Intermittent hard drive activity

[Bruce Fleming]

We have Windows XP Professional, all service
packs/updates installed, on a Dell Optiplex GX1, Maxtor
91360u4 hard drive. While the computer is on and no one
is using it, it intermittently accesses the hard drive,
once every, say, few minutes. Any suggestions for
stopping this seemingly never-ending (but nevertheless
intermitten) hard drive activity?

 

[JAX]

Intermittent HD activity is normal. XP performs several functions while the
computer is idle. If the light stays on, you have a problem.

LOL, JAX

 

[D]

Biggest offender I found doing this was my firewall
application, busy updating log files. I since turned off
logging for all except "hacking attempts"

 

[Bobby]

Sounds like you have "indexing" switched on.

Switch it off and that will reduce HD activity (I forget how but enter
"indexing" into help system and that will tell you how).

I've found indexing provides very little added functionality.

Bobby

 

[Frank]

: We have Windows XP Professional, all service
: packs/updates installed, on a Dell Optiplex GX1, Maxtor
: 91360u4 hard drive. While the computer is on and no one
: is using it, it intermittently accesses the hard drive,
: once every, say, few minutes. Any suggestions for
: stopping this seemingly never-ending (but nevertheless
: intermitten) hard drive activity?

Are you sure that this is HDD activity. It may be polling
your CD/DVD drives.