Windows 8.1 disk at 100%

mightyreds

Hi guys
I updated to 8.1 from 8 a long time ago in march or that and everything was fine, about a month ago windows downloaded updates and installed them, since then the disk in task manager is running at 100% every time i open it.
It is also gone extremely slow, shutting down is painfully slow, start up isn't too bad but definitely not as fast as before the update, I opened task manager and it had that avast was using the disk at 3.5mbs according to percentage was 50% of the disk does this seem right?

unkel

Uninstall Avast, reboot (make sure it is not running anymore) and report back if you still have the problem. Also in task manager what percentage is your RAM usage?

braddun

press ctrl-alt-delete to get task manager to see whats running high


from another site


been searching for a solution for over a month now and have finally solved the issue:

Go to charms bar and press search, then type view local services.
Once here, stop and disable BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service). Also, set windows update checks to manual.
Chrome also seemed to be a factor so uninstall that too

unkel

braddun wrote: »

press ctrl-alt-delete to get task manager to see whats running high

OP has done that

braddun

he has not told us whats running at high cpu

mightyreds

Here is 2 screen grabs of it the first is just in normal use at most of the time slows the computer to a snails pace.
Shutdown and startup have gone from lightening fast to being slow, the second screen grab is just after hibernate, what i dont understand is how its using so much disk in the second and its at 100 and so little in the first and its at 100??

Fysh

How much free space do you have on your disk, OP? Sounds to me like you may have hit the point of having very little space free - I've seen this variously referred to as either a hard limit or ~5% of total disk capacity, but my experience is that regardless of disk size it kicks in when your free space drops below a few GB. At this point, performance generally goes to hell until you free up some space.

unkel

mightyreds wrote: »

the second screen grab is just after hibernate, what i dont understand is how its using so much disk in the second

Hibernation means everything in RAM is stored onto a big file on your hard disk. Coming back from hibernation means all of this file (like 4GB or 8GB i.e.) has to be read, hence 100% disk use

Simple!

braddun

delete google chrome and use different browser




It is quite well known that Google Chrome can cause this 100% disk issue.

JOSman

What's a "charms Bar"?

Tks

braddun wrote: »

press ctrl-alt-delete to get task manager to see whats running high


from another site


been searching for a solution for over a month now and have finally solved the issue:

Go to charms bar and press search, then type view local services.
Once here, stop and disable BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service). Also, set windows update checks to manual.
Chrome also seemed to be a factor so uninstall that too

mightyreds

Fysh wrote: »

How much free space do you have on your disk, OP? Sounds to me like you may have hit the point of having very little space free - I've seen this variously referred to as either a hard limit or ~5% of total disk capacity, but my experience is that regardless of disk size it kicks in when your free space drops below a few GB. At this point, performance generally goes to hell until you free up some space.

Disk isnt nearly full i've 318GB free of 487GB

unkel wrote: »

Hibernation means everything in RAM is stored onto a big file on your hard disk. Coming back from hibernation means all of this file (like 4GB or 8GB i.e.) has to be read, hence 100% disk use

Simple!

The thing with the hibernate was really wondering why is the disk at 95% when its only being used at around 6MB but after hibernate its up at 132MB and at 100% doesnt really make sense?

braddun wrote: »

delete google chrome and use different browser
It is quite well known that Google Chrome can cause this 100% disk issue.

Is it really chrome damn i like chrome alot its very handy, ok chrome is gone i will test it now see how it goes

mightyreds

braddun wrote: »

press ctrl-alt-delete to get task manager to see whats running high


from another site


been searching for a solution for over a month now and have finally solved the issue:

Go to charms bar and press search, then type view local services.
Once here, stop and disable BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service). Also, set windows update checks to manual.
Chrome also seemed to be a factor so uninstall that too

this seems to have fixed it

Fysh

mightyreds wrote: »

this seems to have fixed it

I'm a bit leery of any non-managed system having BITS disabled and Windows Update on manual, but given the problem I understand that you're probably reluctant to undo the change that has gotten rid of the problem symptoms.

One thing I would suggest is running CCleaner - it's coming up in a few threads for similar issues as having helped resolve the issue, and if it means you can get back to normal performance without having Windows Update & BITS disabled then so much the better.

unkel

Fysh wrote: »

I'm a bit leery of any non-managed system having BITS disabled and Windows Update on manual, but given the problem I understand that you're probably reluctant to undo the change that has gotten rid of the problem symptoms.

One thing I would suggest is running CCleaner - it's coming up in a few threads for similar issues as having helped resolve the issue, and if it means you can get back to normal performance without having Windows Update & BITS disabled then so much the better.

+1

Also OP, have you uninstalled Avast and / or Chrome (just for troubleshooting purposes - reinstall if you find they don't use too much resources)

mightyreds

I uninstalled chrome not avast I will try that and turn back on BITS see will it change at all

unkel

One at a time to identify the culprit(s)

braddun

fixed is fixed

Fysh

braddun wrote: »

fixed is fixed

I'd counter that eliminating the symptoms != solving the problem. Especially when the mechanism for eliminating the symptoms is to effectively disable Windows Update on the system in question...

braddun

windows update has a problem in windows 8

but that's another fix,

mightyreds

I turned back on BITS and windows update, I have left chrome off, it seems to be keeping the disk usage down I will report back if it stays that way, usually when the disk hit 100, the laptop slowed to a snail pace but that seems to be resolved now, hopefully its not a false dawn

Fysh

braddun wrote: »

windows update has a problem in windows 8

but that's another fix,

I haven't had any issues with it myself thus far, I've been using it on two desktops and a tablet for most of the last year. Is it linked to a particular update/patch?