10 Solutions to a 100% Disk Usage on Windows 10 [2025 Updated]

Does your computer suddenly slows down, freeze, or is unresponsive to your command and notice that the disk is 100%? For sure, it is a frustrating experience for any user to happen since it can affect the overall performance of your desktop. When this happens, even opening files or browsing the internet takes more time to load up. This problem occurs due to various factor majority on your disk drive. So, in this article, we will discuss what 100% disk usage is, what causes it, and ways to fix the problem to solve the problem immediately.

100 Percent Disk Usage
Workable Solutions
Solution 1. Disable Auto- startup Programs Go to Tutorial
Solution 2. Remove Malware/Viruses Go to Tutorial
Solution 3. Reduce High Disk Usage by Disabling Indexing Go to Tutorial
Solution 4. Adjust Virtual Memory in Windows 10 Go to Tutorial
Solution 5. Update the Disk Driver Go to Tutorial
Solution 6. Windows Update Delivery Optimization Go to Tutorial
Solution 7. Optimize Disk I/O to Reduce High Disk Usage Go to Tutorial
Solution 8. Update Windows 10 Go to Tutorial
Solution 9. Remove junk files Using Disk Cleanup Go to Tutorial
Solution 10. Uninstall Flash Player Go to Tutorial

Part 1. What Does 100% Disk Usage Mean and Its Consequences

When your computer is in 100% disk usage, it means that the full storage of your device is fully utilized, and there is no available capacity to do other operations. It only occurs when your computer performs multiple tasks that require reading or writing data, such as running multiple programs simultaneously, performing intensive operations, and viruses.

With that being said, having a 100% can result in slow performance, high response time, unresponsiveness, difficulty in multitasking, and increasing boot time. That is not a good thing to happen to your computer, especially if you need a well-performing device. When this happens, you must troubleshoot your computer to see the underlying hardware or software problems.

Part 2. How to Fix 100% Disk Usage on Windows and Linux Using Different Process

100 disk usage on Windows 10 and Linux does happen compared to Mac since many users do multiple tasks on the said operating system. So, if you are experiencing this problem, we better start troubleshooting it by following the steps we have added here.

1. Disable Auto- startup Programs

Some applications launch automatically and run in the background, consuming disk resources. You can disable unnecessary startup programs to free up disk usage to troubleshoot 100% disk usage in Task Manager.

Steps to Disable Startup Programs:

Step 1.
Open the Task Manager on your device by pressing the Control + Alt + Delete on Windows or Ctrl + Shift + Esc on Linux.
Step 2.
Go to the Startup tab and right-click unnecessary programs and select Disable.
Task Manager Startup

2. Remove Malware/Viruses

Malware and viruses consume a large part of your disk resource that can cause disk usage on Linux and Windows. You can detect and remove any malicious programs downloaded to your computer that might cause the problem by performing a scan using a reliable antivirus.

Steps to Remove Malware/Viruses:

Step 1.
Open Windows Security from the Start menu.
Step 2.
Go to Virus & threat protection and click Quick scan.
Virus And Threat Protection

If you can’t find the Quick scan option, you can turn on the Microsoft Defender Antivirus options’ Periodic scanning.

3. Reduce High Disk Usage by Disabling Indexing

File indexing can cause high disk usage. Disabling it can help reduce disk activity and improve performance. Follow the steps below to disable Indexing:

Step 1.
Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Step 2.
Go to the Services tab.
Windows Search Services
Step 3.
Find Windows Search or Indexing Service.
Step 4.
Right-click it and select Stop.

4. Adjust Virtual Memory in Windows 10

Virtual Memory is page files that consume a portion of your hard drive used as a physical extension on RAM. Due to needing to be optimized, it can cause excessive disk usage that can add strain to your disk. Follow the steps below to adjusting it can improve performance:

Step 1.
Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter.
Step 2.
Go to the Advanced tab and click Settings under Performance.
Settings Under Performance
Step 3.
In the Performance Options window, switch to the Advanced tab.
Step 4.
Click Change under Virtual Memory.
Change Under Virtual Memory
Step 5.
Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
Customize Size Under Virtual Memory
Step 6.
Select your system drive (usually C:), choose Custom size, and set:

Initial size: 1.5 times your RAM size. • Maximum size: 3 times your RAM size.

Step 7.
Click Set and then OK.

5. Update the Disk Driver

An outdated driver can contribute to high usage, so you must update or upgrade it to the latest one. You can go to the manufacturers' website and download the storage-related drivers. Here are the steps to update the disk driver:

Step 1.
Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
Step 2.
Expand the Disk drives section.
Disk Drives Under Device Manager
Step 3.
Right-click your disk drive and select Update driver.
Step 4.
Choose Search automatically for drivers.
Search Automatically For Drivers
Step 5.
If an update is found, follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

6. Windows Update Delivery Optimization

Through Windows Update Delivery Optimization, you can download the updates from PCs on your local network or the internet. With it, disk resources consume more which affects disk usage. Disabling this feature can minimize disk activity related to Windows updates. The following are the step-by-step guide:

Step 1.
Press Win + I to open Settings.
Step 2.
Click Update & Security, then select Windows Update.
Windows Update Under Update And Security
Step 3.
Click Advanced options, then select Delivery Optimization.
Delivery Optimization Under Advanced Options
Step 4.
Toggle off Allow downloads from other PCs.

7. Optimize Disk I/O to Reduce High Disk Usage

High disk I/O (Input/Output) activity can slow down your system. Optimizing disk I/O can help improve performance and reduce 100 percent disk usage on Windows. You can follow the steps below to do that:

Step 1.
Press Win + X and select Task Manager.
Step 2.
Go to the Processes tab and sort by Disk usage.
Processes Under Task Manager
Step 3.
Identify high disk usage processes and close unnecessary ones.
Step 4.
Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
Step 5.
Type “chkdsk /f /r” and press Enter to check for disk errors.
CMD Command Line
Step 6.
Defragment your disk by searching Defragment and Optimize Drives in the Start menu and running the tool.
Defragment And Optimize Drives

8. Update Windows 10

Keeping your system up to date can fix bugs and improve performance, potentially reducing 100 percent disk usage on Windows 10. Follow the following steps to Update Windows 10:

Step 1.
Press Win + I to open Settings.
Step 2.
Select Update & Security.
Step 3.
Click Windows Update and select Check for updates.
Check For Updates
Step 4.
If updates are available, click Download and install.
Step 5.
Restart your computer once the updates are installed.

9. Remove junk files Using Disk Cleanup

Removing junk files can free up disk space and improve system performance, helping to resolve 100% disk utilization on Windows. The Disk Cleanup tool is the right built-in tool to help remove unnecessary files. Here’s how to use this feature in Windows 10 to clean junk files easily:

Step 1.
Type Disk Cleanup into the Windows search bar and select Disk Cleanup from the results.
Step 2.
Choose the drive you want to clean (usually C:) and click OK.
Disk Clean up Select Drive
Step 3.
Under Files to delete, select the file types you want to remove.
Step 4.
Check Downloaded Program Files and Temporary Internet Files, then click OK.

10. Uninstall Flash Player

Adobe Flash Player is outdated and no longer supported, yet it can still consume system resources. Uninstalling it can help fix 100% disk usage on Windows. Here’s how to uninstall flash player:

Step 1.
Press Win + R, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter to open Programs and Features.
Programs And Features
Step 2.
Scroll down and locate Adobe Flash Player in the list of installed programs.
Step 3.
Right-click on Adobe Flash Player and select Uninstall.
Step 4.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.

Part 3. Best Windows Data Cleaner and Manager to Free Up Space on Your Computer

1. CCleaner

CCleaner is a 100 percent disk usage Windows 10 solution you can download to remove temporary files, cache, cookies, and other unnecessary data gathered from different sources on apps and browsers. It also includes a registry cleaner to optimize the Windows registry whenever needed. Aside from that, you can also use the customization option available here and the additional features such as uninstallation and startup management.

CCleaner

2. Clean Master

Clean Master is an Android application to clean your system, but now you can download it on your computer to clean unnecessary files from your system. It helps users to remove junk files, temporary, and other data so that you can free up their storage and avoid the high disk usage happening again. Even though it can be downloaded on Windows, its feature is limited compared to Android. That is another reason why users choose this last.

Bleach Bit

3. BleachBit

BleachBit is an open-source data cleaner you can download when high disk usage on Windows 10 happens. Plus, this app will fit your needs if you prioritize security and privacy. Like the previous one, it can delete additional files and data saved on your computer entirely free. It offers many cleanup options, but the UI of it could be more transparent and more manageable to non-advanced users. But if you master using it, you will have a great tool to clean up your Windows device.

Clean Master

Part 4. Bonus: How to Recover Accidentally Deleted Data on PC & macOS

The 100% disk usage might lead to a crashed program that possibly causes your files to be lost. Under this circumstance, we can offer you a proven solution, Aiseesoft Data Recovery, to recover those mistakenly lost data, even deleting it from the recycle bin. This application can thoroughly scan all your system and load up all the data that can be recovered. Since your hard drive is connected to your PC or macOS, scanning and recovering the files here is a piece-of-a-cake task. Aside from doing multiple quick and deep scans, all recoverable files can be previewed before exporting. Want to have this data recovery on Windows or Mac? If so, click the download button below and recover all the data on your desktop.

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Here’s how to recover lost data due to full disk usage that caused a program crash.

Step 1.
Download the Aiseesoft Data Recovery and launch it. Now, you can select the disk where your lost from the Hard Drive Recovery tab.
Data Recovery Homepage
Step 2.
Click Start Scan and then the program will automatically discover the files in the disk, inclduing the lost ones.
Step 3.
You can use the Filter feature to locate your lost file and click Recover All to restore it.
Choose Files

Part 5. FAQs about 100% Disk Usage

Will changing my hard drive to SSD helps with the 100% disk usage?

You can improve your PC's overall performance with the upgraded hard drive version. Knowingly, SSDs are faster and more efficient than traditional hard drives, and since they can read and write data faster, many users love this. However, changing the drive is a complex task, and specifications are needed, so it is better to ask for professional assistance.

Can I check disk storage on Mac?

You can use About This Mac since it is the built-in program to access and display your macOS storage on screen. Additionally, you can see which files consume more based on their legends with different colors. Checking disk storage on Mac is essential, allowing you to see the activity of your macOS and what action you can take to free it up.

Does restarting the PC reduce the 100% disk usage?

When you restart a PC, you can reduce the disk usage; however, if there are many startup applications, the 100% disk usage will happen again. Though restarting does not contribute much to speeding up your PC, it is still a good option if you want to at least speed it up since it closes other running software automatically.

Conclusion

100 disk storage is a problem that can be solved with the tutorial and the different approaches we have mentioned. Here, we hope your PC or Linux works faster after doing the steps we teach you. If you have deleted your files accidentally and have no way to retrieve then we suggest you use the app we have mentioned here to retrieve deleted files.

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