How to Fix 100% Disk Usage issue on Windows 10 or 11 [18 Ways]

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How to Fix 100% Disk Usage problem on Windows 10 or 11 [18 Ways].

What to know

  • 100% Disk Usage will be brought on by {hardware} points, problematic Windows providers and options, corrupted information, and buggy updates.
  • To repair this problem, strive rebuilding Search Index, stopping providers like SysMain and DiagTrack, resetting OneDrive sync and temp information, deleting temp information and stopping Disk Defrag.
  • You may strive updating Device Drivers, reconnecting SATA cables, operating SFC and Disk Check, scanning for malware, and enabling Best Performance energy settings.
  • If all fails, strive resetting Windows. 

If your PC is slowing down and Task Manager reveals the disk utilization consistently hovering close to the 100% mark (and appropriately marked in crimson), there’s trigger for concern. Normally, disk utilization ought to by no means be maxing out like this. But if it does, you will be positive there are specific issues going fallacious together with your PC. 

Here’s all the pieces it’s essential to learn about what causes this 100% disk utilization and a bunch of how to repair it.

: Windows 11 Shortcuts: Our Complete List

What does 100% Disk utilization imply?

Image: Bill Jelen

When disk utilization reaches its most capability, it signifies that it’s both occupied by overt duties or providers which might be operating within the background. 

100% disk utilization nearly at all times goes hand in hand with sub-par pc efficiency, gaming points, and loud rattling noises from the exhausting disk spinning busily. Even new computer systems can undergo from this problem, which is likely one of the explanation why there appear to be various parts to the issue.

What causes 100% Disk Usage?

There are a number of issues that may very well be going south together with your pc if you happen to see the disk utilization share stuffed to the brim on a regular basis. Be it a {hardware} problem, similar to an improper cable connection, or an issue with Windows background providers and options, corrupted information, and buggy updates – issues add up over time and trigger the PC to decelerate.

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18 Ways to Fix 100% Disk Usage in Windows 10

Now, given the lengthy listing of potential causes for an overburdened pc, it may be exhausting to diagnose precisely what’s stressing out the exhausting disk as such. To that finish, we take a look at all of the attainable methods that you could repair this downside. Try these fixes out one after the other, and see if the disk utilization share dips. 

1. Delete and Rebuild Search Index

One of the widespread culprits that result in such excessive disk utilization is Windows Search Index. It is what helps you discover information and folders rapidly by scanning the disk and turning it into an index to present immediate outcomes.

But sure Windows bugs may cause the search index to run in indefinite loops such that they keep indexing until kingdom come and inflicting the disk to overload. Here’s how to repair it:

  1. Press Start and sort “Indexing”. Click on Indexing Options.
  2. Here, click on on Advanced.
  3. Then click on on Rebuild.
  4. When prompted, click on OK.

However, this will likely solely stop it from going right into a ‘search loop’ briefly, that’s till Windows is rebooted. Fortunately, there’s a method to completely disable the Windows Search Index. Here’s how:

  1. Press Win+R to open the RUN field, then kind in “services.msc” and hit Enter.
  2. In the ‘Services’ window, scroll down and double-click Windows Search.
  3. Then, next to “Startup type”, click on to deliver the drop-down menu choices.
  4. Choose Disabled.
  5. Hit OK.

2. Stop Superfetch (SysMain) and Windows Search providers

The Superfetch service, or SysMain analyzes your utilization patterns, determines how usually you employ sure applications, and preloads their knowledge to reminiscence in order that they open quicker. But Superfetch (or SysMain) is thought to hog up disk utilization area and result in efficiency shortcomings that in any other case wouldn’t happen. The easy means out is to disable this service altogether. 

  1. Press Win+R to deliver up the RUN field and sort in “services.msc”.
  2. Then scroll down till you discover SysMain and double-click on it.
  3. Click on the drop-down menu next to Startup Type.
  4. Select Disable.
  5. Hit OK.

Now, verify the disk utilization once more to see if there’s a distinction.

3. Reset Paging (Virtual Memory)

Windows has a nifty resolution to nearly develop your reminiscence when it runs out of RAM – web page information. It is ‘virtual’ as a result of your PC is using the exhausting disk to complement the RAM for processes that demand a number of reminiscence area.

But the web page file is inclined to break and may result in a better than regular disk utilization. The solely method to repair a faulty web page file is to delete it and create one anew. Here’s how to take action:

  1. Press Win+R to deliver up the RUN field, kind in “sysdm.cpl” and hit Enter.
  2. In the “System Properties” window, go to the Advanced tab.
  3. Then, beneath “Performance”, click on Settings.
  4. Under the Advanced tab, click on on Change.
  5. Uncheck the field that claims “Automatically handle paging file sizes for all drives“.
  6. Select the partition the place Windows is put in (C: is the default), after which select Custom measurement.
  7. Here, enter the preliminary and the utmost measurement (each in MB) for paging. This might range relying in your pc. But usually, the preliminary paging file measurement might simply be what’s really helpful.
  8. However, the utmost measurement shouldn’t be greater than 1.5 instances your RAM. But in our instance, we’re going to maintain it restricted to 8092 MB, which is an effective sufficient paging file measurement.
  9. Don’t make this quantity too excessive as we’re attempting to maintain the disk from getting overtaxed. Alternatively, you possibly can simply choose the No paging file choice and never have your disk impart any digital reminiscence in any respect.
  10. Once the values are set, click on on Set, then OK.

4. Delete Temp information

  1. Navigate to the Temp folder positioned right here: C:WindowsTemp
  2. Alternatively, you’ll be able to merely open up the RUN field by urgent Win+R and seek for ‘Temp’.
  3. Delete all of the information on this folder.

Now verify if the difficulty is resolved. 

5. Reset Sync Tools

OneDrive syncing can generally get caught and proceed to sync information even when the method is definitely over and there’s nothing left to sync. This causes the disk to enter overdrive, particularly when it’s syncing massive quantities of knowledge. In these situations, it’s best to reset it. To reset OneDrive, open the RUN field once more (as proven earlier than) and sort the next command: %localappdatapercentMicrosoftOneDriveonedrive.exe /reset 

As quickly as you hit OK, OneDrive will reset. Doing so is thought to declutter the disk reminiscence and keep it from operating out. 

6. Stop Disk Defragmentation

Disk defragmentation will increase the general effectivity of retrieving knowledge sooner or later. But it additionally 1increases disk utilization and doesn’t even present up as a course of in Task Manager. 1On high of that, Disk Defragmentation is scheduled to activate by default periodically.

  1. To disable disk defragmentation, press Start, kind ‘defragment’ and choose Defragment and Optimize drives.
  2. Now, click on on Change settings.
  3. Uncheck Run on a schedule and click on OK.

This will cease disk defragmentation from beginning and trigger much less load to disk reminiscence.

7. Disable the ‘DiagTrack’ Service

Diagnostics Tracking, or Connected User Experiences and Telemetry, is one service that’s identified to trigger a better disk utilization share. Here’s how one can disable it:

  1. Open the Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and click on on the Services tab.
  2. Scroll down and choose DiagTrack (or seek for it). Click Stop.

  3. Once DiagTrack is stopped, it’s time to completely disable it. Click on the three-dot icon and choose Open Services.

  4. In the ‘Services’ window, discover and double-click Connected User Experiences and Telemetry.
  5. Under the “General” tab, click on on the drop-down menu next to “Startup type”.
  6. Select Disabled.
  7. Click Apply.
  8. Now transfer to the “Recovery” tab. Select Take No Action on the three drop-down menu choices. Click OK.

8. Update and repair Device Drivers

Some Advanced Host Controller Interface PCI-Express fashions are additionally identified to trigger this downside, particularly with the StorAHCI.sys driver. Safe to say, they should go. But first, determine whether or not or not you’re using this AHCI driver. 

  1. Press Win+R to open the RUN field, kind “devmgmt.msc” and hit Enter.
  2. Expand the “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers”, then right-click Standard SATA AHCI Controllers and choose Properties.
  3. Now, beneath the “Driver” tab, click on on Driver particulars.
  4. If you discover “storahci.sys” in driver information, then you’ll have to disable it from the registry.
  5. Now, go to the “Details” tab in the identical window and be aware down the driving force’s worth. This worth will come in useful later so go forward and right-click and replica it.
  6. Now, kind “regedit” within the RUN field and press Enter.
  7. Navigate to the next handle: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetEnumPCI(AHCI Controller)Device ParametersInterrupt ManagementMessageSignaledInterruptProperties
  8. Replace the “(AHCI Controller)” with the worth that you simply copied earlier.
  9. Now, on the suitable, double-click MSISupported to change it.
  10. Change its worth knowledge to 0. Then Click OK.

If you don’t have this MSI driver, it is best to nonetheless go forward and update your storage controller drivers from the Device Manager.

  1. To achieve this, click on to develop “Storage controllers”.
  2. Then right-click in your storage driver and choose Update driver.
  3. When requested, select Search robotically for drivers.
  4. If there are any updates pending, these will likely be put in robotically. Once you’re finished with this, verify your disk utilization share once more to see if there’s any influence.

9. Reconnect (or change) SATA cable

A problematic SATA cable may trigger this downside. A easy repair for that is to reconnect the SATA cable linked to the exhausting drive and verify if it’s functioning correctly. Poor contact with the SATA cable may power the disk to work tougher than ordinary to have the knowledge undergo. You can also wish to change your SATA cable if it’s exhibiting indicators of wear and tear, particularly on the level of contact.

10. Run SFC for corrupted system information

Corrupt system information can wreak havoc on a number of providers and processes and power the disk to enter hyperdrive. To scan for corrupted information and restore them, comply with the steps beneath:

  1. Press Start, kind in “cmd”, and click on Run as administrator.
  2. Here, kind within the following instructions one after the other, hit Enter, and allow them to full:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckWell being

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanWell being

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Once these processes are accomplished, replacements for broken information will likely be downloaded robotically. Additionally, do verify if there are any obtainable updates to your pc after this. 

11. Run Disk Check

Similar to the earlier methodology, you may additionally wish to verify the disk for any potential errors. To rapidly run a disk verify, open the command immediate (proven within the earlier step) and sort within the following command: chkdsdk.exe /f /r

When prompted, kind Y and hit Enter.

Now, shut all of your applications and restart the system. The disk verify will start as soon as your pc restarts.

12. Run Antivirus for potential malware

Viruses and malware are a perennial trigger of a complete lot of issues, together with excessive disk masses. If you don’t have a third-party antivirus software, scan for viruses from Windows Security.

  1. To achieve this, search and open Windows Security from the Start menu.
  2. Click on Virus & menace safety.

  3. Now, click on Quick Scan.

  4. If there are any threats detected after the scan is full, click on on Remove beneath “Actions”.

13. Switch to the ‘Best Performance’ Power Setting

The 100% disk utilization points are inclined to happen more on the Standard energy mode, however not as a lot on the High-Performance mode. Here’s how one can swap to it:

  1. Open the Settings app, then choose System > Power & battery.
  2. From the ‘Power mode’ drop-down menu, choose Best Performance.

14. Turn Off Windows Tips, Tricks, and Suggestions

Windows suggestions, methods, and options are great if you happen to’re a brand new Windows consumer. But they don’t seem to be all that essential and having them stored on depletes the valuable disk reminiscence useful resource.

  1. Open the Settings app, then choose System > Notifications > Additional settings. 
  2. Uncheck Get suggestions and options when using Windows.
  3. You may uncheck different gadgets right here that you simply don’t want. 

15. Turn Off Windows Defender

If you’ve got an anti-virus program put in as your major bulwark in opposition to viruses, Windows Defender is pointless because the load it will possibly have in your disk will be large. Here’s how to disable it: 

  1. Search for and open Windows Security from the Start menu. 
  2. Click on Virus & menace safety.
  3. Under ‘Virus & threat protection settings’, click on on Manage settings.
  4. Disable Real-time safety.

16. Disable ‘Preload pages’ in Google Chrome

It shouldn’t be unusual to your browser’s prediction providers to hog up disk reminiscence. Here’s how one can disable it:

  1. Click on More choices (three vertical dots) on the high proper nook and choose Settings.
  2. Search for ‘Preload pages’ and toggle it Off.

Doing this can be certain that Chrome doesn’t pre-load websites that you simply would possibly go to relying on the pages you’ve got visited prior to now, thereby lowering the load on the disk reminiscence.

17. Update Windows

If you’ve made it till right here, chances are high that not one of the aforementioned have labored for you. One final methodology that you simply would possibly wish to strive earlier than chucking up the sponge is to update your Windows. 

Keeping your Windows up to date to the newest model ensures that any bugs that your system may need had are eliminated.

  1. Open the Settings app, choose Windows Update, and click on on Check for Updates.
  2. Download and set up any pending updates that is perhaps there.

There’s at all times an opportunity that your system wanted simply this little improve to take away current bugs and glitches that may very well be inflicting extraneous disk utilization issues.

18. Reinstall Windows

When all else fails, reinstall. This is the widespread knowledge that almost all Windows customers resort to when different issues don’t work out as anticipated. Here’s how to reinstall Windows whereas preserving apps, information, and settings: 

  1. Open the Settings app, and choose System > Recovery.
  2. Next to ‘Fix problems using Windows Update’, click on on Reinstall now.
  3. If you’re using an older model of Windows, click on on Reset PC and comply with the on-screen directions.

We hope that one of many fixes talked about above managed to resolve the 100% disk utilization downside for you. After going by every methodology, remember to verify whether or not or not the repair has labored by firing up Task Manager. Sometimes, a restart is required for the repair to work and for the modifications to take impact. So don’t be too rash in discounting anybody methodology till you’re completely positive that it did nothing. 


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