Disk activity remains high until you shift the cursor.
Disk activity remains high until you shift the cursor.
The system runs from the kernel, but it's unclear what's consuming disk space. Use Resource Monitor to see which parts are using the most reads and writes during peak usage. It might be routine maintenance—check if it can be turned off in the control panel, but pinpoint the exact I/O source first.
It might relate to your system preferences. Windows often attempts to resolve issues on its own. Consider a clean installation, avoid modifying any default configurations, install the incontrol app, and let it handle things. Refrain from altering other settings—except perhaps disabling the fast start option. By default, Windows doesn't make these changes, especially when updates are disabled and hardware problems aren't present. It could also indicate a problem with your hard drives, which is equally possible.