Hard Disk Cycling

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

For some reason that I can't fathom my hard disk has recently started being
accessed every couple of seconds or so even when the system is idle. I've
done all the basic checks and have configured XP to be as lean as possible
using guidance from www.blackviper.com. I haven't made any recent changes
that I know of - it's just stated doing it and apart from not knowing why the
noise is driving me crazy! Any suggestions for how I can track down the
cause?

I am running XPSP2 with 1 GB RAM and 2*120GB hard drives with seperate
partitions for the OS, data and the swap file (which is 2GB and on the other
physical drive from the OS). Processor is Athlon 64 3200.

Thanks,
--
Peter

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

Also, since you have 1GB ram, disable the swap files and see if it solves
the noise.
Also, look in Windows Task Manager and see what application is using the
disk - under CPU in Processes window. Look at those 00 and the one that is
active should have 01 or more - ignore System Idle that shows the ballance
99 or less.
Michael

"Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:ebMKI6dIFHA.4060@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Indexing Service?
>
> --
> Hope this helps. Let us know.
>
> Wes
> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
>
> In news:4D33FF20-180D-4AA2-B941-2056F14F7E7D@microsoft.com,
> Peter Hobson <PeterHobson@discussions.microsoft.com> hunted and pecked:
>> For some reason that I can't fathom my hard disk has recently started
>> being accessed every couple of seconds or so even when the system is
>> idle. I've done all the basic checks and have configured XP to be as
>> lean as possible using guidance from www.blackviper.com. I haven't
>> made any recent changes that I know of - it's just stated doing it
>> and apart from not knowing why the noise is driving me crazy! Any
>> suggestions for how I can track down the cause?
>>
>> I am running XPSP2 with 1 GB RAM and 2*120GB hard drives with seperate
>> partitions for the OS, data and the swap file (which is 2GB and on
>> the other physical drive from the OS). Processor is Athlon 64 3200.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> --
>> Peter

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

Seemes like XP needs to access the swap file quite often.
Well, try moving the swapfile on the boot drive; also, try a bigger, fixed,
size (3GB?) or just a minimal (2MB for error dump) size and see what
happens. Defrag the drive before setting the swap file.
Also, try loading all XP kernel in RAM - you'll find the registry setting
with Google.
Michael


"Peter Hobson" <PeterHobson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BB0B967B-A60E-451E-AEEF-036942D5F7E9@microsoft.com...
> Checked all those - the indexing service is off. Only active process
> seems
> to be Task Manager itself, which occasionally shows 1% to 2%. The hard
> disk
> access is the same frequency as the histogram update in the TM performance
> window (ie about every 1.5 seconds), so they seem to be related.
> Everything
> else is zero except System Idle.
>
> If I disable the swap file it seems to stop, but starts again as soon as I
> enable it.
>
> Any other suggestions appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
> "Phillips" wrote:
>
>> Also, since you have 1GB ram, disable the swap files and see if it solves
>> the noise.
>> Also, look in Windows Task Manager and see what application is using the
>> disk - under CPU in Processes window. Look at those 00 and the one that
>> is
>> active should have 01 or more - ignore System Idle that shows the
>> ballance
>> 99 or less.
>> Michael
>>
>> "Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:ebMKI6dIFHA.4060@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>> > Indexing Service?
>> >
>> > --
>> > Hope this helps. Let us know.
>> >
>> > Wes
>> > MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
>> >
>> > In news:4D33FF20-180D-4AA2-B941-2056F14F7E7D@microsoft.com,
>> > Peter Hobson <PeterHobson@discussions.microsoft.com> hunted and pecked:
>> >> For some reason that I can't fathom my hard disk has recently started
>> >> being accessed every couple of seconds or so even when the system is
>> >> idle. I've done all the basic checks and have configured XP to be as
>> >> lean as possible using guidance from www.blackviper.com. I haven't
>> >> made any recent changes that I know of - it's just stated doing it
>> >> and apart from not knowing why the noise is driving me crazy! Any
>> >> suggestions for how I can track down the cause?
>> >>
>> >> I am running XPSP2 with 1 GB RAM and 2*120GB hard drives with seperate
>> >> partitions for the OS, data and the swap file (which is 2GB and on
>> >> the other physical drive from the OS). Processor is Athlon 64 3200.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks,
>> >> --
>> >> Peter
>>
>>
>>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

I am not affiliated with MS, but really I cannot make any recommandations
regarding third party tools. I hack my registry myself - you get a feeling
of it after some time; so, I have no idea about OptimumXP. However, I had
some unpleasant experiences with the few optimization tools that I bothered
to try. Best thing about tweaking yourself is that you know what you just
done - while learning.
Michael

"Peter Hobson" <PeterHobson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FA61D44C-E39D-4EE3-A208-D67D3CDC8F00@microsoft.com...
> Thanks. I did a Google and found a programme called 'Optimum XP' from
> Roemer
> Software which does all sorts of tweaks including loading all the kernel
> into
> RAM. Do you know this application or have any comment (not sure if you're
> allowed to make recommendations or not!).
>
> "Phillips" wrote:
>
>> Seemes like XP needs to access the swap file quite often.
>> Well, try moving the swapfile on the boot drive; also, try a bigger,
>> fixed,
>> size (3GB?) or just a minimal (2MB for error dump) size and see what
>> happens. Defrag the drive before setting the swap file.
>> Also, try loading all XP kernel in RAM - you'll find the registry setting
>> with Google.
>> Michael
>>
>>
>> "Peter Hobson" <PeterHobson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:BB0B967B-A60E-451E-AEEF-036942D5F7E9@microsoft.com...
>> > Checked all those - the indexing service is off. Only active process
>> > seems
>> > to be Task Manager itself, which occasionally shows 1% to 2%. The hard
>> > disk
>> > access is the same frequency as the histogram update in the TM
>> > performance
>> > window (ie about every 1.5 seconds), so they seem to be related.
>> > Everything
>> > else is zero except System Idle.
>> >
>> > If I disable the swap file it seems to stop, but starts again as soon
>> > as I
>> > enable it.
>> >
>> > Any other suggestions appreciated.
>> >
>> > Thanks.
>> >
>> > "Phillips" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Also, since you have 1GB ram, disable the swap files and see if it
>> >> solves
>> >> the noise.
>> >> Also, look in Windows Task Manager and see what application is using
>> >> the
>> >> disk - under CPU in Processes window. Look at those 00 and the one
>> >> that
>> >> is
>> >> active should have 01 or more - ignore System Idle that shows the
>> >> ballance
>> >> 99 or less.
>> >> Michael
>> >>
>> >> "Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> >> news:ebMKI6dIFHA.4060@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>> >> > Indexing Service?
>> >> >
>> >> > --
>> >> > Hope this helps. Let us know.
>> >> >
>> >> > Wes
>> >> > MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
>> >> >
>> >> > In news:4D33FF20-180D-4AA2-B941-2056F14F7E7D@microsoft.com,
>> >> > Peter Hobson <PeterHobson@discussions.microsoft.com> hunted and
>> >> > pecked:
>> >> >> For some reason that I can't fathom my hard disk has recently
>> >> >> started
>> >> >> being accessed every couple of seconds or so even when the system
>> >> >> is
>> >> >> idle. I've done all the basic checks and have configured XP to be
>> >> >> as
>> >> >> lean as possible using guidance from www.blackviper.com. I haven't
>> >> >> made any recent changes that I know of - it's just stated doing it
>> >> >> and apart from not knowing why the noise is driving me crazy! Any
>> >> >> suggestions for how I can track down the cause?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I am running XPSP2 with 1 GB RAM and 2*120GB hard drives with
>> >> >> seperate
>> >> >> partitions for the OS, data and the swap file (which is 2GB and on
>> >> >> the other physical drive from the OS). Processor is Athlon 64
>> >> >> 3200.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Thanks,
>> >> >> --
>> >> >> Peter
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>