Windows10 System Usage Very High

Topic

New Reply

I recently upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 1909. With the help of this forum, everything seemed to work ok. The only downside is that I now frequently receive 100% Disk usage or 100% Power Usage or high memory usage.

I am running Windows 10 Pro, version 10.0.18363. I have Intel Core i5-4750 CPU 3.2 Ghz, the system is x64-based PC, installed physical Ram 16.0 GB, Total Virtual Memory 31.9 GB, and my Local C:drive is 930 GB of which 113 GB is used with 817 GB free.

Is there any way to reduce the high usage? A friend recommended that I shrink the C: drive, but I have 2 problems with that: (1) I have no idea what shrinking means or how to do it, (2) my friend only has slightly more knowledge about computers that I do, so I am not real comfortable with his suggestion.

Any help would be appreciated.

Reply | Quote

Replies

[Bluetrix]

HE48AEEXX77WEN4Edbtm wrote:

A friend recommended that I shrink the C: drive, but I have 2 problems with that: (1) I have no idea what shrinking means or how to do it

Even though shrinking your C: Drive will not help in reducing RAM, Disk or Power

usage, just so you get an idea what “shrinking” means, let me show you an example.

This is a image of my C: Drive, viewed using Mini Tool Partition Wizard, before “shrinking” it’s size.

Using the slider bar I can “shrink” the drive size to any size I want to, as shown here:

This is used when you want to add another partition and call it D: drive (or whatever)

Or to reallocate space on existing partitions C: D: E: etc (drives) Neat little tool,

You need to find out what is using your resources, the drive size has very little to do with system usage. Check what programs are running when you see usage pegging the meter. Task Manager can provide this information.

hth

 

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Bluetrix.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Bluetrix.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Bluetrix.

Reply | Quote

Bluetrix: Is that application you have demonstrated above for Windows 7? If it is, is it possible to do the opposite and increase the size of a partition? From the name it would seem that is possible. If so, what happens to the other partitions?

I have Linux and Windows in dual boot, each with its own set of partitions on the HD. I suspect that any resize that increases the space allocated to one of them on the HD will not sit very well with the other — or even with both. But I also suspect that it could be very interesting to know that I am wrong. Thus the question.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

Reply | Quote

You can use an already included program called resource monitor to try to see what is using a lot of CPU, memory, or disk access.  Sometimes the problem is related to an antivirus software, switching to a different one could be an easy fix if you see evidence that points toward that.  Until all windows updates are applied you may not be getting accurate results, use restart to apply updates that are in queue.

SSD is much faster than a hard drive.  If you are not able to find a software fix, putting your operating system / booting from SSD will make booting and things like updates take much less time.

For a typical user, the most common CPU drain will be a website in a browser.  An adblocker may fix it, or not going to that website, or closing that website when you aren’t actively using it.  Chrome and Firefox both have an internal to the browser task manager that will tell you which of your tabs (which websites) are using high CPU.  In Chrome this is opened with shift-Esc or in the menu under more tools.

There is a built in feature called “Startup Apps” if you type that into the start menu.  It shows added things that load automatically, and says which are high users, and allows turning them off.  Act carefully, but it could provide information or help.

Reply | Quote

Concerning Resource Monitor –
On Windows 7, one can get to it in several ways:
(Note that all will trigger the UAC, requiring an Administrative ‘Yes’)
1 – Start orb: in the [ Search programs and files ], key in: resmon
2 – Start orb: if one has Run showing, key in: resmon
3 – the long way: start Task Manager > (tab) Performance > (button at bottom) Resource Monitor

To get to Task Manager:
A – Ctrl-Alt-Delete, or
B – right-click on the Task Bar at the bottom of the screen

“I now frequently receive … high [resource] usage.”
How frequent is frequent? Is there any noticeable action/s that seems to initiate this?
How long does (high usage) persist: seconds, minutes, ‘sure is a long’ time?

Reply | Quote

Windows 10 Task Manager has a Startup Impact column. Check it.

Reply | Quote

In Task Manager, in the list of running tasks, there is a heading “CPU”.  Click on the heading, and it will sort the tasks into the order of CPU usage.  This may give a clue as to what is hogging it.

Windows 10 Pro 64 bit 20H2

Reply | Quote