HD working hard during certain operations

[shokan]

Just out of curiosity, why do I hear my hard drive start spinning during the following two operations:

-when I zoom a webpage to 150% percent and then scroll that page, I hear the HD start to work.

-when I am using a 3D program called ZBrush, each time I rotate a very high resolution model in the display viewport, I hear the HD kick in.

Is something being cache-ed to the HD that the computer must then access each time I scroll the page, move the model?

Thanks.

 

[jitpublisher]

How much memory does your system have, sounds to me like it is having to use the swapfile on your drive fairly intensely.

 

[shokan]

HP A1514N machine, P4 3.06, 2G RAM, 200G HD, ATI Radeon XPress 200.

 

[jitpublisher]

Run your task manager, keep it on top, and see how much memory is being used when you notice the HDD activity. Clean out all your temporary internet files, set your internet cache to around 50 meg. Defrag your drive. Make sure your drive is not getting full. I am not sure about your 3d program, some programs like to use the HDD as a cache.
Last but not least, run a good program like Spybot Search and Destroy to make sure you don't have a ton of adware floating around on your system.

 

[shokan]

Thanks, but I've already done those things. I guess I'll just chalk this up to it being an old low-end machine.

 

[PsyKhiqZero]

For kicks you could disable the page file. as long as your running a lean xp install the 2GB of ram should be fine. (although some game will not run no matter how much ram you have if there is no pagefile.) IF you find that it's not worth it or that you just need the pagefile back. it's simple enough to restore.

 

[shokan]

Thanks for the replies. This forum is great. I always get knowledgable, quick responses.

BTW, with that ZBrush 3D program I was mentioning and how it is using the HD a lot when I rotate a very high-polygon (we're not talking games) model, the notice that pops up intermittently when I'm getting the HD action is "COMPACTING MEMORY". Don't know if that is also the case with when I am scrolling a zoomed webpage.

I'm building a new machine now, so this is all kind of a moot issue, but it is helping me to figure out a little bit how all this stuff works.

 

[jitpublisher]

Disabling the page file is an old trick for a gaming machine. DO NOT DO IT if you actually use the machine for other things, especially design programs.