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Programs installed on my SSD sometimes access the HDD

Last response: in Storage
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This is really bizarre to me, but may reveal my obvious lack of understanding.

I've got a SSD and a HDD installed. Windows 7 was installed on the SSD. I've also installed many light-weight apps on the SSD. However, some of them cause the HDD to awake out of sleep mode.

For example, there are times when I do to download something from my browser (e.g., Chrome), and it pauses for a few seconds, I hear the HDD begin to spin, and then the download begins. Does this mean I somehow installed Chrome incorrectly? I chose the path that put it directly onto the SSD.

Same thing sometimes happens when I click to empty the Recycle Bin on the desktop. Nothing happens, the HDD begins to spin, and then the right-click menu appears. Now, if I have something in the Recycle Bin from the HDD, then that makes perfect sense. But such is not always the case.

What am I missing?

More about : programs installed ssd access hdd

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Storage Expert

The second question is much easier. Your system doesn't know that there is nothing in the HDD's recycle bin until it reads the HDD's recycle bin, which is on the HDD.

The first question is a bit more interesting. A few possibilities / questions occur to me:

1) Did you move any of the folders, like My Documents, to the hard drive? If so, these could be being accessed. Some people repoint TEMP to save wear on the SSD. I leave TEMP on the SSD; I think it makes things run faster to have scratch space in the fastest possible location.

2) Feeling like doing an experiment? Remove the cables from the HDD, boot, and run those apps. If they don't run, they may tell you what they are missing. If they do run, then it may be something in what the OS is doing.

Sorry I can't give you a definitive answer yet,

WyomingKnott said:
The second question is much easier. Your system doesn't know that there is nothing in the HDD's recycle bin until it reads the HDD's recycle bin, which is on the HDD.

The first question is a bit more interesting. A few possibilities / questions occur to me:

1) Did you move any of the folders, like My Documents, to the hard drive? If so, these could be being accessed. Some people repoint TEMP to save wear on the SSD. I leave TEMP on the SSD; I think it makes things run faster to have scratch space in the fastest possible location.

2) Feeling like doing an experiment? Remove the cables from the HDD, boot, and run those apps. If they don't run, they may tell you what they are missing. If they do run, then it may be something in what the OS is doing.

Sorry I can't give you a definitive answer yet,


Thanks for those thoughts!

#1) I haven't moved any of those folders, like Documents, to the HDD. However, I may have repointed TEMP... hmm. I remember doing a tutorial that described how to do some things to reduce wear on the SSD. How can I tell if that was one thing I did?

#2) That's a great idea. I can do that.

WyomingKnott said:
Check temp with My Computer -> Properties -> Advanced -> Environment Variables. Be sure to check both the system and user sections.


Thanks.

First TEMP (User Variable) reads: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp

Second TEMP (Sys variable) reads: C:\Windows\Temp

So I think we're all good there. C:\ is where the OS is installed (as well as apps like Chrome, Firefox, etc.). E:\ is my HDD where I have stuff like music, videos, and other programs that I'm not so worried about running instantaneously.

Thanks.

Ok, just an update.

I removed the SATA cable from my HDD, and started up the machine. No problems at all. I've downloaded stuff from both Chrome and Firefox with no issues. They always download to the Desktop (as I specified in their settings).

So I'm still puzzled as to why when I download stuff that it wakes up the HDD.
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