High disk usage is a common issue that the users of the latest edition of Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 11, have reported. Your disk is crucial for your PC to run and manage applications smoothly. The 100% disk usage might slow your PC down and make it laggy. So is there a way to deal with 100 percent disk usage on Windows 11?
This blog is undoubtedly a must-read if you face a high disk usage issue. This one will discuss a few effective ways to reduce disk usage and make the most out of your available disk resource.
There are so many factors that cause Windows 11 high disk usage. We will discuss these factors, why they affect your disk usage, and how you can resolve them. Without further ado, let’s begin!
How to Fix Windows 11 100% High Disk Usage?
Ideally, the disk usage in daily tasks is never more than 70% for an average user. If you run heavy applications or games or use multiple applications simultaneously, it can go up to 90%. Sometimes it is OK if the disk usage touches 100% when you are rendering heavy files or playing a game at high frame rates.
However, if your PC uses 100% disk on Windows 11, even while performing basic tasks like browsing the internet, opening files explorer, or running a video file, there’s something wrong. Multiple factors might be causing the issue.
Some of the factors that cause your PC to slow down and use 100% of your disk are –
- Error in Pagefile.sys
- Too many startup applications
- A higher number of temporary files
- Unoptimized PC
- Malware Attack
The factors can be endless when it comes to justifying the lack of performance in a Windows PC. But the same has been the case for years now, and thanks to the vast community that Windows users have, we always have a solution to the issues that arise.
Check out how you can fix 100% disk usage of Windows 11 in the next section.
Best Ways to Fix Windows 11 High Disk Usage
1. Remove all the temporary files instantly
Temporary files are hidden user logs that are loaded on the disk. These are files that applications create on your system to store your user data for a particular session that you are using the app. Some applications are smart enough to collapse these files once shut; however, most Windows applications create and leave temporary files behind.
Removing these temporary files can reduce your disk load, instantly freeing up your disk usage capacity. You can remove temporary files from your PC by following the given instructions –
- Press Windows + R to open the Run search box.
- Type %temp% in the run and press enter
- It will take you to the folder that holds all the temporary files
- Use Ctrl+A to select all the files and Shift + Delete to remove them.
Once you have removed the files, make sure you restart your PC. It is not necessary to restart the PC; however, it is always better to do it when you have made a substantial change. You may find lower disk usage after the PC reboots.
2. Shutdown SysMain Superfetch Service
SysMain service or superfetch is a service introduced by Windows to help you experience a faster operating system. It works is quite simply; it automatically pre-loads the applications into your PC memory to load them faster when you require them.
Ideally, it helps you load heavy applications faster; however, as a result of pre-loading, the applications that are not even being used start taking up your disk usage capacity. To resolve the issue, you can disable the SysMain service.
All you have to do is –
- Press Windows + R to open the Run Box
- Type services.msc and hit enter.
- This will take you to the list of services available on your PC.
- Find SysMain from the list and open its properties by double-clicking it.
- In the properties window, disable the startup and immediately use the stop button to stop the service.
- Save your changes, exit the window and restart your PC.
Once your PC has rebooted, open the task manager to check whether the disk usage has been reduced. You will see a difference of at least 10-15%.
3. Use a Dedicated PC & Disk Optimization Tool
Sometimes, using your PC without optimizing also keeps your disk occupied. Optimization means removing junk, keeping your PC clutter-free, taking care of your disk fragmentation, etc. These are important things to consider when using a PC, as they can boost your system performance and yield better results.
Taking care of all these things manually is not a cup of tea for every user, as performing these performance checks manually can take a lot of time and require comprehensive knowledge. The best way to optimize your PC is using a dedicated optimizer tool, just like Advanced System Optimizer.
It is a dedicated tool that can help you optimize your PC on all the fronts like memory usage, disk management, processing speeds, etc. here’s how the tool works –
- Download the application from the button given below.
- Run the application to discover the tools that it offers.
- If you know the issue is causing your PC to slow down or raise disk usage, you can resolve it by choosing the given option. If not, you can go for Smart PC Care.
- Click on Start Smart PC Care to find all the errors that might be causing your PC to use 100% disk.
- The Smart Scan instantly searches for errors in 4 different regions of your PC. It scans for unwanted files folder on your disk that can help you reduce the load.
- Once the Scan is over, click Optimize, which will enhance your PC performance.
- Once you click on Optimize, it creates a dedicated restore point of the current state of your PC. The process will delete and remove multiple files and poor sectors from your hard drive, which may cause an error. You can use the restore point to reset the PC if the error occurs.
Let the optimization process finish. Restart the PC after you have successfully optimized your system. You can go to the task manager and check the hard drive usage to ensure that the optimizer worked well.
If you believe the issue lies in your PC’s hard drive, you can also use the Advanced System Optimizer to defrag your drives and fix the issue yourself.
4. Use Task Manager to Reduce Startup Applications
Startup applications are those that start automatically when your PC turns on. These applications are designed to give you a flawless experience as you neither have to turn them On or OFF. However, these applications end up slowing your PC as the processes for these begin before the pc is entirely ready to handle.
These applications pre-occupy the disk usage capacity; hence, when you want to run applications, you find disk usage of 100 on Windows 11. The best way to handle this situation is by reducing the number of startup applications; here’s how you can do it –
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to Open Task Manager
- Click on the Three-Lined Button at the Top of the Menu
- Find Startup Applications in the Side Panel
- Select the applications one by one and change their status to disable to minimize their impact on your startup.
Once these applications are off, restart your PC and check the disk usage at the tie of the boot. It will give your PC a better startup speed and available disk usage capacity.
High Disk Usage? We have got you covered
It is imperative to know what is causing your hard drive to run at 100% capacity to apply any of the above techniques except one. So if you do not know the root cause of the error, it is better to go with an expert utility tool such as Advanced System Optimizer, as it is a complete optimization suite that can keep your computer healthy.
Hope this blog gives you a solid way to fix windows 11 high disk usage. Feel free to share your experience and recommendations on the best technique for them in the comments section. That’s all for this one; catch you in the next one. Good Luck!
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