A Computer Problem

Stitch · Post by **Stitch** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:13 pm

I know this is a woodworking forum but you all have computers too so maybe someone can help. What could cause what appears to be constant hits on my hard drive even though Task Manager shows no application being used and the system being about 95% idle?

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:53 pm

Windoze.

mickyd · Post by **mickyd** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:22 pm

Stitch wrote:I know this is a woodworking forum but you all have computers too so maybe someone can help. What could cause what appears to be constant hits on my hard drive even though Task Manager shows no application being used and the system being about 95% idle?

My laptop had the same issue until I got rid of Norton Antivirus in place of Trend Micro. It crippled my laptop. Like you, nothing showed in task manager and processes running showed only a few % resources taken up. I think Norton was doing behind the scene scans but can't say for sure. There's some web articles on Norton running scans too frequently. Too bad for Norton. I had been with them for 10 years.

Don't hesitate to post anything about any subject. We all have 'issues' we can help each other with. That's what community forum is for.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:05 pm

heathicus wrote:Windoze.

Good Answer!!!!:rolleyes: Dos never did that!:eek:

Mike: Norton not allow you to define scan parameters?

Stitch · Post by **Stitch** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:08 pm

This has been a lingering problem for some time now. It is not present all of the time. I have stripped out all that I can. I removed the virus software except MSE. I have removed Java and a couple other utilities. Basically it is a laptop with an OS and Windows and Mozilla Firefox and the Shopsmith forum.

We'll see now if the problem still exists or not.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:15 pm

Stitch wrote:This has been a lingering problem for some time now. It is not present all of the time. I have stripped out all that I can. I removed the virus software except MSE. I have removed Java and a couple other utilities. Basically it is a laptop with an OS and Windows and Mozilla Firefox and the Shopsmith forum.

We'll see now if the problem still exists or not.

Like Heath said, Windoze likes to snoop around the hard drive and 'internalize' directory contents in anticipation of your needing to access one of them. It also does not always write when so directed, but rather does so when it thinks it is a good time to do so(that is one reason you must shut down windows rather than merely turning the computer off(That was how we did it in the good old days).

horologist · Post by **horologist** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:30 pm

While spyware or other undesirable things could cause such problems I agree it is likely a Windows issue. On my machine running Vista I have found that it does this quite often, especially when it has software updates and I ignore the notice. I never had this trouble with XP.

Troy

Stitch · Post by **Stitch** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:39 pm

I am running XP on a Dell Latitude laptop that has been a workhorse for a long while (about three, maybe four years).

I do intend to be arguing any point. I am just trying to determine what is going on with this laptop.

mickyd · Post by **mickyd** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:53 pm

JPG40504 wrote:Good Answer!!!!:rolleyes: Dos never did that!:eek:

Mike: Norton not allow you to define scan parameters?

You can but the the software doesn't listen. It's a techical issie that didn't have a clean solution.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 4:14 pm

mickyd wrote:You can but the the software doesn't listen. It's a techical issie that didn't have a clean solution.

'Clean solution' = AVG!:D