Windows Security - 100% disk usage

[Steevo]

Anyone else had trouble with 100% disk usage for 30mins or more after boot?

A Google search seems to suggest it’s due to MsmpEng.eve which is part of Windows Defender/Windows Security.

I’m struggling to find a long term fix for it.

 

[rollestonpark]

are you saying the hard disk is full?
Don't quite understand....
Although my knowledge of windows isn't what it was.
I moved to linux mint about 3/4 years ago (maybe more) and most of my computer issues went away.
Windows is utter rubbish, it's pure spyware these days, a data collection OS first and foremost.

 

[ollie989898]

Something serious afoot if you have 100% disk usage. Possibly a failing disk or a malicious software running.

 

[RushesToo]

@Steevo
Get task manager up. control shift escape.
click "More details"
Order by disk clicking on the colum to get the order. [you must have done this to know that disk is 100% so you are most of the way there]
Then look at the most likely problem programmes - usually showing as CPU% or GPU%.
High CPU ones - kill off = right click "end task"
High GPU ones kill off= right click "end task".

You should exert care - you should only kill things that you recognise as apps - leave the windows ones alone - they are usually called something like "blah blah service" or service blah blah" and don't have recogniseable icons.

When you have killed the app off try and update it as that is most likely the problem. Then restartthe computer.

 

[Netherfield]

@Storeman anything to add

 

[Storeman]

Right click on the task bar and select Task Manager from the menu.
Click on the Performance tab near the top.
Then click on the blue Open Resource Monitor text in the lower left.
Click on the Disk tab.
The second bar down will give a list of all disk activity if you click on it.
You can then click on the columns to order the tasks by least or most activity, have a look at the totals column and see what Windows reports as using the disks the most.

 

[Steevo]

are you saying the hard disk is full?

No, just always busy. "100% Active Time"

 

[JimAndy]

How full is your HD and how much memory does your machine have

 

[RushesToo]

@Steevo
Get task manager up. control shift escape.
click "More details"
Order by disk clicking on the colum to get the order. [you must have done this to know that disk is 100% so you are most of the way there]
Then look at the most likely problem programmes - usually showing as CPU% or GPU%.
High CPU ones - kill off = right click "end task"
High GPU ones kill off= right click "end task".

You should exert care - you should only kill things that you recognise as apps - leave the windows ones alone - they are usually called something like "blah blah service" or service blah blah" and don't have recogniseable icons.

When you have killed the app off try and update it as that is most likely the problem. Then restartthe computer.

@Steevo
Have you still got the problem?
If you still have the problem and didn't understand the instructions - please say and I will type extra details.
If your computer is so broken that you don't get this message, not much I can do unless your phone still works for TFF

 

[Steevo]

@Steevo
Get task manager up. control shift escape.
click "More details"
Order by disk clicking on the colum to get the order. [you must have done this to know that disk is 100% so you are most of the way there]
Then look at the most likely problem programmes - usually showing as CPU% or GPU%.
High CPU ones - kill off = right click "end task"
High GPU ones kill off= right click "end task".

You should exert care - you should only kill things that you recognise as apps - leave the windows ones alone - they are usually called something like "blah blah service" or service blah blah" and don't have recogniseable icons.

When you have killed the app off try and update it as that is most likely the problem. Then restartthe computer.

Sorry, yes I did pick this up. The problem still exists. It could be down to a slow HDD (5400rpm non SSD) but I have another similar laptop that has no issues like this at all).

You suggest killing off the high CPU and GPU processes - currently CPU total is running at around 10-15% so nothing is really pulling much CPU. GPU is running at 0% (onboard).

 

[Steevo]

How full is your HD and how much memory does your machine have

650GB free out of 1TB. RAM is 8gb of which ~4gb is used at any one time.

 

[Steevo]

Right click on the task bar and select Task Manager from the menu.
Click on the Performance tab near the top.
Then click on the blue Open Resource Monitor text in the lower left.
Click on the Disk tab.
The second bar down will give a list of all disk activity if you click on it.
You can then click on the columns to order the tasks by least or most activity, have a look at the totals column and see what Windows reports as using the disks the most.

Thanks. I did this a slightly different way previously but your method makes much more user friendly sense.

Sorting by Total is seems to vary a quite a bit depending - historically it has been Msmpt.exe (Windows Security/Defender) but it seems to chop and change a bit - I'm wondering if that is because it allows one program to do the thinking, then when that finishes another has been waiting so that does loads, then the next etc. etc. etc. 50% of the time it's a System process showing in the far left (Image) column as the top "offender".

Disc queue lengths can peak to 50-60 at times when it starts up for 10-15 mins.....but even sometimes when it's calmer it will run 100% active time, with just a single digit queue length.

Happy to post screenshots if it helps.

 

[Storeman]

Thanks. I did this a slightly different way previously but your method makes much more user friendly sense.

Sorting by Total is seems to vary a quite a bit depending - historically it has been Msmpt.exe (Windows Security/Defender) but it seems to chop and change a bit - I'm wondering if that is because it allows one program to do the thinking, then when that finishes another has been waiting so that does loads, then the next etc. etc. etc. 50% of the time it's a System process showing in the far left (Image) column as the top "offender".

Disc queue lengths can peak to 50-60 at times when it starts up for 10-15 mins.....but even sometimes when it's calmer it will run 100% active time, with just a single digit queue length.

Happy to post screenshots if it helps.

Yes, it will chop and change as different processes use the disk as and when required.

Check there isn't another anti-virus product installed, this can cause a conflict, although in reality, Windows should disable Defender in these instances.

Also, check that Defender is updated and that it hasn't got stuck on an update, that may cause an issue.

A couple of things to try here..... https://tencomputer.com/msmpeng-exe-high-cpu-usage-windows-10/

Some other possible solutions to try.... https://thegeekpage.com/fix-msmpeng-exe-high-cpu-usage-in-windows-10/

See how you get on.

 

[RushesToo]

@Steevo Drinking in the last chance saloon, something made this machine unhappy, it may have been the latest windows update - in which case a bug will get fixed tomorrow night ["Patch Tuesday" - but fixes released by Microsoft are always the second Tuesday in the month]
If that doesn't fix it uninstall the last app installed - which is most likely the guilty party. Using search go to to "add and remove programmes" sort it by date installed and uninstall the most recent thing you installed. Reboot, etc.

Really you probably need an SSD or new PC as this one sounds pensionable - but you wouldn't have asked if that were the answer.

 

[TGM]

Webroot anti virus software can dinnertime fill a hdd with temp files Webroot sometimes mandatory for some online banking systems. I've forgotten the solution. The temp files are not that easy to find. But do a Google search if you have webroot installed. I did get the problem fixed. search for webroot filling up hard drive