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FULL FIX: Disk usage lockups in Windows 10

6 min. read

Updated onMarch 19, 2024

updated onMarch 19, 2024

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Sometimes, your PC can run slowly even if you only have a few programs running. And when you check the Task Manager to find out what’s wrong, it might show you disk usage at 100%.

Fortunately, this is not the hardest issue to fix. Check out some solutions below.

High disk usage can be problematic and cause your system to freeze and experience other issues. Speaking of disk issues, here are some related issues that users reported:

How do I fix disk usage lockups on Windows 10?

How do I fix disk usage lockups on Windows 10?

1. Reinstall the SATA AHCI driver

Many users reported that the standard driver caused the issue for them, so if you want to permanently solve the problem, it’s advised to download the latest driver from your motherboard manufacturer.

Downloading drivers manually can be a tedious task, but if you want to update all your drivers with just a single click, we recommend trying out software likePC HelpSoft Driver Updater.

Oftentimes, it’s hard to find the SATA driver but this professional tool will compare yours with a cloud database and it will install the proper one in seconds.

It’s extremely fast because after you run PC HelpSoft Driver Updater, it starts scanning your PC automatically. And it doesn’t just update your old driver but it also takes care of broken or even missing drivers.

After the scan, you just have to select which drivers you want to install or just install updates for all of them.

Note:The service should be stopped and the issue with high disk usage should be resolved. Keep in mind that this is just a temporary solution, so you’ll have to repeat it every time you start your PC.

3. Disable the BITS, Superfetch, and Windows Search services

Note:Keep in mind that certain features might not work anymore after disabling these services, so if you encounter any new issues, you might want to go back end enable these services.

4. Check your antivirus

According to users, disk usage lockups can occur due to your antivirus software. Your antivirus can be demanding on your resources and that can cause issues to appear.

To fix this problem, try disabling certain antivirus features and check if that helps. Alternatively, you can also completely disable your antivirus and check if that helps.

If the issue is still there, you might have to remove your antivirus and switch to a different antivirus solution.

There are multiple choices of lightweight antivirus that will not require much system resources, therefore it’s advised to check and find thebest antivirus software compatible with Windows 10.

5. Make sure that your system is up to date

If any updates are available, they will be downloaded automatically in the background and installed as soon as you restart your PC. Once your PC is up to date, check if the problem with disk usage still appears.

6. Switch to High Performance mode

Note:Keep in mind that using the High-performance power plan will increase your power consumption and affect your battery life.

7. Reset the virtual memory

8. Try a different drive

Sometimes disk usage lockups can occur due to your hard drive. Your hard drive might not be compatible with the controller driver and that can lead to this issue. If trying out different controller drivers doesn’t work, you might want to consider getting a different drive.

Several users reported that getting an SSD or different hard drive fixed the issue for them, so you might want to try that.

Disk usage lockups can be a big problem, but we hope that you managed to solve this issue using one of our solutions.

More about the topics:windows 10 fix

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).

For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.

Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.

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