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

Anonymous

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.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

491 answers

Anonymous

2015-10-28T19:06:35+00:00

I think it's save to say you are my hero :D
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-10-30T13:10:14+00:00

I have spent too many hours trying to Fix Windows 8, and then Windows 8.1. Then I realized that I am not a MS employee and I took the best decision. It is usual to say in Brazil that if advice was good it would be sold and not given but I will give my advice to anyone who is struggling with this damn 100% disk usage. Downgrade to Windows 7. Don't waste your time trying to solve this. You may even think that the problem is solved after doing something that should not be done but the problem will come back very soon. My best advice is: downgrade to Windows 7 and don't waste your time doing MS job. If MS release a fix in the future for this I will upgrade, otherwise I will never consider this option.
Was this answer helpful?

10+ people found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-10-31T16:10:40+00:00

Wow ! It worked.

Outstanding u're, thank you so much. U made my day ^^
Was this answer helpful?

8 people found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-11-04T10:18:21+00:00
There is no single solution to this problem. the 100 % disk usage can be the result of several programs, windows services, or background programs/services etc.

So everyone will have to try and find which one works for them. the solution is disable one or more programs/ services and see if the disk usage drops. it is also possible that the disk usage will rise to 100 % again after a while, because it is caused by other programs. its an annoying thing.

for instance in my case: i disabled the following programs services
- some backup service of avg antivirus
- windows block level backup service
- windows prefetch
- also via settings " show notifications about windows"
- ...
they work but not permanently

So this is a problem that needs to be fixed by microsoft itself to give a permanent result.
Was this answer helpful?

3 people found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-11-05T22:53:04+00:00

I do not believe this problem will be fixed by Microsoft.

I think the best practice would be to do what the last poster suggests, and then wait about 2-3 minutes for the hard drive to go down to a proper level, mine actually goes down even to below 10% after a few minutes.

Windows 10 has been made by Microsoft for Solid State Drives, (SSD). These are used in cellphones, however, very few Laptops, All-In-Ones, Towers, etc., with larger hard drive, come with SSD. That is due to the price of SSD when they are over 256 GB.

Will the regular Hard Drives with the slower RPM's than an SSD wear out sooner due to this problem?

That is the question.

For me, I have made the decision that Windows 10 is much better than the Windows 8.1 that came with this computer, and I am going to live with the problem. When the hard drive gives out I will buy an SSD. I have a 1 TB Hard Drive that is the slower RPM, and I use under 40 GB, so a small SSD will be good enough for me in the future. My other computer that runs Windows 10 is a netbook with a 1.66 GHz processor, and 1 GB of RAM, it is running more robust with Windows 10, not a SSD either. Is this problem with only the 64 bit version of Windows 10? That I will have to check on that netbook when I get a chance.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments