100% Hard Drive Disc Usage

[Snuffleuppagus]

For about an hour after startup (and at times during the day) I get 100% hard drive use with either System or Antimalware Executable. I have shut down SysMain, checked all my drives to make sure they are OK, ran diagnostics on the PC, ran SFC and DISM, cleared out main and hidden caches - nothing works.

I've even tried running a plethora of anti-malware, including Tron v12.

I wonder if a clean, new install is the only answer - or if I'll end up with the same problems, anyway!

Advice?

 

[Bill Shannon]

There is aa file in task mananger that uses heaps of resources find that file then google how to disable it I think I put the file ion ignore or somthing makes heaps of difference.

 

[Charles Smith]

Silly question time. What version of Windows OS do you have, How big is your H.D. How much memory does your computer have installed, have you ever run a temporary files cleaner, and How old is your computer?

 

[Dave McAffee]

Also, run Task Manager and look to see what is using the most of the DD data. Maybe this will give you info about what is using the reoources.

 

[Snuffleuppagus]

Silly question time. What version of Windows OS do you have, How big is your H.D. How much memory does your computer have installed, have you ever run a temporary files cleaner, and How old is your computer?

Windows 10 w/all updates, 500GB, 4GB, Yes, 6 years.

 

[Lincoln Merrick]

I recently helped a friend who was also out of disk space. Turned out there were many GBs of files in Windows/Temp which File Explorer wouldn't let you see. I installed WizTree64 (a free disk space analyzer; WizTree is also available if you don't have a 64-bit OS) and started it, choosing to allow it to make changes to the computer, highlighted the useless files (many, many .cab files) and deleted them. There's more to the story but maybe this can be a start if you find it helpful. His is a 11 year old laptop and WizTree freed up about 400 GB of his 500 GB hard drive. Windows Disk Cleanup didn't work -- didn't even reference the Temp files as delete-able. I'm pretty sure whatever was causing the files to be created, and accumulate there, is still carrying on but I doubt the laptop will be around for another ten years.

 

[R_W_B]

It's mostly Windows Telemetry that was doing it on mine. I keep it to a minimum with the following.
(1) First check your bootup run items, get rid of what you're sure you don't need and disable others you're not sure of. MSconfig is limited and mainly for diagnostics. Some get by with it though. There are 3rd party boot up apps that can do this better, just search the web. I use a purchased app called RegOrganizer for some years but there's several others out there.
(2) One day after doing a Windows Update go into Settings and delay the next Update by at least 7 days.
(3) Also I run O&O ShutUp10++, the free antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11 with all the recommended settings including in Telemetry. (www.oo-software.com) I run it immediately after each Windows Update or if I see a bunch of activity on boot up, since Windows is very aggressive now days with their telemetry.
Hope this helps.

 

[Snuffleuppagus]

I recently helped a friend who was also out of disk space. Turned out there were many GBs of files in Windows/Temp which File Explorer wouldn't let you see. I installed WizTree64 (a free disk space analyzer; WizTree is also available if you don't have a 64-bit OS) and started it, choosing to allow it to make changes to the computer, highlighted the useless files (many, many .cab files) and deleted them. There's more to the story but maybe this can be a start if you find it helpful. His is a 11 year old laptop and WizTree freed up about 400 GB of his 500 GB hard drive. Windows Disk Cleanup didn't work -- didn't even reference the Temp files as delete-able. I'm pretty sure whatever was causing the files to be created, and accumulate there, is still carrying on but I doubt the laptop will be around for another ten years.

I appreciate your response, but hard drive space is not the problem.

 

[misterfish]

I have had this problem for years (Win10 pro, 8gb, three drives total 2,500 Gb. Nothing I tried worked, the OS was busy thrashing the C drive without obvious cause. Eventually I put the OS on an SSD (not re-install but cloned) and now it probably is still thrashing but I don't hear it so much.

 

[BCCIC-HBG]

For about an hour after startup (and at times during the day) I get 100% hard drive use with either System or Antimalware Executable. I have shut down SysMain, checked all my drives to make sure they are OK, ran diagnostics on the PC, ran SFC and DISM, cleared out main and hidden caches - nothing works.

I've even tried running a plethora of anti-malware, including Tron v12.

I wonder if a clean, new install is the only answer - or if I'll end up with the same problems, anyway!

Advice?

This solution has worked on two hybrid drive older Hp desktop"
Launch the RUN command (Windows+R) to open Command Prompt by typing CMD.
You will see a black window open. Type the following command and hit Enter.
net.exe stop "Windows search"
This will execute fast so you may miss it. Check via Task manager. repeat once. If still 100% try following:
To do that, relaunch the RUN command and open services.msc file.
Find Windows Search here, right-click on it and select Properties.
Click on Startup Type and change its status from Automatic to Disabled. Click on Apply.
You can replace Stop with Start in the above command to reverse the effect.
This solution came from : https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/100-disk-usage-windows-10-fixed/

 

[KenM]

I had similar issue on a daily basis. Task Manager would show Disc usage at 100% and PC was unusable. In my case, I went to Intel website, updated my Intel drivers with latest updates (PC is 6 years old and I never updated my drives) and I uninstalled my Avast antivirus software. Task Mgr showed that as a big resource hog. Still using Malwarebytes and Windows Defender. It's been 3 months since I did this, and not a single resource/response issue since.

 

[Walldoo99]

Upgrade to an SSD. This will fix your problem. You can download and run crystal disk info for free and test your drive, but I'm finding more and more units that test good, have your same issue and the SSD fixed it.

 

[StevenG]

Windows 10 w/all updates, 500GB, 4GB, Yes, 6 years.

You need to maintain your OS and boot drive and have minimal rubbish files on it for the drive to work at its most efficient state, its like a vehicle if you don’t service it! Best and the initial thing to do is to go into This PC > right click > boot drive Properties > then clean out all unwanted files with "Disc Cleanup" and "Clenup system files", as allot of unwanted GB’s of files are there that are taking up allot of space, also delete unwanted software and personal files especially on a 6 years old 500GB boot drive (which should be an SSD for better performance) as all these unwanted files would have accumulated. Also install a slave drive (if your system can accommodate one?) or use/put all your personal files on an external USB cable connected drive.