Solved: 100 Disk Usage after Windows 10 update 2024

100% disk usage means that your disk has reached its maximum capacity and your system performance will be degraded. Here is how to resolve the problem of high disk usage on your Windows 10 system.

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Microsoft regularly drops Windows updates with New features, security improvements, and bug fixes. And with Windows 10 is set to download and install updates automatically. Windows 10 updates bring security improvements, and the latest bug fixes and improve overall system performance. But sometimes you may experience High Disk Usage after Windows 10 Update. Several users report desktop computers are freezing up and become unresponsive after Windows updates, even not responding to mouse clicks or the laptop is running 100% disk usage at all times no matter how many applications are open.

There are multiple reasons cause 100% Disk Usage on Windows 11/10. Pending system updates, Windows system files corrupted, Disk drive errors or bad sectors, virus or malware infections or outdated drivers are common. Whatever the reason here we have 5 effective solutions apply to fix 100 disk usage in Windows 10.

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Fix 100% Disk usage on Windows 10

Whenever you experience a problem with the Windows system, the first step we recommend to reboot your PC. This will refresh the operating system and clear temporary glitches that may be causing the issue.

  • The next thing you need to ensure the latest Windows updates are installed.
  • Corrupted system files are another common reason for high disk usage, Run system file checker utility helps fix such problems.
  • Also, you need to check disk drive errors using CHKDSK utility which probably helps.

Sometimes if your computer is infected with malware that is causing your disk usage to spike. We recommend performing a full system scan with the latest updated antivirus and restarting Windows. Now check if there is no more high disk usage problem.

Here the solution worked for me applicable if You Are Running the Inbox AHCI Driver (StorAHCI.sys)

  • Press Windows + x and select device manager,
  • Under “IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers”, right-click “Standard SATA AHCI Controller” and select “Properties”.
  • Navigate to the “Driver” tab and click “Driver Details”. If you see “storahci.sys” in the list, you are running the Inbox AHCI Driver.

AHCI driver (StorAHCL.sys)

  • Close the Driver Details window and go to the Details tab.
  • From the drop-down menu, select Device Instance Path. Make note of the path, starting from VEN_.

Note Down Device instance path

Open the registry editor by typing “regedit” in the same Run box.

Navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\PCI\<AHCI Controller>\DeviceParameters\InterruptManagement\MessageSignaledInterruptProperties“,

where <AHCI Controller> refers to the device instance path you

Then change the value of the MSISupported key from “1” to “0”.

reg Tweak to Disable MSI Support

Reboot the machine and see whether this works for resolving disk utilization 100 Windows 10.

Install the latest Windows updates

Installing the latest updates can often resolve mysterious problems with your Windows 10 system. Check if you are up to date by going into the “Update and Security” section of the Windows Settings app.

Windows update

Disable Windows Search and sysmain

According to many Windows experts, there is a bug in Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system that results in a kind of search loop. Basically, you’re computer continually searches for no reason, using more memory than needed. This problem leads to an increased load on the physical system drive, which results from 100% disk usage.

  • Press Windows + R, type services.msc and ok to open the service console,
  • Scroll down, and look for the search service
  • Right-click and select stop, look disk usage decreased, if yes
  • Change the startup of the search service disabled.
  • Do the same process with BITs and sysmain service,
  • Check if this helps to fix the Windows 10 100 disk usage problem.

Disable Windows 10 Prefetch

While Superfetch caches data to RAM based on intelligent guessing, Prefetch works when you launch those applications. Essentially, Prefetch records information on files that are used by any given application and then pulls those files to RAM to improve app loading times. However, Prefetch isn’t your standard Windows service, we need the Tweak Windows registry to disable Prefetch Service.

  • Press Win + R, Type regedit and hit the enter key.
  • Here on the registry editor first backup registry database then navigate to the following :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\CONTROL\SESSION MANAGER\MEMORY MANAGEMENT\PREFETCHPARAMETERS

  • In the right side panel, you’ll see an entry for EnablePrefetcher.
  • Double-click it and change the DWORD value from 3 (default) to 0 to completely disable the service.
  • You may also put in 1 as the DWORD value, which will keep Prefetcher partially enabled but disabled for boot files.
  • Click ok and close the windows registry editor.

registry Tweak to Disable prefetch service

After Disable All These Services simply restart Windows to take effect the changes, Next time when you log in check this the Hard disk usage comes to the normal state. Still, Need help fallow the next instruction.

Reset Virtual Memory

Windows Automatically Uses some Hard disk space (page file) as virtual memory to optimize the system performance. But if you have recently tweaked virtual memory on your system and this problem started you need to reset/reconfigure virtual memory settings to make sure everything is fine.

  • From the Start menu search for performance and select adjust the appearance and performance
  • Here on Performance options move to Advanced Tab,
  • Then click on Change under Virtual Memory.
  • A new popup window opens named virtual memory.
  • Here check the option Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
  • Click OK, Apply OK to make save changes,
  • This will ask to restart Windows to take effect, Restart windows and check now disk usage comes to normal.

Adjust your virtual memory settings

Repair Corrupted system files

Also Corrupted, Missing system files can cause different errors and problems on windows 10. Windows SFC utility ( system file checker ) is a good tool that helps to scan and restore missing system files.

  • Open the command prompt as administrator,
  • Type Command sfc / scannow and hit enter key to execute the command.

system file checker utility Windows 10

  • This will scan Windows for corrupted and missing system files.
  • If found then this will restore them from a cache folder located %WinDir%\System32\dllcache.
  • You only have to wait until 100% complete the scanning process and then restart Windows.
  • Now Check the High Disk usage problem is solved for you.

Run Check Disk

Sometimes this High Disk Usage also cause due to HDD Errors or Bad Sectors. Running Windows CHKDSK Is a good option to fix 100% disk usage problems which checks and fix hard disk errors. Normally CHKDSK command Check disk Errors only, By adding some extra parameters you can force CHKDSK to repair them for you. Let’s see how to check and fix disk errors.

Search for cmd, Right click on the command prompt and select run as administrator,

now type the command chkdsk c: /f /r and press enter key.

Run Check disk on Windows 10

Note: Replace C: with your Windows installed Drive letter, Mostly its C: but if you installed Windows on a different drive then assign the drive letter.

Command Explained :
  • Here Command CHKDSK is for Check disk Drive.
  • C: is the Drive Letter, Which checks for errors.
  • /r  Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information
  • /f Fixes errors on the disk

After type the command when you press enter to execute the command You’ll see a message within the command prompt that will ask you to confirm whether you’d like to run CheckDisk on the next system reboot. Acknowledge with a Y, and restart your computer. This will scan the disk drive for Errors and bad sectors if found this will fix them itself for you. CheckDisk might take some time to finish, but it can be very useful not just for 100% Disk Usage errors but for some other issues as well.

Google Chrome causes 100% disk usage

If you notice disk usage goes to 100 after open the Chrome browser, apply the below tweak.

  • In Google Chrome, go to “Settings”.
  • Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Advanced”.
  • In the “Privacy and security” category, make sure the “Use a prediction service to load pages more quickly” is turned off.
  • In addition, ensure that “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed” is disabled in “System” settings.

Also read:

Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer
With over 7 years of experience in the IT industry, I have experience in IT support, helpdesk, sysadmin, network admin, and cloud computing. Certified in Microsoft Technologies (MCTS and MCSA) and also Cisco Certified Professional in Routing and Switching.

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