Hi guys, this is Jude from Easytex. In this tutorial, I’ll be demonstrating a number of ways to fix the problem of 100% disk usage in Windows. This problem has recently become more common among Windows 10 users. Some typical signs of this problem include an obvious slowdown in the overall performance of your Windows activities like booting to desktop, mouse movements, opening of apps, and windows begin to lag significantly, and sometimes they could become unresponsive entirely.
As you can see from this laptop, after the normal boot process, it is taking much longer for the tray icons and other taskbar icons to show up. The second and even more obvious sign of this problem is that when you open your task manager, click on more details, and under the process tab, you should notice your disk utilization percentage nearing or consistently on 100%. This is accompanied by the bar being in red.
Even if yours is not stuck on 100%, but shows anything above 95% consistently for five to ten minutes after you boot up, then something is definitely not as it should be. The normal percentage should be nearly zero or less than 10 with low disk demanding processes or nothing really running. It could be a bit more but not close to 100.
The third and less common sign of this problem is an unusually loud noise from the cooling fan. There are several possible reasons why you may be having this problem ranging from hardware to software issues, settings, and processes. In any case, the solutions in this video could help you resolve this problem.
Now, without further ado let’s jump right into it.
### 1. Disabling Windows Search Service
The Windows search service could be overwhelming your disk read/write capacity. To disable it, go to Task Manager, click on the Services tab, open Services, find Windows Search, right-click on it, select Properties, set the Startup Type to Disabled, and restart your computer.
### 2. Checking Disk Defragmentation Configuration
Stop and disable scheduled defragmentation from Task Scheduler. Go to Task Scheduler, find Scheduled Defrag, click on End and then Disable to stop the process from resuming.
### 3. Updating Device Drivers
Run a regular Windows update to ensure all important drivers are installed. If not, update them manually for optimal performance.
### 4. Disabling Superfetch Service
Superfetch could be taking up a substantial amount of the read/write capacity of your disk. To disable it, open Command Prompt as administrator and enter the command “net.exe stop superfetch”.
### 5. Resetting Virtual Memory
Reset virtual memory to the recommended size to improve performance. Go to Control Panel, click on System, then Advanced System Settings, under Performance, click on Settings, go to the Advanced tab, and change the virtual memory settings accordingly.
### 6. Checking AHCI PCIe Configuration
Check your AHCI PCIe configuration, especially if you are using an SSD. Ensure you are not using the inbox AHCI driver called storeahci.sys.
### 7. Disabling Automatic Windows Update
In case the Windows Update service is causing the issue, you can try disabling automatic Windows updates to see if that resolves the problem.
If none of these suggestions work, consider backing up your files and reinstalling Windows. Drop us a feedback in the comments section if any of these solutions worked for you or if you have other working solutions to share. Give this video a thumbs up if you found it helpful and don’t forget to subscribe for future tech support videos. Thank you for watching!
How to Resolve 100% Disk Usage in Windows 10
Understanding the Issue of 100% Disk Usage in Windows 10
Windows 10 is a popular and widely used operating system, but many users have reported experiencing the issue of 100% disk usage, which can slow down the performance of their system. This problem occurs when your hard drive is constantly being used at full capacity, even when you are not running any intensive programs. This can lead to slow system performance, freezes, and even crashes. However, there are several steps you can take to fix this issue and improve the overall performance of your Windows 10 system.
Checking Task Manager to Identify the Culprit
The first step in resolving the issue of 100% disk usage is to identify the program or process that is causing it. To do this, open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard. Once Task Manager is open, click on the "Processes" tab and then click on the "Disk" column to sort the processes by disk usage. Look for any programs or processes that are using a high percentage of your disk and make a note of them.
Disabling Superfetch and Windows Search Services
One common culprit of 100% disk usage in Windows 10 is the Superfetch service, which is designed to help improve system performance by preloading commonly used programs into memory. However, this can sometimes cause high disk usage. To disable Superfetch, press Win+R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box, type "services.msc" and press Enter. In the Services window, scroll down to find the Superfetch service, right-click on it, and select "Properties." In the Properties window, click on the "Stop" button to stop the service, and then set the "Startup type" to "Disabled."
Another service that can cause high disk usage is the Windows Search service. To disable this service, open the Services window as described above, find the Windows Search service, and follow the same steps to stop the service and set the startup type to "Disabled."
Updating Device Drivers
Outdated or faulty device drivers can also contribute to the issue of 100% disk usage in Windows 10. To update your device drivers, press Win+X on your keyboard to open the Power User menu, and then select "Device Manager." In the Device Manager window, expand the categories to find the devices with driver issues (they will have a yellow exclamation mark next to them). Right-click on the device and select "Update driver" to automatically search for and install the latest driver updates.
Running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmentation
Over time, your hard drive can become cluttered with temporary files and fragmented data, which can contribute to high disk usage. To clean up your hard drive, type "Disk Cleanup" in the Windows search bar and select the Disk Cleanup app. Check the boxes for the files you want to clean up, such as temporary files and system files, and click "OK" to start the cleanup process.
In addition to Disk Cleanup, it is also recommended to run disk defragmentation to consolidate fragmented data on your hard drive. To do this, type "Defragment and Optimize Drives" in the Windows search bar, select your hard drive, and click "Optimize" to start the defragmentation process.
Conclusion
By following these steps and implementing the suggested solutions, you can effectively resolve the issue of 100% disk usage in Windows 10 and improve the overall performance of your system. Remember to regularly check for updates, clean up your hard drive, and optimize your system to prevent similar issues in the future.
1. Disable Windows Search Service
One common culprit behind 100% disk usage in Windows 10 is the Windows Search service. To fix this issue, you can try disabling this service. To do this, press the Windows key + R, type “services.msc” and press Enter. In the Services window, scroll down to find Windows Search, right-click on it and select Properties. Then, change the startup type to Disabled and click on Stop to stop the service. Finally, click Apply and OK to save the changes. This should help reduce the disk usage on your system.
2. Disable Superfetch Service
Another service that can cause high disk usage in Windows 10 is Superfetch. To disable this service, press the Windows key + R, type “services.msc” and press Enter. Locate the Superfetch service, right-click on it, and select Properties. Change the startup type to Disabled and click on Stop. Click Apply and OK to save the changes. Disabling Superfetch can help alleviate disk usage and improve overall system performance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, high disk usage in Windows 10 can be a frustrating problem, but there are several steps you can take to fix it. By disabling services like Windows Search and Superfetch, you can reduce disk usage and improve the performance of your system. Remember to regularly check your disk usage and take appropriate action to keep your system running smoothly.
Source: Youtube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enh3gPc3HVs of Channel EasyTechs.