windows 11 - pc suddenly slow, disk utilization 100%

Question

My PC started lagging mid-video game and ever since has been incredibly slow and stuttery, very slow to restart/load up, etc. I checked the task manager and it says that my c drive is running at 100% disk utilization.

I'm not particularly tech savvy, but I'm wondering if it was a windows update or something that may have kicked this off? I don't even know where to start with diagnosing. I've had no known previous issues.

Answer 1

Hi ,

I'm Dyari. Thanks for reaching out. I will be happy to assist you in this regard.

Based on the screenshot, the process msedge.exe is writing a large amount of data to disk. Other system-related files are also actively writing, but overall, your disk isn't under extreme pressure at this moment. Most probably a Windows update or background process like indexing, Defender scan, or updates was running during your game and pushed the disk to 100%.

If it happens again, please click on the Process tab in Task Manager > Click on the Disk > Screenshot and post it back.

Answer 2

Sort both Total columns and see what files are being referenced.

Do you have a bunch of tabs opened in Chrome? If you close Chrome does the problem go away?

If "system" is doing the most I/O, then you may be memory constrained.

In task manager check the processes tab. Here I have a number of Edge processing running and consuming a lot of memory but not doing much disk I/O.

How is your available free memory?

Answer 3

Hello,

See if this fix helps you:

https://www.kapilarya.com/fix-100-disk-usage-in-windows-11

Let us know if this helps!

Note: Included link in this reply refers to blog post by a trusted Microsoft MVP.

Answer 4

Thanks for sharing the screenshot.

Based on the screenshot, the main program using your disk is SBAMSvc.exe, which is part of your antivirus (VIPRE). It’s usually scanning files in the background.

Chrome is also using the disk for cache files. This could have started after a Windows update or because of antivirus activity.

To fix this, try turning off VIPRE temporarily and see if your computer gets faster. If it helps, you can change VIPRE’s scan time or tell it to ignore certain folders. Also, check for any Windows updates and install them.

Please feel free to ask if you need further assistance.

Answer 5

Thanks for the update.

Since the issue persists even after disabling it, I suggest testing your SSD with CrystalDiskInfo because there is nothing more mentioned in the screenshot, except using Google Chrome, which is normal.

If you're using an HDD instead of an SSD, slow performance and high disk usage are common over time.

You can also go through this checklist to make sure the installation is set up correctly:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-11-performance-install-integrity-checklist/9bada08d-0446-4b0f-b9a2-8382a6c90941

Please feel free to ask if you need further assistance.