Many processes may be running automatically in the background, contributing to the high disk usage issue whenever you start your system. In this case, your system performance will be very slow, and you may be bothered by some hidden system processes like Ntoskrnl.exe. Ntoskrnl.exe is an essential component of Windows operating system, and due to some reasons like outdated drivers, malware, corrupted Ntoskrnl.exe files, etc., this executable file consumes excessive CPU or disk resources. If you are facing the same issue, this guide will help you fix it. Continue reading the article to learn what Ntoskrnl.exe is and how to fix Ntoskrnl.exe high disk usage.
How to Fix Ntoskrnl.exe High Disk Usage on Windows 10
In this article, we have shown all the possible ways to fix Ntoskrnl.exe high disk usage on Windows 10. But before moving on to the troubleshooting methods, let us tell you what Ntoskrnl.exe is.
What is Ntoskrnl.exe?
There are several system processes responsible for the proper functioning of your operating system. The most important one is Ntoskrnl.exe. This is abbreviated as Windows NT kernel executable. Here are some features of Ntoskrnl.exe:
- Ntoskrnl.exe controls all memory and process-related functions.
- It adds the kernel and executable layers to the Windows NT kernel space, making it an essential component of your system.
- It is a system protected file, so it may not be deleted or corrupted quickly.
- The kernel, which is codenamed Ntoskrnl.exe, provides the link between your device's software and hardware, and sends the loaded data to the processing unit such as the CPU to execute the task.
Thus, without Ntoskrnl.exe, you cannot perform any operations on your system. The basic functions include;
- Software integration for seamless access with devices
- Control memory usage
- Provide sufficient data for networked components, peripherals, and more.
Without Ntoskrnl.exe, your system cannot boot and you will encounter Blue Screen of Death errors. Therefore, if you are considering removing Ntoskrnl.exe from your system due to this issue, you will be damaging your system at your own expense. However, there are some troubleshooting steps to help you resolve the issue, as discussed here.
This section has compiled a list of troubleshooting methods that should help you resolve the issue. The troubleshooting steps are arranged according to the severity and severity of the causes. Follow them for best results.
Method 1: End Outlook processes
Sometimes, Outlook 2013 causes high disk usage issues with Ntoskrnl.exe. Therefore, it is recommended to close Outlook processes to fix the issue. If you are using a different version of Outlook, try this solution to see if it resolves the issue.
1. Turn on Task management By clicking on Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys together.
2. In a window Task Management , click the tab Processes.
3. Now, search and select Outlook Tasks running unnecessarily in the background.
4. Finally, select finish the job As shown in the above image and restart the system.
Method 2: Remove incompatible programs
If you want to permanently remove a program or are experiencing problems during uninstallation, using a troubleshooting and uninstallation program can help. The program checks the registry for patch-related issues. Here are some steps to completely uninstall it from your system using the program instead of deleting it through the normal Control Panel/Settings steps.
1. Download a program Troubleshooter To install and uninstall Microsoft software.
2. Now, go to My Downloads Double click on Installed file.
The troubleshooter will install and uninstall the program to solve all the difficulties you face while uninstalling the program.
3. Now, click on "the following" And follow Instructions that appears on the screen to install the downloaded file.
4. Here, select "uninstall" Under the prompt, are you having trouble installing or uninstalling a program?
6. Next, select the program you want to uninstall. If you don't see your program, select Not listed And click "the following". Back to informed consent.
7a. If you can find the program now, follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the program.
7b. However, if you can't find your program, you'll be asked for your product code. You can find your product code in the properties table of the MSI file. Access the code and follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the program. Once finished, check if the issue has been resolved.
Method 3: Disable browser hardware acceleration
Sometimes, web browsers may run in the background, consuming CPU resources. Therefore, it's best to disable hardware acceleration in your browser and check for the issue. Here, Google Chrome is used as an example to illustrate.
1. Turn on Your web browser (such as Google Chrome) and click three-dot icon located in the upper right corner.
2. Now, click on Settings As shown in the image below.
3. Now, expand the section. "Advanced Options" In the right pane, click "the system" , as shown.
4. Here, turn off the toggle switch for Use hardware acceleration when available.
5. Then click on the option Reboot.
Method 4: Reduce processor power management
Sometimes, you can Fix Ntoskrnl.exe High Disk Usage Issue By disabling the processor power management power reduction option as shown below.
1. Press Windows + R keys Together and write powercfg.cpl Then press Enter.
2. In a window Energy Options , select option Change plan settings Within the current business plan, as shown below.
Note: You can also type edit power plan in the search bar to open the Edit Plan Settings window.
Note: If you have multiple power plans active in your system, repeat the same procedure for all multiple active plans.
3. In the Edit window Plan settings , Click Change advanced power settings.Refer to informed consent.
4. Here, in the list Advanced Settings Expand the option. Processor power management By clicking on the icon +.
5. Now, again, expand the minimum processor state by clicking on it. The symbol + As you did in the previous step.
6. Here, click on the battery and change Value% between 20% to 30%. Refer to the image above.
7. Now, click on plugged in and change % value between 20% to 30%. List as shown below.
8. Finally, tap "Application" و "OK" to save the changes.
Restart your system and check if the issue is resolved now.
Method 5: Disable the Windows Search service
The Windows Search service will index faster search results when enabled on your system. You can quickly search for any files, folders, applications, or programs by name and filter the results. However, it may contribute to slower CPU performance, and it's recommended to turn it off when needed. Turning off the feature won't affect your operating system in any way. Here's how to do it.
1. Launch the dialog box. "employment" By clicking on Windows + R keys together.
2. Write services.msc As follows and then click on "OK" to open a window Services.
3. Now, scroll down the screen and right-click on Windows Search Service , and select Properties.
4. Here, in the tab "general" Set the startup type to “disabled” From the drop-down menu as shown below.
5. Finally, tap "OK" to save the changes.
Method 6: Disable the Background Intelligent Transfer Service
The Background Intelligent Transfer Service enables smoother file transfer between systems. They are responsible for assisting the system during downloads or uploads in the background. However, they consume significant CPU resources, contributing to the problem. Disable them manually by following the steps below.
1. Open Run dialog box.
2. Write services.msc And press Enter key.
3. Now, scroll down the screen, and right-click on Background Intelligent Transfer Service , and select Properties.
4. Here, in the tab "general" Set the startup type to “disabled” From the drop-down menu as shown below.
5. Finally, tap "OK" to save the changes.
Now check if the issue is fixed or not.
Method 7: Disable the Runtime Broker process
The Runtime Broker process helps manage permissions for apps from the Microsoft Store. It only consumes a megabyte of memory, but a few incompatible apps consume gigabytes of power, causing disk usage issues. You can disable the Runtime Broker process by following any of the methods below.
Option 1: Through Settings
1. Press and hold Windows key + I Together to open Settings.
2. Now, click on System as shown.
3. Now, select Menu. Notifications and Procedures Uncheck the following options, if any.
- Show me tips about Windows
- Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows.
4. Finally, Restart your computer Check if you have fixed the problem.
Option 2: Through registry changes
1. Open the program Notepad And paste the following keys into it.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMControlSet001ServicesTimeBroker] “Start”=dword:00000003 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMControlSet001ServicesSysMain] “DisplayName”=”Superfetch” “Start”=dword:00000003
2. Now, go to File and save the file as (name_you_like).reg
3. Now, go to the location where you saved the file, right-click on it, and choose Run as administrator.
4. Now, confirm the registry changes by clicking on "Yeah" And restart your system.
Method 8: Update device drivers
If the current drivers in your system are incompatible/outdated with the files, ntoskrnl.exe , you will encounter the problem. Therefore, it is recommended to update your device and drivers to prevent the mentioned issue.
Note: In this guide, we've compiled steps for updating a common display driver. It's recommended that you update all outdated drivers.
1. Write Device Manager In the list Windows 10 Search.
2. You will see the display adapters on main board ; Double-click it to expand it. Check the screenshot for reference.
3. Now, right-click on the video card driver. (Say Intel(R) HD Graphics 620) And click Driver Update. Refer to the image above.
4. Now, click on “Search automatically” , Driver options To locate and install the driver automatically.
5a. Now, the drivers will be updated to the latest version if they are not updated.
5b. If they are already in the updated stage, the screen displays the following message, The best drivers for your device are already installed.
6. Click Close To get out of the window.
Restart your computer , and check if you have fixed the issue on your system.
Method 9: Disable the drive (if possible)
If updating the drivers doesn't fix the issue, you can disable the DVD drives because they consume a lot of resources. Then follow the steps below to do so.
1. Turn on Device Manager Using the above steps, expand the drives by double clicking on them.
2. Now, right-click on DVD player and select Uninstall device.
3. Now, a warning prompt will be displayed on the screen. Confirm the prompt by clicking uninstall.
finally , Restart your system And check if the problem is resolved.
Now, here are some additional fixes to resolve the Ntoskrnl.exe high CPU usage issue. First, try the troubleshooting methods below to:Fix Ntoskrnl.exe High Disk Usage .
Method 10: Delete incompatible Windows updates
Some recent problematic updates to your system may be causing high disk usage. Ntoskrnl.exe. You can turn it off manually by following the steps below.
1. Open Settings by tapping on Windows key + I together.
2. Now, click on Update and security As shown.
3. Now, click on View update history in the left pane.
4. Here, click Uninstall updates As shown.
5. Here, select Last updated and click Option uninstall As shown.
6. Here, click "uninstall" To confirm the claim as described.
7. Finally, wait for the process to complete and restart your system.
Method 11: Disable automatic fragmentation
Defragmentation will rearrange your data on your hard disk for faster access. It is enabled by default in Windows 10 and may be causing this high disk usage issue. Disable it manually by following the steps below. Additionally, users are advised to follow any of the following options to disable automatic defragmentation to fix the high disk usage issue of Ntoskrnl.exe.
Option 1: Use defragmentation and drive optimization
Follow these steps to use the Defragment and Optimize Drives app.
1. Write The Lord of the Rings Optimize your drives in the search list and open the best results.
2. Now, click on Change settings As shown below.
3. Here, uncheck the option, Run on a schedule (recommended), and click "OK" to save the changes.
Option 2: Use a task scheduler
You can also disable automatic defragmentation using Task Scheduler to fix Ntoskrnl.exe high disk usage as follows.
1. Write Task Scheduler in Search menu Unlock the best results.
2. Now, expand the Task Scheduler Library in the left pane and go to Microsoft > Windows > Defrag folder.
3. Now, in the middle pane, right-click on ScheduledDefrag and select option "Disable" As shown.
Restart your system and check if you have fixed the issue.
Option 3: Use the Command Prompt
You can also disable automatic fragmentation using command lines, as shown below.
1. Press Windows key , And type Command Prompt And click Run as administrator.
2. Now, type the following command in the command window and press Enter. Enter.
schtasks /Delete /TN “MicrosoftWindowsDefragScheduledDefrag” /F
Now, your system will not perform any automatic defragmentation anymore.
Method 12: Temporarily disable antivirus (not recommended)
Follow the given steps to temporarily disable your antivirus to fix Ntoskrnl.exe high disk usage.
Note: We do not recommend keeping your antivirus software disabled because antivirus software protects your computer from malware.
1. Go to Antivirus code in Taskbar Right click on it.
2. Now, select the option Control Avast Shields.
3. Choose any of the given options according to your convenience:
- 10 minute disablement
- Disabled for 1 hour
- and disable until the computer is restarted
- Permanently disabled
4. Confirm the on-screen prompt and restart your computer.
Note: You can go to the antivirus menu and click on Run to reactivate the shield.
Method 13: Uninstall Dell System Detect (for Dell computers)
Many users have reported that Dell System Detect interferes with ntoskrnl.exe files, causing the problem. Uninstall it by following the steps below to fix the high disk usage issue with ntoskrnl.exe.
1. You can run Run dialog box Go to the search menu and type "employment".
2. Write appwiz.cpl As follows and then click on "OK".
3. The utility will open. Programs and Features And now he will search for Dell System Detect.
4. Now, click on Dell System Detect and select an option uninstall.
Note: We have shown Google Chrome as an example.
5. Now, confirm the prompt Are you sure you want to uninstall Dell System Detect? by clicking "Yes".
6. Restart your computer once you've completed all the above steps. Check if the issue has been resolved.
We hope this guide is helpful, and you can fix High disk usage Ntoskrnl.exe. Let us know which method works best for you. Also, if you have any queries/suggestions regarding this article, feel free to leave them in the comments section.
