HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower PC: The PC is very slow. Task manager shows continuous disk usage.

[cssharma]

My system is very slow almost all the time. Sometimes it can become so slow that it takes an inordinately long time for simple tasks. For instance, it can take one to two minutes to open a few mb video files, opening a Word file can stall or even a pdf takes time to open. I notice that in the task manager, Disk usage of 20-30% is shown almost all the time while Memory usage is around 60-70%. 

I have run the optimizer tool available from HP support page but that doe snot seem to have helped significantly. I wanted to also upload the screenshot of the task manager information here but no option is available here.

Please advise how should I make the system run faster.

Thank you.

[Monica97]

To improve system performance, try optimizing your computer by cleaning up unnecessary files, like deleting duplicate photos and files, disabling startup programs, running a malware scan, and upgrading hardware if needed.

[cssharma]

I have already done this by running the hp optimizer tool.

To further elaborate the issue, the system is so slow that it even takes upto 20-25 minutes to boot up after startup.

And during usage, it is continuously using 20-30%disk. Sometimes it goes even higher. However once a program such as Microsoft word or Matlab is up and running, it is able to run albeit slowly.

I am attaching a screenshot of task manager after boot up ie. when no additinal programs are running.

Below is the system configuration. 

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8700 CPU @ 3.20GHz 3.19 GHz
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.8 GB usable)
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch Pen support

Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 22H2
OS build 19045.2965
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19041.1000.0

Please advise

[erico]

In Task Manager there is a Startup tab. Please show an image of that. 

You can go there and disable apps which you suspect are causing issues.

It would be best that you show us an image of the startup apps before you do that.

Why is the AntiMalware service running?

[cssharma]

Thanks Erico for your reply.

Below is the screenshot of startup tab

Regarding Antimalware service, I am not sure why it is running. I have not changed any settings with respect to that. should I stop it in some way?

[erico]

You can stop it by right clicking it and selecting end task. I wouldn't do that until checking out the Accesso Software Manager.

If I were you, I would be concerned about the Accesso Software Manager. Do you know if you installed it or not?  

You can disable it with a right click in the startup tab.

Start your notebook again to see if that was the culprit. 

[cssharma]

I was also not sure what this acresso software manager is. So I looked around the web and it seems it is installed along with Nuance PDF reader. Please see below links:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/what-is-acresso-software-manager/099040ef-478d...

https://wiffiti.com/what-is-acresso-software-manager-and-how-to-uninstall-it/

I do not remember installing Nuance PDF reader but may be it was installed as part of Brother printer software (I am using a Brother printer with my HP desktop), I have now disabled acresso software manager in startup.  

Now the system boot up was faster. But as soon as I started using it, again the system slowed down and disk usage jumped up. First I thought that Google chrome using too much memory, but closing it did not make much difference. I am sharing some snapshots from task manager now where it seems that many system processes are running and using disk. I have not yet stopped antimalware.

[erico]

I se there are thirty one instances of Chrome Browser open.

Do you actually have that many tabs open in your browser? 

That is eating up quite a bit of memory and processor cycles. 

My desktop PC has 32 GB of installed memory and an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and I wouldn't even consider have that many instances of anything open at one time. 

At the bottom of the startup apps tab there is an enable box. Click on it to enable it and on the next startup you will see the startup cost of the apps you have enabled.

I would first disable and then uninstall the Nuance PDF reader, since you have the Adobe reader installed.

I suggest first disabling and then uninstalling the Accesso software manager.

It is probably some app that piggybacked in with some software or other app you inadvertently clicked on when you were online

[cssharma]

Regarding Google chrome, I observed that even if I just launch it and only 1 tab is open, it starts multiple processes in taksmanager.  I checked this aspect on my another windows laptop and there also it was the case. A search on net revealed that this is common due to the way chrome works. So it seems chrome is not likely the reason for the slowness of my desktop PC

I have now disabled and then uninstalled softwares from Nuance. With that Acresso software manager has also disappeared from task manager. I restarted the system after this and it look a long time to restart, almost 2-3 hours. 

Now, the system seems to have become even more slow. For instance, I closed all programs and connected to my dekstop by anydesk to take a screen shot of taskmanager and access chrome. Please see attached pics. Now the system is using 100% disk! How should I proceed further? I am attaching one screenshot of startup and two screenshots of processes tab in taskmanager for your reference. The system is practically unusable at the moment as it takes a long time to even open microsoft word. 

[cssharma]

Attaching one more screenshot of processes ab as I noticed some other processes going to the top of disk usage intermittently. Please see this screenshot along with screenshot posted in the previous message. Hopefully this throws some relevant clues.