This post will explain system high disc usage. I previously wrote about troubleshooting Windows 10 freezing difficulties, and in this piece, I’ll go through how to solve another common problem: disc usage showing 100% all of the time. This is especially true on laptops, as I’ve discovered.
How To Troubleshoot 100% System High Disc Usage In Windows 10
In this article, you can know about system high disc usage here are the details below;
Normally, disc usage will spike to or near 100% for a few seconds or minutes, but then should return to a more normal level (usually under 10 percent ). If you see a lot of disc usage on a regular basis, it’s a sign that something isn’t quite right.
In Windows 10, you can check your disc usage.
To begin, open the Task Manager in Windows 10 and look at your disc usage. Right-click the Start button and choose Task Manager, or press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC. If you only see a tiny list of apps, scroll down to the bottom and click More details.
You can see a fast overview of CPU, Memory, Disk, and Network consumption on the main Processes tab. Unless I’m doing something on the computer, I usually have a disc usage of approximately 0. In a worst-case scenario, you’ll see something like this, with disc usage at 100% or very near to it.
You may observe only one process that is producing the high disc usage in certain cases, while the process that is driving the spike may change in others.
Let’s talk about how we can figure out what’s causing the problem and then find a solution. In some circumstances, the solution is simple, but in others, it is more difficult. Here’s what you shouldn’t do before we get into those.
These Solutions Aren’t Worth Trying
On the internet, I came across a slew of ideas that didn’t sit well with me because they could lead to more difficulties down the road. Try to stay away from the following things:
Taking down the BITS service — It is required by Windows for your PC to be updated, therefore disabling it will not help. Disabling Windows Search or Superfetch – These are essential Windows services that should not be disabled.
Changing the Page File – You should leave the page file management to Windows. Try not to use custom values. Disabling Windows Defender – Unless you’re using Method 6, you shouldn’t disable Windows Defender.
Method 1: Firmware Upgrade for SSDs
It’s most likely a firmware issue if you have an SSD installed on your machine and are experiencing disc usage issues. SSDs are quick, and unless you have a software that constantly accesses the disc, it should never be at 100% for more than a few seconds.
Here are some links to SSD firmware updates from some of the major manufacturers: Crucial, Samsung, Kingston, Intel, and OWC.
Method 2: Conduct a Clean Boot
It’s time to learn how to do a clean boot if you’ve never done one before. A clean boot means that Windows is loaded with the fewest drivers and startup programmes possible. A clean boot will allow you to determine whether the problem is caused by Windows or a third-party programme installed on the operating system.
A nice guide on how to conduct a clean boot can be found on Microsoft’s website. I recommend giving it a shot because it generally solves a slew of other problems as well. It takes a little time, but it’s well worth the effort. Simply set aside a few hours on a weekend to do the task.
If everything loads OK on a clean boot, gradually activate each startup software one at a time until you figure out which one is causing the lag. After that, you can either uninstall or disable it. To begin, always disable any third-party anti-virus/anti-malware software, as these programmes have a tendency to constantly access the disc.
Many people have complained about Skype being the source of the disc usage surgeon online forums. So, uninstall Skype and see if that fixes the problem.
Method 3 – Upgrade Memory (RAM)
Another thing to care for is the amount of RAM you have installed on your computer. I’ve seen a lot of folks install Windows 10 on old desktops and laptops since it can run on older devices. This is acceptable, but you must ensure that the machine has a sufficient quantity of RAM, preferably at least 4 GB.
You can also go for Task Manager and go to Performance > Memory > Memory.
As you can look, I have 16 GB of memory available, of which around 6 GB is currently in use. This means that if your computer has 4 GB of RAM, all of the memory will be used up. Everything that doesn’t fit in memory is written to the hard drive. As a result, Windows will use your hard drive as a temporary memory device.
If you have plenty of data to write to disc, your disc usage will skyrocket, and your computer will slow down. If you observe that the line in this graph is close to the top, it implies that your computer’s RAM needs to be upgraded.
Method 4: Implement a High-Performance Power Plan
Hard drives in certain computers are intelligent, and they will strive to save power by turning off or changing the RPM. Western Digital’s green/blue hard discs are an example. It sounds like a nice feature, but I’m not sure how well it works in practise.
Go to Power Options and pick the High Performance power plan to avoid this issue. Moreover, select Change plan settings and then expand. After that, turn off the hard disc and set the minutes counter to zero.
This will prevent the hard drive from powering down or entering a low-power mode, which could result in a disc usage problem.
Method 5 – Disable MSI Mode
This is a more obscure approach that is unlikely to benefit most people, but it’s worth discussing because Microsoft has mentioned that this is a problem in Windows 10. It has to do with AHCI, which is technical jargon that you don’t need to understand.
When you have this problem, Disk Usage will show 100%, but when you sort the column, you won’t find any programmes or processes with high disc usage. You may read the Microsoft Knowledge Base article and try the repair here.
Method 6 – Use a third-party antivirus to replace Windows Defender.
If you have a third-party anti-virus system installed, Windows Defender should be disabled by default. However, this does not always happen, and running two anti-virus programs at the same time might result in high disc usage and a slew of other issues.
Click Start, then Settings, Update & Security, and then Windows Defender to see if Windows Defender is turned off. Make sure that Real-Time and Cloud-based Protection are both switched off.
Again, you should ONLY perform this if you have third-party anti-virus installed on your system.
Method 7 – Disable Windows Notifications
This approach has been widely disseminated on the Internet, however I’m not sure if it is effective. For some versions of Windows 10, I believe it does. Anyway, it doesn’t hurt to turn it off, which is why I’m bringing it up.
Essentially, you’re turning off extra Windows alerts, which are essentially ads. To access Notifications and Actions, go to Settings, System, and then Notifications and Actions. Turn off the Get tips, ideas, and suggestions when using the Windows option.
It’s worth mentioning that all of your regular alerts will continue to function normally; you won’t receive any unnecessary notifications from Microsoft.
Method 8 – Check for Errors on the Hard Disk
If none of the previous methods work, you may have an issue with your hard drive. I’ve previously talked about numerous ways to monitor the health of your hard disc.
- Examine the files on the hard drive and in the operating system.
- Errors on the Hard Drive Should Be Checked
Repairing faults on the drive solved the problem in many cases. In other cases, the drive needed to be replaced.
Hopefully, one of the suggestions above may help you. One last resort is to run a clean installation of Windows 10, which will resolve the issue for anyone who has malware on their systems and is unaware of it. Please leave a remark if you have any questions. Enjoy!
