comment at the comment space, and we will conclude and upgrade this page.

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Solved: Windows 11/10 100% Disk Usage in Task Manager!

How to fix and solve 100 percent disk usage in windows 10 this post focus on the solutions to windows 11/10 100% disk usage..

Wondershare Recoverit Authors

David Darlington

Dec 23, 2022 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

Windows users may come across the error that says 100% Disk Usage , which makes it seem like the computer is handling heavy operations. However, you may only have a few programs open with the screen idly staying on desktop. This causes the system to slow down or even freeze.

Overview of 100% Disk in Task Manager

A glance at the disk usage column shows how much a program uses, and disabling such programs may help lessen the number. However, this is not the only cause of 100% disk usage. There are reports from users saying that the latest Windows version tends to overwork drives, slowing down the OS. This problem can affect both solid-state drivers (SSD) and hard disk drives (HDD).

This error can also occur if malware is present within the system. To its core, the 100% disk usage error can be fixed by finding the underlying cause whether it be a windows system, application, or malware so that it could be stopped.

fix windows 10 100% task manager

How to Fix Windows 11/10 100% Disk Usage Problems

Solution 1. turn off windows search.

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Note: You can also disable Windows Search until after the next reboot by opening the elevated command prompt and typing in net.exe stop "Windows search" command.

Solution 2. Disable Superfetch service

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Solution 3. Check disk performance with chkdisk

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Solution 4. Check your anti-virus software

Solution 5. use a different web browser.

Some users complain that Google Chrome takes up too much disk usage. If this is the case for you, just use another browser like the Firefox or Microsoft Edge and notice if the disk usage is lesser.

If you still want to use Chrome, you can try disabling the pre-load feature. Just go to Chrome  Settings> Show Advanced Settings> Privacy . Untick  Prefetch resources to load pages more quickly .

Solution 6. Is Skype Eating Disk Resources

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Solution 7. Disable Diagnostic Tracking in Windows 11/10

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Solution 8. Fix your StorAHCI.sys driver

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Solution 9. Is Flash Causing the 100% Disk Usage Bug

Solution 10. reset your virtual memory.

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Note: to clear temp memory allocation files, run temp, and Ctrl + A on the files listed in the temp directory.

Solution 11. Activate High-Performance Mode

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Solution 12. Windows Update Can Cause High Disk Usage

Solution 13. install the latest sata drivers.

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Solution 14. Is Steam Maxing Out Your HDD

Steam can cause this error due to an updated delivery.

Note that saves and games downloaded will not be deleted.

The error 100% Disk Usage can be resolved by identifying what causes the strain on the disk drive. There is no need to panic as the solutions can ease the problem. However, if not one of these works, it may be time to inspect for hardware-related problems just to be sure that your computer is still running properly.

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  1. 100% Disk Usage Windows 10

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  2. [Solved]: Tips to fix Disk usage 100% always on Windows 10 & Improve Windows Performance

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  3. How to Fix 100 Percent Disk Usage in Windows 10 (2022)

    task manager disk usage 100

  4. Why Disk Usage is 100% in Task Manager ?

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  5. Windows 10 100% disk usage in Task Manager [SOLVED]

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  6. [SOLVED] Windows 10 100% disk usage in Task Manager

    task manager disk usage 100

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  1. How to easily open Task Manager on your computer #shorts #viral #computerscience #dell #shortkeys

  2. How to fix system boot slow and windows 10 -100% disk usage in task manager l 100% problem solution

  3. How To Fix 100% Disk Usage In Windows 10?

  4. How to fix 100 Percent disk usage in windows

  5. [SOLVED] Windows 10 100% Disk Usage in Task Manager

  6. Fix: High Disk Usage

COMMENTS

  1. Are You Getting 100% Disk Usage in Windows 10? Try These ...

    When you open Task Manager and see 100% disk usage, stopping the process that's forcing that use brings Windows back to normal working order. Many of the following fixes for 100% disk usage in Windows 10 are relevant to Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista. However, some commands and system settings may vary. Causes of High Disk Usage on Windows 10

  2. Windows 10 100% disk usage shown in task manager. How do I ...

    Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) Choose the Processes Tab and click on the Disk Column header, so that arrow faces down Leave that window open to monitor your system When your disk is at 100%. what are the top 5 processes at that time? ___________________________________________________________________ Power to the Developer!

  3. [SOLVED] Windows 10 100% disk usage in Task Manager - Driver Easy

    4) Check your computer’s disk usage: Type “task manager” in the Windows search bar and select Task Manager, then in the Processes tab, look at the % at the top of the Disk column. If it’s no longer 100%, you’ve fixed the problem! If the 100% disk usage problem persists, try the next method, below. Fix 3: Check for corrupted system files

  4. How to Fix 100% Disk Usage on Windows 10 - Help Desk Geek

    1. Restart Your PC 2. Disable Startup Programs 3. Perform a Clean Boot of Your PC 4. Update Your PC 5. Disable Scheduled Disk Defragmentation 6. Delete Temporary Files 7. Repair Corrupt Files 8. Run a Security Scan 9. Modify Energy Options 10. Change Google Chrome Options 11. Turn Off Your Antivirus Program 12. Clean Install Windows 10

  5. Windows 10 - Task Manager Reports 100% Disk ... - Dell

    Task Manager reporting the hard disk to be operating at 100% utilization despite a light workload or no workload The computer may experience lag or become unresponsive. The computer event log contains numerous events with Event ID 129, which represent resets of the disk controller. Cause

  6. 100% Disk Usage on Windows 10 - Microsoft Community

    Perform SFC Scan and Repair Windows Image -This process will perform scan for any corrupted system files or integrity violation and will attempt to repair it along with the Windows Image. 1. Open command prompt with administrator access 2. Type each command below and wait until scan is completed. SFC /scannow

  7. Fixed: 100% Disk Usage on Windows 10 Task Manager (Update)

    When Disk Usage is at 100% in the Task Manager, you can try the following methods until it works. Method 1. Disable Antivirus Software temporarily Method 2. Change the settings in Google Chrome & Skype Method 3. Using Control Panel to uninstall all Browsers Method 4. Disable SuperFetch Service Method 5. Fix StorAHCI.sys driver Method 6.

  8. Solved: Windows 11/10 100% Disk Usage in Task Manager!

    How to Fix Windows 11/10 100% Disk Usage Problems Solution 1. Turn Off Windows Search Press Win + R and type msc and press Enter key. Find the Windows Search and double click to launch Windows Search Properties Select Disabled on the dropdown menu for Startup type. Click Stop to permanently disable the service. Click OK.