Okay, I've turned off "Indexing", what else can I try?

( previous post - "My hard drive won't shut up")

I turned off Indexing but my hard drive is still constantly busy doing
something! Every 10-15 seconds it goes into a flutter of activity! It's
not Norton, or any othe programs that I've installed, it's been doing this
from the very beginning, right after I installed Windows XP Home for the
first time!

"itemyar" wrote in message . ..
( previous post - "My hard drive won't shut up")

I turned off Indexing but my hard drive is still constantly busy doing
something! Every 10-15 seconds it goes into a flutter of activity! It's
not Norton, or any othe programs that I've installed, it's been doing this
from the very beginning, right after I installed Windows XP Home for the
first time!

I missed the first part of this thread, but here are a few things
to check:

1. Make sure DMA mode is enabled for your IDE channels.

2. Make sure XP has a pagefile, preferably on a separate
physical drive (or at least on a separate/dedicated partition on
the same physical drive).

3. Make sure you have adequate system memory to avoid
constant pagefile swapping (at least 512MB, preferably more).

3. Disable XP services that aren't required for your installation
(careful with this one, look up an online guide for this).

4. Keep your drive(s) defragmented.

"Rod Speed" wrote in message ...
Jack F. Twist wrote
itemyar wrote

( previous post - "My hard drive won't shut up")

I turned off Indexing but my hard drive is still constantly busy
doing something! Every 10-15 seconds it goes into a flutter of
activity! It's not Norton, or any othe programs that I've
installed, it's been doing this from the very beginning, right after
I installed Windows XP Home for the first time!

I missed the first part of this thread, but here are a few things
to check:

1. Make sure DMA mode is enabled for your IDE channels.

2. Make sure XP has a pagefile, preferably on a separate
physical drive (or at least on a separate/dedicated partition on
the same physical drive).

3. Make sure you have adequate system memory to avoid
constant pagefile swapping (at least 512MB, preferably more).

3. Disable XP services that aren't required for your installation
(careful with this one, look up an online guide for this).

4. Keep your drive(s) defragmented.

None of those will produce drive activity when the system is idle.

Idle is a relative term, e.g. load XP on a system with 128MB
memory and it'll thrash the hard drive almost constantly, even
before any apps are loaded.

Thanks Jack,

I've ordered a second drive, I'll put the "Pagefile" on it! Memory
shouldn't be the problem, I have 2 gigs! Plus, I don't have any IDE hard
drives; two DVD's on the primary and a Zip drive on the secondary. Brand
new drive, so I doubt if it's fragmented much, but I'll try that too!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jack F. Twist" wrote in message
ink.net...
I missed the first part of this thread, but here are a few things
to check:

1. Make sure DMA mode is enabled for your IDE channels.

2. Make sure XP has a pagefile, preferably on a separate
physical drive (or at least on a separate/dedicated partition on
the same physical drive).

3. Make sure you have adequate system memory to avoid
constant pagefile swapping (at least 512MB, preferably more).

3. Disable XP services that aren't required for your installation
(careful with this one, look up an online guide for this).

4. Keep your drive(s) defragmented.

Jack F. Twist wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Jack F. Twist wrote
itemyar wrote

( previous post - "My hard drive won't shut up")

I turned off Indexing but my hard drive is still constantly busy
doing something! Every 10-15 seconds it goes into a flutter of
activity! It's not Norton, or any othe programs that I've
installed, it's been doing this from the very beginning, right
after I installed Windows XP Home for the first time!

I missed the first part of this thread, but here are a few things to check:

1. Make sure DMA mode is enabled for your IDE channels.

2. Make sure XP has a pagefile, preferably on a separate
physical drive (or at least on a separate/dedicated partition on
the same physical drive).

3. Make sure you have adequate system memory to avoid
constant pagefile swapping (at least 512MB, preferably more).

3. Disable XP services that aren't required for your installation
(careful with this one, look up an online guide for this).

4. Keep your drive(s) defragmented.

None of those will produce drive activity when the system is idle.

Idle is a relative term,

Nope.

e.g. load XP on a system with 128MB memory
and it'll thrash the hard drive almost constantly,
even before any apps are loaded.

Bull**** it will once its booted and its idling.

And its unlikely he's got 128M anyway.

itemyar wrote

Thanks Jack,

I've ordered a second drive, I'll put the "Pagefile" on it!

Waste of time, that wont be the problem. XP runs fine on single drives.

Memory shouldn't be the problem, I have 2 gigs!

Yep.

Plus, I don't have any IDE hard drives; two DVD's on the primary and a Zip drive on the
secondary.

Brand new drive, so I doubt if it's fragmented much, but I'll try that too!

No point, fragmentation wont produce those symptoms.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jack F. Twist" wrote in message
ink.net...
I missed the first part of this thread, but here are a few things
to check:

1. Make sure DMA mode is enabled for your IDE channels.

2. Make sure XP has a pagefile, preferably on a separate
physical drive (or at least on a separate/dedicated partition on
the same physical drive).

3. Make sure you have adequate system memory to avoid
constant pagefile swapping (at least 512MB, preferably more).

3. Disable XP services that aren't required for your installation
(careful with this one, look up an online guide for this).

4. Keep your drive(s) defragmented.

"itemyar" wrote in message ...
Thanks Jack,

I've ordered a second drive, I'll put the "Pagefile" on it! Memory
shouldn't be the problem, I have 2 gigs! Plus, I don't have any IDE hard
drives; two DVD's on the primary and a Zip drive on the secondary. Brand
new drive, so I doubt if it's fragmented much, but I'll try that too!

What kind of drive is XP installed on? Again, I missed the first
part of this thread.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jack F. Twist" wrote in message
ink.net...
I missed the first part of this thread, but here are a few things
to check:

1. Make sure DMA mode is enabled for your IDE channels.

2. Make sure XP has a pagefile, preferably on a separate
physical drive (or at least on a separate/dedicated partition on
the same physical drive).

3. Make sure you have adequate system memory to avoid
constant pagefile swapping (at least 512MB, preferably more).

3. Disable XP services that aren't required for your installation
(careful with this one, look up an online guide for this).

4. Keep your drive(s) defragmented.

"Jack F. Twist" wrote in message
ink.net...
"itemyar" wrote in message
...
Thanks Jack,

I've ordered a second drive, I'll put the "Pagefile" on it! Memory
shouldn't be the problem, I have 2 gigs! Plus, I don't have any IDE hard
drives; two DVD's on the primary and a Zip drive on the secondary. Brand
new drive, so I doubt if it's fragmented much, but I'll try that too!

What kind of drive is XP installed on? Again, I missed the first
part of this thread.

SATA I assume

Ed

itemyar wrote:
( previous post - "My hard drive won't shut up")

I turned off Indexing but my hard drive is still constantly busy doing
something! Every 10-15 seconds it goes into a flutter of activity! It's
not Norton, or any othe programs that I've installed, it's been doing this
from the very beginning, right after I installed Windows XP Home for the
first time!




Get rid of Norton.

"itemyar" wrote in message
. ..
( previous post - "My hard drive won't shut up")

I turned off Indexing but my hard drive is still constantly busy doing
something! Every 10-15 seconds it goes into a flutter of activity! It's
not Norton, or any othe programs that I've installed, it's been doing this
from the very beginning, right after I installed Windows XP Home for the
first time!




what 'bios tweaks' have you enabled in the bios in reference to the IDE
controller or Hard drive setup?