Is your PC taking a lot of time to load games, applications, websites, and files? This can be a symptom of high disk usage in your computer. If your task manager is showing that your disk usage is 99 percent this shows that your system is highly busy and this needs to be fixed immediately as it leads to a laggy as well as an unresponsive machine. Let us know “Why Is My Disk Usage At 99?”
In other words, disk usage at 99 percent refers to a disk that has reached its maximum capacity or the disk is being used by some programs. Every hard disk has a particular read/write speed and the total read and writes speed usually ranges from 100 Mbps to 150 Mbps. If this total speed exceeds 150mbps then you get 99 percent disk usage in your task manager. This thing can be highly annoying because it is responsible for a slow-performing PC. If you do not detect and fix it immediately it can lead to a system crash.
High disk usage can be the result of multiple reasons like fragmented files, outdated storage drivers, overheating of CPU, too many startup programs, ineffective antivirus programs, too many active programs, browser add-ons, etc. You can speed up your slow computer by closing unnecessary browser tabs, improving the wifi signal, turning off animations, clearing space in your hard drive, reducing the number of startup programs, updating windows, and upgrading your RAM. In this article, we have discussed in detail the most common reason responsible for a slow computer and also the possible solutions to speed up your computer.
Signs of high disk usage
If you observe the following symptoms in your PC then you are likely to experience a 99 percent disk usage
- Slow booting speed of windows
- Laggy user interface
- The taskbar will freeze from time to time
- Laggy mouse movements
- Apps and programs will take time to launch
- Frequent program crashes
- Icons will disappear when refreshing
- The entire OS will freeze
Reasons for disk usage at 99
Fragmented Files
When we copy files to the hard drive, they don’t get stored in a single folder but in fact, they are stored in multiple sections of the hard disk. Technically, these fields are written in blocks from one side of the disk platter to the other side. In case your files get fragmented, they get separated between blocks. This is the reason why the hard drive takes time to read those files. So defragmentation of your hard disk can rearrange those split blocks bringing them together and the drive pointer would not have to check the entire drive to locate it. If the fragmentation level reaches more than 10% it is recommended to run disk defragmentation.
Update Storage Drivers
The hard disk can get stuck in a loop and might perform the same task again and again if the storage drivers turn faulty. This leads to high disk usage and eventually, your machine slows down. In this case, you need to upgrade the storage drivers immediately to solve this issue. Navigate to the Device Manager by pressing ‘Windows + X” and expand the Disk Drives section where you right-click on the disk. Select “Update Driver” from the context menu. From the pop-up window click on “Search automatically for drivers”. Windows will automatically install a driver if it finds a new version and you can restart the machine to install it properly.
Disable Third-Party Antivirus
Every windows machine has a built-in antivirus program. Many users prefer to install third-party antivirus software for better protection. But the problem with this software is that they frequently scan the disk to search for viruses and other malware. As a result, disk usage is extremely high. So, you can try to disable antivirus programs if you notice high disk usage in your computer.
Delete temporary files
If you are experiencing high disk usage in your computer then you can try deleting unnecessary files to free the space and solve this issue. In rare cases, these temporary files make the windows programs produce thousands of fields which triggers disk usage of up to 99 percent. Hence, these temporary fields need to be deleted frequently to solve this issue. Use the default disk cleanup utility or use third-party apps like CCleaner to clear temporary files. Such programs can search for bloatware or junk files from your disk and delete them, freeing a lot of space in your hard disk.
Too many background programs
There can be programs running in the background which might eat up a lot of memory and processing power without letting you know. This is one of the major reasons for a slow-performing computer. You can use Task Manager to see what programs are running in the background and close the ones that are not being used currently. This can free a lot of RAM space making your machine run faster.
Unnecessary Software Updates
You need to update the software installed on your machine to get a smooth experience while working on them. But some software automatically updates in the background from time to time without letting you know. The installed updates can take up unnecessary space on your hard disk and this can result in slow performance of your computer. So you need to find out which software tends to update automatically in the background and turn on the auto-update option from the settings or get rid of those whose auto-update cannot be turned off by finding an alternative program.
Viruses and malware
Since the majority of computer users work online, computers have become prone to virus infections. Different kinds of malicious software get downloaded automatically with some software and start running in the background which slows down the machine. This malware then interferes with your browser and tracks important user data. This can be an important reason why your PC is taking a long time to boot up. Always install a good antivirus on your machine to stay safe from this malware. Some popular malware scanning tools are Bitdefender, Malwarebytes, Webroot, etc. Scan your PC with any of these tools and they will detect and remove any malware from your machine. It will improve the speed of your PC.
Anti Virus failure
If you notice that you are getting a high boot-up time on your computer then one reason can be the ineffective antivirus which does not work properly. As a result, it cannot prevent your machine from malware and thus your PC can work slower than usual. So check for antiviruses whose date has expired and renew them or purchase the full version of those antiviruses.
Automatic Windows Update
One of the major reasons that lead to high disk usage in your computer is the auto-update feature and installation of the windows OS. Now if you are using a Windows 10 machine then this feature cannot be turned off manually as you are doing in windows 7. So, windows frequently search for new updates, and if it finds one, starts to download and install it immediately. This entire process takes place in the background which increases the disk usage by up to 99 percent as well as the CPU usage. If you can turn off automatic updates of windows then you can lower disk usage easily.
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows
If you have tried all the above fixes but nothing seems to be working for you then performing a clean installation of windows might be a useful fix for your high disk usage issue. It might be a lengthy procedure but it can solve your issue completely. Make a backup of all your important fields and install a fresh copy of windows. After installation, don’t install unnecessary applications and try to use software downloaded from trusted sources.
Remove Faulty Disk Drives
Even after trying the adobe methods, if you’re still getting high disk usage and you are trying to replace your computer with a new one then you need to give yourself a last chance and try this fix as a last; alternative. The hard disk might be the culprit and it is high time you replace it as soon as possible. Faulty hard drives can increase disk usage by up to 99 percent. Get a hard hard disk from a reputed company like Seagate or WD and possibly you will get rid of this issue.
Conclusion
If you are getting a high disk usage of 99 percent then it can be both frustrating and annoying at the same time and it completely affects the workflow and the user experience. If the disk usage is high constantly then it is a matter of concern and it should be your priority to solve this issue. If the disk usage is high at almost any time then this can increase the temperature of the disk which can eventually lead to failure of the disk. As a result, you will suffer from data loss which can be a big pain in the butt. So, as soon you notice the symptoms of high disk usage as mentioned at the beginning of this article, try to identify the reason and find a fix as soon as possible.
