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
    2015-10-12T17:08:25+00:00

    Anyway, always hoping to help the frustrated Windows traveler, for ANYONE who's having performance issues on Windows 10, download these:

    hxxps://dev.windows.com/en-us/downloads/windows-10-sdk

    When you run the SDK installer, ONLY select the "Windows Performance Toolkit" option.

    Then, this is VERY handy. UIforETW - it takes the pain out of performing a trace and gives you a nice user interface with trace management. You can get it here (I had to download this because without it, the performance analyzer simply refused to load symbols

    • the option way just greyed out - and yes Microsoft - I KNOW how to set an environment variable - something in WPA is flawed:

    Zip installer / extractor here (x86) and (x64) here

    hxxps://github.com/google/UIforETW/releases

    Right, you all set. Go forth and trace. I just installed the entire zip/installer to:

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\etwpackage

    So run (x64):

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\etwpackage\bin\UIforETW.exe

    or run (x86):

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\etwpackage\bin\UIforETW32.exe

    The trace file is circular, so while large - probably over a gig if you don't manage to capture the issue relatively quickly - it won't grow any larger than that - and it's saved in the default windows temp file if you use UIforETW.

    Run the trace. Press Ctl+Win+C shortly after you've captured/seen a problem happening - and then load the trace (again you can launch it directly with UIforETW) into the Windows Performance Analyzer.

    There are also options for Windows 8.1. Obviously you'll need the Windows 8.1 SDK instead for the performance analyzer download, but UIforETW supports 8.1 as well.

    Happy graphing. Cheers Microsoft. Like we haven't got lives, we've all become developers just to get your operating system functioning.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-23T14:42:32+00:00

    Does not work for me.  There is no "All Application Packages"

    Bill

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-09-18T02:47:31+00:00

    I am also having the same issue on my in-laws PC.  I do not see any errors and have been watching the performance stay at 100%.  It does not have Skype or Chrome at this point.  I was starting to think the HDD is going bad but don't want to jump into that yet. 

    I left it running lenovo storage diag. and will check it tomorrow.  I uninstalled old Lenovo programs and it seems like the 100% usage seems to fluctuate a little.

    Lenovo IdeaCentre K410

    Windows 10 Home 64-bit

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-10-13T20:40:49+00:00

    But in task manager it shows "antimalware service executable" is full.......how can I fix up this problem???..please help me......

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-09-24T13:53:38+00:00

    i went thru all of this.

    As it turns out quite a few models are not supported by microsoft.

    I struggled with windows 10 for almost 2 months with overheating, 100% disk usage etc.

    Both lenovo ideapad u160 and my Dell studio 1555 are not supported.

    Microsoft expects you check if the device is ready and has all the drivers.

    Today i downgraded to 7 as per MS advice. Now atleast i can use my laptops.

    It is odd now using 7, Wonder why MS tom toms 10 without proper tie ups with vendors like Dell and Lenovo.

    So pl check if your laptop supports 10.

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