Concerning HD Sentinel

[Robin Bignall]

I know some use HD Sentinel here. Something in Windows 7 keeps changing
the registry and switching off the ability to show HDD performance. The
key is
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Perfdisk\Performance\disable
performance counters

and its default is 1 (disable) and every day I have to reset it to zero.
Any idea why this value will not stick?

 

[Yousuf Khan]

I know some use HD Sentinel here. Something in Windows 7 keeps changing
the registry and switching off the ability to show HDD performance. The
key is
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Perfdisk\Performance\disable
performance counters

and its default is 1 (disable) and every day I have to reset it to zero.
Any idea why this value will not stick?

Weird, have you contacted the HD Sentinel author?

Yousuf Khan

 

[Charlie Hoffpauir]

I know some use HD Sentinel here. Something in Windows 7 keeps changing
the registry and switching off the ability to show HDD performance. The
key is
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Perfdisk\Performance\disable
performance counters

and its default is 1 (disable) and every day I have to reset it to zero.
Any idea why this value will not stick?

My setting is the same. However, I'm not sure what "performance"
you're looking at. Do you mean under the tab Disk Performance? Under
that tab I get a message that real time performance monitoring is not
supported on this disk, and I get that for all my disks. Or do you
mean the graphic under the General tab that incidates performance is
100% and Excellent.

FWIW, my system is Win 7 Pro, 64 bit.

 

[Robin Bignall]

My setting is the same. However, I'm not sure what "performance"
you're looking at. Do you mean under the tab Disk Performance? Under
that tab I get a message that real time performance monitoring is not
supported on this disk, and I get that for all my disks.

This is what I mean, and yes, it IS supported, but it's not activated in
Win 7. Under Disk Performance You should see a URL that eventually
leads you to this (It's in the help as well)
http://www.hdsentinel.com/faq.php#perf It tells you how to set the
counters on.

 

[Robin Bignall]

Weird, have you contacted the HD Sentinel author?

It never occurred to me. If it's switched off, HDS provides a URL
http://www.hdsentinel.com/faq.php#perf
that tells you how to set it on again, by using the diskperf command
and, if necessary, switching it on in the registry.
In order to have it permanently on you can remove the 'disable' line
item from the registry completely. This I have done, but rebooting puts
it back again. I never heard that Windows 7 changes its registry like
this, and if it does, there's little the HDS author can do about it.
This is weird!

 

[VanguardLH]

I know some use HD Sentinel here. Something in Windows 7 keeps changing
the registry and switching off the ability to show HDD performance. The
key is
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Perfdisk\Performance\disable
performance counters

and its default is 1 (disable) and every day I have to reset it to zero.
Any idea why this value will not stick?

Haven't use HDS. When you run PerfMon (perfmon.msc) and right-click on
the graph pane to add counters, do you get any results when you enable
counters under the PhysicalDisk category? The FAQ you mention refers to
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998009.aspx (which
discusses server editions of Windows) and mentions using PerfMon to
check if the OS can detect those counters (which is what I mentioned).
If PerfMon can't detect the counters then HDS won't, either.

Is the Performance Log and Alerts not Disabled (i.e., set to Manual)?
Is the WMI service set to Automatic start and currently running. As I
recall, WMI is one method of accessing performance counter data. HDS
doesn't say if it uses raw mode or WMI.

Is this for internal HDDs (going to the motherboard controllers or to a
daughtercard)? Or for external HDDs via USB? Is this a RAID setup?
How old are the HDDs? SATA or IDE (and if IDE then did you *not* use
cable select)?

Exctrlst.exe: Extensible Performance Counter List
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc737958(WS.10).aspx

found in the Resource Kit (Windows 2000 should do for you) available
separately at:

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/ResKit/win2000/

or you can get it as part of the Windows XP SP-2 Support Tools package
at:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=18546

If you sort by Services, you should see PerfDisk listed. When you
select PerfDisk, the "Performance Counters Enabled" option should be
checked (enabled).

You never mentioned WHICH edition of HDS that you have. If the free
(trial) version, doesn't it disable or cripple itself after 30 days? If
you paid for it then why aren't you asking their support crew for help?
They have forums at http://www.hdsentinel.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3.
To contact them, see http://www.hdsentinel.com/about.php.

 

[Robin Bignall]

Haven't use HDS. When you run PerfMon (perfmon.msc) and right-click on
the graph pane to add counters, do you get any results when you enable
counters under the PhysicalDisk category?
YES.

The FAQ you mention refers to
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998009.aspx (which
discusses server editions of Windows) and mentions using PerfMon to
check if the OS can detect those counters (which is what I mentioned).
If PerfMon can't detect the counters then HDS won't, either.

Yes it can.

Is the Performance Log and Alerts not Disabled (i.e., set to Manual)?
Is the WMI service set to Automatic start and currently running. As I
recall, WMI is one method of accessing performance counter data. HDS
doesn't say if it uses raw mode or WMI.

WMI is automatic.

Is this for internal HDDs (going to the motherboard controllers or to a
daughtercard)? Or for external HDDs via USB? Is this a RAID setup?
How old are the HDDs? SATA or IDE (and if IDE then did you *not* use
cable select)?

Internal, SSD and HDD. Performance of USB disks cannot be shown.

Exctrlst.exe: Extensible Performance Counter List
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc737958(WS.10).aspx

found in the Resource Kit (Windows 2000 should do for you) available
separately at:

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/ResKit/win2000/

or you can get it as part of the Windows XP SP-2 Support Tools package
at:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=18546

If you sort by Services, you should see PerfDisk listed. When you
select PerfDisk, the "Performance Counters Enabled" option should be
checked (enabled).

You never mentioned WHICH edition of HDS that you have. If the free
(trial) version, doesn't it disable or cripple itself after 30 days? If
you paid for it then why aren't you asking their support crew for help?
They have forums at http://www.hdsentinel.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3.
To contact them, see http://www.hdsentinel.com/about.php.

I'll try the support forums, but this is weirder than I thought.
When that registry entry I mentioned is set to 0 or removed completely,
HDS Pro shows performance data perfectly for internal disks. OK.
Tonight, I *hibernated* the PC while I had my dinner. When I restarted,
Windows somehow had *replaced* that registry key and set it back to
"disabled". I thought registry changes are permanent. How in hell is
that happening?

 

[VanguardLH]

WMI is automatic.

But is it running? If not, can you manually start it?

Internal, SSD and HDD. Performance of USB disks cannot be shown.

Does that mean the internal (SSD and HDD) do show performance data so
it's just the external USB-connected HDD that does not? HDS' FAQ
mentions why USB-connected drives won't present performance data.

If the HDD is old then it won't have performance data to retrieve. This
is noted in the HDS FAQ.

When that registry entry I mentioned is set to 0 or removed
completely, HDS Pro shows performance data perfectly for internal
disks. OK. Tonight, I *hibernated* the PC while I had my dinner.
When I restarted, Windows somehow had *replaced* that registry key
and set it back to "disabled".

Same thing happen when you put the computer into Standby power mode
(instead of hibernate which removes power)?

Are you seeing any WMI/WinMgmt errors in the Event Viewer?

I thought registry changes are permanent. How in hell is that
happening?

They are permanent until something else changes them. You could try
using SysInternals' ProcMon to monitor that registry key to see what
changes data items under it. It that doesn't help to troubleshoot to
the culprit making the change, you could right-click on that registry
key and change permissions (to remove yourself, Everyone, and all others
[except System if it's assigned privileges]).

The PerfDisk under the CurrentVersion\Services key is a service but not
listed by services.msc or sc.exe probably because it is started by one
of the other listed services, like WinMgmt.

According to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266416, you can run
"winmgmt /resyncperf" or with the /clearadap switch. It's also possible
there is a registration error for the PerfDisk service so you have to
use the /unregserver switch and then the /regserver switch. You should
save an image backup beforehand.

As asked before, did you check if exctrlst.exe showed the various
Physical Disk counters as enabled for data collection?

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

I'll try the support forums, but this is weirder than I thought.
When that registry entry I mentioned is set to 0 or removed completely,
HDS Pro shows performance data perfectly for internal disks. OK.
Tonight, I *hibernated* the PC while I had my dinner. When I restarted,
Windows somehow had *replaced* that registry key and set it back to
"disabled". I thought registry changes are permanent. How in hell is
that happening?

As a test try disabling all anti-spyware and anti-virus programs and see
if the registry problems go away.

Some of them have been known to try and protect the registry and might
just be trying to "fix" things in the background on you.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

It never occurred to me. If it's switched off, HDS provides a URL
http://www.hdsentinel.com/faq.php#perf
that tells you how to set it on again, by using the diskperf command
and, if necessary, switching it on in the registry.
In order to have it permanently on you can remove the 'disable' line
item from the registry completely. This I have done, but rebooting puts
it back again. I never heard that Windows 7 changes its registry like
this, and if it does, there's little the HDS author can do about it.
This is weird!

The reason I said to contact the HD Sentinel author, Janos, is that he
hears a lot of weird stories like this, and he might know what's causing
this to happen, not necessarily that it's HD Sentinel that's causing
this (which I doubt that it is).

Yousuf Khan

 

[Yousuf Khan]

As a test try disabling all anti-spyware and anti-virus programs and see
if the registry problems go away.

Some of them have been known to try and protect the registry and might
just be trying to "fix" things in the background on you.

I second that suggestion. Anti-malware programs sometimes are "too" helpful.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Robin Bignall]

The reason I said to contact the HD Sentinel author, Janos, is that he
hears a lot of weird stories like this, and he might know what's causing
this to happen, not necessarily that it's HD Sentinel that's causing
this (which I doubt that it is).

I doubt it, too. There's nothing wrong with HDS. When it can see the
counters it displays them. I suspect maybe another service is
interfering. I noticed, for example, that the default for WMI (Windows
management Instrumentation) is 'manual'. This seems to have something
to do with data collection for devices. I made it automatic, and when I
booted just now the HDS disk info was displayed. I put a post on HDS
forum and will follow up later.

 

[Robin Bignall]

But is it running? If not, can you manually start it?


Does that mean the internal (SSD and HDD) do show performance data so
it's just the external USB-connected HDD that does not? HDS' FAQ
mentions why USB-connected drives won't present performance data.

Yes and yes.

If the HDD is old then it won't have performance data to retrieve. This
is noted in the HDS FAQ.

Mine are all less than 3 years old; all the internals show performance
properly.

Same thing happen when you put the computer into Standby power mode
(instead of hibernate which removes power)?

Don't know, I don't use 'sleep'.

Are you seeing any WMI/WinMgmt errors in the Event Viewer?

Only from a different WMI that has something to do with SQL.

I thought registry changes are permanent. How in hell is that
happening?

They are permanent until something else changes them. You could try
using SysInternals' ProcMon to monitor that registry key to see what
changes data items under it. It that doesn't help to troubleshoot to
the culprit making the change, you could right-click on that registry
key and change permissions (to remove yourself, Everyone, and all others
[except System if it's assigned privileges]).

That's a good idea. I'll look at it if I have more trouble.

The PerfDisk under the CurrentVersion\Services key is a service but not
listed by services.msc or sc.exe probably because it is started by one
of the other listed services, like WinMgmt.

According to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266416, you can run
"winmgmt /resyncperf" or with the /clearadap switch. It's also possible
there is a registration error for the PerfDisk service so you have to
use the /unregserver switch and then the /regserver switch. You should
save an image backup beforehand.

As asked before, did you check if exctrlst.exe showed the various
Physical Disk counters as enabled for data collection?

Perfmon can see all the disks. HDS is showing the data so far today and
the registry survived through a reboot.

 

[Robin Bignall]

I second that suggestion. Anti-malware programs sometimes are "too" helpful.

The disk performance display is working today, after a couple of
reboots. I have Kaspersky Pure and I'm not turning that off. I
occasionally run SAS, but not in the past week. I'll do it now to see
if anything happens.

 

[VanguardLH]

Don't know, I don't use 'sleep'.

Go into power options. Instead of having the Power button go into
hibernate mode, have it go into sleep mode. If you have the power
options go into a low-power mode after some configured time, change it
to go into sleep (standby) mode.

Which version of HDS are you using?

 

[VanguardLH]

I noticed, for example, that the default for WMI (Windows
management Instrumentation) is 'manual'. This seems to have something
to do with data collection for devices. I made it automatic, and when I
booted just now the HDS disk info was displayed. I put a post on HDS
forum and will follow up later.

Should be set to Automatic startup mode. Manual means it is available
but something has to call it to get it started. Mine is set to
Automatic. I've never changed it that I recall.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa826517(v=vs.85).aspx
"WMI runs automatically at system startup under the LocalSystem account.
If WMI is not running, it automatically starts when the first management
application or script requests connection to a WMI namespace."

I don't know how HDS uses WMI (via an API or the 'wmic' command or
what). You'd have to ask its author on why HDS doesn't start the WMI
service (if set to Manual startup mode). WMI, to me, is one of those
dark magic things in Windows.

I don't think any security program (e.g., anti-virus) is going to change
the startup mode of the WMI service. Have you ever used a tweaker or
followed instructions on disabling or removing services as part of
making Windows startup faster or reduce memory consumption?

 

[Robin Bignall]

Should be set to Automatic startup mode. Manual means it is available
but something has to call it to get it started. Mine is set to
Automatic. I've never changed it that I recall.

That is probably it, then.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa826517(v=vs.85).aspx
"WMI runs automatically at system startup under the LocalSystem account.
If WMI is not running, it automatically starts when the first management
application or script requests connection to a WMI namespace."

I don't know how HDS uses WMI (via an API or the 'wmic' command or
what). You'd have to ask its author on why HDS doesn't start the WMI
service (if set to Manual startup mode). WMI, to me, is one of those
dark magic things in Windows.

You can say that again. I asked in the Sentinel forum.

I don't think any security program (e.g., anti-virus) is going to change
the startup mode of the WMI service. Have you ever used a tweaker or
followed instructions on disabling or removing services as part of
making Windows startup faster or reduce memory consumption?

No. I have a 4-core 3.6 gig processor which is fast enough without
tweaking Windows for the sort of computing I do.

The registry entry I mentioned has survived several boots today, and the
counters are all displaying in Sentinel. WMI may have cracked it.
Thanks.

 

[Robin Bignall]

:


Go into power options. Instead of having the Power button go into
hibernate mode, have it go into sleep mode. If you have the power
options go into a low-power mode after some configured time, change it
to go into sleep (standby) mode.

Power button goes into shut down. I select 'hibernate' from the list if
I'm leaving the PC for a short while, otherwise I shut down. Boot is
fast enough not to be bothersome with an SSD.

Which version of HDS are you using?

Latest. Pro, version 4.10 (5816). I *always* buy software that I intend
to use often.

 

[RayLopez99]

The disk performance display is working today, after a couple of

reboots. I have Kaspersky Pure and I'm not turning that off. I

occasionally run SAS, but not in the past week. I'll do it now to see

if anything happens.

Wow, all this excitement just to get a performance display working? ;-)

RL

 

[Paul]

Wow, all this excitement just to get a performance display working? ;-)

RL

Yes, but later, if you needed this info for your SSD, you'd
be back here asking about it

You never know what you might coincidentally learn from
one of these threads.

Paul