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
    2015-12-28T18:21:21+00:00

    Based on what I am hearing, what should work for your desktop is a "Dual-Drive Hybrid System."

    Buy a 120 GB SSD, YouTube video clip on this is titled, "Combine SSD Performance with HDD Platter."

    This will not cost you that much money.

    I am using ReadyBoost for my Acer Aspire that I recently added the entire RAM amount it can take, 2 GB.  With the 32 GB Card, (not using the stick, I know I would forget), and it has increased the speed 30% for opening programs, (20 seconds vs. 30 seconds on one of a more intense program).

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-12-27T23:50:40+00:00

    Coulda been worse.....    it coulda been your girlfriend's.

    But enough of Readyboost matters!  I am really more interested in solving this 100% disk problem that makes my other desktop so slow!  So far the only suggestions I have had here are Skype and Chrome red-herrings.

    I have NEITHER of these products installed.

    Read more at  My TECHNET query.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-12-27T18:08:25+00:00

    Dude, I had not thought about that!  I ran and pulled the ReadyBoost out of my wife's laptop.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-12-27T14:27:45+00:00

    Mate, you rock. Thank you! I would have picked a million different things as being more likely to cause this issue than what you suggested, but you were spot on. Hopefully it stays this way! Love your work!

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-12-26T22:02:59+00:00

    Readyboost is really only useful as a replacement/addition to your paging file.  And if you have lots of RAM, it probably isn't even needed, depending on how many apps you have running concurrently.

    It would work best on a USB3 port, providing your USB stick is also rated for USB3.

    And woe to you if you forget and pull out the USB stick while readyboost is running.

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