Fixing 100% disk usage in Windows 10 with Chrome and Skype running

Anonymous
2015-08-16T12:25:27+00:00

How to fix 100% disk usage in Windows 10

This is caused by a common combination of Skype as well Google Chrome. Similar issue with other programs could also cause 100% disk usage. To fix this do the following:

Google Chrome:

In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Show Advanced Settings ... > Privacy > Prefetch resources to load pages more quickly

and untick it. See Figure-1 below:

Figure-1

Skype:

Make sure you have exited Skype and it is not running in the taskbar (if it is running in the taskbar then quit it).

Open Windows Explorer and open the following folder:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone"

Now right click "Skype.exe" file and then click "Properties" and open the "Security" tab.

Click the "Edit" button and then highlight "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES" and place a tick in the "Write" box.

Click "Apply" and then "OK" and then "OK" again. See Figures-2 to Figure-6 below:

This is it, now run Skype and check the Disk Usage in Task Manager and it will no longer show you 100% disk usage anymore:-

I hope this helps people. I spent a long time in finding a solution to this problem.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-03-29T23:40:14+00:00

    Okay, I tried your first remedy. I was having the same issues as everyone else, disk usage at 100% permanently. I immediately disabled the OneDrive at startup and it dropped to 28% at once. Saved me a very frustrating call to Microsoft Support. Strangely, system and compressed memory hasn't dropped and is still eating most of my disk!

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-03-29T22:24:41+00:00

    I did a clean install of Windows 10 version 1511 and have the same problem.  The laptop had 

    sector problems on the hard disk, so I replaced it with a faster 7200 rpm drive with larger cache.  I am having the same 100% disk usage problem.  I have tried many of the solutions here and as reported, one or more of them has temporarily solved the problem.  But so far nothing permanent.  I will try for a while longer, but if no luck, will return to windows 7.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-03-29T15:33:59+00:00

    Hi, 

    Are you actually using the program Dropbox?

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-03-28T06:04:00+00:00

    Hi,

    I have been plagued with this problem for many years, i cant find any solution, even this fix with skype and chrome doesnt work. 

    Ive scanned computer for virus and malware. 

    what else can it be? I have also refreshed the computer, i have genuine windows and software.

    ![](http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=4fb3a726-fb09-46a4-9920-578536259cd8)

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-03-27T05:45:33+00:00

    Try the Disk Driver fix. 

    Not all of us are having this problem with Windows 10.  My laptop is a HP Pavillion, AMD-10, 8 GB, 1 TB, had Windows 8.1 and I had the Microsoft Store update it to Windows 10.  My laptop starts at 100%, but goes down to almost zero after only a few minutes.  I have been using it for 2 hours right now and it is:  Disk 5% CPU 8% Memory 31% Network 0%. 

    There should be a way for you to get this fixed.  The new laptops sold do not have these problems.

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