Users who have been working with a computer for a long time have often encountered the problem of the hard drive being 100% loaded. This can happen on any version of Windows. Therefore, in this article I will tell you why the disk can be 100% loaded in Windows 10, and what options there are to fix the problem.
Reasons why the disk is 100% loaded in Windows 10:
First of all, pay attention to which processes load the disk at 100%. Based on this, it is easier to identify the malfunction:
If the disk is 100% loaded, one of the following options will help:
A common cause of the problem may be downloading updates. In the Task Manager, in the “Processes” tab, the Service Node responsible for updating can load the system. If it's Windows Update, just wait until the update finishes. To prevent the OS from downloading updates every time they come out, you can defer updates:
If you have configured the backup function in archiving services, then data copying processes may load the disk. To change archiving settings:
Sometimes, the OS services themselves can load the hard drive.
The Windows Search service is responsible for searching and indexing files. The processes of this service are called SearchIndexer.exe and Searchfilterhost.exe. There are times when the search engine goes into a loop and the hard drive load is observed at 100%. Rebooting and a new search does not save the situation. In this case, you need to disable the fault manually:
If the load has decreased, then the cause has been eliminated and no further actions need to be taken. Over time, if the disk load appears again, you need to completely disable the service. The appearance of such a malfunction is typical when the computer uses an old hard drive or there are problems with file indexing. To disable:
Advice! With the service disabled, you won't be able to search in File Explorer. However, disabling the service will reduce the load on the system, which will be useful for older PCs.
The Superfetch service is used to maintain and improve system performance. The service runs inside the svchost system process and monitors which applications you use most often to preload them into system memory. In addition, the service is responsible for the process.
With this functionality, frequently used applications load faster. But to preload programs, the service consumes a lot of resources and can put a strain on your hard drive. To disable:
If svchost continues to load the system even after rebooting the PC, read the material:.
If the System process is under significant load, and disabling the above-mentioned services does not bring any results, the process may simply not have enough permissions.
It is difficult to determine how the permissions of the ntoskrnl.exe file (the operating system kernel that runs the system process) and disk utilization at 100% are related, however, this may help. To add rights:
Important! Check how processes behave in , to find out if the problem is caused by a third-party application/service.
It is possible that your computer has been infected. In the Task Manager, in the “Details” tab, define the “Username”. System files “system”, “svchost”, etc. must be signed: SYSTEM, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE. If they are signed with your username, I recommend checking Windows 10 for viruses. Both free scanners and scanners like Dr.Web CureIt! can help with this! or Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool.
The reason for the disk loading at 100% in idle mode may be the hardware of the computer or laptop itself. It could be:
If you have any questions or any points from the article are not clear, write about it in the comments. I and other Windows 10 users will try to help.
Hi all! Recently, in my practice, cases of incorrect operation of the hard drive have become more frequent. The most popular problem in this category is 100 percent hard drive loading. As a rule, owners of Windows 10 are faced with this problem and it looks like this: if you look at the task manager, we will see the hard drive being fully loaded for no apparent reason and, as a result, strong brakes on the operating system appear.
Today I will try to describe the most common reasons for this hard drive behavior and ways to solve them.
So, let's start with the basics. In order to monitor the status of the hard drive without third-party software, you need to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete simultaneously and you will be taken to the task manager by selecting the appropriate item in the context menu.
In order to determine the cause of the load, sort the processes by simply clicking on the “Disk” column.
Now it is very easy to determine which program loads the hard drive the most. The higher it is in the list, the more strongly it affects the operation of the hard drive. Very often this turns out to be an antivirus - performing a background scan of the system, a torrent - leading an active download, a defragmenter - updating drivers, and so on. In this case, only shutting down the program will help, or if the utility starts when you start the operating system, then simply remove the program from the startup list.
However, sometimes everything is a little more complicated than simply closing the process that is loading the HDD. A very common case is that the Windows search engine does not work correctly. The most common symptom of this disease is the disk is loaded with conductor (as in the screenshot above, only at 100%). If you do not use the search built into the system, you can easily disable the service responsible for this. To do this, click Start > type “command prompt” in the search field > right-click on it and select “run as administrator.”
After this, the service responsible for the search will be stopped. We return to the task manager and check the load on the hard drive. If the problem does not disappear or if it appears again after some time, then you can try completely disabling file indexing.
To do this, go to my computer. Right-click on the problem disk and go to properties.
Disabling the Superfetch service may also probably help you. The fact is that the popularity of third-party software for cleaning system garbage is very popular among all types of users, but the issue of optimization and interaction of such software with services built into the operating system is very controversial. The most common case is when a third-party cleaner deletes the “PerfLogs” system folder, which in turn is necessary for the “Superfetch” service to work correctly. Superfetch can improve system performance by prioritizing frequently used applications. But for this, it needs data on the operation of the disk, which is stored in the above-mentioned folder. If the necessary data is missing, the service itself begins to automatically collect data again, thereby loading the hard drive. In general, there are only two ways out of this situation: either add the folder to the exclusions of the cleaning software, or disable the “Superfetch” service.
This is done as follows. Press Win+R simultaneously and enter services.msc in the field that appears.
In the window that opens, find the service we need and double-click on it.
After that, change the startup type to “Disabled”, accept the changes and exit.
Let's move on to the next possible reason. This is an incorrect operation of AHCI drivers. Usually, controllers are able to work adequately even without additional drivers, especially on the top ten, but there are exceptions. In order to check whether you have the necessary driver installed, right-click on my computer and go to properties.
In my case, the driver is installed and the controller model is written. If you have something written like “Standard SATA AHCI controller”, then you need to install drivers and this is quite likely the reason for the disk load.
In order to install drivers for the controller, you need to go to the website of your motherboard manufacturer and find the latest version of the software. If you couldn’t find what you were looking for, you can use additional driver installation software.
If none of the above methods help, then the hidden operation of malware is quite likely. Check the task manager for processes unknown to you, and if there are any there, then this is another reason to scan the entire hard drive for viruses. I also recommend that you always disable automatic updates not only of the system, but also of all kinds of drivers and programs. If all these three start at the same time without your notification, then system brakes will inevitably occur. Perform updates manually from time to time.
In cases where the incorrect operation is not due to software, you should pay attention to possible hardware problems. You should check the hard drive itself for errors using the simplest method - the built-in CHKDSK utility. To do this, in the command line running as administrator (I have already described how this is done above), enter the following:
chkdsk C: /f /r (The letter C is the letter of the problem drive)
We agree to the conditions and enter "Y". Close the command line, and the next time you reboot, a scan will be performed. If this method does not give a positive result, then you should use heavy artillery in the form, about the power of which we have many articles, but in In my experience, this has rarely happened, usually the problem was solved using one of the above methods. Perhaps there are other ways to solve the problem, if you know about them, write in the comments. That’s all, see you soon!
In Windows 10, there are often problems with disk utilization at 100%. The computer starts to work slowly and when we go to the task manager, we notice that the disk is 100% loaded. What could be the reasons for this and what should be done in this case?
We reinstalled the system, the disk is in perfect order, only a basic set of programs is installed, everything seems to be fine, but not quite. But simply put, the hard drive is frozen, and in the task manager we can see that the disk load has increased to the maximum 100%.
Let's figure out why the disk is so heavily loaded and check whether this is a short-term situation caused by running programs or whether the problem is long-term and how to solve it. Increased disk utilization can be caused by many factors, so there is no single universal method to solve it.
In Windows 8, 8.1 or 10, the reason may be a situation where the search engine is drawn into a loop, resulting in increased disk load when searching for files. Fortunately, it can be disabled manually by stopping the search.
To do this, right-click on the Start button and select “Command Prompt (Admin)”. Or enter the command “cmd” in the search bar of the Start menu, then click on it and select “Run as administrator.”
To temporarily stop the Windows search engine, type in the command prompt window:
NET STOP "Windows Search"
The Windows Search service will be stopped and the looped process will be closed. Now go to the task manager and check whether the load has decreased and how loaded it is. If this method worked and the problem does not appear on the next search, then there is nothing else you need to do.
However, the problem may recur after a while, especially if the computer has an old disk installed or the system has problems indexing files. Then you can completely disable indexing, despite the fact that this will to some extent slow down the process of searching for files in the system.
To disable indexing, press Win + R to open the Run window. Then enter the command:
services.msc
A services window will open, where you need to find “Windows Search” in the list. 
Double-click on it to change its launch options. If the service is running, stop it by clicking the Stop button, and then change the startup type from Auto to Disabled. 
Disabling this service will bring some benefit, especially for older computers where indexing greatly slows down the system.
The disk may be heavily loaded by the SuperFetch service. Its influence on the operation of Windows is twofold. In most cases, SuperFetch has a positive effect on system performance, both in the latest versions of Windows 8.1 and 10, and in earlier Vista and Windows 7. But on some computers it causes problems, including excessive disk load.
SuperFetch can be completely disabled in the same way as file indexing, in the system services section, which is called using the services.msc command. 
In the list we find the “SuperFetch” service. Then open it by double-clicking the mouse, stop it with the “Stop” button and set the “Startup Type” to “Disabled”.
Often the hard drive is 100% loaded due to the computer being infected with malware. In Windows 8.1 or 10 Task Manager, you can sort the loaded processes in the disk usage column. To do this, simply click on "Disk" to sort the different processes.
If the disk is loaded at 100 by some unknown process, then you can try to disable it. If you know which program is responsible for this process, you can remove it. However, if it is an unknown EXE file and, especially, its process cannot be terminated due to “Access Denied”, you should scan your computer with an antivirus.
The reason may also be the antivirus program itself, which we install after installing Windows 10 - perhaps at this moment it scans the disk in the background. In this case, wait until it completes the scan and see how busy it is. If the antivirus constantly overloads the hard drive, then it should be replaced with another one.
Damaged files can cause heavy loading. If there are errors reading files and folders, this will most likely lead to the above-mentioned looping process during the search. What to do if you have damaged files?
You should scan the disk with the chkdsk command with additional parameters to not only identify problems, but also try to fix them. To do this, launch Command Prompt in Administrator mode and enter the following command:
chkdsk.exe /f /r
After scanning, reboot the computer and check what percentage of the drive is loaded.
The source of the problem may be the disk itself. If you are using an old hard drive that may be damaged, it can load up your Windows system and cause your computer to slow down. It should be checked for bad sectors, for example, by the Victoria or MHDD program, and then see how loaded it is. In case of multiple damages, you should consider buying a new one. Sometimes the problem is caused by a faulty SATA cable, so that should also be checked.
One of the problems that Windows 10 users often encounter is 100 percent disk utilization. Windows 10 has issues that affect both hard drives and solid-state drives. At the same time, system performance drops sharply. Up to complete freezing.
There are several ways to fix this. Try them one by one until you see positive results.
The Windows 10 Indexing Service allows you to quickly search your files, but it can also create a high load on your .
To stop the service for the duration of the current session (until you reboot), open a Command Prompt. To do this, click “Start” → “All Programs” → “Accessories”. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator. Then enter the following command:
net.exe stop “Windows search”
To permanently turn off the indexing service, press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter. In the Services window that opens, find Windows Search and double-click on it. Under Startup Type, select Disabled and Stop to stop the service. Click "OK" to save the changes.
Within seconds of disabling Windows Search, Windows 10 performance should improve significantly.
Windows update also loads the disk to full. This usually happens when there is a problem loading patches. You have several options:
If the disk is still overloaded after the update, try the following methods.
You can disable telemetry not only to save system resources, but also to increase your privacy. Press Windows + R and type regedit to open Registry Editor. In the registry, open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Policies/Microsoft/Windows/DataCollection.
Right-click DataCollection and create a new DWORD (32-bit) value. Call it Allow Telemetry. Then double click on it and set the value to 0. Restart Windows.
Another common cause of high disk usage is the Windows 10 Diagnostic Service. You can disable it.
Open a command prompt with administrator rights and run:
sc config “DiagTrack” start= disabled
sc stop “DiagTrack”
Alternatively, you can also open Settings → System → Notifications & Actions and turn off the Get recommendations and suggestions while using Windows feature. This can also reduce disk load.
Windows writes some of the data from RAM to virtual memory to reduce RAM consumption. The growth of the virtual memory file also increases the load on the disk.
Open Control Panel → System Settings and select Advanced System Settings. In the window that appears, select the “Advanced” tab. Then, under Performance, click Settings.
Here you will find another “Advanced” tab, which has a section labeled “Virtual Memory”. Click "Edit" and uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives."
Select your Windows drive (C:) and select "Custom Size". It's best to enter a value that is 1.5 times your RAM. Then click "Install" and "OK".
Now you need to clear temporary files in virtual memory. Press Windows + R and enter temp. When the temp directory opens, select all the files (Ctrl + A) and delete them.
The SuperFetch service in Windows 10 is supposed to improve system performance by optimizing the launch of the ones you use most frequently. In practice, it can provoke a high load on the disk.
You can disable it and see how it affects disk loading. Open a command prompt and type:
net.exe stop superfetch
Wait a few seconds to see if your drive's performance has improved. Then run its check with the command:
chkdsk.exe /f/r
Your computer must be restarted to complete the disk check.
100% disk utilization may also be due to incorrect operation of the PCI-Express driver. Open Device Manager and expand the list of IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers. Double-click the AHCI controller, open the Driver tab, and select Driver Information.
If the path to the driver looks like C:/Windows/system32/DRIVERS/storahci.sys, which means the problem may be there.
Click the Details tab and select Device Instance Path from the drop-down menu. Right-click and select Copy. Copy the path to the device, for example, into Notepad.
Then press Windows + R and type regedit. In the Registry Editor, find the address HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Enum/PCI/your_device_instance_path. Expand it Device Parameters/Interrupt Management/MessageSignaledInterruptProperties.
You will see the MSISupported option in the right pane. Double click and set it to 0. Click OK to confirm and restart Windows.
Please note that before making changes to the registry, it would be a good idea to make it.
Last try. Try changing the power settings of Windows 10. With the standard power mode, the disk is often 100% loaded. Switching to high performance mode may solve this problem. This will cause your computer to use more power, which may reduce your laptop's battery life.
Press Windows + X and open Advanced Power Options. Select "High Performance". After a couple of minutes, the load on the disk should decrease.
