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    Random activity bursts on external HDD

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by yensed, Oct 21, 2010.

  1. yensed

    yensed Notebook Geek

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    A couple weeks ago I got a new notebook with Windows 7 Home Premium. My previous notebook used Vista and I never had a problem with it or my external HDD. Its a little odd to explain so I'll just give a scenario: I want to access something on my external HDD (E:\). I go to into E:\ and can see all my files & folders and can browse around with no problem. But as soon as I try to open a file(MP3 for example), the HDD activity light starts blinking super fast and nothing actually happens till its done "thinking" a few seconds later. Its very similar to if I were trying to play something on the same drive I'm also transferring GB's of data onto simultaneously. Unless I let my system idol for a couple hours or put it to sleep, the issue won't happen again and I can open or view anything I want with no unusual delay.. There will be other times when I have the external HDD plugged in but am not using it for anything and its activity light will suddenly start flashing like crazy. And when I try to go into e:\ during that time I have to wait till its done doing whatever its doing.

    I've searched on Google and on here but nothing I've read is about this issue on Windows 7 specifically. Security Essentials is not on a schedule and says I am clean, Windows updates are Downloaded but not Installed automatically, I don't share any files, Indexing is Disabled, Happens both Online and Offline, SMART says the HDD in fine, Tried different USB ports and I never encounter this problem on Windows XP or Vista. The HDD is purely removable storage and there are no programs that cache to it or are tied to it at all. Its like there is some type of caching going on in the background but I can't figure out what it is. It can't be any of my software so it has to be something in Windows. Sorry for the novel, but can anyone help?

    Thank You
     
    yensed, Oct 21, 2010
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  2. H.A.L. 9000

    H.A.L. 9000 Occam's Chainsaw

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    Have you looked into how fragmented the external drive is? Windows 7 can usually manage it's system partition pretty well without user interaction, but you may need to see about your external.
     
    H.A.L. 9000, Oct 22, 2010
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  3. yensed

    yensed Notebook Geek

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    Disk Defragmentor says both my internal and external are 0%
     
    yensed, Oct 22, 2010
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  4. H.A.L. 9000

    H.A.L. 9000 Occam's Chainsaw

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    That is indeed interesting. Have you looked in the Resource Monitor under the Disk Management to see what processes are using the external when this happens?
     
    H.A.L. 9000, Oct 22, 2010
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