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.
Windows Search and File Indexing
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, click right click 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.”
For a temporary stop search engine Windows 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 more you need to do.
However, the problem may recur after a while, especially if your computer has old disk 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.
SuperFetch Service
The disk may be heavily loaded by the SuperFetch service. Her influence on Windows operation is twofold. In most cases, SuperFetch has a positive effect on system performance, as in the latest Windows versions 8.1 and 10, as well as in earlier Vista and “seven”. 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 double click mouse, stop with the “Stop” button and set the “Startup Type” to “Disabled”.
Antivirus scan
Often the hard drive is 100% loaded due to the computer being infected with malware. software. In the dispatcher Windows tasks 8.1 or 10 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 this unknown file EXE and, especially, its process cannot be terminated due to “Access Denied”, you should scan your computer with an antivirus.
The reason itself may be antivirus program, which we install after Windows installations 10 – it may be scanning the disk in the background at this moment. In this case, wait until it completes the scan and see how busy it is. If the antivirus is constantly loading heavily hard drive, then it should be replaced with another one.
Disk check chkdsk
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 may boot 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.
Since I started using Windows 10, I have encountered one problem - the hard drive is loaded at 100%. No, of course, not always 100%. But it definitely didn’t fall below 90%. At first I thought it might be due to video processing programs. But after some time I realized that even when the computer is idle, when the load on the processor does not rise above 10%, the hard drive continues to be used at 100%.
You can view the hard drive load percentage in the task manager. To open it, right-click on the taskbar. The "Processes" tab allows you to see detailed information about the load on the processor, memory, and hard drive of your computer.
Disable Windows Search
The first thing you should check is the service Windows search(Windows Search). Windows Search indexes content, caches file properties, email etc. All this makes it easier to find the content you need. Search by given parameters saves a lot of time. And Windows Search offers useful function For quick launch programs and searching for documents, changing system settings operating system.
Despite all the advantages, this service has its drawbacks. These are so-called “search loops”. The service runs indexing over and over again, going through the same files over and over, over and over again, calling high load to your hard drive. This in turn leads to increased access time for system and third party programs. I'm not sure that Microsoft is going to solve this problem somehow. All we can do is disable this service.
To begin, open the Run window. To do this, click the “Start” menu -> “Run” or the keyboard shortcut “Win + R”. In the window that opens, enter the command:
services.msc
In the list of all installed services window that opens, we find the “Windows Search” service we need. Right-click on it and in the window that opens context menu select “properties”. In properties, stop the service and disable it. A sign that you have disabled the service is that the service start/stop buttons will become inactive.
The service has stopped. I suggest, without delaying for a long time, look at the loading of the hard drive in the task manager. As we can see, the load has dropped. Already good, but not perfect. Let's move on to the next idea.
Disabling the Superfetch service
The Superfetch service is a system service. She runs inside system process svchost. The service includes a file caching mechanism. This mechanism is used to cache the most frequently used application files into RAM, which speeds up their subsequent launch.
Unfortunately, the service does not always correctly determine which program you use frequently and therefore may store cached files in the RAM, loading and unloading them, slowing down the hard drive.
Disable the service. Make sure the service is stopped before disabling.
Disabling tips for working with Windows 10 (Windows 10 Tips)
The two services we disabled above should have already improved the performance of the system as a whole. But if you don't see any improvement, try turning off Windows Assistant. Select Settings & Notifications and turn off Show me tips about Windows. These steps will not take much time.
Conclusion
And yet. If the recommendations I gave did not help you, most likely the problem is not the operating system. You may have viruses on your computer. Check your hard drive with some anti-virus scanner or reinstall the system. But again. Reinstalling the system is a last resort.
Many users have found themselves in a situation where the system began to work slowly, and "Task Manager" showed the maximum load on the hard drive. This happens quite often, and there are certain reasons for this.
Given that the problem can be caused by various factors, there is no universal solution. It is difficult to immediately understand what exactly affected the operation of the hard drive so much, so only by elimination can you find out and eliminate the cause by performing certain actions one by one.
Reason 1: Service "Windows Search"
To search necessary files located on the computer in the operating room Windows system a special service is provided "Windows Search". As a rule, it works without any problems, but sometimes this particular component can cause a heavy load on the hard drive. To check this, you need to stop it.
Now let's check if the problem has been resolved with hard drive. If not, restart the service, since disabling it can greatly slow down the Windows search function.
Reason 2: Service "Superfetch"
There is another service that can greatly overload the computer's HDD. "Superfetch" appeared back in Windows Vista, it works in the background and, according to the description, should improve the performance of the system. Its task is to track which applications are used most often, tag them, and then load them into RAM, making them launch faster.
Essentially "Superfetch" This is a useful service, but it can cause a heavy load on the hard drive. For example, this can happen during system startup, when a large amount of data is loaded into RAM. Moreover, HDD cleaning programs can delete the folder "PrefLog", where data about the operation of the hard drive is usually stored, so the service has to collect it again, which can also overload the hard drive. In this case, you must disable the service.
Opening Windows services(we use the method described above for this). In the list we find the required service(in our case "Superfetch") and press "Stop".
If the situation does not change, then, given the positive impact "Superfetch" system operation, it is advisable to start it again.
Reason 3: CHKDSK utility
The previous two reasons are not the only examples of how standard Windows OS tools can slow down its performance. In this case, we are talking about the CHKDSK utility, which checks the hard drive for errors.
When on the hard drive there is bad sectors, the utility starts automatically, for example, during system boot, and at this moment the disk can be 100% loaded. Moreover, it will continue to run in the background if it cannot eliminate errors. In this case, you will either have to change the HDD or exclude the check from "Task Scheduler".
Reason 4: Windows Updates
Many people have probably noticed that during the update the system starts to work slower. For Windows OS, this is one of the most important processes, so it is usually given the highest priority. Powerful computers They will withstand this with ease, but weaker machines will feel the strain. Updates can also be disabled.
Opening Windows partition "Services"(we use the method described above for this). Finding a service "Center Windows updates» and press "Stop".
Here you need to remember that after disabling updates, the system may become vulnerable to new threats, so it is advisable to have a good antivirus on your computer.
Reason 5: Viruses
Malicious programs that get onto your computer from the Internet or from an external drive can cause much more damage to the system than just interfere with normal operation. work hard disk. It is important to promptly monitor and destroy such threats. On our website you can find information on how to protect your computer from various types virus attacks.
Reason 6: Antivirus program
Programs designed to combat malware, in turn, can also cause your hard drive to overload. To make sure of this, you can temporarily disable the function of checking it. If the situation has changed, then you need to think about a new antivirus. It’s just that when it fights some virus for a long time, but cannot cope with it, the hard drive experiences a heavy load. In this case, you can use one of antivirus utilities, which are intended for one-time use.
Reason 7: Synchronization with cloud storage
Users familiar with cloud storage, know how convenient these services are. The synchronization function transfers files to the cloud from a specified directory, providing access to them from any device. During this process, the HDD may also become overloaded, especially if large amounts of data are involved. In this case it is better to disable automatic synchronization to do it manually when convenient.
Reason 8: Torrents
Even the now popular torrent clients, which are ideal for downloading large files at a speed significantly higher than the speed of any file hosting service, can seriously load your hard drive. Uploading and distributing data greatly slows down its operation, so it is advisable not to download several files at once, and most importantly, turn off the program when it is not in use. This can be done in the notification area - in the lower right corner of the screen, by right-clicking on the torrent client icon and clicking "Exit".
The article listed all the problems that could lead to a full hard drive, and also provided options for eliminating them. If none of these help, it may be the hard drive itself. Maybe it has too many bad sectors or physical damage, which means it is unlikely to work stably. The only solution in this case is to replace the drive with a new, functional one.
Every person who is trying to figure out why his computer is slowing down first looks at the “Task Manager” information. And almost always the result is the same: the disk is 100% loaded. It just so happens that the hard drive is often the slowest computer device in common system productivity. In addition, it can partially take over the responsibilities of RAM, and this slows it down even more. Fortunately, the situation can be improved for the better.
Causes of disk load in Windows 10
The reasons why the disk is loaded to maximum? quite a few. The main one is the process repeatedly accessing files on the hard drive. These can be either external irritants (viruses, miners, and other malware) or internal ones: the operation (scanning) of Defender or another antivirus, an overloaded page file, incorrect driver operation, damaged sectors or files, an overly fragmented infrastructure, and much more.
Programs and processes that may be actively using the disk
Windows also likes to fully load the disk. In the system itself there are a lot of processes that from time to time consume a lot of hard drive resources. In addition, if you are running a decent game that weighs more than 2 GB when unpacked, this can also put a heavy load on the disk.
The main processes that can temporarily consume all the capabilities of the HDD:
- Windows Modules Installer Worker - the process of downloading and installing Windows updates;
- Antimalware Service Executable - Windows Defender can significantly load the disk during system scanning;
- System - oddly enough, the system itself can access files in a demanding manner;
- “Explorer” - while copying or deleting information;
- "Service node" local system" - includes a huge list of processes, including the firewall, accounts users and much more. Loads the disk temporarily;
- games and much more.
What to do if the disk is 100 percent loaded in Windows 10
I would like to clarify right away that it will not be possible to completely and permanently remove the load on the disk. The hard drive has this job: to read and rewrite files, and these processes use its resources. The first thing to do if you see an unreasonable load hard drive and the situation does not change for a long time - you need to restart the computer. Perhaps a process is stuck in the page file or another reason is consuming a lot of HDD resources, restarting may help. And if the situation repeats itself after a little time, some measures need to be taken.
Disabling the page file
The page file is a very important element of computer operation. It performs several tasks: it stores some operating system data, in particular, sometimes the OS kernel, and also acts as a “magic wand” for RAM, taking away some of the data that is stored there for a long time. This is actually a caching process to make your PC more productive. But sometimes there is too much data in the paging file, and the computer, instead of working quickly, begins to freeze. The swap file, although not recommended, can be disabled.
- In the search, enter “View Settings” and select the best match.
In the search, enter “View Settings” and select the best match - In the performance settings window that opens, go to the “Advanced” tab and click the “Change” button.
In the performance settings window, go to the “Advanced” tab and click the “Change” button - Uncheck the “Automatically select...” item, move the toggle switch to “Without paging file” and save the changes with the OK button.
Uncheck the “Automatically select…” item, move the toggle switch to “Without paging file” and save the changes with the OK button - For the changes to take effect, reboot the computer.
Video: how to disable the page file
Disabling file indexing
Indexing files helps more quick search data on the computer. But if search is rarely used, then indexing should be disabled:
Canceling indexation can take quite a long time. It all depends on the number of files on the partition. In addition, there are files on the system disk that cannot be de-indexed, so you need to monitor the process to take appropriate action. In the author's memory, the procedure once took about an hour.
Video: how to disable indexing of files on disk
Disabling SuperFetch and Windows Search services
Some services can also put a strain on your computer. For example SuperFetch and Windows Search. The first is responsible for caching applications, while the second is responsible for searching and indexing. In general, the calling of both services is optimization. However, caching sometimes gets your PC into a state where it is better to simply delete it.
Scanning with antivirus and various utilities
The problem of viruses and malware will never be eradicated from modern society. Protection technologies only keep pace with attack technologies, so the possibility of catching harmful program code always remains.
Useful antiviruses that get high ratings:
- Kaspersky Internet Security;
- Symantec Norton Security Premium;
- Eset Nod32;
- Malwarebytes 3.0.
Programs that look for malware:
- Reimage;
- Advanced Malware Protection and others.
AHCI drivers are not working properly
Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) is a mechanism used to connect storage devices using the Serial ATA protocol, allowing for advanced features such as built-in command queuing (NCQ) and hot swapping.
Wikipedia
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Host_Controller_Interface
AHCI is a technology that allows hard drives to work as they do - faster than their previous counterparts. At the same time, the technology requires up-to-date drivers, otherwise the device buses will transmit information slower than possible.
- Right-click on the “This PC” icon and select “Device Manager” from the drop-down menu.
Right-click on the “This PC” icon and select “Device Manager” from the drop-down menu - Open the “Controllers” tab, right-click on the device that contains AHCI in its name and select “Update Driver”.
Open the “Controllers” tab, right-click on the device that contains AHCI in its name and select “Update Driver” - Next, click “ Automatic search and driver installation" and wait until the wizard downloads and installs the latest software.
Click “Automatic search and installation of driver” and wait for the wizard to do its job - Reboot the computer for the updated configuration to take effect.
Bug fixes
Disk errors can unnecessarily load the hard drive. If you access a damaged file or sector, the computer may even freeze and display a BSOD error. Best suited for error correction standard utility check disk, which is launched from the command line.
Video: how to check and fix disk errors
Disk defragmentation
Fragmentation is a method of writing data to disk that Windows uses. If a file cannot be written in one place, it is split into fragments and written to different sectors. Subsequently, access to the file will be slowed down, since the system will first have to “glue” the file together and only then read it. The defragmentation process allows you to overwrite files on a disk in a row as a whole.
If the disk loads 100%, it's not so scary. It is enough to reduce the load on it, disable unnecessary services and processes. This will save your PC from freezing and extend the life of your hard drive.
The Windows 10 operating system has one unpleasant feature, which manifests itself in 100% hard drive load. As a result, system performance drops, the computer slows down and freezes when performing even the simplest actions.
Ways to solve the problem
Often the hard drive in Windows 10 is loaded with file fragmentation, backup, system update, as well as processes such as svchost, system. To improve performance and fast loading, users disable startup individual programs. However this action if the disk is loaded at 99 - 100%, it is ineffective.
According to the analysis of methods for fixing the problem, the most in effective ways are:
- Disable Microsoft Local Recording and switch to Local Recording.
- Disabling the paging file. To do this, right-click and select “Properties”, then click “Advanced system settings”. A new window will open. In the “Advanced” tab, click on the “Options” button in the “Performance” section.
- A new window will open. Go to the “Advanced” tab. Click “Change”.
- Check the “No paging file” checkbox.
It is also worth disabling some services. To do this, perform the following steps:
- Press “Win+R” and “ms”.
- Disable the services “Windows Search”, “Superfetch”.
- For the changes to take effect, you need to restart your computer.
Also, the load in Windows 10 can be caused by the “System” process. Instead of disabling this process, you should give it more rights. To do this, perform the following steps:
- Open “Task Manager” and right-click on the process. Go to the “Security” tab.
- Select "All application packages". Click “Change”.
- We give the service more rights. If the change fails, you need to change the owner of the system. To do this, click on the “Advanced” button in the same window and select your user.
If the “Task Manager” does not display the processes that load the disk, you should go to the “Performance” tab and click on the “Open Resource Monitor” button.
A new window will open. Go to the “Disk” tab and see which processes or applications are loading the Windows 10 disk at 100 percent. The solution here could be as follows: right-click on the process and select “End”.
If you couldn’t solve the problem with disk load in Windows 10, you should check the hard drive itself for functionality. Perhaps there are bad sectors, which cause slow PC performance and system load.
How to solve the disk loading problem if the svchost.exe file is not a virus, watch the video:
Part two: