I'm looking for good news that I can use | on Microsoft issues; in particular with Windows 10 ...

[NorthSky]

I'll be very honest here; I cannot use my computer anymore. It is dead.
Why? Because Windows 10 is always running @ 100% disk usage in Task Manager.

Do any of you know how to fix it? I need a solution that works, because it seems that I am not alone on this and there is no automatic fix.

Should I buy a new computer?

Did any of you had that same issue before, and if yes how did you solve it?
If you have never experienced it, or you are an Apple user or you are lucky.
If you are lucky you might do a google search perhaps to help me out, or a Cortana search (Microsoft Edge browser), and come up with something like this:
• https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledg...manager-improve-pc-performance-on-windows-10/

There are many similar links and a bunch of tutorial videos; been there done that.

I just need concrete good news that work objectively, a working solution with 100% positive result.

And why is Windows 10 allowing our disk to run @ 100% which simply disable our computers to a turtle pace?
Is that part of their program?

I would love to understand, to know what's going on, what I should do, where to go next.

 

[NorthSky]

https://www.partitionwizard.com/partitionmagic/100-disk-usage-windows-10.html

 

[Vincent Kars]

Had it once on a iMac running Win7
Turned out to be a dying HD
After Apple replaced the HD thinks where fine again

 

[amirm]

Do you have a real disk or SSD Bob? If it is the former, you need to replace it with SSD. That doesn't fix the underlying cause but will hugely speed up that access allowing the system to perform a lot better.

Second go to start menu and run "resource monitor." Select disk on top tab and that should give you the names of processes that are causing the most disk traffic. If you post that we can determine what may be the cause.

Also click on CPU tab and then the column that says "CPU" to get a sorted list of CPU hogs.

On my system the thing that kills it is some random HP helper application that goes nuts once in awhile. I just kill it and all is well.

Learn this keystroke combination: control+shift+escape key. This will pop up the resource manager. Look to see if the CPU is maxed out and find the offending app and kill it if you need it.

By the way, a common source of high CPU usage is web sites. If you have many tabs open, it is common to find the browser sucking all the CPU power.

 

[Jinjuku]

1. Go into the system BIOS and enable SMART reporting. See if that shows anything.
2. You could have a failing HD. Not Windows fault.
3. You could have something running on your system that you shouldn't. In that case Task Manager sucks balls for figuring this out. You will want to run
process explorer by SysInternals (owned by MS).
4. You're not using an Administrative account for day to day use (right? riiiight?)
5. Boot into safe mode with networking support and see how it behaves
6. Create another Windows user account and log in with that and see how it behaves

My HP workstation runs Win10 Pro and with Hyper-v I'm running:

Win8.1
WinXP
Ubuntu 14 for a GNS3 Server
Ubuntu 17 (development)

And the machine FLIES with all the running and My uptime on the host OS has been two months since I purchased the machine.

Using a 240GB SSD boot and 1TB SSD for VM's.

 

[NorthSky]

Thanks to you three both. Thanks Vincent; it is a high probabilty that my HD is caput.

It's a regular hard drive I have in my VAIO laptop.
All apps are disabled on start up.
What is taking a lot of juice is Microsoft Edge browser, Google, my anti-virus, Windows search functions, ...

Yesterday I experienced several issues in trying to resolve the issue.
I lost contact with Cortana; she couldn't hear me and she couldn't speak.
My drivers for the internal camera and speakers they go nuts often; my camera is often gone...I think my laptop had it. The screen has been replaced, the battery too.

But yes, that disk running @ 100% is very troubling as it affects my laptop performance, obviously. I've seen better days this side of its capabilities.
But I sure am no expert. I am learning, and with all that time spent in trying to fix the issues by myself...reading articles and tutorial videos...there are many times I just want my life back and get it on with a new laptop. Ohhhhhh wellllll.

Amir you mentioned few of the things I checked, but I didn't try them all.
I appreciate your time and your post. My CPU is within the margins of reason...normal, so it's fine most of the time. I tried a custom power plan, with maximum power, but it didn't help the disk issue running high in the red all the time. The CPU is not the issue Amir.
Should I delete history, cookies, files, caches...?

I'm seriously considering the help of a computer expert, in real life.

Jinjuku, you bring new stuff to me. I'm running my laptop as me the owner, the operator, like when I first bought it three years ago.
It's an inexpensive Sony laptop; i5, regular hard drive, 750GB, 8GB Ram, 2.8Ghz processor, just a $500 machine.

The disk usage @ 100% in the red (third column), is my issue right now, and it has been growing in the last couple months more and more to the boiling point. Sometimes after an hour or less, it comes down to normal finally, as if things need a lot of time to stabilize. Few months ago it was in the red for less longer, like half hour. Somehow I feel that the latest updates from Windows 10 didn't help. But I just don't know for certain. I feel to switch on the dark side...Apple. Perhaps it would be a great new adventure for me, discovering happiness? I just don't know, again.

Time's comin' up. Thank you to you three; I read carefully what you posted and they are some new venues for me to explore. If ever I found something useful this side I will certainly share.

 

[amirm]

Bob, once in awhile you just need to start over with a fresh new PC. Yes, it is a pain to install all the apps you need and such. But it is the right thing to do. You get all new, higher power hardware and fresh install of the OS.

What you have can be fixed but it takes a lot of expertise. And paying someone to fix it is not wise as you can put that money toward a new PC.

The key thing to slow down the degradation is to avoid installing new programs unless you really, really need them. So much junk is installed behind the scenes with Windows.

Power plan does not fix anything.

 

[Jinjuku]

Thanks to you three both. Thanks Vincent; it is a high probabilty that my HD is caput.

It's a regular hard drive I have in my VAIO laptop.
All apps are disabled on start up.
What is taking a lot of juice is Microsoft Edge browser, Google, my anti-virus, Windows search functions, ...

Yesterday I experienced several issues in trying to resolve the issue.
I lost contact with Cortana; she couldn't hear me and she couldn't speak.
My drivers for the internal camera and speakers they go nuts often; my camera is often gone...I think my laptop had it. The screen has been replaced, the battery too.

But yes, that disk running @ 100% is very troubling as it affects my laptop performance, obviously. I've seen better days this side of its capabilities.
But I sure am no expert. I am learning, and with all that time spent in trying to fix the issues by myself...reading articles and tutorial videos...there are many times I just want my life back and get it on with a new laptop. Ohhhhhh wellllll.

Amir you mentioned few of the things I checked, but I didn't try them all.
I appreciate your time and your post. My CPU is within the margins of reason...normal, so it's fine most of the time. I tried a custom power plan, with maximum power, but it didn't help the disk issue running high in the red all the time. The CPU is not the issue Amir.
Should I delete history, cookies, files, caches...?

I'm seriously considering the help of a computer expert, in real life.

Jinjuku, you bring new stuff to me. I'm running my laptop as me the owner, the operator, like when I first bought it three years ago.
It's an inexpensive Sony laptop; i5, regular hard drive, 750GB, 8GB Ram, 2.8Ghz processor, just a $500 machine.

The disk usage @ 100% in the red (third column), is my issue right now, and it has been growing in the last couple months more and more to the boiling point. Sometimes after an hour or less, it comes down to normal finally, as if things need a lot of time to stabilize. Few months ago it was in the red for less longer, like half hour. Somehow I feel that the latest updates from Windows 10 didn't help. But I just don't know for certain. I feel to switch on the dark side...Apple. Perhaps it would be a great new adventure for me, discovering happiness? I just don't know, again.

Time's comin' up. Thank you to you three; I read carefully what you posted and they are some new venues for me to explore. If ever I found something useful this side I will certainly share.

Given that it comes down after some time:

Go into msconfig and

Check the services tab *(should look like this):

EVERYTHING should be without check mark. Click "Apply" and restart.

Let me know what you experience.

 

[NorthSky]

In reply to Amir's post, his last one above:

Yes, Vincent's reply opened that reality.

I don't add new stuff/apps in my laptop, for the last two years, only Windows 10 updates. My VAIO was first with Windows 8, then 8.1, now Creator 10 latest updates just few days ago. It took about an hour, each time.
And yesterday I did two complete power shut downs.

Correct, high performance power plan did nothing for me. I reverted to Balanced, the one recommended.
I did couple scans from Avast, and they found many issues, that slow down my laptop. I clicked to resolve them all, about 85 issues in the red, but they always want money. Their free anti-virus hit a snag. They are persistent in their harassment of trying to suck money.

We might be living with computers for the last fifty years, and many advancements have been made in the more recent years. It is my impression that there are much much more that need to be made, with Microsoft, and Apple too. Security is number one priority, privacy, sauvegardes against all invaders...viruses, malwares, hackers, thiefs, life destructors. ...Adds, money extortion, abuses from the escrocs of the internet.

To prevent all of this we need better security implementations all across, from all websites and social news and media and advertisement companies.
Where we spend our money is nobody's business. Bitcoin reflects that reality.
This world is so unbalanced, inequal, dispersed, unfair, corrupted, ...it's time for a real change. If we don't we screw up everyone coming up after us.

So, let's make this world more secure and private. We share because it's human. We live because it's life. We build because we want security and entertainment in an expanding happy way. Disk usage running @ 100% in the red is not my idea of good times. We don't build safe heavens, we build nightmares inside horror stories of day-to-day reality shows of real life.
100% in the red.

 

[NorthSky]

Given that it comes down after some time:

Go into msconfig and

View attachment 9722

Check the services tab *(should look like this):
View attachment 9723

EVERYTHING should be without check mark. Click "Apply" and restart.

Let me know what you experience.

Ok, that's easy to check, thx.

Given that it comes down after some time:

Go into msconfig and

View attachment 9722

Check the services tab *(should look like this):
View attachment 9723

EVERYTHING should be without check mark. Click "Apply" and restart.

Let me know what you experience.

Ok, I will. Thx

 

[Jinjuku]

Make sure Windows Defender is enabled and the definitions are up to date and run a full scan.

 

[RayDunzl]

Replacing the disk with an SSD is a good idea in my opinion.

It would be $50~$100 well spent, and could be transferred to the next device (if it doesn't already have one).

Laptops are usually short on memory and spend a lot of time moving stuff between the available memory and disk (virtual memory).

How much memory does your laptop have?

I have an old one and spent a little to go from 2 to 4 gB (maxed, in this case)... It helped a bit too.

On the other hand, new (and refurb) laptops are cheap enough. It's Christmas. Ask Santa.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...03988 601283905 601283909 601303704 600566986

 

[Jinjuku]

If you have a new machine:

Log into the initial launch of Windows and that should be an Admin account by default. Do yourself these favors:

1> Run powershell (right click and run as Administrator). Once in the CLI (command line interface):
c:\ net user ComputerAdmin somestrongpasswordhere /add /expires:never
c:\net user enduseraccount somestrongpasswordhere /add /expires:never
** repeat the enduseraccount for each person that will be using the computer. Yes you need to have multiple logins.
c:\ local group administrators ComputerAdmin /add


At this point you have created the user accounts you need. The end users will be in the default users group (restricted) and the ComputerAdmin will be in the local administrators group.

2> c:\wmic useraccount set passwordexpires=false
** This will stop the 42 day default of forced password change. It's really annoying for home users.

3> c:\get-netadapter | set-dnsclientserveraddress -Address ("208.67.220.220","208.67.222.222")
**This will enumerate all your IP enabled network adapters and set their DNS for OpenDNS. Trust me it's
a good thing and I don't want to have to get into a DNS 101 class with everyone here. Just do it.

4> Check and make sure Windows Defender is on and up to date.

5> log in with ComputerAdmin. Run powershell as Admin. Delete the old Admin account:

c:\net users
and look at the list. You should see the other admin account
c:\net user Administrator /delete

6> log out of the ComputerAdmin account and in with your EndUser account

7> If you are ever prompted for an install you can provide the elevated account privs via the Computer Admin Account.

8> Install Ad-block in your browser. Install No-Script in your Browser. Install and setup an account for LastPass password management.

If the EndUser account ever gets a virus/malware etc. You will simply be able to log in with the ComputerAdmin account. Setup another enduser account, and copy all your files over between profiles. If you are using Chrome and have a gmail account when you log into Chrome on the new profile it will pull over bookmarks and plug ins.

Delete the old enduser account when you finished copying over everything (see previous commands). You'll be backup and running in 20 - whatever minutes (depends on how much you have to copy over). Instead of looking at baking the entire machine.

 

[Blumlein 88]

A common Windows 10 problem you have. When you look in Task Manager I bet the rate of transfer to the HD looks rather low to be 100% usage.

I don't know of a 100% solution. There are a handful floating about that work on some machines and not others. And some machines it seems the issue cannot be fixed. I have one old laptop that I upgraded to Win 10, and had the problem. Couldn't fix it, so reverted back to Win 8. The other laptop had the problem and changing the power management settings made it go away. I fixed three machines for other people that upgraded to 10. One with changes in power management, one was a wrong driver issue, getting the correct driver fixed it, and one was fixed by disabling a part of Windows on startup. I forget which was the latter, I saw the suggestion somewhere and tracked down what it was you turn off. I'm sorry, but that was a few months ago and I don't remember what it was.

You might try Malware Bytes which would maybe be better at finding issues than Avast. You'll probably need to let it run for hours and hours while you have the 100% HD problem. I can't know, but doubt you have this because of malware.

I have only seen this on computers that were upgraded to Win 10 from a previous version. Haven't encountered the mysterious version of this problem on a machine that was purchased new with Windows 10.

You could also have a dying drive, and an SSD might help, but if you have the common bug you would only end up with an SSD running at 100% that works faster, but still slow. Or it could fix the problem.

Your general high level of frustration is very evident in post #9. I understand having been there myself. I'll make a suggestion Jinjuku won't agree with. Dump Windows unless you have a very good reason not to. You'll be very happy that you did. You will not be frustrated and feel like the whole computer world is fraught with peril that you have to stay on top of it all the time. There of course will be a period of adjustment, but you'll end up without so much frustration.

Otherwise, my suggestion would be to revert your machine to Win 8.1 if you can't come up with a fix. And/or suggestion is purchase a new machine with Windows 10 already on it if you wish to keep Windows.

 

[Soniclife]

I did couple scans from Avast, and they found many issues, that slow down my laptop. I clicked to resolve them all, about 85 issues in the red, but they always want money. Their free anti-virus hit a snag. They are persistent in their harassment of trying to suck money.

Can you explain this a bit more, it sounds like something to fix first.

 

[amirm]

Can you explain this a bit more, it sounds like something to fix first.

A lot of these are scams to extract money from users. The worst ones install malware. I doubt any of these programs are able to fix any performance issue.

 

[Wayne]

4. You're not using an Administrative account for day to day use (right? riiiight?)

I have Win10 and am doing so. Apparently you do not recommend this. Is this a REALLY bad thing to do or is it just better not to. Why is it bad?

Thx

 

[NorthSky]

Make sure Windows Defender is enabled and the definitions are up to date and run a full scan.

Windows Defender is automatically engaged when your anti-virus from another company is disengaged. Two anti-viruses cannot operate @ the same time, to my knowledge. Windows 10 says they are more secure now, but I just don't know who to trust best for maximum security and privacy.

I don't believe in that stuff anymore; everything we do online is under the control of sales people; everybody want our money.
They even cut our privileges if we use any Addblock contraceptive.

Everything has to do with money through sales tactics and the federal reserve.

Methinks the FBI is going to get real busy with Bitcoin; it's a good source of income for their expert hackers, their bureau, their dirigents, and a better way to transaction deals incognito in the world.

Same for the CIA and the KGB. This is Star Wars in the cyber space.

 

[Blumlein 88]

A lot of these are scams to extract money from users. The worst ones install malware. I doubt any of these programs are able to fix any performance issue.

AVAST used to be on the up and up. I haven't used it recently. That is why I suggested Malware Bytes. They'll let you download and use their software to remove any issues they find. You only have to buy it if you wish to have it running continuously as an anti-malware/anti-virus software. Windows Defender itself is not too bad these days.

I do agree it is unlikely malware is the problem. This 100% disk usage is a common problem with Win 10 upgrades.

 

[NorthSky]

Replacing the disk with an SSD is a good idea in my opinion.

It would be $50~$100 well spent, and could be transferred to the next device (if it doesn't already have one).

Laptops are usually short on memory and spend a lot of time moving stuff between the available memory and disk (virtual memory).

How much memory does your laptop have?

I have an old one and spent a little to go from 2 to 4 gB (maxed, in this case)... It helped a bit too.

On the other hand, new (and refurb) laptops are cheap enough. It's Christmas. Ask Santa.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&N=100006740 600004344 600004346 600004804 601303722 601283907 600003982 600003988 601283905 601283909 601303704 600566986

I mentioned it in one of my prior posts; 8 Gigs ... memory.