🌟 Struggling with 100% Disk Usage on Windows 10/11? Here’s What Worked for Me…

 

🌟 Struggling with 100% Disk Usage on Windows 10/11? Here’s What Worked for Me…

Not long ago, my laptop became incredibly slow, almost to the point of being unusable. I opened Task Manager and saw something concerning: disk usage was stuck at 100% nearly all the time, even when no heavy applications were running.

After some digging and troubleshooting, I found a few practical fixes that finally brought my system back to normal. If you're experiencing the same issue, the following steps might help save you hours of frustration.

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🔹 1️⃣ Disable Windows Search (Temporarily or Permanently)

Why this helps:
Windows Search can sometimes aggressively index files, causing excessive disk activity in the background.

To stop it temporarily:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator

2. Type the following and press Enter:

   arduino
   net.exe stop "Windows Search"
   

To disable it permanently:

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.

2. Find Windows Search in the list.

3. Right-click it → Select Properties.

4. Change the Startup type to Disabled.

5. Click Stop, then click Apply and OK.

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🔹 2️⃣ Turn Off SysMain (Previously Known as Superfetch)

Why this helps:
SysMain tries to improve performance by preloading frequently used apps, but it can backfire, especially on older systems, by maxing out disk usage.

Steps to disable it:

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.

2. Locate SysMain

3. Right-click → Choose Properties

4. Set Startup type to Disabled

5. Click Stop, then Apply and OK.

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🔹 3️⃣ Check for Malware or Background Apps

Why this helps:
Sometimes, unnecessary apps—or worse, malware—run silently in the background, using up disk and CPU resources.

What to do:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager

• Look under the Processes tab for anything unusual or high in disk usage.

• Switch to the Startup tab and disable non-essential programs.

• Run a full scan using a trusted antivirus or antimalware tool.

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💡 Conclusion

After trying several different methods, these three simple steps were the most effective in reducing my disk usage and getting my laptop back to working condition. Every system is a little different, so your results may vary, but these solutions are a good place to start.

If you’re currently facing similar performance issues, I recommend giving these a try. They’re safe, easy to follow, and might just save you from a system reset or unnecessary hardware upgrade.

Have any of these tips helped you? Feel free to share your experience in the comments—I’d love to hear what worked for you!