Windows Vista Forums

Disk Thrashing
  1. #1


    bvandew Guest

    Disk Thrashing

    I've been running Vista Business since it was released. The last few days, I
    have noticed the hard drive is being accessed almost continuously, even with
    no applications open. There is nothing taking up excess RAM or CPU cycles
    according to Task Manager. I made a few changes to the indexed locations a
    few days ago, but nothing drastic. The computer is on all night with nothing
    running, but the disk is still thrashing. What might be causing this?

    --Bruce




      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  2. #2


    Nicole & Tom Guest

    Re: Disk Thrashing

    bvandew wrote:
    > I've been running Vista Business since it was released. The last few
    > days, I have noticed the hard drive is being accessed almost
    > continuously, even with no applications open. There is nothing taking up
    > excess RAM or CPU cycles according to Task Manager. I made a few changes
    > to the indexed locations a few days ago, but nothing drastic. The
    > computer is on all night with nothing running, but the disk is still
    > thrashing. What might be causing this?
    >
    > --Bruce
    >

    It is probably defragging the disk. Vista does this once a week by default.

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  3. #3


    Bobby Guest

    Re: Disk Thrashing

    You can get around this by scheduling a weekly defrag.

    I leave my PC on overnight once a week (a Saturday night) when I schedule
    various weekly tasks - such as defrag, spyware (defender) full scan, backup
    etc.

    "Nicole & Tom" <nicandtom@gmail.com> wrote in message
    news:Oa$bQ1zOHHA.4424@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
    > bvandew wrote:
    >> I've been running Vista Business since it was released. The last few
    >> days, I have noticed the hard drive is being accessed almost
    >> continuously, even with no applications open. There is nothing taking up
    >> excess RAM or CPU cycles according to Task Manager. I made a few changes
    >> to the indexed locations a few days ago, but nothing drastic. The
    >> computer is on all night with nothing running, but the disk is still
    >> thrashing. What might be causing this?
    >>
    >> --Bruce
    >>

    > It is probably defragging the disk. Vista does this once a week by
    > default.



      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  4. #4


    Paul-B Guest

    Re: Disk Thrashing

    bvandew wrote:

    > I've been running Vista Business since it was released. The last few
    > days, I have noticed the hard drive is being accessed almost
    > continuously, even with no applications open. There is nothing taking
    > up excess RAM or CPU cycles according to Task Manager. I made a few
    > changes to the indexed locations a few days ago, but nothing drastic.
    > The computer is on all night with nothing running, but the disk is
    > still thrashing. What might be causing this?
    >
    > --Bruce


    Vista.

    --
    Paul-B

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  5. #5


    Colin Barnhorst Guest

    Re: Disk Thrashing

    It would be the indexing. Defragging alone cannot explain what you
    describe. In any case, the defragger runs once a week in the wee hours and
    for a limited time. It does not attempt to completely defrag the system
    before shutting down. You should not see it working during typical work
    hours.

    "bvandew" <bvanderw@gmail.com> wrote in message
    news:FFB75E70-23D5-4664-80ED-11DF8F5FBA52@microsoft.com...
    > I've been running Vista Business since it was released. The last few days,
    > I have noticed the hard drive is being accessed almost continuously, even
    > with no applications open. There is nothing taking up excess RAM or CPU
    > cycles according to Task Manager. I made a few changes to the indexed
    > locations a few days ago, but nothing drastic. The computer is on all
    > night with nothing running, but the disk is still thrashing. What might be
    > causing this?
    >
    > --Bruce
    >



      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  6. #6


    Rock Guest

    Re: Disk Thrashing

    "bvandew" wrote

    > I've been running Vista Business since it was released. The last few days,
    > I have noticed the hard drive is being accessed almost continuously, even
    > with no applications open. There is nothing taking up excess RAM or CPU
    > cycles according to Task Manager. I made a few changes to the indexed
    > locations a few days ago, but nothing drastic. The computer is on all
    > night with nothing running, but the disk is still thrashing. What might be
    > causing this?


    Open performance monitor. Click the start orb, type per and Reliability and
    Performance Monitor should appear at the top of the list. Run it and in the
    right pane expand the disk section. You can sort by Writes and see what
    processes / files are accessing the disk.

    --
    Rock [MVP - User/Shell]


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  7. #7


    MrMikeH Guest

    Re: Disk Thrashing

    I had the same problem and it was the defrag. There is an option to turn off
    the automatic defrag, which I set and haven't had the problem since.

    --
    Mike

    "bvandew" <bvanderw@gmail.com> wrote in message
    news:FFB75E70-23D5-4664-80ED-11DF8F5FBA52@microsoft.com...
    > I've been running Vista Business since it was released. The last few days,
    > I have noticed the hard drive is being accessed almost continuously, even
    > with no applications open. There is nothing taking up excess RAM or CPU
    > cycles according to Task Manager. I made a few changes to the indexed
    > locations a few days ago, but nothing drastic. The computer is on all
    > night with nothing running, but the disk is still thrashing. What might be
    > causing this?
    >
    > --Bruce
    >


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

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