I'm experiencing random spikes of 100% disk usage on my C Drive, even when I'm just sitting on the desktop. During these spikes, applications start to lag, and eventually freeze, although the cursor moves smoothly. These bursts can last anywhere from 5 seconds to a couple of minutes, sometimes leading to a black screen. I've checked the Task Manager for processes using disk space, but nothing shows significant activity. This doesn't seem to happen consistently; some days it's fine, while other days it can spike several times in an hour.
I've already tried a fresh installation of Windows 11, disabled content indexing, confirmed that Windows is up to date, and checked my drive's health with CrystalDiskInfo (which reported it as 96% good). I've also disabled the SuperFetch service, but the issue persists. I'd appreciate any insights into whether this could be a hardware issue or something software-related!
3 Answers
Have you tried looking at the Resource Monitor? The disk tab can show you exactly what’s causing the spikes. I once had a runaway script that was writing massive amounts of data and was able to fix it through that. Also, make sure to check your other drives for health and smart data, and test your RAM just in case.
This happened to me when there was a graphics driver update that didn't install properly. I removed all NVIDIA drivers and reinstalled them, which solved my issue. Maybe check if you have any updates or issues with your drivers as well!
It sounds like your hard drive might be on its way out. I had a similar issue once, and it was ultimately due to a failing drive. Have you checked the health of your drive with SMART data?
I ran a health check, and it said the drive was 96% good. I'm hoping that's not the case, but I might need to look into it more.
I'll definitely check out the Resource Monitor and run a memory test too. Seems like there could be a lot going on here!