{"id":5297,"date":"2016-08-26T15:01:53","date_gmt":"2016-08-26T07:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/?post_type=knowledgebase&#038;p=5297"},"modified":"2025-10-21T17:16:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T09:16:22","slug":"100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed","status":"publish","type":"knowledgebase","link":"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed\/","title":{"rendered":"[SOLVED!] 100% disk usage in Windows 10 Task Manager"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Is your PC struggling? Browser crawls, opening a folder takes ages, and even switching tabs feels like a chore. You check <strong>Task Manager<\/strong>, and there it is\u2014<strong>100% disk usage<\/strong>. So, what\u2019s eating up your disk? It could be anything from background processes to a faulty drive slowing things down.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But don\u2019t worry. In this article, we will show you the 8 most effective methods to <strong>fix the 100% disk usage<\/strong> issue and get your PC up to speed again. Read on&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-8-fixes-for-100-disk-usage-on-windows-10\">8 fixes for 100% disk usage on Windows 10 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before diving into anything complicated, <strong>try a quick restart<\/strong> to rule out a temporary glitch. If that doesn\u2019t help, just work your way through the list until you find the one that works for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#F1\">Fix 1: Disable SysMain<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed\/#h-fix-2-update-your-device-drivers\">Fix 2: Update your device drivers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed\/#h-fix-3-perform-a-disk-check\">Fix 3: Perform a disk check<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed\/#h-fix-4-reset-virtual-memory\">Fix 4: Reset Virtual Memory<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed\/#h-fix-5-disable-antivirus-software-temporarily\">Fix 5: Disable Antivirus Software temporarily<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed\/#h-fix-6-update-storahci-sys-driver-in-registry\">Fix 6: Update StorAHCI.sys Driver in Registry<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed\/#m8\">Fix 7: Check the health of your disk<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed\/#h-fix-8-change-energy-options\">Fix 8: Change energy options<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed\/#h-wrapping-up\">Wrapping up<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-\"><a id=\"b\"><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"F1\">Fix 1: Disable SysMain <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SysMain (previously known as SuperFetch) helps reduce boot time and optimize the loading of frequently used programs. However, it&nbsp;has been identified as a potential cause of disk performance issues in Windows 8 and later versions of Windows, including Windows 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s how to stop this service:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li>On your keyboard, press the <strong>Windows logo key<\/strong>, type <strong>command prompt<\/strong>, then when it pops up as a match, select <strong>Run as administrator<\/strong>. <br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"835\" height=\"683\" class=\"wp-image-126497\" style=\"width: 750px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2020-10-19_11-01-38.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2020-10-19_11-01-38.jpg 835w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2020-10-19_11-01-38-600x491.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2020-10-19_11-01-38-150x123.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 835px) 100vw, 835px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>Click <\/span><strong>Yes<\/strong><span> at the <strong>User Account Control<\/strong>&nbsp;prompt.&nbsp;<\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"448\" height=\"307\" class=\"wp-image-20749\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b3e672c3ff.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b3e672c3ff.jpg 448w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b3e672c3ff-300x206.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><br \/><br \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the command prompt window, type <code><strong><code><strong>net.exe stop sysmain<\/strong><\/code><\/strong><\/code> and hit <strong>Enter<\/strong>&nbsp;on your keyboard.&nbsp;If the command is successful, you should see a message that says &#8220;The SysMain service was stopped successfully.&#8221;<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"610\" height=\"428\" class=\"wp-image-195349\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2025-03-18_16-58-19.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2025-03-18_16-58-19.jpg 610w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2025-03-18_16-58-19-600x421.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2025-03-18_16-58-19-150x105.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong> <\/strong>If the command above doesn\u2019t work and you see a message like &#8220;The service name is invalid,&#8221; try <code><strong>net.exe stop sysmain<\/strong><\/code> instead and press <strong>Enter<\/strong>.<br \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wait for a few minutes to see if your computer starts performing better. <br \/>Alternatively, you can check your computer&#8217;s disk usage:&nbsp;On your keyboard, press <strong>Ctrl<\/strong>, <strong>Shift<\/strong>, and <strong>Esc<\/strong> at the same time to open Task Manager. Then in the Processes tab, look at the % at the top of the Disk column. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If it&#8217;s no longer at 100%, or has significantly dropped, then great! You&#8217;ve likely resolved the issue!<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"203\" class=\"wp-image-35641\" style=\"width: 750px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png\" alt=\"100% disk usage resolved\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png 720w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved-300x85.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the 100% disk usage problem persists, please move on to <strong>Fix 2<\/strong>, below.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fix-2-update-your-device-drivers\"><a id=\"h\"><\/a>Fix 2: Update your device drivers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Drivers are the essential software that handles the communication between your hardware (like your hard drive, graphics card, and motherboard) and your operating system. However, if they\u2019re outdated or faulty, they can cause your hard drive to work overtime, which pushes the disk usage to 100% and brings your system to a halt. To see if this is the culprit, you should update your drivers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can update the drivers manually from the manufacturer&#8217;s website, but if you&#8217;d rather skip the hassle, you can do it automatically with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/kb\/DriverEasy_Setup.exe\" rel=\"nofollow\">Driver Easy<\/a><\/strong>. Driver Easy is a trusted driver updater that scans your system, finds the correct drivers, and updates them automatically. With Driver Easy, you can rest assured that all drivers are <strong>official, safe, and reliable<\/strong>. You don&#8217;t have to worry about making mistakes or downloading the wrong drivers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All it takes is a few clicks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/kb\/DriverEasy_Setup.exe\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>Download<\/strong> <\/a>and install Driver Easy.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Run Driver Easy and click <strong>Scan Now<\/strong> button. Driver Easy\u00a0will then scan your computer and detect any outdated or faulty drivers.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"494\" class=\"wp-image-199541\" style=\"width: 750px;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/scan.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/scan.jpg 995w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/scan-600x395.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/scan-150x99.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You may see a list of drivers that are missing or out-of-date. To update these drivers, you can start <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/kb\/DriverEasy_Setup.exe\" rel=\"nofollow\">a 7-day free trial<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/kb\/DriverEasy_Setup.exe\">\u00a0<\/a>or upgrade to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/buy.php?comeid=kbde\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u00a0<strong>Driver Easy Pro<\/strong><\/a>. Either option will automatically download and install the latest device drivers for you.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"452\" class=\"wp-image-200742\" style=\"width: 750px;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/update-input-related-drivers.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/update-input-related-drivers.png 1000w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/update-input-related-drivers-600x362.png 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/update-input-related-drivers-150x90.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once done, open Task Manager and check the Disk column to see if it shows a lower percentage. If yes, then congrats &#8211; you&#8217;ve fixed the high disk usage issue! If it&#8217;s still pegged at 100%, please proceed to <strong>Fix 3<\/strong>, below.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"203\" class=\"wp-image-35641\" style=\"width: 720px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png\" alt=\"100% disk usage resolved\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png 720w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved-300x85.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"note success\"><span>If you need assistance, please contact\u00a0<strong>Driver Easy\u2019s support team<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a0<strong><a href=\"mailto:support@drivereasy.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">support@drivereasy.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fix-3-perform-a-disk-check\"><a id=\"c\"><\/a>Fix 3: Perform a disk check<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As many Windows users have discovered, running a disk check can often fix the 100% disk usage problem. This is because it systematically identifies and repairs file system errors or bad sectors on your hard drive that directly contribute to excessive disk activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s how to perform the check:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li>On your keyboard, press&nbsp;the <strong>Windows logo key<\/strong>, type&nbsp;<strong>command prompt<\/strong>, then when it pops up as a match, select&nbsp;<strong>Run as administrator<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"835\" height=\"683\" class=\"wp-image-126497\" style=\"width: 750px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2020-10-19_11-01-38.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2020-10-19_11-01-38.jpg 835w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2020-10-19_11-01-38-600x491.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2020-10-19_11-01-38-150x123.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 835px) 100vw, 835px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>Click <\/span><strong>Yes<\/strong><span> at the <strong>User Account Control<\/strong>&nbsp;prompt.&nbsp;<\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"448\" height=\"307\" class=\"wp-image-20748\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b3e5e14b63.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b3e5e14b63.jpg 448w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b3e5e14b63-300x206.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The command prompt will once again display. Type <strong>chkdsk.exe \/f \/r<\/strong>, hit <strong>Enter<\/strong>, then type<strong> Y<\/strong> to confirm that you&#8217;d like to perform the disk check the next time you restart your computer. Please make sure you have closed all of your applications first.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"518\" height=\"276\" class=\"wp-image-20825\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594c79d06cf80.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594c79d06cf80.png 518w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594c79d06cf80-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 518px) 100vw, 518px\" \/><br \/><strong>IMPORTANT:<\/strong> Disk check will start the next time you boot your PC and it might take some time to complete (could be a day for some). If, when you restart, you don&#8217;t have time to wait for the disk check to complete, you can skip it. You&#8217;ll need to reschedule it again, as described above, though.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once the disk check is complete, reopen Task Manager to review your disk usage. If it has returned to a normal level, then you&#8217;re in the clear. If it&#8217;s still no joy, please continue with <strong>Fix 4<\/strong>, below.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"203\" class=\"wp-image-35641\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png\" alt=\"100% disk usage resolved\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png 720w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved-300x85.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fix-4-reset-virtual-memory\"><a id=\"d\"><\/a>Fix 4: Reset Virtual Memory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Virtual memory can be considered an extension of your computer&#8217;s physical memory. It&#8217;s a combination of RAM and a portion of your hard drive. When the RAM isn&#8217;t enough to perform a task, Windows will temporarily store files in virtual memory, then swap them back to RAM when required.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To reset virtual memory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li>On your keyboard, press the<strong> Windows logo key<\/strong> and <strong>I <\/strong>at the same time to open Windows Settings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>System<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"631\" class=\"wp-image-197413\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-21.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-21.png 799w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-21-600x474.png 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-21-150x118.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select <strong>About <\/strong>&gt; <strong>Advanced system settings<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"632\" class=\"wp-image-197414\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-20.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-20.png 800w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-20-600x474.png 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-20-150x119.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>Go to the <strong>Advanced<\/strong> tab, then click<strong>&nbsp;Settings<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"412\" height=\"468\" class=\"wp-image-115083\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-36-39.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-36-39.jpg 412w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-36-39-132x150.jpg 132w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 412px) 100vw, 412px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>Go to the<strong>&nbsp;Advanced <\/strong>tab again, and choose<strong> Change&#8230;&nbsp;<\/strong>in the Virtual memory section.&nbsp;<\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"396\" height=\"523\" class=\"wp-image-115082\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-39-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-39-13.jpg 396w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-39-13-114x150.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>Ensure the&nbsp;<strong>Automatically manage paging file size for all drives<\/strong> checkbox is<strong> NOT<\/strong> ticked.<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"419\" height=\"602\" class=\"wp-image-115081\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-37-37.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-37-37.jpg 419w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-37-37-418x600.jpg 418w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-37-37-104x150.jpg 104w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>Select your Windows drive (the hard drive or partition that has Windows installed on it \u2013 usually<strong>&nbsp;C:<\/strong>)<strong>,<\/strong>&nbsp;and enter an Initial size and Maximum size for your virtual memory:<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span><strong>Initial size<\/strong> \u2013 This value varies, depending on your computer. If you\u2019re not sure what value to use, just enter whatever the number is in the <strong>Recommended<\/strong> category.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span><strong>Maximum size<\/strong> \u2013 Don\u2019t set this value too high. It should be about 1.5 times the size of your physical RAM. e.g. A&nbsp;PC with 4 GB (4096 MB) of RAM should have no more than about 6,144 MB virtual memory (4096&nbsp;MB x 1.5).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>Once you\u2019ve entered your virtual memory values,&nbsp;click&nbsp;<strong>Set<\/strong>, then click&nbsp;<strong>OK <\/strong>to continue.<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"396\" height=\"523\" class=\"wp-image-115080\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-39-55.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-39-55.jpg 396w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-03-23_10-39-55-114x150.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>Clear all the \u2018temp\u2019 files on your PC.&nbsp;On your keyboard, press<strong> Windows key <\/strong>and<strong> R <\/strong>at the same time, then in the Run form, type <strong>temp <\/strong>and hit<strong> Enter<\/strong>. This will invoke Windows Explorer with your Temp folder open, showing you all the temp files on your computer.&nbsp;<\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"395\" height=\"201\" class=\"wp-image-20036\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_5940a4d089b3e.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_5940a4d089b3e.png 395w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_5940a4d089b3e-300x153.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 395px) 100vw, 395px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select all the files in the Temp folder and delete them.&nbsp;<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"949\" height=\"771\" class=\"wp-image-20037\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_5940a52e5c1ac.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_5940a52e5c1ac.jpg 949w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_5940a52e5c1ac-300x244.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 949px) 100vw, 949px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Launch Task Manager and review the Disk column under the Processes tab. If the usage has gone down, your issue is likely resolved. If disk usage remains unusually high, please move on to the next fix.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"203\" class=\"wp-image-35641\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png\" alt=\"100% disk usage resolved\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png 720w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved-300x85.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fix-5-disable-antivirus-software-temporarily\"><a id=\"e\"><\/a>Fix 5: Disable Antivirus Software temporarily<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve installed antivirus or anti-malware programs such as Norton, Kaspersky, AVG, Avast Behavior Shield or Malwarebytes, you should <strong>temporarily turn them off or disable them<\/strong> to see if they&#8217;re causing your disk usage problem.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please see your antivirus software&#8217;s documentation to learn how to disable it.&nbsp;You might also find these links useful:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/how-to-temporarily-turn-off-norton\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>How to temporarily turn off Norton Antivirus program?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/how-to-stop-avg-free-edition-2015-temporarily\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>How to stop AVG temporarily?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/knowledge\/how-to-disable-avast-temporarily\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>How to disable Avast temporarily?<\/strong><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that Microsoft has its own default anti-malware, <strong>Windows Defender<\/strong>. It&#8217;s automatically enabled even if you also have other antivirus applications installed. Even if you disable your other antivirus programs, Windows Defender is always there for you during that certain time range. So, no need to worry too much about temporarily turning your antivirus off.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Once you&#8217;ve disabled your antivirus<\/strong>, check your computer&#8217;s disk usage again. If the percentage is no longer maxed out, you&#8217;ve found the culprit, and you should contact the vendor of your antivirus software to see if they can provide some help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"203\" src=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png\" alt=\"100% disk usage resolved\" class=\"wp-image-35641\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png 720w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved-300x85.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If your disk usage is still high, please continue with <strong>Fix 6<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fix-6-update-storahci-sys-driver-in-registry\"><a id=\"g\"><\/a>Fix 6: Update StorAHCI.sys Driver in Registry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"note success\"><span><strong>Credit<\/strong>: Special thanks to our reader Javier for providing this fix, which has helped many users! \ud83d\ude4c<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Some Advanced Host Controller Interface PCI-Express (AHCI PCIe) models running the inbox StorAHCI.sys driver may experience 100% disk usage due to a firmware bug. If this applies to your system, updating the driver settings can resolve the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s how to determine if this is the cause and fix it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li>Open&nbsp;<strong>Device Manager <\/strong>by pressing the <strong>Windows logo key<\/strong> and <strong>X<\/strong> at the same time to choose<strong> Device Manager<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"242\" height=\"228\" class=\"wp-image-20761\" style=\"width: 350px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b453d7e242.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expand the&nbsp;<strong>IDE ATA\/ATAPI Controllers&nbsp;<\/strong>category, and double-click the <strong>AHCI controller<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"321\" height=\"219\" class=\"wp-image-20763\" style=\"width: 350px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b45719881f.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b45719881f.png 321w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b45719881f-300x205.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 321px) 100vw, 321px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the&nbsp;<strong>Driver<\/strong> tab and click<strong> Driver Details<\/strong>. If you can see <strong>storahci.sys<\/strong> stored in a path of system32 folder, then you are running the inbox AHCI driver.&nbsp;<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"478\" height=\"453\" class=\"wp-image-20764\" style=\"width: 400px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b4611132d9.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b4611132d9.png 478w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b4611132d9-300x284.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 478px) 100vw, 478px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Close the Driver Details window and go to <strong>Details<\/strong> tab. From the drop-down menu, select&nbsp;<strong>Device Instance Path<\/strong>. Make note of the path, starting from <strong>VEN_<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"452\" class=\"wp-image-20766\" style=\"width: 400px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b474d5583c.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b474d5583c.png 400w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b474d5583c-265x300.png 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Type <strong>regedit<\/strong> in the search box of <strong>Start<\/strong> panel, then hit <strong>Enter<\/strong>&nbsp;on your keyboard to run Registry Editor. Then go to:&nbsp;<br \/><strong><span class=\"crayon-v\">HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\System\\CurrentControlSet\\Enum\\PCI\\ <\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000\"><span class=\"crayon-o\">&lt;AHCI Controller&gt;\\&lt;Random Number&gt;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"crayon-sy\">\\Device Parameters\\Interrupt Management\\<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"crayon-v\"><strong>MessageSignaledInterruptProperties<\/strong><\/span><br \/>The&nbsp;<strong><span class=\"crayon-o\">&lt;AHCI Controller&gt;&nbsp;<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"crayon-o\">here refers to the name you see from step 2.&nbsp;<\/span><br \/>The&nbsp;<strong><span><span class=\"crayon-o\">&lt;Random Number&gt;&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span><span class=\"crayon-o\">differs on different machines.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"692\" height=\"472\" class=\"wp-image-20768\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b48600f0e1.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b48600f0e1.jpg 692w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b48600f0e1-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Double-click the <strong>MSISupported<\/strong> key and change the value to<strong> 0<\/strong>.&nbsp; <br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"689\" height=\"471\" class=\"wp-image-20769\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b48d861882.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b48d861882.jpg 689w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_594b48d861882-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 689px) 100vw, 689px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restart your computer to apply the change.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open Task Manager and check out your disk usage. If it has dropped from 100%, you\u2019ve likely resolved the issue. If it&#8217;s still high, please proceed to <strong>Fix 7<\/strong>, below.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"203\" class=\"wp-image-35641\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png\" alt=\"100% disk usage resolved\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved.png 720w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/100-disk-usage-resolved-300x85.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"m8\">Fix 7: Check the health of your disk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re still facing issues, it&#8217;s a good idea to check whether a hardware problem might be to blame. Thankfully, you don&#8217;t need to be a professional to check your disk&#8217;s health. Tools like HD Tune and CrystalDiskInfo make it easy to assess the condition of your drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s how you can quickly check your disk&#8217;s health with HD Tune<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hdtune.com\/download.html\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Download <\/strong><\/a>and install the latest version of HD Tune. <br \/>(The trial version is enough for troubleshooting. You can get a license if you want to learn more about the disk&#8217;s performance.)<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1251\" height=\"871\" class=\"wp-image-186904\" style=\"width: 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/hd-tune-download.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/hd-tune-download.jpg 1251w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/hd-tune-download-600x418.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/hd-tune-download-1200x835.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/hd-tune-download-150x104.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1251px) 100vw, 1251px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Launch HD Tune. Select the <strong>Health <\/strong>tab. <br \/>Here you can see the S.M.A.R.T info of your disk. (S.M.A.R.T is a monitoring system providing a series of&nbsp;attributes or diagnostics for each disk model.) At this moment, you don&#8217;t need to figure out each entry&#8217;s meaning \u2014 simply check if there&#8217;s any one of them has a <strong>Status <\/strong>that is not &#8220;<strong>Ok<\/strong>&#8220;. If you see a warning, you may need to google the entry label and determine your next step.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"716\" height=\"645\" class=\"wp-image-186907\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-2.jpg 716w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-2-600x541.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-2-150x135.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 716px) 100vw, 716px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the top left corner, you can toggle the drop down menu to select the disk (if you have multiple). This will allow you to check the health of each disk.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"714\" height=\"643\" class=\"wp-image-186909\" style=\"width: 714px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-3.jpg 714w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-3-600x540.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-3-150x135.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 714px) 100vw, 714px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;d also need to check if the disk has bad blocks. <strong>Before you start, note that this process could take hours to complete.<\/strong> You may want to try other fixes before this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li>In HD Tune, select the<strong> Error Scan <\/strong>tab. First make sure the<strong> Quick Scan<\/strong> checkbox is unchecked. Then click <strong>Start<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1282\" height=\"1156\" class=\"wp-image-186910\" style=\"width: 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-4.jpg 1282w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-4-600x541.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-4-1200x1082.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-4-150x135.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1282px) 100vw, 1282px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once it completes, check the graph and look for yellow or red blocks. If there are any red (damaged) blocks, you should consider backing up your data and replacing the faulty disk.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1190\" height=\"572\" class=\"wp-image-186919\" style=\"width: 1000px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-6.jpg 1190w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-6-600x288.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-6-150x72.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1190px) 100vw, 1190px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Again, you can use the drop-down menu on the top left corner to scan different disks. It&#8217;s recommended you scan all the disks to make sure all your hard drives are in good condition.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"714\" height=\"643\" class=\"wp-image-186909\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-3.jpg 714w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-3-600x540.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hd-tune-3-150x135.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 714px) 100vw, 714px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"note info\"><span><strong>Tips to secure your data<\/strong>: Hard drives have a limited lifespan and can fail unexpectedly. To protect against data loss, consider using free backup software like AOMEI Backupper to <a href=\"https:\/\/prf.hn\/click\/camref:1011l3x6jb\/pubref:drivereasyen2039\/ar:drivereasyen2039\/[p_id:1100l557026]\/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ubackup.com%2Ffeatures%2Fcreate-system-image.html\" rel=\"dofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">create a system image<\/a>, especially if your disk contains critical data. This makes sure you&#8217;re prepared in case of failure.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Once complete, revisit Task Manager and check if the disk usage level has dropped to a normal range. If yes, then great! If it still hits 100%, please continue with <strong>Fix 8<\/strong>, below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fix-8-change-energy-options\"><a id=\"chromeos\"><\/a>Fix 8: Change energy options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re dealing with 100% disk usage, switching to the <strong>High Performance<\/strong> power plan is a proven fix that can make a difference. The High Performance power plan makes sure your PC runs at full capacity and potentially stops energy-saving settings that might slow down your hard drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is how to do it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list brackets\">\n<li>On your keyboard, press the <strong>Windows logo key <\/strong>and type <strong>power<\/strong> <strong>plan<\/strong>. Then click on <strong>Choose a power plan<\/strong> when it pops up as a result.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"784\" height=\"497\" class=\"wp-image-197417\" style=\"width: 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-22.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-22.png 784w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-22-600x380.png 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/image-22-150x95.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 784px) 100vw, 784px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the Power Options window, click&nbsp;<strong>Change plan settings<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"859\" height=\"607\" class=\"wp-image-195450\" style=\"width: 750px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_11-58-30.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_11-58-30.jpg 859w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_11-58-30-600x424.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_11-58-30-150x106.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 859px) 100vw, 859px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Change advanced power settings<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"885\" height=\"634\" class=\"wp-image-195451\" style=\"width: 750px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_12-00-42.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_12-00-42.jpg 885w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_12-00-42-600x430.jpg 600w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_12-00-42-150x107.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 885px) 100vw, 885px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the Power Options window that pops up, select the&nbsp;<strong>High Performance<\/strong> power plan and then click <strong>Apply <\/strong>&gt; <strong>OK<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"404\" height=\"442\" class=\"wp-image-195452\" style=\"width: 500px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_12-02-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_12-02-06.jpg 404w, https:\/\/images.drivereasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2025-03-19_12-02-06-137x150.jpg 137w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px\" \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check Task Manager to see if the disk usage has returned to normal.<br \/><br \/><br \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-wrapping-up\">Wrapping up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>100% disk usage can slow your PC to a crawl, but with the right fixes, you can resolve the issue and get your system running smoothly again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re still stuck, consider reinstalling Windows or upgrading to an SSD for a serious speed boost. Also, regular maintenance\u2014like clearing temp files and<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drivereasy.com\/kb\/DriverEasy_Setup.exe\" rel=\"nofollow\"> keeping drivers updated<\/a><\/strong>\u2014can help keep disk issues from coming back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hope this guide helped! If you found any new fix that worked, please share it with us in the comments. We\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<div class='ja-gadget-virtual-assistant-subtle cleanslate' data-value='computer'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is your PC struggling? Browser crawls, opening a folder takes ages, and even switching tabs feels like a chore. You check Task Manager, and there it is\u2014100% disk usage. So, what\u2019s eating up your disk? It could be anything from background processes to a faulty drive slowing things down. But don\u2019t worry. In this article, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":108779,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","knowledgebase_category":[13,21],"knowledgebase_tags":[54,47,83],"class_list":["post-5297","knowledgebase","type-knowledgebase","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","knowledgebase_category-driver-error","knowledgebase_category-technical-tips","knowledgebase_tags-disk-drive","knowledgebase_tags-performance","knowledgebase_tags-task-manager"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.5 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>[SOLVED!] 100% disk usage in Windows 10 Task Manager - Driver Easy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If your disk usage in Task manager is off the chart, especially after Patch Tuesday update on Windows 10, you&#039;re not alone. 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