Huge amount of random disc access for no reasons?

NeilF · 26 Sep 2008 at 10:02

I was around a friends how last night. His PC takes a long time for windows to finish loading the desktop, and then at other times, even when nothing is really being done, the hard drive gets hammered.

Is there anything obvious that could cause this? Is there an app that could be run to monitor what is using the disc?

In the system tray he has virtually no programs running. Just AVG really...

Mick-1965 · 26 Sep 2008 at 13:23

AVG will hammer the drive when its scanning.

But the other notorious windows "useless tool" that hammers the drive from time to time is drive indexing

crsnwby · 26 Sep 2008 at 13:32

You running Vista?

Vista indexes your HDD during inactive periods to speed up your searches. You can turn it off.

helmutcheese · 26 Sep 2008 at 13:33

If Vista HDD gets hammered by System Restore/Indexing and by default Windows Defender will be running.

Get rid of them 3 and HDD tames down (I had Raptor X's so know what's the noise is like).

Readyboost and 4GB of Memory also tames HDD a tad more.

P.S Vista and XP index even when your using the PC to view a movie on your Big Screen TV, total PIA.

If you don't search much or dont mind waiting a few secs longer for results KILL it.

Mick-1965 · 26 Sep 2008 at 13:36

crsnwby said:
You running Vista?

Vista indexes your HDD during inactive periods to speed up your searches. You can turn it off.

Drive indexing is also part of XP.

helmutcheese · 26 Sep 2008 at 13:40

I should add Indexing in Vista is called Windows Search if your looking to kill it in Services.

NeilF · 26 Sep 2008 at 13:48

Mick-1965 said:
AVG will hammer the drive when its scanning.

But the other notorious windows "useless tool" that hammers the drive from time to time is drive indexing

AVG has it's scanning turned off... Driving indexing? OK, I'll see if we can turn that off out of interest...

It seems to happen quite frequently, ie: numerous times an hour during normal use...

NeilF · 26 Sep 2008 at 13:49

crsnwby said:
You running Vista?

Vista indexes your HDD during inactive periods to speed up your searches. You can turn it off.

Sorry, should have said... XP!

Mick-1965 · 26 Sep 2008 at 16:13

NeilFawcett said:
AVG has it's scanning turned off... Driving indexing? OK, I'll see if we can turn that off out of interest...

It seems to happen quite frequently, ie: numerous times an hour during normal use...

Windows XP also has this feature.
Easiest way to turn it off.....open my computer, right click your hardrive and select properties. bottom left of the properties box, untick " index this drive for faster searching"

Do this for all your hard drives that you dont want indexing

NeilF · 26 Sep 2008 at 16:21

Mick-1965 said:
Windows XP also has this feature.
Easiest way to turn it off.....open my computer, right click your hardrive and select properties. bottom left of the properties box, untick " index this drive for faster searching"

Do this for all your hard drives that you dont want indexing

I'll get him to turn off the actual indexing service...

NeilF · 29 Sep 2008 at 13:16

The 'Indexing Service' was already disabled on his machine...

Mick-1965 · 29 Sep 2008 at 14:23

Even if the indexing service is disabled it can still be "ticked" in the drives properties.
whether or not its actually used, is a good question that's why I suggested turning it off individually via the drives properties.