Top Ways to Fix 100% Disk Usage in Windows 10

Updated by

Sherly 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Quick Navigation: How to Fix 100% Disk Usage in Task Manager (10 Tips)

Most Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 users might have encountered this issue – slow Windows with high disk usage and long response time, as shown in the picture below. So, is 100% disk usage bad? Of course, when your computer's disk space runs out, programs and system processes may not function properly and can lead to data loss. To fix the 100% disk usage on Windows 10 issue, you should try the solutions below.

Investigate the Reason for 100% Disk Usage in Task Manager on Windows 10 (UTF-8)

First, we open the Task Manager to look at disk usage. As you can see, it's at 100 percent, which is slowing everything down.

Step 1: In the Windows search bar, type "Task Manager" and then select "Task Manager."

Step 2: In the Processes tab, look under Disk to see what's causing your hard drive to be at 100%.

If you find Task Manager not intuitive enough to figure out the cause of high disk usage, you can also download the Space Analyzer feature from the Partition Master Professional tool, which can analyze your disk usage with one click, including finding large files and folders on Windows 11.

Step 1: Run Partition Assistant and click "Discover" on the left. Download "Space Analyzer" under "Common Tools".

Step 2: In the Space Analyzer window, select the disk you want to analyze and click Analyze in the top-right corner.

Click on «Analyze disk space».

Step 3: Wait for a moment, and you'll see detailed data. You can click on Folders/files to view different types of data, then click the small folder icon to view more information in the file.

If there's not enough space, tools Partition Master will warn you. Remember, 100% disk usage in Windows 10 is not normal. The following 10 methods have helped other users fix the 100% disk usage issue in Windows 10. Just follow the steps to fix 100% disk usage in Task Manager. Don't forget to share this tutorial if your friend runs into the same problem.

Method 1: Restart Your Computer to Address 100% Disk Usage Issues When your computer encounters a 100% disk usage problem, the simplest and most direct solution is to restart it. This will close all running programs and services, freeing up resources and potentially eliminating the issue causing high disk usage. Follow these steps: 1. Click on the "Start" button in the bottom left corner or press the Windows key on your keyboard. 2. In the search bar, type "shutdown," then press Enter. 3. From the options that appear, choose "Restart." Make sure to save any unsaved work and close all applications. 4. After the computer restarts, check if the disk usage has returned to normal levels. If the issue persists, you can try other methods to resolve the problem.

When the computer screen freezes or Outlook crashes, we often restart the computer or laptop. Restarting can solve many computer issues, and the 100% disk usage problem on Windows 10 is no exception. You can also restart your PC to fix this issue. It's a fairly effective method.

Step 1: Click the "Start" icon.

Step 2: Choose Shut down or sign out > Restart.

After the restart, the disk issue might be resolved. If the problem persists, continue with this article.

Method 2: Check for Malware in Windows 10

Often, a virus might be the culprit, and your antivirus should be able to deal with that, whether you're using a free app or a paid suite. At the very least, tools like BitDefender, Avast, and AVG Antivirus should be able to scan your system drives and detect any issues, though this may take some time, given the load on your disk.

This process might take some time, as your disk is already under high usage. However, identifying and removing malware is still necessary. For a reliable and satisfying malware removal tool, you can try TotalAV. It allows you to scan and clean viruses, remove malware, and protect your privacy in real-time from online threats:

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Method 3: Solve 100% Disk Usage Issue by Updating Windows

The latest updates usually address significant issues in Windows 10 and fix the 100% disk usage on Windows 11 problem. Make sure your computer has the latest Windows updates installed. Windows 10 gives you options for when and how to get the latest updates to keep your device running smoothly and securely. To manage these settings, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click the "Start" icon.

Step 2: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.

You can check and install any available updates, which might help the overall performance of the system, including the hard drive.

Method 4: Fix disk errors if 100% disk usage still occurs

If none of the above works, you probably have a hard drive failure on your hands.

Disk errors can also cause a disk to become 100% full. Malware, corruption, power issues, physical damage, or other reasons can lead to disk errors, resulting in data loss. Whenever you notice poor hard drive performance or if Windows prompts you to fix drive errors, you can try running CHKDSK first to address the issue.

Step 1: Press the Windows key, then type cmd.

Step 2. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step 3: Type the following command: chkdsk E: /f /r /x

"E" stands for the drive letter of the partition you want to check.

Fix Windows 10 100% Disk Usage Issue

Method 5: Stop the Superfetch service

Superfetch works like a hard drive cache, copying all your frequently used files to RAM. This makes applications launch faster. However, if your system doesn't have the latest hardware, the Superfetch service can easily cause high disk usage. High disk usage due to this service isn't always an issue. You can stop the service to fix the Windows 100% disk usage error.

1. Press Windows + R or type Run in the Windows 10 search box. Type services.msc in the Open field and click on OK.

Step 2: Right-click on the “Superfetch” service, and select “Properties.” In the window that pops up, click “Stop,” and then under “Startup type,” select “Disabled.”

Method 6: Reset Virtual Memory and Add More RAM

Virtual memory is a combination of RAM and a portion of your hard drive. "When RAM isn't enough to run a task, Windows temporarily stores files in virtual memory and swaps them back to RAM when needed."

Some computers have operating systems that can't use more than a certain amount of RAM (Random Access Memory). For example, 32-bit versions of Windows can't use more than 4 GB of RAM, so anything over that is wasted. If your computer supports more RAM, click here to upgrade. If adding more RAM would be pointless, try resetting your virtual memory instead.

How to Reset Virtual Memory:

Step 1: Press the Windows logo key + Pause/Break key at the same time. Then, click "Advanced system settings" on the left.

Step 2: Click "Advanced," then click "Settings."

Click the “Advanced” tab again, and then click “Change” under the Virtual Memory section.

Step 4: Make sure the “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” checkbox is not checked.

Step 5. Select your Windows disk (the hard drive or partition where Windows is installed, which is usually C:) and enter the same size for both the Initial size and Maximum size of the virtual memory:

Initial size: Varies depending on your computer. Maximum size: Do not set this value too high. It should be approximately 1.5 times the amount of your physical RAM. For example, a computer with 4 GB (4096 MB) of RAM should not have a virtual memory setting higher than 6,144 MB (4096 MB x 1.5).

Enter a value for the Virtual Memory, click “Set”, then “OK” to continue.

Step 6: Clear out your computer's “Temporary” files. Hold down the Windows key and press R. Type in temp and hit Enter. This will open a File Explorer window showing all of your computer's temporary files.

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

Method 7: Clear Junk Files and Free Up RAM

You can lower the disk usage by cleaning up junk files and managing your RAM properly. The CleanGenius tool offers you the one-click solution to clean junk files. You can easily free up your PC for free. Follow the simple steps below to fix 100% disk usage issues.

Step 1. Download and install the Partition Master Suite on your computer. Click on the panel to “Download PC Cleaner”.

< strong > Step 2. < /strong> Install the CleanGenius tool on your computer. First, go to the “Clean” option and then click on “Scan.”

Step 3: CleanGenius will immediately start scanning for all unnecessary files, select System Junk and Invalid Entries, then click “Clean” to clean your whole computer.

Step 4: When it's done, you'll see how many MBs or GBs it cleared out. Tap “Finish” to complete the process.

Using a third-party tool will greatly help you clean up junk files and fix 100% disk usage on Windows. We'll discuss more useful solutions next.

Method 8: Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 10

A Clean Boot is used to troubleshoot and diagnose advanced Windows issues. A clean boot is when you start Windows with the minimum number of drivers and startup programs, allowing you to determine if background programs are affecting the performance of your system. If you've never done a clean boot before, now's a great time to learn!

Step 1: Type msconfig in the Start search box, and press Enter to open System Configuration.

Step 2: Click on the "General" tab, and then click on "Selective Startup." Deselect the "Load Startup Items" checkbox, and make sure that "Load System Services" and "Use Original Boot Configuration" are checked.

Step 3: Click the "Services" tab. Check the "Hide all Microsoft services" box. Disable everything else by selecting items and clicking "Disable All."

Step 4: Click Apply/OK, and then restart your computer. This will start Windows in a Clean Boot state.

Method 9: Upgrade to a Larger Hard Drive

A hard drive with many bad sectors can get stuck in a loop where it's constantly at 100% usage. Alternatively, your hard drive might just be too old to function properly, even if there's plenty of space left. The computer will continue to run slow and report 100% disk usage.

It's time to upgrade your hard drive. With the tool Partition Master, you can replace your old hard drive with a new one without reinstalling Windows 11/10. Here are the steps to follow:

Connect the spare drive to your computer (if it's new, initialize it as an MBR disk).

Step 1: Select the source disk.

1. Go to the "Clone" tab, click "Clone System Disk" or "Clone Data Disk", then click "Next" to proceed.
2. Select the source disk that you want to copy or clone, then click "Next".

Select the disk you want to copy:

Step 2: < strong > Select the target disk.

Select the HDD/SSD you want as the destination, then click “Next” to proceed.

Review the warning, and then click Yes to confirm.

Click **Next** to proceed with the cloning.

Step 3: Choose your clone mode.

You can choose to "Autodetect disk size" or "Clone source disk size" to customize the disk layout.

Step 4: Click "Start" to begin the cloning process.

Method 10: Seek Remote Assistance

Has the 100% disk usage issue been slowing down your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer? Did any of the above methods work for you? Let us know, and we'll see how we can assist. Additionally, we offer one-on-one remote assistance to fix Windows issues. If none of the above solutions worked, feel free to reach out to our professionals via email or LiveChat on the page.

If you like this message, please share it with others who might benefit from it.

Do not try these 'fixes' for Windows 10's 100% disk usage problem (important)

A search for “Windows 10 100% disk usage” turns up millions of results with advice on how to fix it.

However, I've come across many solutions that don't apply to 100% disk usage in Task Manager and might cause issues later on. It's like treating a finger by numbing your whole arm for a long time. Please avoid the following:

Disabling BITS - This is required for Windows to update your computer, and disabling it won't help with the problem.

Disabling the Windows Search service - This is not a solution to your problem. These are core Windows services and should not be disabled.

Virtual memory paging file - Leave this set to 'Let Windows manage the paging file size', and do not attempt to set custom values.

Disable Windows Defender - You should not disable Defender. Your computer may be infected with a virus.

Fix Service Host: Local System High Disk Usage Issue!

Disk usage is nearly 100% caused by Service Host: Local System. Fix it right now!

Conclusions

Try the following real solutions to fix the 100% disk usage error in Task Manager. Before you start, you can use Partition Master to analyze the disk usage on your Windows and then upgrade the target hard drive to a larger one or delete junk files with it.

And remember to avoid the four ineffective solutions I described earlier. And if you still have trouble, don't hesitate to ask us for help. We'll be glad to assist.

Questions related to "100% Disk Usage" issue

There are many hot topics on the Internet about 100% disk usage issues. If you're interested in any of them, feel free to continue reading.

Why is my Windows 10 disk usage at 100%?

In general, your disk usage should not regularly be at 100%. If it is, there's a reason for it that you'll need to address, or your computer will run very slowly. You can check your disk status in Task Manager, and you can find fixes for the problem in this article.

Is 100% disk usage good or bad?

Even if your drive seems to be coping with the constant overload, remember that 100% disk usage is not a good thing for you. A disk usage that stays at 100% or hovers around this mark will cause your computer to run slow, experience lag, and become unresponsive. As a result, it won't be able to perform tasks as it should.

Can SuperFetch be disabled?

Yes! If you decide to turn it off, there shouldn't be any risk of negative side effects. We recommend keeping it on if your system is running smoothly. However, if you're experiencing high disk usage, high memory usage, or performance degradation during memory-intensive tasks, you can try disabling it to see if it makes a difference.

How much RAM does Windows 10 need?

2 GB of RAM. This is the minimum system requirement to run the 64-bit version of Windows 10.