How to Solve Windows 10 version 1903 High disk usage Problem on startup

Have you noted Windows 10 running slow, system not responding at startup, Apps not opening or responding, or task manager showing 100% disk usage after Windows 10 1903 upgrade? If so, this guide will give you all the proven method for how to fix the Windows 10 High disk usage Problem.

When Disk Drive operates at or near 100%, it will not be able to multitask. There are several reasons:

• Corrupted system files
• Disk drive error
• Virus or malware
• Windows services running in the background
• Pending system updates

Whatever the reason is, in this article, we will elaborate on the best solutions to apply to fix high disk usage problem in Windows 10.

Method #1: Using Advanced System Repair

You can run a FREE scan with Advanced System Repair Tool. ASR is an app that provides you with all the tools you require to clean, resolve, amend, defend, and boost the performance of your system.

ASR has a multi-scan feature which intelligently scans and analyzes your machine within a few minutes then provides a well-detailed diagnosis for your computer. The app gathers essential data about your PC, such as memory and CPU performance. Also, it checks for junk files and proceeds scanning deeper into the computer files. You can try it now for FREE by just clicking the download button below:

After scanning, the Advanced System Repair Tool shows you the demanding issues to resolve, items to clean, and the amount of disk space to free up.

Press “Fix, Clean & Optimize Now” to begin the cleaning process. All the issues found in your system will be fixed.

This should fix the high disk usage problem on startup.

Method #2: Install Latest Windows Update

System updates are valuable because they mostly include critical patches to fix issues such as high disk usage problem on startup. If you wish to install the update now, follow the below steps:

Step 1

Go to the taskbar then select the Windows icon.

Step 2

In the Start window, select Settings.

Step 3

In the Settings window, choose Update & Security.

Step 4

Choose Windows Update from the left pane then select click the Check for updates button.

Step 5

Your PC will check and install the newest available Windows updates.

Step 6

Restart your computer to apply the changes.

This should fix your high disk usage problem. If not, continue to the next solution.

Method #3: Disable Windows Services

As mentioned earlier, some Windows services running in the background might cause 100% disk usage problem on startup. Disabling these services such as Superfetch, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Windows search, and Windows update can aid to solve the Windows 10 High disk usage Problem.

About these Windows services:

Superfetch service: is a Windows 10 service that is based on prediction. In other words, Windows guesses or predicts which programs or services you are most probably going to use next. The OS caches those programs to the RAM so that they will load faster.

BITS: is also a Windows 10 service that deciphers when the PC is idle and use the bandwidth for Windows update, Windows Defender, etc. BITS service works well for new machines. On old machines, this service has issues to decipher when the PC is idle.

To disable these Windows 10 services follow these steps:

Step 1

Press Windows key + R simultaneously on your keyboard to open Run.

Step 2

Type Services.msc in the Run dialog then press Enter key.

Step 3

You will see a list of services. Scroll down to Superfetch, right-click on it then select Properties.

Step 4

In the Properties window, change the Status type from Automatic to Disabled.

Step 5

Click the Apply button then click the OK button.

Step 6

Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 to BITS, Windows search, and Windows update service.

Check to see if you have fixed 100% disk usage problem on startup.

Method #4: Disable Prefetch

If disabling Superfetch did not fix your high disk usage problem, you should try disabling Prefetch. Unlike Superfetch, which caches data to RAM based on prediction, Prefetch works when you launch those programs. Prefetch improves app loading by recording data that are used by any given program. Then brings those files closer to RAM hence aiding program loading.

To disable Prefetch, we will need to Tweak windows registry. To do so, follow these steps:

Step 1

Press Windows key + R simultaneously to launch Run.

Step 2

Type regedit in the Run dialog then press OK.

Step 3

In the registry editor, first backup registry database.

Step 4

Now navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Step 5

In the right section, you will see an entry for EnablePrefetch. You can configure it by typing some of these values into the Value Data box:

• 0 – disables Prefetch
• 1 – enables Prefetch for Apps only
• 2 – enables Prefetch for Boot files only
• 3 – enables Prefetch for Boot and App files

Step 6

The default value is 3, set it to 0.

Step 7

Restart your PC to apply changes.

Disabling these services might aid to fix high disk usage problem on startup.

Method #5: Run System File Checker

Corrupt files can cause the Windows 10 High disk usage Problem. Fortunately, Windows 10 has a built-in tool known as System File Checker that restores any problematic files in your system.

Step 1

Click the search icon or search bar located on the taskbar. Type command prompt, right-click on the first match then choose Run as administrator from the menu.

When the User Account Control window appears, click Yes to permit it to make changes to your device.

Step 2

In the command prompt window, type the below command then hit Enter:

sfc/scannow

Step 3

Your PC will be scanned for corrupted files and try to fix them. After scanning, you will see the results on the window.

Step 4

When you finish entering commands, type exit and hit Enter to close the command prompt.

Check to see if you have fixed high disk usage problem on startup. If not, continue to the next solution.

Method #6: Check Disk Drive for Errors

More often than not, corrupt files can cause high disk usage problem on startup. Therefore, you need to inspect your system for corrupt files. Follow the below steps:

Step 1

Click the search icon or search bar located on the taskbar. Type command prompt then right-click on the first match and choose Run as administrator from the menu.

A User Account Control window appears, click Yes to permit it to make changes to your device.

Step 2

In the cmd window, enter the following command then press Enter on your keyboard:

chkdsk/c/r

Step 3

Hit Y on your keyboard.

So, the disk check will start the next time you restart your machine. Check to see if you have resolved 100% disk usage problem. If not, proceed to the following method:

Method #7: Reset Virtual Memory

Virtual memory aids in boosting the responsiveness of any PC. Your operating system uses virtual memory whenever your machine runs on low physical memory (RAM. Configuring virtual memory manually offers better results, for example, improved computer performance.

Step 1

Press Windows key + R to launch Run.

Step 2

Type sysdm.cpl then click OK.

Step 3

In the System Properties window, select the Advanced tab. Under Performance, select Settings.

Step 4

Navigate to the Advanced tab in the Performance window. Under Virtual memory, click Change.

Step 5

Virtual memory window appears, untick the checkbox next to “Automatically manage paging file for all drives”.

Step 6

Select drive C:

Step 7

Press the radio button neighboring Custom size. Set the beginning size (MB) to the size of your Random Access Memory and Max size (MB) to the recommended size.

Step 8

Press the OK button. Then restart your system to apply changes.

Method #8: Use High-Performance Power Plan

The High-Performance mode in Power options aids to fix high disk usage problem. Follow the below steps:

Step 1

To open the control panel, search for it in the search bar located on the taskbar. Then select the first match.

Step 2

In the Control Panel, choose the Hardware and Sound option.

Step 3

In the Hardware and Sound window, select Power Options from the right pane.

Step 4

In the Power Options window, press Change plan settings under Balanced (recommended).

Step 5

Adjust both Turn off the display and Put the computer to sleep to Never.

Method #9: Disable Windows Notifications

Windows 10 provides tips or notifications about your system from time to time. Hence, disabling them is an excellent way to solve the Windows 10 High disk usage Problem. To do so:

Step 1

Go to the taskbar then select the Windows icon.

Step 2

In the Start, select Settings.

Step 3

In Windows Settings, select System.

Step 4

Choose Notifications & actions from the right pane. Turn off Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows.

Method #10: Run Disk Cleanup

Another simple way to fix your high disk usage problem on startup. This method aids to remove temporary files that clog your machine. Here is how to do so:

Step 1

Go to the taskbar, type disk cleanup then enter the first match to launch it.

Step 2

Select which drive you want to do the cleanup.

Step 3

Choose files to delete then click the OK button to launch the process.

Method #11: Perform a clean boot

A clean boot is done to launch Windows by using only the basic set of drivers and startup applications. By performing a clean boot, you will have to disable all third-party programs and services to determine if any of these programs is interfering with your update download, thus causing Windows 10 running slow after update. To do a clean boot:

Step 1

Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open Run. Type “msconfig” into the Run box and click OK to open System Configuration.

Step 2

In the System Configuration window, select selective startup and unmark the checkbox next to Load startup items.

Step 3

Click the Services tab and mark the checkbox next to Hide all Microsoft services. This will hide all Microsoft applications and services because we only need to disable third-party programs.

Step 4

Press Disable all.

Step 5

Click the Startup tab then enter Open Task Manager as illustrated below.

Step 6

In the Task Manager window, you will see a list of startup apps. Right-click each enabled app and disable it. Also, you can select each enabled app and press the Disable button.

Step 7

After finishing disabling startup applications, close the Task Manager then return to the System Configuration. Click Apply and OK.

Step 8

Finally, you need to restart your PC for the changes to take effect. Click the Windows icon located on your taskbar, press the power icon, and choose Restart. This should fix your high disk usage error on startup. If it doesn’t fix your problem, proceed to the following solution.

Method #12: Check Google Chrome

If you notice high disk usage problem after launching chrome browser, you need to apply the steps below:

Step 1

Open Chrome browser.

Step 2

Go to settings.

Step 3

Scroll down then click Advanced Settings at the bottom of the page.

Step 4

Finally, Under ‘Privacy and security’ make sure to uncheck “Preload pages for faster browsing and searching.

Method #13: Run your Antivirus

As mentioned previously, malware or a virus can corrupt and infect your system. Hence, causing high disk usage problem on startup. The best way to verify this issue is by performing a full scan of the PC with the aid of an antivirus app. There are many antivirus apps. You can use whichever you prefer.

Step 1

Launch your antivirus program. Go to the taskbar, click the search icon or search bar, then type the name of your antivirus. Select the first match.

Step 2

We highly recommend that you do a full scan. However, a full scan may take some time depending on your computer storage and performance.

Step 3

Fix any issues that you find. Restart your system.

Conclusion

These are the best solutions to fix high / 100% disk usage problem on Windows 10 machine. I hope one of these solutions aided you to solve your error. Therefore, your computer runs smoothly, without any issues. Do you have any query, a suggestion about this guide? Then feel free to share with us in the comment section below.