What Is WSAPPX? Why Does It Cause High Disk In Windows 10?

Have you ever noticed, during working, sometimes, your system starts to lag, and you might have even experienced mini-freezes out of nowhere?

You decide to open the Task Manager to check what is going on with your system and notice a particular process sucking up high system resources, whether it is the CPU or hard disk.

It happens quite often, and users worldwide have experienced this issue on their systems. This particular, suspiciously-named process is “wsappx,” which may cause users to believe it is a strange entry – that could be a potential virus or malware.

Most of the time, the culprit behind sluggish and slow computers is wsappx. The first question that comes to mind after seeing the unfamiliar entry in the Task Manager is, “What is wsappx?”.

The answer to this question is simple, and luckily, there are plenty of copper-bottomed workarounds that you can try to fix the wsappx high CPU or disk usage in no time. Before getting to the fixes, you may try restarting your computer.

Sometimes, a simple restart does wonders, and you might even fix the issue before getting to the solutions. Now, there is one more thing, before we get to the workarounds, we need to understand what exactly is this process and what does it do?

What Is Wsappx?

Wsappx is a legitimate Windows process related to the Microsoft Store. It is installed by default in Windows 10 and 8. It handles the updating, installation, and deletion of applications (Universal Windows Platform or UWP apps for short) that you download from the Microsoft store.

Despite looking suspicious, it is a critical Windows process, without them, the UWP apps may not work accurately. Wsappx is required if you want to update, install or delete applications from the Microsoft store.

The application usually consumes little to no CPU or disk usage unless a UWP app is running in the background. If you decide to download an application from Microsoft Store, the process will consume more CPU and disk usage.

When expanded in the Task Manager, you may see two sub-processes; AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) and the other one is Client License Service (ClipSVC). The Client License Service handles licensing and protects against piracy.

AppX Deployment Service deploys the applications and is the service that causes the applications to run smoothly in the background, due to which it is usually the service that causes high CPU or disk usage on the computer.

It is a crucial process required by the UWP apps to run normally in the background as Windows needs to update the apps in the background, disabling or removing them from your system is not ideal, and it is not recommended.

Simply disabling the process will disable every Windows Store app, and it may even cause the Store to malfunction. If you are worried about high CPU or disk usage, some workarounds can fix the issue but disabling or deleting is not one of them.

In this article, we will see fixes that will resolve the high system resource usage without actually having to disable or delete the service.

Why Is Wsappx Using So Much Disk Or Space?

As previously mentioned, wsappx comprises of two sub-processes AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) and the other one is Client License Service (ClipSVC).

These two services have their separate jobs, which help the user to download, delete or update an application from the Microsoft Store.

These processes are essential, the AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) service is responsible for the deployment of applications, and whenever a UWP app is running, updated, installed, or deleted, this service starts.

AppXSVC is the main reason behind wsappx high disk or CPU usage. Client License Service (ClipSVC), on the other hand, is responsible for licensing, and it protects the apps from privacy.

Whenever an app from Microsoft Store is downloaded and installed, these two services get into action and runs in the background, causing high CPU or disk usage.

If either of these services is stopped, the UWP apps will not be deployed to the system, and they may not function properly.

If you are not using any applications from the Microsoft Store and you want to disable this process, after all, there are other applications that you may use unconsciously, and they also may start to behave abnormally.

Can I Kill The Wsappx Process? Is It A Virus?

Wsappx is a legitimate Windows process that can be found running in the background on the Task Manager in Windows 10 and 8. Ever since the introduction of the Microsoft Store, there are so many processes introduced by Microsoft with suspicious names.

These processes might look like a virus, but they are, in fact, processes developed by Microsoft for running Windows apps smoothly and securely.

Out of this process, wsappx is another process that manages the Windows apps, which includes updating, deleting, and installing.

Be at ease; wsappx is not a virus, and it safe to run. The process itself does not start unless an application from the Microsoft store is started, which triggers the startup of this specific process.

Yes, the wsappx process can be killed or disabled.

However, since it is a critical process for managing UWP applications from Microsoft Store, the operating system i.e., Windows 10 and 8, will start this service automatically, as long as the application is running in the background.

Just because Windows allows the users to disable these processes does not mean it is a good idea.

If you decide to kill the process, you may experience abnormal behavior by the UWP apps, or possibly they might not even start, and you might be bereft from using the Windows store.

WSAPPX High Disk Usage: The Solutions!

Now that we have some information about what this process wsappx do, it is time to get to the reliable solutions that will fix the high CPU or high disk usage in no time.

The list includes technical as well as the easiest and straightforward fixes.

You should be able to resolve the soaring system resource usage with the help of these reliable, practical workarounds. Without wasting any time, let us get to the solutions.

1- Disable Windows Store

The first thing you can try as a fix is by disabling the Microsoft Store (previously known as Windows Store) to check if the Store is behind the high CPU or disk usage.

A lot of the time, Windows Store is the main culprit behind the elevated disk or CPU usage. This is why we are starting the list of the solutions with Windows Store makes more sense.

You can disable the Windows Store by using Group Policy Editor Utility. Do not worry, you can enable the Microsoft Store later after ensuring that the Store is not the reason behind high disk usage.

To disable the Windows Store on your respective Windows operating system, follow either one of the two methods:

Disable Windows Store by Group Policy Editor

1. Press the “Win + R” keys on your keyboard to open Run utility, then type “gpedit.msc” and press Enter.
   
2. Under “Local Computer Policy”, expand the “Computer Configuration” category, expand “Administrative Template” and then select “Windows Components”.
3. Then expand “Windows Components”, scroll down and select “Store”.
4. On the right side of the Group Policy Editor, right-click “Turn off the Store Applications” and select “Edit”.
5. A new popup window will open, change the status of “Turn off Store application” from “Not Configured” to “Enabled”.
6. Press “Apply” and then “OK” when done.
7. Restart your computer to check if the issue persists.

For enabling the Microsoft Store again, follow step 1 till step 5, and this time select “Not Configured” then press “Apply” and “OK”. It will enable the Store.

2- Extend Virtual Memory

If you are not familiar with virtual memory, you might wonder, what the heck is virtual memory and how is it related to wsappx high disk usage.

If you have a high disk usage problem quite often and the high disk usage problem did not happen the first time. It is because you have low virtual memory allocated to your computer.

Virtual Memory is a feature of Windows and other operating systems, that allows the computer to compensate for low physical memory by transferring some data from your RAM to the virtual memory.

When your RAM and virtual memory both are full, the hard drive will be fully utilized automatically. To fix the issue, you might want to increase your virtual memory. This will take off some burden from your hard drive, and the work processing will become smooth.

Allocating more virtual memory may also fix the high disk usage by wsappx and could be the fix you are looking for. To extend your virtual memory, here is what you need to do:

1. In the Search box, on the Task Bar, type “performance” and select the “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” result.
2. A new Performance Options window will open, select the “Advanced” tab and under the “Virtual memory” section, select “Change…”.
3. Uncheck the “Automatically manage paging file size for all devices”. This will make the custom size of the virtual memory to become available.
4. Now select “Custom size:” in the “Initial size (MB): ” box, you can type your RAM size. In the “Maximum size (MB):” enter twice the amount of your memory.
5. After filling the boxes with your RAM size, press “Set”.
6. Press “OK”. It will increase the size of virtual memory.
7. Restart your computer and check if the high disk usage issue persists.

3- Disable ClipSVC And AppXSVC

In this method, you can disable the ClipSVC and AppXSVC sub-processes that make up the wsappx process in general. If you do not use the Microsoft Store at all, feel free to follow this fix.

However, if you rely on multiple UWP apps, after disabling these services, the apps may not function properly.

Use this method as a last resort, you should try other workarounds before this solution, you might be able to resolve the issue without having to disable ClipSVC and AppXSVC services.

Before disabling these services, you should disable the Microsoft store from solution number 1.

This method will permanently disable the services. After disabling the Microsoft Store, here is what you need to do:

1. Open the Run utility, type “regedit” and click the “OK” button to open the “Registry Editor”.
2. Find and expand the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” folder by clicking the arrowhead icon, then again expand the “SYSTEM” folder.
3. Find the “ControlSet001” folder, expand it again. Then highlight and expand the “Services” folder
4. A huge list of folder will appear under the “Services” folder. Then click the “AppXSvc” folder. On the right pane of the window, select “Start”, right-click and select “Modify…”.
5. A new small window will appear, from the window, change the “Value data:” field from 3 to 4. Click “OK” when done
6. Now again, follow step 4, this time, select and expand “ClipSVC” and the rest of the procedure is the same.
7. After disabling both services, close the “Registry Editor” window.
8. Restart your computer for applying the modified changes.

Check via the Task Manager whether you are still facing high disk or CPU usage.

4- Run A Virus Scan

Oftentimes, people’s computers get infected by a virus or malware without them realizing it, and right after infection, the computer starts to behave abnormally. This is due to the threat in action.

Many times, the virus or the malware causes high CPU or disk usage. You can never rule out the possibility of your system being virus or malware-free. There is a chance your system is infected by a virus or malware, which is causing high CPU or disk usage.

To rule out this possibility, run a thorough scan of your computer for viruses or malware. Being prone to virus attacks is not so difficult these days, as many hackers and cybercriminals have found clever ways to infect people’s computers.

If you are unsure whether your system is infected or not, running a virus scan is still a good idea.

1. Open the antivirus installed on your system.
2. Go to the Scan section and do a complete and thorough scan of your computer.
3. Waif for the program to complete the scan. If the program finds any threat, remove it from your system.
4. You may also want to run a separate malware scan by trustworthy antimalware software like Malwarebytes.
5. Restart your computer to check if running a virus scan changes anything.

5- Disable Automatic Store App Updates

Due to the Store keep checking for updates, you may see wsappx using high CPU usage. In such cases, disabling the automatic store app updates will resolve the issue. The method is easy to perform, and people around the internet have been able to solve this problem by following this circumvent.

This issue is prominent in low-budget systems because of their low physical hardware capabilities. If your system is not physically buffed, disabling the automatic system will not only take some workload off your CPU and hard disk, your system might even perform better than before.

To disable automatic store updates, follow the steps mentioned down below:

1. Open Microsoft Store by typing “store” or “Microsoft store” in the Search box on the Task Bar.
2. Click the three-dot menu on the top right corner of the Store’s window.
3. Select “Settings”.
4. Under the “App updates” section, turn off the “Update apps automatically”. This will stop the applications from updating automatically. For manually updating the apps, follow step 5.
5. Click the three-dot menu again, and this time select “Download and updates”.
6. Press the “Get updates” button on the top right corner.
7. Download and install any pending updates.
8. Close the Microsoft Store window when done.
9. Restart your system and check if the issue is resolved.

6- Change Value Of AppXSVC In Registry

If none of the above methods have worked for you and wsappx is still using high system resources, there is one thing that you can try. In this method, we will change the values of AppXSVC in the registry, which will prevent this service from running.

You might wonder why only AppXSVC? The reason we will only change the value of this service is that it is the main sub-process that sucks up high amounts of system resources as it is responsible for app deployment.

ClipSVC, on the other hand, is responsible for anti-piracy measures, nothing else. So, only changing the value of AppXSVC should do the trick. Here is how you can access the AppXSVC in Registry Editor:

1. Open the Group Policy Editor by Run utility. Press “Win + R” on your keyboard to open Run, type “regedit” and press Enter.
2. Select and expand “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE”, then expand “SYSTEM”.
3. Expand “ControlSet001” and then select and expand “Services”.
4. Scroll down and expand “AppXSvc”, on the right panel, select “Start”, right-click and select “Modify…”.
5. In the new window, modify the value under “Value data:” from 3 to 4. Press “OK” when done.
6. Restart your system.

After restarting, check if there is any change related to your system. If you are still unable to fix the issue, there are a couple more workarounds that you can try.

7- Uninstall Recently Installed Apps

In this method, we will try to uninstall a recently installed application downloaded from the Microsoft Store. There is a chance the app that you have downloaded somehow managed to get its files corrupt or missed some files during download.

Poor internet connection or sudden shutting down of system during downloading/installation of the application and so on, are some of the reasons behind file corruptions. Microsoft Store is notorious for being slow and taking forever when downloading any app.

During the download if the download get interrupted unexpectedly, the files can get corrupted and cause the Wsappx to act crazily. Using this method, remove bloatware apps along the way, it will also free up extra system resources used by these apps.

Windows is full of bloatware applications which may not hurt high to the mid-budget systems, but they will surely affect the performance of low-budget computers. You can uninstall recently installed UWP and bloatware applications by following the steps listed down below.

1. In the Windows search box, on the Taskbar, type “add or remove programs” and click the first search result
2. Click the “Sort by:” and select “Install date” to sort the list and the recently installed apps will appear on the top of the lists.
3. Find any app that you do not use and click the “Uninstall” button.
4. Again click the “Uninstall” button from the prompt to remove the application.
5. Remove all of the recently installed applications. Also, remove any useless applications which you are not using.
6. Restart your PC and check if the issue still persists or not.

8- Troubleshoot In Clean Boot State

If everything else failed to fix the wsappx high disk or CPU usage, there is one last fix that you can try. It is more of a technical fix, so follow this after you have completely exhausted other solutions with no luck whatsoever.

A clean boot state is a state of the operating system where the system boots the operating system without any extra apps and processes. There is a way to disable extra applications in operating systems. You can try disabling all of these applications to check if they are the culprit behind high CPU or disk usage.

To perform a clean boot, here is what you need to do:

1. Open the Run utility by pressing “Win + R” on your keyboard, then type “msconfig” and click the “OK” button.
2. It will open the Microsoft System Configuration utility.
3. Under the “General” tab, select “Selective startup” under the “Startup selection” section.
4. Deselect the “Load startup items” and press “Apply”.
5. Select the “Services” tab on the top, select “Hide all Microsoft services” and then click “Disable all”.
6. Save your changes by pressing “Apply” and “OK”.
7. Restart your computer, and the operating system will boot in a clean state where all other services except for core Microsoft services will be disabled.
8. Check via the Task Manager whether the issue has been resolved or does it still persists.

If you are curious about how to enable these services again, you can repeat all of the steps listed above, and in the step 5, instead of clicking the “Disable all” button, press the “Enable all” button, and all of the services will be enabled again.

Fun Fact:

From the guide, we got to know that wsappx high CPU or disk usage is caused by multiple reasons. To find the exact reason that caused the issue is a bit tricky. Fortunately, the solutions are quite reliable and can fix the problem in no time.

Sometimes due to problems with your hard drive, you may face the wsappx high disk usage. You can eliminate the possibility by running the Disk Check service on the Command Prompt. Open your command prompt from the Start button.

Type in the following command to run the Check Disk tool:

• “chkdsk.exe /f /r”

Press Enter and press “Y” from your keyboard, to confirm that you want to run the command. Let Windows complete the process, if Windows will find any fixable issue, it will automatically fix the problem.

After Windows completes the check disk, restart your PC to check if the problem has been resolved or not.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1- Can I turn off Wsappx?

Ans: No, you cannot turn off the service, but you can disable the wsappx service from the Task Manager, since it is a crucial Windows process, it will activate after a certain period. You can also permanently disable the service via the Windows Registry Editor.

Turning of the service is not recommended, as it will prevent the UWP apps to run properly. The Store might also malfunction.

Q2- What is Wsappx on my computer?

Ans: It is a legitimate critical Windows process that is used for managing the applications downloaded and installed from Microsoft Store, including updating and deleting as well. It comes pre-installed with the Microsoft 10 and 8 versions.

Normally, it would not run until an application from the Windows store is ran. It has two sub-processes; AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) and the other one is Client License Service (ClipSVC). The Client License Service handles licensing and protects against piracy.

AppX Deployment Service deploys the applications. This service only runs when Windows requests it.

Q3- Can I disable Wsappx Windows 10?

Ans: You can disable the service temporarily from the Task Manager, but if you want to disable it permanently, you can do it by using the Windows Registry Editor utility. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > ControlSet001 > Services > AppXSvc > Start > Modify the value from 3 to 4.

Q4- Is Wsappx necessary?

Ans: If you rely on a lot of UWP applications (apps downloaded and installed from Microsoft Store), then wsappx is a very crucial and necessary process for managing the UWP applications. If you can live without UWP apps, you may disable the service from the Windows Registry Editor.

Q5- Is Wsappx a virus?

Ans: No, as suspiciously as it may seem, wsappx is not a virus and is a legitimate Windows process that can be found in Windows 10 and 8. If you think your system is infected by a virus or malware, it is advisable to run reliable anti-virus software.

Q6- What is wsappx (2) ?

Ans: Wsappx (2) refers to the two sub-processes running in the background; AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) and the other one is Client License Service (ClipSVC). AppX Deployment Service or AppXSVC is responsible for the deployment of applications downloaded from the store.

The Client License Service exists for licensing and protects applications from privacy. These two processes, when combined, you will see something like wsappx (2) in the task manager.