Got 100% disk usage in Windows 10? So your computer is hanging and freezing. Same old Windows, right? Except you're using a brand-new Windows 10 device; you've only had it a few days. So just what is going on?
Investigating, you discover that your system drive is running at 100%. Surely this can't be, right? Sadly, it is. The latest versions of Windows have a problem with the drives being overworked, which slows down the operating system. This issue affects both hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs).
\When the error was first discovered, only a few culprits were found. But as time passes, despite the 100% disk usage error being reported to Microsoft, more causes of this bug are discovered, not fewer.
Click the link above for each possible cause of the bug to see how to fix it.
Once you've established that there is a problem, you have several options available. Check the following steps one at a time, checking the disk usage in the Task Manager after each.
Note that even if you find a solution, a Windows Update could reset the changes you've made. Bookmarking this page will help you find it in the future and run through the fixes again.
1. Slow Performance? Run Disk Check
This performance issue is most obvious when attempting to use Windows Search to find a file or program, and anything else that requires the drive to do some work (perhaps copying and pasting a group of files).
To establish whether it is a problem that is affecting you, when your computer next slows down press Ctrl+Alt+Del and select Task Manager.
(Alternatively, right-click the Taskbar and select Task Manager.) Note that this may take some time to open with the drive being under strain.
On the first tab, Processes, look for the Disk column. If you're having problems with drive performance, this should be at 100%, and shaded red to indicate whether you have a problem or not.
Problematic sectors on your HDD can cause the 100% disk usage issue in Windows 10. However, using Windows' built-in disk check can fix this.
Open Windows Explorer and select This PC, then identify your hard drive. Right-click on C: and select Properties. Here, find the Tools tab, and under Error checking click on Check.
In the resulting window, click Scan drive. Wait while the system scans the drive; a reboot may be required for a full disk repair. This should deal with the error.
2. Update Your Anti-Virus if Windows 10 Disk Is Running at 100%
As with any such performance issue, the first thing to do is confirm that your computer hasn't been infected with malware. Your security software should be able to deal with this, whether it's a free app or a paid suite.
At the very least, tools such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware should be able to scan your system drive and detect any problems, although with a heavy load on your drive already this may take a while.
If threats are found, use the software's recommendations to discard them and reboot. Next, check your drive's performance further. Hopefully, you've resolved the issue; if not, then malware wasn't to blame, so read on.
3. Disable Windows Search for Improved Disk Performance
The next thing to check is whether the 100% disk usage error has anything to do with Windows Search. A bug in Windows 10 results in a "search loop" that causes an increased load on the system drive.To stop this and prevent it from happening during your current session (until Windows is rebooted) open Windows PowerShell (Admin). You'll find this by right clicking the Windows 10 Start menu.
Enter:
net.exe stop "Windows search"
To permanently disable Windows Search or Indexing, press WIN+R, enter services.msc, and hit Enter. In the Services window that opens find the Windows Search entry and double-click it to open the Windows Search Properties window.
Under Startup type, select Disabled. Here you can click Stop to abort the service. Click OK to save your changes.A few moments after disabling Windows Search, your Windows 10 performance should improve considerably. If not, move on…
4. Disable SysMain to Fix 100% Disk Usage in Windows 10
Another Windows 10 feature identified as a potential cause of the 100% disk usage issue is the superfetch service. Since Windows 10 1809 (the 2018 Windows 10 October Update) this has been renamed to "SysMain."
To prevent this service from causing the disk usage issue, open another Windows PowerShell (Admin) and enter:
net.exe stop sysmain
Again, wait a few moments to check whether this has had any effect on your computer's performance. You should also run Check Disk:
chkdsk.exe /f /r
You'll be informed that your PC must be rebooted for Check Disk to complete, so make sure you have closed all your applications first.
If this doesn't work, it is likely that you're experiencing a frustrating iteration of this issue that is simple to resolve.