FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return a
"defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the past
4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching television.
I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.



Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always do
this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had previously
sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a noise. I also
checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one Avast process had
over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started my
main hard drive going spastic.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

Are you sure you don't still have to return the drive? AFAIK WD cross ships
RMA drives to get the new drive to you faster but also requires a credit
card number so they can bill you for the new drive if you do not return the
RMA'd drive with a certain time frame.

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uWHAucE9JHA.288@xxxxxx

> FOOD FOR THOUGHT
>
> I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return a
> "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
> past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
> television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.
>
> Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
> purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
> do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
> previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
> noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
> Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
> booting up.
>
> Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started my
> main hard drive going spastic.
>
> --
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Desktop Experience
>
>

I believe he meant that the drive is no longer acting sick, now that Avast
is history.

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:22:58 -0700, Curious wrote:

> Are you sure you don't still have to return the drive? AFAIK WD cross ships
> RMA drives to get the new drive to you faster but also requires a credit
> card number so they can bill you for the new drive if you do not return the
> RMA'd drive with a certain time frame.
>
> "Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:uWHAucE9JHA.288@xxxxxx

>> FOOD FOR THOUGHT
>>
>> I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return a
>> "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
>> past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
>> television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.
>>
>> Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
>> purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
>> do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
>> previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
>> noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
>> Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
>> booting up.
>>
>> Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started my
>> main hard drive going spastic.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Richard Urban
>> Microsoft MVP
>> Windows Desktop Experience
>>
>>

--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uWHAucE9JHA.288@xxxxxx

> FOOD FOR THOUGHT
>
> I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return a
> "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
> past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
> television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.
>
> Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
> purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
> do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
> previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
> noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
> Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
> booting up.
>
> Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started my
> main hard drive going spastic.

My Avast don't present me with any of the symptoms you describe and I
definitely don't think it is the culprit.
Curious probably has the right idea.

Harry.

>
> --
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Desktop Experience
>
>

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:22:58 -0700, "Curious" <spammenot@xxxxxx>
wrote:

> Are you sure you don't still have to return the drive? AFAIK WD cross ships
> RMA drives to get the new drive to you faster but also requires a credit
> card number so they can bill you for the new drive if you do not return the
> RMA'd drive with a certain time frame.

I was going to reply similarly, but then I realized that when he said
"I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive," Richard was
talking about what developed in his second paragraph. He doesn't have
to return it because he no longer wants to replace it.

As he said "Anyway, all now seems well."

> "Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:uWHAucE9JHA.288@xxxxxx

> > FOOD FOR THOUGHT
> >
> > I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return a
> > "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
> > past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
> > television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.
> >
> > Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
> > purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
> > do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
> > previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
> > noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
> > Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
> > booting up.
> >
> > Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started my
> > main hard drive going spastic.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Richard Urban
> > Microsoft MVP
> > Windows Desktop Experience
> >
> >

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:56:10 -0400, "webster72n"
<webster72n@xxxxxx> wrote:

> "Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:uWHAucE9JHA.288@xxxxxx

> > FOOD FOR THOUGHT
> >
> > I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return a
> > "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
> > past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
> > television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.
> >
> > Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
> > purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
> > do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
> > previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
> > noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
> > Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
> > booting up.
> >
> > Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started my
> > main hard drive going spastic.

>
> My Avast don't present me with any of the symptoms you describe and I
> definitely don't think it is the culprit.

Although I run NOD32 on my main computer, I run Avast on two other
computers here. I've also installed it for several other people. Like
you, I haven't had any problems such as the one Richard had.

Why he has experienced the "22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2
hour," I don't know.


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Wow that's a lot of reads. It probably wore down the drive quite bad... This
issue would be unique to Avast I use Nod32 and find it quite nice and
subtle.

--

http://www.jewelerslounge.com/

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uWHAucE9JHA.288@xxxxxx

> FOOD FOR THOUGHT
>
> I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return a
> "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
> past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
> television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.
>
> Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
> purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
> do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
> previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
> noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
> Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
> booting up.
>
> Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started my
> main hard drive going spastic.
>
> --
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Desktop Experience
>
>
>

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uWHAucE9JHA.288@xxxxxx

> FOOD FOR THOUGHT
>
> I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to
> return a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage
> truck for the past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room
> while watching television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the
> drive.
>
> Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for
> testing purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a
> reboot (I always do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet!
> The drive had previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the
> stops. What a noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and
> found that one Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses
> within 1/2 hour after booting up.
>
> Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that
> started my main hard drive going spastic.

I don't see how that is possible. I would still be very suspicious of
the harddrive. Thrashing can be software related, but doesn't quite
reach "garbage truck" level - not like defective bearings would.

It sounded like a small metal can with a few nuts and bolts in it being
shaken.

I removed Avast and it has been quiet for hours. Some kind of interaction
with the particular hardware in my system I suspect. I am waiting to see if
it starts up again.

I still have the RMA. I was not going to do a cross ship.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"FromTheRafters" <erratic @nomail.afraid.org> wrote in message
news:%23DqssOG9JHA.4176@xxxxxx

> "Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:uWHAucE9JHA.288@xxxxxx

>> FOOD FOR THOUGHT
>>
>> I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return
>> a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
>> past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
>> television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.
>>
>> Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
>> purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
>> do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
>> previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
>> noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
>> Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
>> booting up.
>>
>> Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started
>> my main hard drive going spastic.

>
> I don't see how that is possible. I would still be very suspicious of the
> harddrive. Thrashing can be software related, but doesn't quite reach
> "garbage truck" level - not like defective bearings would.
>

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:utXpRXG9JHA.288@xxxxxx

> It sounded like a small metal can with a few nuts and bolts in it being
> shaken.
>
> I removed Avast and it has been quiet for hours. Some kind of interaction
> with the particular hardware in my system I suspect. I am waiting to see
> if it starts up again.
>
> I still have the RMA. I was not going to do a cross ship.
>
> --
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Desktop Experience
>
>
> "FromTheRafters" <erratic @nomail.afraid.org> wrote in message
> news:%23DqssOG9JHA.4176@xxxxxx

>> "Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:uWHAucE9JHA.288@xxxxxx

>>> FOOD FOR THOUGHT
>>>
>>> I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return
>>> a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
>>> past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
>>> television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.
>>>
>>> Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
>>> purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I
>>> always do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
>>> previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
>>> noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
>>> Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour
>>> after booting up.
>>>
>>> Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started
>>> my main hard drive going spastic.

>>
>> I don't see how that is possible. I would still be very suspicious of the
>> harddrive. Thrashing can be software related, but doesn't quite reach
>> "garbage truck" level - not like defective bearings would.
>>

>

Avast will scan every file (of monitored types) that is being read or
written so something else could be accessing the drive and Avast would just
be responding normally to that activity. When I notice apparently
inexplicable AV activity I activate Avast's detailed info option for the
relevant on-access scanning module, on the Advanced tab under Customize. It
can at least identify the files being scanned and their location. OTOH
whatever was causing it may have completed what it wanted to do while your
AV was uninstalled, so the symptom might never happen again. ;-)