Disk 100%, high memory or CPU use in Task Manager

Task Manager shows how hard your laptop is working. If Disk, Memory or CPU sit near 100 per cent and everything feels sluggish, you can usually find the cause.

Quick fixes to try first

• Restart the laptop. This clears most temporary pile-ups.
• Wait ten minutes after start-up. Updates and scans often run in the background and then settle.
• Close browser tabs and programs you are not using. Browsers are often the biggest user of memory.

Step by step

1. Press Ctrl, Shift and Esc together to open Task Manager.
2. On the Processes tab, click the Disk, Memory or CPU column heading to sort the biggest users to the top.
3. Look for a program you recognise and do not need right now. Click it and choose End task. Save your work first, as unsaved changes will be lost.
4. Do not end items you do not recognise or that are from Windows. If unsure, leave them.
5. Open Settings, then Windows Update, and let any updates finish, then restart.

If that did not work

• Run a Windows Security scan. Open Start, search Windows Security, choose Virus & threat protection, then Quick scan.
• Check your free space. Windows 11 and 10: Settings, System, Storage. A nearly full drive makes disk use spike.
• Disable unneeded start-up programs from the Startup apps or Startup tab in Task Manager.
• Older laptops with a spinning hard drive often hit 100 per cent disk use. Fixing that properly usually means an SSD upgrade, which a professional should do.

Avoid free tuning or cleaner programs from the internet.

When to get more help

Stop and email us if disk use stays at 100 per cent after a restart, the same unknown program keeps using lots of CPU, the fan runs loudly all the time, or you hear clicking from the drive. Back up your files if you can. Tell us the name of the program at the top of the list.