How to fix system process high disk usage :Why is my disk running at 100%? Task manager is showing disk usage at 100% but none of the processes are running more than .1 MB of usage on a terra-byte drive. What’s going on?
CAuse system process high disk usage
That is normal, Windows does some background maintenance which involves stuff like defragmenting and indexing. These things should pause once you start actually using your computer. If they have been paused for extended durations they’ll sometimes execute immediately on the next boot. Check your task scheduler if you want more details on how these things trigger. I wouldn’t suggest changing them as that can cause system instability.
There are a lot of background maintenance services that do things which access the disk. Generally they try to stay out of your way by running when you’re not busy doing other things. Could be a scheduled antivirus scan, a Windows Update being downloaded/prepared in the background, store apps being updated, etc. Since your system has an HDD, there will also be periodic disk defragmentation going on to help improve performance.
If the disk usage is inordinately high when you’re trying to do other things, therefore causing noticeable slowdowns or performance issues, it’s something to worry about, otherwise it’s probably not anything to worry about.
No, it’s not harmful to your HDD.
If you’re still worried, run a manual Windows Defender scan and if you’re extra paranoid, maybe something like Malwarebytes to be sure you don’t have some kind of malware. If they come up clean then you’re most likely fine.
How to fix it
There are different factors that can affect the performance of your Windows 10 device. This includes recent updates, device drivers that need to be updated and much more. For us to resolve your concern, kindly answer the questions below:
- Were there any changes made or updates installed prior to the issue occurring?
- Were you able to verify which system process was having a high disk usage?
- Which version and build of Windows 10 is installed on your device?
As an initial recommendation, you can follow the steps on this link in there order they are posted to improve the performance of your device.
Method Try uninstalling and installing the other drivers I mentioned above and see if it helps.
If not, I suggest that you run the ChkDsk tool.
Open File Explorer >> This PC >> right-cllick the C:\ drive >> Properties >> click Tools tab >> under Error Checking >> click Check.
