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
    2015-11-20T18:49:30+00:00

    I have a 1 year old, HP Pavilion AMD A-10, Windows 10, 64 bit, 8 GB RAM, and a 1 TB Hard Drive.  After 2 minutes my Hard Drive usage goes down to almost 0.  After 5 minutes, right now, when I look at Task Manager my Hard Drive is fluctuating between 5%-8%.

    The Microsoft Store installed Windows 10 on my laptop.  The laptop first after the install was staying at 100% for 10 minutes, and then would go down from there.  They kept it for 1 week.  After I took it home, it was going at 100% for 10 minutes and then go down to the 5%-8%.  Doing that Google trick as the 1st poster suggested lowered the 100% to 2 minutes, and then it drops almost to 0%.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-11-19T17:49:59+00:00

    I don't have skype or chrome yet I get this issue every single day...my computer just totally freezes for 30 seconds or so.  I already had to get rid of my antivirus software (avast) because of a problem with start menu and cortana.  This is just ridiculous.  What do I have to do to get windows 10 to work?  I want windows 7 back.  I knew I made the wrong choice upgrading.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-11-18T04:47:53+00:00

    I've had this problem too. Even when I'm not doing anything, my 7500 RPM disk runs at 90-100 percent most of the time.

    In my experience, OneDrive was mostly to blame. After disabling it and only running it when I needed it, things were better. However, it still happens to spike up too often for my pleasure, and I can't lock down on a source of the problem.

    Conclusion: I'm just going to bypass all of the disabling stuff, tweaks, downloads, etc. and just get an SSD.

    I guess it's a painful process for the consumer to be pushed to buy computers with SSD's that we didn't need before, but I think it will be worth it.

    Edit: I get up today, turn on my computer, and this happens:

    I was not doing anything at all. All of this disk usage was set under a couple of "system" processes. Seriously? Windows 7 didn't do this. I am still going to stick with 10 and get an SSD, but this is still ridiculous.

    A few minutes later, I found that Skype was evidently causing much of this, so I uninstalled it. Things went down for five seconds, then System and compressed memory ate up the new available disk usage. Again, this is ridiculous.

    Edit 2: Can't get anything done. I'm getting more and more ticked off at Microsoft by the second.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-11-18T03:47:13+00:00

    I finally called Microsoft support and to their credit the tech spent 1.5 hours with me trying to troubleshoot the problem.  The tech was very thorough and tried many of these same recommendations to no avail.  Finally recommended reverting back to Win7.  Unfortunately, the system is so crapped out that it keeps locking up when trying to revert back.  It looks like I'll have to install a whole new fresh install.

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-11-18T02:44:46+00:00

    hi, i have reverted to win 7 on 2 laptops - dell studio and lenovo note book.

    windows 10 ver 1511 should help. My desktop had 16 gb and had 100% disk problem. 

    it disappeared after the patch.

    if it helps you please post and i can try again for my laptops.

    but i guess it is important for the vendors to certify else stay with 7..

    regards

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