Windows

How to fix: Windows 10 100% Disk Usage

Last updated on November 10, 2019

Windows 10 may generally be an improvement over older versions. But,1 at the same time, it’s not like it doesn’t have its own issues as well. One of them is the 100% disk usage that numerous users seem to be experiencing.

This problem seems to be more common for HDD users and once it happens, it’ll make your PC unbearably slow. There are quite a lot of different causes for this issue and also a lot of different fixes.

So, without wasting any more time, let us get right to it!

1: Track Down the Culprit

Since there are a lot of things that may be causing the 100% disk usage, the very first thing that you should do is track down the culprit. If you can tell what it is that causes the issue, you’ve got the option of skipping through most of our solutions and using the right one immediately without wasting any time.

The easiest way to do that is by using Windows’ task manager. Here’s how:

Right-click on Windows’ dock (Very bottom of the screen)
Select “Task manager”
Click on the “Disk” section so that an arrow that points down comes up (This means that you’re narrowing down apps by increased disk usage)
And now look at what it is that’s causing your drive to work at full throttle all the time

In the above example, we can see that Windows’ Antimalware is the one that’s responsible for our high-disk usage. If you’re experiencing something similar, then head over to our “Uninstall/pause any security programs” section.

Do keep in mind that one of the reasons that this doesn’t result in 100% disk usage is due to the fast SSD that our PC uses. If we were to use a mechanical hard drive instead, chances are that it would hit 100% immediately.

After all, traditional hard drives use mechanical parts that need to physically move around in order to access different small files across the platter. And that’s one of the main reasons that certain apps may end up maxing out your drive usage very easily – regardless of the OS.

2: Uninstall/Pause Any Security Programs

While we’re on the topic of security programs, if you noticed that it’s an Anti-Malware or an Antivirus that’s causing the damage, then you can either temporarily pause it or permanently uninstall it.

The process of pausing an Antivirus will differ from program to program. Generally, you should be able to do it by opening the hidden apps (Arrow that’s pointing up at the lower right part of the screen), right-clicking on the Antivirus app, and selecting “Disable” or “Pause” – depending on what the program says.

If you can’t find that option, refer to Google or the program’s customer support/documentation. Again, the process differs from program to program. So, there’s no universal method.

Thankfully, there is at least a universal method for uninstalling programs. To do so:

Click on the Windows icon (Lower left part of the screen)
Go to Settings (Gear icon)
Apps
Find the security program that’s using your disk
Click on it
Then select “Uninstall”

The uninstall process may take a while depending on how powerful your CPU is and whether you’re using an SSD or not. The size of the Antivirus itself plays a massive role as well.

If you’re sure that the Antivirus was the cause of the 100% disk usage, then this should fix it. If you absolutely need a security program, then do keep in mind that there is the option of setting it up so that it won’t scan for viruses on specific times that you’re using the PC. And thus, the 100% disk usage issue should be eliminated without actually uninstalling the Antivirus.

3: Fix 100% Disk Usage by Disabling Windows Search

Windows Search needs to crawl through your disk for all the information that it needs. And while that’s not exactly an issue for decent builds, budget or entry-level computers may end up becoming much slower due to Windows Search.

If you find out that this is the case for you, try disabling Windows Search. You’ll lose quick access to most of the files on the computer. But, that’s better than having a super slow PC in the first place.

First things first, you should try temporarily disabling Windows Search to make sure that it’s the one to blame for the 100% disk usage. To do that:

On your keyboard, hit the Windows button along with the “X” button at the same time
Select “Command Prompt (Admin)
Click on “Yes” for the UAC (User Account Control)
And once you are in the command prompt, type net.exe stop “Windows search”

If this ends up fixing your problem, then there is almost no doubt that Windows Search is the one to blame and you should consider permanently disabling it. And if that doesn’t sound like a good idea, then you should at the very least upgrade to a good SSD.

Otherwise, here’s how to permanently disable Windows Search:

On your keyboard, hit the Windows button and the “R” key at the same time
A bar will come up. Type services.msc on it
Scroll down to Windows Search and double-click on it
Click on Startup type
Select Disabled
Hit OK
Reboot (Or stop the service on the spot
And that’s about it

If your disk is back to normal usage, then there is no doubt that Windows Search was the one to blame.

4: Perform an Anti-Malware Scan

Sometimes, the 100% disk usage issue isn’t caused by normal apps, but by malware instead. That’s why we strongly recommend performing an Anti-Malware scan as well.

There are plenty of tools that can help you do that. But, one of the most popular and effective ones is Malwarebytes. It’s completely free to use. So, do definitely give it a try.

All you have to do is:

Download Malwarebytes from its official website
Go through with the installation process (The program will provide you with instructions)
And perform a full scan

The whole process may end up taking some time. But, that’s entirely going to depend on how fast your computer is, how many files there are to be scanned, how large the drive is, how fast it is, etc. So, be patient.

Still Experiencing the 100% Disk Usage Issue?

Those were the most popular solutions to the above-mentioned issue. If there’s nothing that worked, then here are a few other fixes of miscellaneous nature that are worth a try:

Reboot the computer: It’s the traditional “Have you tried turning it off and on” approach. It’s a very simple fix that works surprisingly often
Perform a factory reset: Depending on the kind of reset that you’ll perform, this will end up deleting a few of your files. But, it’ll also bring your computer back to a brand-new like state
Switch your power plan from “Balanced” or “Power Saving” to “High performance”
Make sure that the drive itself isn’t faulty: Some tools like
Update Windows to the latest version
Disable Windows’ Superfetch: It’s the exact same process with the Windows Search that we described in detail

And if nothing works, then we’re really out of options here. If you discovered something which worked and that we haven’t mentioned in this list, then make sure to let us and everyone else know about it in the comments section.

iTunes Won’t Open? Here’s How to Fix it

Last updated on August 30, 2019

The “iTunes won’t open” issue has been getting more and more popular lately. Especially on Windows computers and often after big updates. Sounds familiar?

That’s not to say that the same issue is non-existent for Mac computers either. So, we’ll be mentioning how to fix it for both Operating Systems and on iPhones as well. That being said, let’s get right into it!

iTunes Won’t Open: Various Fixes

1: How to Fix “iTunes Won’t Open” on Windows Computers

Windows computers are the ones that most commonly face this issue. So, let’s start with that. There are various things that can go wrong and “brake” an application like iTunes. One of the most common ones is big updates that change the “structure” of the OS and sometimes, this messes up a few programs.

At this point, you can either try to repair or re-install iTunes to fix the above-mentioned issue. To repair it, go to:

Settings
Apps
iTunes
Modify
Repair

And while it says “repair”, this is more of an automatic re-installation process. Still, it should fix your issue and work just fine. If not, give it another try with the old, traditional method by going to:

Settings
Apps
iTunes
Uninstall

This uninstalls iTunes. To install them again, simply head over to the official website, download the app again, install it, log in, and pray that everything will work just fine.

If iTunes still refuses to cooperate, your best bet is to uninstall the update which messed up everything in the first place. This can be done by going to:

Settings
Update & Security
View update history
Uninstall updates
Then look for the most recent updates that were installed and remove them

After that, reboot your system and try running iTunes again. And if it still refuses to work, then your last two options are either running it in safe mode or taking it one step further and resetting your whole system.

How to Launch iTunes in Safe Mode and/or Reset Windows 10

Opening iTunes in safe mode is as easy as:

Holding down CTRL + Shift
Open iTunes while still holding down these buttons
And that’s it

If you’ve tried everything and iTunes still refuses to work, then your last line of defense is performing a factory reset. In order to do that, you must go to:

Settings
Update & recovery
Reset this PC
Get started

And here you can select to either keep your files or delete everything. Do keep in mind that no matter which way you go, all of your 3rd party apps will be deleted.

It would be for the best if you could actually perform a clean install. But, this requires Windows installation media, a valid Windows key, and secondary drives or the cloud for backups. It’s basically a whole new process. So, maybe just stick with a simple Windows reset for now.

That’s about all we got for Windows right now. And there a few other minor things that you may try like:

Restarting your system
Checking out the firewall and ensuring that it doesn’t block iTunes
Updating your drivers

And things like that. But, if you’ve tried everything that we mentioned above and it didn’t work out for you, then I highly doubt that such steps will be any more useful.

So, time to move on to Mac now.

2: How to Fix The “iTunes Won’t Open” Issue on Mac Computers

This problem is definitely a rarity for Mac users. But, if you were unfortunate enough to be one of the unlucky few, well, there’s not that much that we can really do.

The first thing that you always wanna try out in such cases is the updates. Always make sure that your system and apps are running their latest versions.

To check for updates on Mac, select the:

Apple icon
Software update

And if any updates are available, then click on the “Update now” button, wait for the installation to finish, reboot your computer, and then try opening iTunes again.

You could also try signing in with a different user account and then logging in back to your own. Alternatively, logging out and back in is worth a try if possible.

Other than that, you can also try some of the more standard fixes like rebooting your PC. But, reinstalling iTunes isn’t an option here. That’s mostly because it’s a core app for Macs and thus we’re not allowed to meddle with it like we can on Windows.

There are a few tricks to bypass that, but they sometimes lead into issues. Not to mention that the newest versions of Mac OS will not allow you to do anything anyway. You could try temporarily renaming the iTunes library folder, though. But, I doubt this will be of much help.

How to Repair Disk Permissions

One thing that may be helpful is repairing the disk permissions. To do that, you must first go into safe mode by:

Restart your Mac and upon boot, hold down the “Shift” key until you see the log-in screen
Log in
Open the Finder
Go to Application
Select “Utilities”
Disk utility
First aid
Then select “Repair Disc Permissions”

Depending on the version of Mac that you’re using, this option may not be available.

3: How to Fix “iTunes Won’t Open” on iPhone

An iPhone gives us even fewer options to work with. Still, let’s take our chances. The first thing you wanna try is restarting the phone. It poses zero risks and it’s something that may be able to fix your issue.

So, to restart an iPhone:

Hold down the power/sleep button
Slide to power off
Hold down the power/sleep button again until the phones powers on
Wait till it’s fully booted
Then give iTunes one more try

If that fails, make sure that you’re running the latest version of the app be heading over to the App Store. You could also try uninstalling and installing iTunes as you would do with any other app.

And if nothing seems to work, the only thing that remains is a factory reset. Of all the things that we’ve mentioned, this is the only one that will delete your data. So, make sure to keep backups on your PC or iCloud.

To factory reset an iPhone:

Go to Settings
General
Reset
Erase all content and settings

After that, simply follow the on-screen instructions. If memory serves right, you’ll need to double confirm your decision and insert your Apple ID for safety reasons.

This will turn your iPhone into a brand-new like state. But, it’ll also delete everything stored in the device.

That’s all for now. If you’ve got any questions or if you feel like there’s a good solution that we didn’t add, you can let us know about it in the comments section down below.

How to Customize Windows 10

Last updated on June 27, 2019

Upon trying to customize Windows 10, you’ll soon find out that you don’t have a lot of options. It may be one of the most optimized Windows versions up to date, but it sure isn’t one of the most beautiful.

Thankfully, the Windows community has created lots of little goodies that can make Windows 10 look like a totally different operating system. Let’s get right into it!

How to Customize Windows 10: The Basics

First things first, before moving on to anything advanced, let’s make sure that you’ve tried everything that Windows offers by default. If you’re not satisfied with that, then we can move towards more drastic measures.

The basics include:

Windows 10 themes
Taskbar and color settings along with transparency
And Chrome themes

Starting off with Windows 10 themes, well, they are basically just a wallpaper bundle. If you’re lucky, you may also get a few new notification sounds.

You can find plenty of themes by going to Settings -> Personalization -> Themes -> Get More Themes in Microsoft Store. Once you’re into the MS Store and you got the list of available themes, all you need to do is get whatever you want, wait for the installation to finish, and you’ll be good to go. You can change themes back in the settings menu, so, do keep that in mind!

As for the taskbar, simply click on it then move on to taskbar settings and you’ll have everything you want there. Though, to be honest, there’s not much that you can change. You can make the icons smaller, maybe show the labels, hide or show your contacts icon, things like that.

As for Chrome themes, assuming that you’re using Chrome, you can find plenty of safe options in the Chrome store. Once you’re there, the rest is self-explanatory.

The same thing applies to Firefox. Simply head to the add-ons page, select the theme that you want, and proceed from there. Both browsers have plenty of options. So, just choose whatever works best for you and don’t worry too much about theme availability.

That’s it if you want to customize Windows 10 at its core without much fluff to it. For those of you who feel a bit more open to new stuff, keep on reading!

How to Customize Windows 10’s Desktop

While trying to customize Windows 10, you could be a normie and stick with the classic shortcuts, or you could step out from your safe zone and use something like Rainmeter to up your game. Just joking, though. You can pick whatever you like and feel most comfortable with.

In case you’re not familiar with it, Rainmeter is a program which allows you to customize your desktop in ways that Windows itself would never allow you to. You can add visualizers, gauge meters, moderation tools, fancy icons, anything you want.

This effectively allows you to make Windows look and feel like a totally different OS. And you can do that by either using Rainmeter skins that the community has created, or you can even make your own.

Though, with that being said, to create a custom skin, you’ll need to be a little bit tech-savvy. And it goes without saying that you’ll have to devote a lot of time and effort – assuming that you’re a very creative person.

So, for most of us, using the skins that others have created is the easy way out. And the good thing is that there are plenty of options out there.

You can find Rainmeter skins in:

Those sources should be enough to get you started. All you have to do is install Rainmeter, find a skin that you want, download it, and you can proceed from there.

There are a few paid skins. But, for the most part, you won’t have to give a penny. You can always donate if you feel like the creator should get a small reward for his hard work. Obviously, that’s completely up to you!

We’ve also made a list of the best Rainmeter skins that you can find. So, do make sure to check that out.

Consider Using Animated Wallpapers

Once you try out animated wallpapers, there is simply no going back to “normal” ones. They just feel too dull and stale. Animated wallpapers, on the other hand, can bring new life to your PC – especially if you combine them with Rainmeter.

But, wait. We’re not simply talking about GIFs or videos that are playing on the background here. You can find plenty of interactive wallpapers or even some that will add functionality to your desktop.

This happens because there is a program in the background which is responsible for everything and it’s called Wallpaper Engine. You can easily get it on Steam in a matter of seconds or minutes – depending on your Internet speed.

You may be wondering if there’s a catch, and the truth is that there a couple of things that you must keep in mind:

You need to have Steam installed – which is free to use anyway
But Wallpaper Engine itself costs about 5 bucks (depending on your region)

Now, we feel like 5 bucks is nothing for a program that can drastically change the look of your OS. But, that’s a matter of personal opinion. And using it is extremely simple since there are a ton of wallpapers that have been created by the community. Many of them are adult-oriented as well – if you’re into that sort of thing.

As is the case with Rainmeter, Wallpaper Engine allows you create your own animated wallpapers as well. However, you do also need the necessary experience to do such a thing. Still, with time, effort, and patience, everything is possible.

To summarize, if you want to use animated wallpapers, all you need to do is:

Install Steam
Buy and install Wallpaper Engine
Launch it.
Download any wallpaper that catches your eye
You’re all set

F.A.Q

Will this slow down my PC? – That largely depends on your computer. My Ryzen 5 build doesn’t feel a thing but that’s a somewhat powerful machine. So, your mileage may vary. You can at the very least try out Rainmeter since it’s completely free and see for yourself.
Are there any dangers to using these programs? – Not really. Just download all your themes and wallpapers from reputable sources and you’ll be fine. If you mess something up, WTLS won’t take any responsibility for it.
I’ve got a Laptop. Can I still use these programs? – Again, depends on the Laptop. Not only because of power demands, but also because of thermals. After all, Laptops do struggle considerably more with cooling due to their size. At the very least, you’re going to drain your battery sooner.
Is this bad for gamers? – Depends. If you’ve got an entry build (Ryzen 3/Core i3/i5 or anything slower) we’d recommend against it. After all, if you need every little bit of horsepower to run your games efficiently, you shouldn’t leave any programs running in the background. For mid-range users and above (At least Ryzen 5/Core i7), you should be fine.

How To Use iMessage On PC/Windows

Last updated on May 28, 2019

Looking for how to use iMessage on PC? Well, while the app itself isn’t natively available on Windows, we do have a couple of tricks up our sleeve. There’s an easy way and a hard way. And when we say hard way, we really mean a 90% of it not working. Still, the easy way is bound to work, so, let’s dig right into it!

How To Use iMessage On PC With Chrome’s Remote Desktop Feature

So, as we mentioned above, iMessage isn’t natively available on Windows. But, what if we told you that you can actually use iMessage from your Mac – but from another computer?

In case you haven’t heard about it, Remote Desktop is a sort of feature that allows you to control computers remotely by using other devices like phones, tablets, or even from other computers. There are applications which are dedicated to providing this kind of thing while there also others which provide it as an additional option. We’ll be looking at the second one, Chrome’s Remote Desktop feature.

For this to work, you need to have:

Chrome installed
Chrome’s Remote Desktop add-on
A Mac and a PC
An Internet connection with both of your computers being connected to it locally

So, if you haven’t already, the first thing you need to do is head over to this link and follow the instructions that you’ll be provided with to download and install Chrome on both of your computers.

After that, you also need Chrome’s Remote Desktop extension. You should be able to get it from this link. All you have to do is click on “Add to Chrome”, wait for the installation to finish, and then you should be all set – almost.

Now we need to set things up and you’re ready to go.

Setup

Now that everything is installed, you need to set things up. It’ll take but a minute if you follow these steps (Use your Mac for those):

Open a new tab
Head over to your bookmarks bar at the top left part of your screen and click on “Apps” (Make sure that the “Apps” shortcut is enabled. if not, right click on your bookmarks bar and select “Show Apps shortcut”.
Click on “Chrome Remote Desktop”
Select “Enable Remote Connections”
Wait for the download to finish and choose a PIN

Now that this process is done, your Mac should be ready to be “Controlled” by another computer. All that remains to be done is for you to open your Windows computer, get access to your Mac, and use your Windows PC as if you were using a Mac. To do that:

Make sure that your PC is connected to the same network with your Mac
Open Chrome’s Remote Desktop (Follow the same steps that we provided above)
Head over to “My Computers”
Select your Mac computer which should be detected by now
Input the PIN which you choose
And you should be all set

That’s it for the easy way which is more or less bound to work without any issues. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you can follow the hard way as well. However, do keep in mind that you’ll most likely come across numerous issues with this one – if it’ll work at all.

2: How To Use iMessage On PC With VirtualBox

If you’ve got the appropriate software, hardware, and tools for it, computers have the ability to run multiple operating systems simultaneously. So, if your PC is powerful enough, you’ll be able to run both Windows and Mac at the same time, which effectively allows you to get access to iMessage natively.

Now, do keep in mind four things:

You’re doing this through a virtual machine – which means that Mac OS won’t be running natively
Only specific CPUs and motherboards are known for playing well with Mac OS. AMD chipsets are particularly known for not working at all with this
Even if you’ve got the exact hardware that works flawlessly with Mac OS, chances are that you’ll come across numerous issues
This isn’t a detailed guide. We’ll be posting one in the upcoming weeks

That being said, only follow those steps for the lols. If you are serious about getting iMessage to work on your PC, stick with our previous method. It’s the safest, easiest, and verified to work.

Download and install VirtualBox
Find the appropriate ISOs. Medium has already made a right over here
Open VirtualBox and proceed with the installation procedure

If the steps that VirtualBox provides you with don’t make much sense, you can wait until we release our dedicated guide on how to install Mac OS as a virtual machine.

Now, again, even if you do everything right, there is a good chance that you’ll come across issues or that the OS won’t work at all.

That’s all for now. Hopefully, that helped you with your issue. If you’ve got any questions, let us know about them in the comments section and we’ll see if we can help you.

If you liked this article, don’t forget to share it with your friends. Feel free to come back as we regularly post new content including, but not limited to, how-to guides, reviews, listicles, and more! Till next time!