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
    2016-11-16T22:46:46+00:00

    Hope that resolves it.  I had tried it and seemed to work for a bit, but 100% came back until I changed the compatibility mode.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-11-17T09:07:48+00:00

    Microsoft.  Too many issues with performance.

    All I have running are system tasks.  FIX IT!  Your OS, Your problem.  I just want to be able to use my computer.

    Hi all victims of win 10 high mem (100%)

    i tried all the tricks and changes with the sole

    result of "your PC has encountered an error we will restart it for you"

    bad config

    (after weeks of a loosing battle with this problem and a myriad of other issues

    developing from it including a 30 minutes boot time and endless noise from the cpu fan)

    by chance saw a utube by a god send guy which essentially was:

    1. restart to repair mode.
    2. open a  command prompt window
    3. navigate to windows/system32/config
    4. rename - system, software, sam, security and default to XXX1 (sam1 etc.)
    5. navigate to windows/system32/config/regback

    6 copy system, software, sam, security and default to /config

    save and exit 

    PRESTO!!

    a new system!

    CPU 6%

    MEM 40-50%

    DISK 20-30%

    still needs some work but my desk ornament has returned to be a functioning computer

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-11-17T09:12:27+00:00

    I have the exact same problem and feelings as Emily. Haven't been able to do any work for the last two days. My suspects are also One drive and service host. 

    Hi all victims of win 10 high mem (100%)

    i tried all the tricks and changes with the sole

    result of "your PC has encountered an error we will restart it for you"

    bad config

    (after weeks of a loosing battle with this problem and a myriad of other issues

    developing from it including a 30 minutes boot time and endless noise from the cpu fan)

    by chance saw a utube by a god send guy which essentially was:

    1. restart to repair mode.
    2. open a  command prompt window
    3. navigate to windows/system32/config
    4. rename - system, software, sam, security and default to XXX1 (sam1 etc.)
    5. navigate to windows/system32/config/regback

    6 copy system, software, sam, security and default to /config

    save and exit 

    PRESTO!!

    a new system!

    CPU 6%

    MEM 40-50%

    DISK 20-30%

    still needs some work but my desk ornament has returned to be a functioning computer

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    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2016-11-17T16:39:36+00:00

    Too bad skype and firefox aren't really using the disk at all on my end.

    Which now that I've started to update drivers, disk usage seems to be going down...so for some people that might be the fix XD

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-11-20T14:27:23+00:00

    I tried the Skype fix, but it made no difference.  Disk is still pinned at 100% active time and the PC is crawling.

    I tried the Chrome fix but under Privacy there is no Prefetch option to be adjusted.

    Please help!

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