6 Ways to Resolve 100% Disk Usage on Windows 11/10/8/7

What' is disk usage?

Disk usage should not be confused with disk storage, which is a common mistake made by users. Disk usage is the percentage of disks that the system uses to perform functions, such as running applications on disk or performing read / write tasks. Instead, disk storage is the amount of data that can be stored on the hard disk.

Disk usage is related to system performance. Overall, it should be less than 15%, although the instantaneous increase should not be of concern. However, if the disk usage on the system remains high for a long time, it may affect the system performance and affect your work.

But how do you determine high disk usage? You can simply check disk usage in Task Manager. However, high disk usage is obvious in the performance of the system itself. When the disk usage is high, the application will start to lag, the video will start to buffer, and the program will take longer than usual.

Check the disk usage and start the Task Manager by searching in the "Start" menu or using the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut. On the Process tab of the Task Manager, you can find the disk usage in a separate column.

What causes high disk usage?

Why is there 100% disk usage in Windows 10 even there’s no heavy program running? The reasons for the high disk usage of each system are different, and you cannot really determine the problem. However, in most cases, the following conditions will cause disk usage to increase.

- Many programs run at startup

- The system is infected with a virus or malware

- Run multiple applications at the same time

- Found that some services consume disk

How to solve 100% disk usage on Windows 11/10/8/7?

Solution 1. Restart your computer

When you encounter an error in Windows 11, a simple restart may fix it. This is because when the computer restarts, it forces the operating system to reload, repairing any glitches or failures that cause errors.

When you encounter an error in Windows 11, a simple restart may fix it. This is because when the computer restarts, it forces the operating system to reload, repairing any glitches or failures that cause errors.

In case of high disk usage, restarting the computer should reduce the disk usage to normal level. However, this does not solve the root cause of the problem. However, it will certainly give you some time to complete your work and start the troubleshooting process.

It is recommended that you "restart" your computer instead of "shut down". To restart the system, click the Start icon in the taskbar. Next, click the power button and select restart from the menu.

After the system restarts, check whether the disk usage is reduced through the task manager as described above.

Solution 2. Run a scan for malware and virus

It may be malware or virus that causes your system to use disk heavily. A complete system scan will help solve the problem. If you are using third-party antivirus software, you can use it to perform a scan. In addition, you can also use the built-in windows security center, which also effectively protects your PC.

To perform a scan, search the Start menu for Windows Security, and then click the relevant search results to launch the application.

In Windows Security, select Virus and threat protection.

Next, click Scan options to view additional scans that can be performed on the system.

Now select the Full scan check box from the list and click Scan now at the bottom.

The scan will begin immediately and will take some time to complete. While the scan is running in the background, you can continue to work on the system. After completion, if any malware or virus is detected, you will be notified and you will take the required action.

Solution 3. Update hard disk firmware

Firmware is software encrypted on your hard drive. It contains storage programming and facilitates the connection between the computer and the hard disk. Updating firmware may solve the problem that leads to heavy disk usage. Although you don't need to update firmware regularly, it's worth trying when disk usage is high.

You can download the latest firmware from the manufacturer's official website. All you have to do is choose the hard drive manufacturer and type.

To find hard drives on your system, search the Start menu for Device Manager and launch the application from the search results.

In Device Manager, select the Disk drives option and double-click it.

Now, search the Internet for the latest firmware. It is recommended to download the update from the manufacturer's official website.

Solution 4. Disable SysMain service

SysMain, formerly known as Superfetch, is a service that helps to preload applications that you use frequently to improve system performance. It also tracks the applications used by specific days of the week or other system modes and loads them accordingly. Although it greatly improves performance, it is known to cause high disk usage, and disabling it may work.

Note: SysMain is an essential Windows service, and we recommend to disable it only when necessary.

Also, after disabling the SysMain service, check if there is any significant reduction in disk usage. If you do not detect any of them, please re-enable the service.

To disable the SysMain service, search for "Services" in the Start menu, and then click the relevant search result to launch the application.

Now, scroll down and find the "SysMain" service. These services are listed in alphabetical order, so locating them shouldn't be a big problem.

After finding the service, double-click it to launch its Properties.

On the "General" tab of the "Properties" window, click the drop-down menu next to "Startup type", and then select "Disabled" from the list of options.

After setting the startup type to disabled, click Stop under Service status, and finally click OK at the bottom to save the changes.

Now, restart the system and monitor the disk usage.

Solution 5. Disable tips and suggestions

Disabling tips and suggestions can be used as a solution for some users. Therefore, we think it is worth a try.

To disable tips and suggestions, open the Settings and select Notifications & actions under the System tab.

In the Notification settings, scroll down to the bottom and uncheck the box for Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows.

Now, check if it reduces disk usage. If not, please try the other methods here.

Solution 6. Disable antivirus software

Antivirus software can also cause high disk usage on Windows 11. For example, if your antivirus program runs a background scan, it may cause the disk to crash.

Your main method should be to check whether the scan is running. If so, wait for it to complete and check that disk usage has decreased to normal levels. If the scan is not running and disk usage is still high, disable the anti-virus software and check whether it affects disk usage.

Note: we do not recommend disabling anti-virus software for a long time because it will expose your computer to potential threats. This should only be a short-term solution until you find a specific solution.

To Sum Up

After you upgrade to Windows 10 or 11, there is a problem of high disk usage. You can try the above recommended methods one by one. In the process of upgrading the system and operating the computer, accidents will inevitably occur. If you need data recovery or partition management, it is strongly recommended that you download and use DiskGenius (Free Download DiskGenius Online) immediately. It can help you solve almost all relevant problems. At the same time, we provide online answer service. If you have any questions, you can contact us at any time. We will be committed to solving your problems.

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