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
    2016-06-25T00:09:20+00:00

    Have you tried disabling windows tips in settings?

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-06-24T23:51:53+00:00

    i am starting reverting back to windows 7 as many installations i can, and i do not care any more if i will install leggitimate software or cracked.

    Since ms seems not able to fix this and this problem consumes a lot of my work time and i cannot get payed for this idiotic problem, i will revert all my clients back to windows 7.

    Congats microsoft you just lost 8000 installations. It will take me some time to do it but it will take me less time than trying to explain to clients why this is happenning and trying to find solutions.

    Stop releasing idiotic new programs and features for windows 10 and fix the real problems that makes people listening the word windows and having bad thoughts.

    None of the solutions work permanently and for a long time. None.

    On some hp laptops this is fixed with bios update. For a while. The problem will come back again eventually.

    On acer laptops it never gets fixed.

    On z77 intel you have to uninstall the achi driver and problem gets back the moment windows reinstall the driver. 

    On some motherboards uninstalling the usb3 drivers makes this go away till driver gets installed again.

    Disabling show me tips about windows makes this go away for a while. Then its back. 

    Disabling cortana does not fix this.

    Disabling everything in setting notification does not fix this.

    disabling everything in privacy does not fix this

    superfetch off makes this goes away for a while. Then bam its back

    Search service off makes this goes away for a while. Then back live again

    always spend my damn time to check every disk for problems. 

    Always uninstalling all 3rd party programs there are like browsers, untivirus etc.

    Always checking for letests bios and drivers.

    The fucken problem is always there. 

    Why the **** should i bother more? You clearly do not bother at all.

    changing to another os like windows 7, linux, osx is the only real fix.

    If you think that i am gona keep bothering you are mistaken.  I am going to suggest everyone i know to get the **** away from windows 10 at least for now. 

    I am even going to charge less for reverting computers back to windows 7 or any other os the client wants from windows 10.

    Congratz ms for once more you are showing that you cannot release a ready product.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-06-21T10:51:24+00:00

    I found something that works! in performance options, uncheck "use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop," "save taskbar thumbnail previews," "show shadows under mouse pointer," and "show thumbnails instead of icons." 

    I am not an engineer so i cant explain it, but it has been effective on two computers.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-06-20T02:58:26+00:00

    Not only does the disk problem seem to have "resolved" itself, several  days ago, the Start menu and Cortana returned and have not disappeared. This also brought back Edge, tiles, etc. I'm holding my breath and have done nothing to upset the apple cart. There apparently was a recent update, but the metadata indicate nothing about the Start menu. Hmmph! So much for MS transparency.

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-06-19T23:16:16+00:00

    Hey everyone,

    I had 100% disk usage and NOTHING worked. These are all good tips and could be the problem, BUT, for me it came down to something simple.

    Steam was running and wasn't updated. As soon as I did all these steps and updated Steam and Windows it dropped. Steam was the definite problem though.

    Good luck!

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