Windows 10 intermittently hangs even when no programs are running

Hi, I have a relatively blank windows 10 machine, except for the stuff that's pre-loaded. I'm not a techie so I don't like touching things unless I have to.

My machine is an acer running on windows 10 (not sure what version, I assume the most basic one that comes with the machine, home maybe). My cpu is a pentium quad core n4200, the laptop has 4 gb ram and 404 gb of hdd free of a total of 464 gb accdg. to windows explorer.

My issue is that windows 10 keeps hanging intermittently even when no programs are opened, to the point where I click on the windows icon and it takes a few minutes before the windows menu from the bar shows up.

It's so irritating because I open the machine to work but can't work for the first 45-60 minutes because of this.

I've attached the task manager screens, one is sorted by memory usage, the other by disk usage. Not sure why they're so high when no programs are running.

I hope you can help me fix this. I'm okay with 'deleting' or removing any of the useless or non-essential things that causing the slowdown.

Thanks a lot in advance.

See the discussion under the following article:
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/wsapp...sk-usage-issue

Create & use the following .reg file (or directly modify that value in registry):
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AppXSvc]
"Start"=dword:00000004
Restart.

(To revert back, change the same value to 3 instead.)

Thanks for your tips.

Dalchina, my windows version is:
windows 10 home single language
version 1709 (OS Build 16299.192)

muchomurka,

I tried the tips in https://www.thewindowsclub.com/wsapp...sk-usage-issue
but, search tells me that there's no ‘gpedit.msc file.

In the registry there's also no entry of windowsstore underHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\
pls. see image below



Hope someone can help. It takes me over an hour just to check these and reply because the machine keeps hanging.

Hi again muchomurka,

I just changed the [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AppXSvc] to 4 and that seemed to work really well.

I do get a onedrive isn't connected... try again when I start the laptop which wasn't there. Not sure why that happens.

But, the speed seems normal now, ie. it doesn't hang every now and then.

Thanks.

elgee: congrats, you successfully determined that the core of problems lies in some of Metro apps.

- in Home edition, gpedit isn't present, so all changes must be performed by direct editing registry
- AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) is in some way helper service for Metro/Modern apps, disabling it may influence their function
- if this is not acceptable, you may try to isolate problem app:
____1. revert Start value to 3 & restart comp
____2. disable OneDrive & background Metro apps (Settings, Privacy, Background apps)
____3. test which app makes problems by enabling one by one & restarting
- unfortunately OneDrive is one of the most suspect apps; how many files it synchronizes? Reducing the number may help
- as a last resort, you may consider using alternatives - google drive, dropbox...

Hope this helps. I cannot do more b/c I don't use Metro apps at all.

Hi muchomurka , thanks a lot!

I really appreciate your help. I don't really need any of the metro apps so I'm good. The laptop's working 'normally' now without all the hanging.

You're welcome, elgee.