SSD usage at 100% making my PC slow

[SeanTwig]

I have a work PC that I built using some parts from an old personal build.

 

I installed a brand new SSD to run the OS and to store basic things (Chrome, POS systems, etc). I have recently been noticing that I have spikes in lag/stutter when doing simple things like opening a new tab, moving windows across screens, etc. I thought perhaps the CPU was not able to keep up with the two monitors (just 2 regular 1080p@60Hz monitors). The CPU runs at most 60% under load (i5660k). Ram is fine too at 8Gb runnning on average at 50-60%. Then I noticed the drive usage was idling around 10% but spiking up to 100% every now and again and it coincided with the lag spikes I was getting.

 

Now I may be an idiot, but I was under the impression that an SSD is less prone to these sorts of things because it does not have to sin up a physical drive every time it needs information. Am I missing something here?

 

For clarification, my home PC uses a combination of HDD and SSD. SSD for holding the OS and I have never experienced this type of thing before.

 

Any insight would be a huge help! Thanks in advance.

 

Sean

[WoodenMarker]

What ssd are you using and what's causing so much disk usage? If you're using Windows, you can check with Task Manager. 

[SeanTwig]

5 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

What ssd are you using and what's causing so much disk usage? If you're using Windows, you can check with Task Manager. 

I am not sure of the brand off hand, is there an easy way to check without opening the case? 

Also, the only thing that seems strange in terms of disk usage is the "Service Host" sometimes hase like 14MB/s usage  and it has two processes named 'Update Orchestrator Service' and 'Windows Update'.

 

I don't know if those are supposed to be using that much but it's the only thing that I can see.

 

Sean

[Enderman]

That sounds like you didn't clean install windows...

[SeanTwig]

Just now, Enderman said:

That sounds like you didn't clean install windows...

That's what I am thinking. I basically replaced the motherboard and had my copy of Windows taken by some IT company to recover drive contents. They haven't given me the key back as yet so I can re-activate.

 

Could that be the source you think?

[WoodenMarker]

5 minutes ago, SeanTwig said:

I am not sure of the brand off hand, is there an easy way to check without opening the case? 

Also, the only thing that seems strange in terms of disk usage is the "Service Host" sometimes hase like 14MB/s usage  and it has two processes named 'Update Orchestrator Service' and 'Windows Update'.

You can check the ssd with software like CrystalDiskInfo.

Update Orchestrator Service is a Windows update service which locally shares your updates with others and vice-versa.  It's definitely a resource hog and should be disabled when turning off auto updates. 

[SeanTwig]

2 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Update Orchestrator Service is a Windows update service which locally shares your updates with others and vice-versa.  It's definitely a resource hog and should be disabled when turning off auto updates.

I am not sure exactly how that program works upon fiddling with it.

 

What are your thoughts on the above comment on Windows install? Do you think that because I haven't yet activated the license that it is trying to send pings to a server somewhere? With regards to the activation, that is coming on an order less than 2 weeks away, but I want to know if there is something else causing this.

[Enderman]

13 minutes ago, SeanTwig said:

That's what I am thinking. I basically replaced the motherboard and had my copy of Windows taken by some IT company to recover drive contents. They haven't given me the key back as yet so I can re-activate.

 

Could that be the source you think?

Yeah, you definitely want to do a clean install. That company probably just cloned windows to the SSD.

High drive usage is only one of the many issues you will run into eventually.

https://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/

 

You say your windows currently isn't activated? Do you have the thing at the bottom right hand corner of the screen that says windows isn't activated?

[SeanTwig]

1 minute ago, Enderman said:

You say your windows currently isn't activated? Do you have the thing at the bottom right hand corner of the screen that says windows isn't activated?

Roger that.

 

I mean they were a dirty ass company to start with. Wasn't my decision to use them, my father did when I was on leave. Regardless, they said they would send me the key from my old mobo, which they have not, and are now ignoring phone calls and emails

[WoodenMarker]

4 minutes ago, SeanTwig said:

I am not sure exactly how that program works upon fiddling with it.

Like I said, it's a service that shares updates. It's an option that can be toggled during Windows installation. If you turn off automatic Windows updates, it should be disabled. 

[SeanTwig]

Just now, WoodenMarker said:

Like I said, it's a service that shares updates. It's an option that can be toggled during Windows installation. If you turn off automatic Windows updates, it should be disabled. 

I was talking about the Crystal software. My apologies.

 

If I were to disable this automatic updater, I am assuming that I would need to periodically do a manual update to Windows?

[Enderman]

4 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Like I said, it's a service that shares updates. It's an option that can be toggled during Windows installation. If you turn off automatic Windows updates, it should be disabled. 

1) Unless he has windows 10 pro he can't disable updates without a registry edit workaround.

 

2) Shared updates is an option in the windows settings that can be disabled. Not the same as windows update.

 

3) You should never disable windows update.

[WoodenMarker]

2 minutes ago, SeanTwig said:

If I were to disable this automatic updater, I am assuming that I would need to periodically do a manual update to Windows?

The setting can be turned off. Windows will still automatically update. 

[SeanTwig]

Just opened Windows Update Settings to try and disable it, and what do i find, it is doing an update as we speak!

 

2018-08 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems (KB4343909) 

Status: Initialising...

 

This seems to coincide with the lag spikes I am experiencing

 

[SeanTwig]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Unless he has windows 10 pro he can't disable updates without a registry edit workaround.

Confirmed. I do not have Pro

[SeanTwig]

Update:

 

I think it has something to do with Windows 10 Update (KB4343909)

 

It says that it cannot install the update because the PC was turned off (it wasn't). I tried restarting the service and now I a manually downloading that update. Hope it works