100% disk usage at idle

[VLStu]

There are multiple threads on this, and other, user forum regarding this topic. All of the threads have 2 common themes:

1) User hard drives are running at 100%, regardless of app usage - some at idle (like mine).

2) the HP support approach iappears to be "try everything and maybe something will find the problem".

I get that it is unlikely that all users have EXACTLY the same issue, but I would expect some common thread as this is not an iisue on my other brand laptop running Windows 10. There is at least one thread on this forum where the user has gone through over a dozen "recommended fixes" that ended up with completely re-installing his operating system, without solving the problem.

I really don't have days or weeks to mess with my laptop, and am posing this as one last shot to see if anyone really knows what the issue can be before I back it up and replace it with another brand.

Thanks!

[WAWood]

@VLStu 

In some sense, ALL the users DO have a single issue that may be at the heart of the problem -- they are all running PCs with Windows 10!

With a Win10 PC, you're going to experience a variety of problems not typical of the older PCs.

First is sluggishness. You may experience a very slow PC at times because Windows Update (WU) is hogging your PC, searching for, downloading, and installing updates -- to bring your PC up to the most current version of Windows.

Second is fan noise. That's directly related to fan speed, which is the result of processor heat, and WU is known to drive up the processor load -- sometimes to 100%. That can cause the fan to run loud and continuous for some time.

Third is disk usage. WU can easily force the disk usage to 100% and and keep it pinned there for some time. That's because it wrote WU files to the drive, then it turned around and read them, then it overwrote existing Windows System files. All of that takes a lot of disk usage to complete.

These processes are compounded by Win10 because new Win 10 patches coming out nearly every Tuesday. Since you can't stop Updates like you did with Win7, this means you're going to get updates, regardless of what you do.

To find out what version and build of Win10 your PC is running, do the following:
1) enter "cmd" (without the quotes) into the search area and select the Command Prompt option
2) enter "winver" into the command window (again, without the quotes)
3) the most current Win10 version (as of 4/2/19) is v1809 Build 17763.437.

If yours is older than that, most likely WU is hogging your PC trying to update it.

Some folks have been told that resetting your PC will fix this. but, if you reset your PC, you only make matters WORSE! Why? Because you will reset Win10 back to the original version that came preloaded on the PC and that will restart Windows Update all over again.

To disable WU temporarily, do the following:
1) Enter "services" in the search area (again, without the quotes)
2) When the window opens, scroll down until you see Windows Update
3) If it say Running under status, that indicates that WU is running
4) To change that, double-click on that task, select Stop under the Service status, and then Apply
5) That should stop WU -- and you should see an immediate improvement in performance

If not, then WU is not the problem.

WU will restart itself automatically later on, so you basically have no choice than to bear with it until it finishes.

[VLStu]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. I followed the steps recommended, and I believe this fixed part of the problem. After stopping Windows Update, I rebooted and disk usage dropped ... only to return with any application I tried to open (Chrome, Snagit, Office). Whenever I open a single App, my disk usage jumps to 100%, and everythign slows dramatically, with the application opening up in 1-2 minutes. I don't even try to open more than one application.

It seems that WU was a contributor to the issue, but I still have the problem using any software.

Anyone have other ideas?