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
    2016-02-02T02:31:56+00:00

    Same problem with a Toshiba S70 laptop. Exact troubleshooting as you and I still have the same issue. I've basically run out of options. You are not alone.

    The only thing I did that made a big difference (But not solve) was that I created an exception in Windows Defender to EXCLUDE my OneDrive. When that worked, I ended up disabling it all together. Now the 100% disk usage stops after about 5 minutes and stays down which is probably more normal.

    My next step will be to disable syncing all folders from my OneDrive account and switch to Dropbox.

    The weird thing is that I have three other Win 10 Desktop computers that all work great under Win 10. No issues at all. So this issue is only happening with using my laptop.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-02-01T20:01:16+00:00

    I think you should experiment with upgrading your HP Personal Support software. 

    I actually think that the HP Cool Sense, and HP 3D Drive Guard is bringing my Disk Usage down 

    to 2%.  My computer is 1 1/2 years old, and my daughter's computer is 3 1/2 years old, both HP's, 

    only AMD chips, and regular 5400 RPM Hard Drives.  

    The other people on this thread are jumping to getting a new hard drive, which is what the Microsoft 

    Store jumped to 6 months ago when they installed it on my laptop, but the problem corrected itself. 

    My daughter just upgraded from 7 to 10 with no problems. 

    I think using the HP software for my Hard Drive has helped.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-01-31T22:02:15+00:00

    Yes the problem started up for me again also, sigh.  Disabled everything in task manager/ startup programs, like nVidia.  The only thing left enabled is my firewall and that's not going anywhere, even though it has a high startup impact.

    The only thing that comes to mind is if you upgraded or reset recently like I did and still have a Windows old folder in C drive.  Could that be it--System and Compressed Memory, Service Host and Windows Explorer rummaging around in that folder at startup?  I can't test this theory right now either as the folder is too large for the recycle bin.  I can't delete it.

    Windows 10 is really on my nerves right now, I swear.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-01-31T09:24:10+00:00

    ALL the instructions have been followed still the problem dont  get resolved.......

    any more instructions 2 make disk usage low...

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-01-30T21:54:35+00:00

    Well, I wish I could make the "warm up the router/modem" in my previous post disappear but oh well....

    Still was getting 95% and higher at startup though not as prolonged.  After reading some articles, tried setting startup of Windows Explorer from "Automatic" to "Manual" via task manager/services msc.  There, that did it.  Now disc use is a high of 30-40% and goes right down, but I have a bare bones machine at the moment.

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