High HDD Activity after Startup

[Guest]

After I have logged into my account, I have my statup entries load fine.
After AVG and MSN etc have loaded, the HDD activity seems to be constant for
2-3 minutes afterwards. During this time, if I look at the Reliability and
Performance Monitor for Disk, I see loads of files randomly on there, like
system files, some program files like Office and the odd document I have. The
IO priority is Background during this time. After 2-3 minutes, the HDD
activity goes back down to normal which is every few seconds it would flash a
little. The IO status would change to Normal and the number of files that are
being monitored by the HDD drops a lot.

What is this? It happened when I start the computer, just after the startup
entries have loaded. I don't remember this happening before.

I tried making this question topic before but couldn't see the post so I
re-wrote it, if people have responded in the other and it actually exists,
then ignore this.

 

[Lord Takyon]

After I have logged into my account, I have my statup entries load fine.
After AVG and MSN etc have loaded, the HDD activity seems to be constant
for
2-3 minutes afterwards. During this time, if I look at the Reliability and
Performance Monitor for Disk, I see loads of files randomly on there, like
system files, some program files like Office and the odd document I have.
The
IO priority is Background during this time. After 2-3 minutes, the HDD
activity goes back down to normal which is every few seconds it would
flash a
little. The IO status would change to Normal and the number of files that
are
being monitored by the HDD drops a lot.

What is this? It happened when I start the computer, just after the
startup
entries have loaded. I don't remember this happening before.

I tried making this question topic before but couldn't see the post so I
re-wrote it, if people have responded in the other and it actually exists,
then ignore this.

I would say this is just Vista loading the RAM up etc.... with the
SuperFetch stuff. This is a good thing.

 

[Guest]

I found that Windows Defender is set to do a quick scan at 2 am so it may be
because of that. I disabled it but I am not sure if it is the real reason. I
will turn off and on machine later and see. Otherwise, I am not sure, maybe
it is prefetch but it does it every time.

 

[Lord Takyon]

I found that Windows Defender is set to do a quick scan at 2 am so it may
be
because of that. I disabled it but I am not sure if it is the real reason.
I
will turn off and on machine later and see. Otherwise, I am not sure,
maybe
it is prefetch but it does it every time.

It would have too, RAM is volatile and loses all data stored when the power
is removed. TBH I would not worry about it, my copy does this, as do all
the others I have seen so far.

 

[Ian D]

You can use Process Monitor to see what's going on.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/FileAndDisk/processmonitor.mspx

 

[Guest]

It doesn't seem to be Defender now.

It still happenas every time windows finishes loading and it happened very
briefly again a few minutes later but for shorter period of time.

A screen shot: http://www.tezmania.com/mypc/start.jpg
Hundeds of things like the above show in that and then suddently after 2-3
mins, the IO Priority drops to Normal and then the number goes down gradually.

 

[Charlie Tame]

It doesn't seem to be Defender now.

It still happenas every time windows finishes loading and it happened very
briefly again a few minutes later but for shorter period of time.

A screen shot: http://www.tezmania.com/mypc/start.jpg
Hundeds of things like the above show in that and then suddently after 2-3
mins, the IO Priority drops to Normal and then the number goes down gradually.

Double click "Computer" and right click>properties for the drive(s).

If "Index this drive for faster searching" is checked try unchecking that.

This screwed my system pretty badly so worth a try. Please post back if
there's any improvement so others can benefit.

Charlie

 

[Rock]

It doesn't seem to be Defender now.

It still happenas every time windows finishes loading and it happened very
briefly again a few minutes later but for shorter period of time.

A screen shot: http://www.tezmania.com/mypc/start.jpg
Hundeds of things like the above show in that and then suddently after 2-3
mins, the IO Priority drops to Normal and then the number goes down
gradually.

That looks normal. It's probably superfetch working. If you want track it
down further, get take the PID for the svchost processes accessing the
files, open task manager locate the svchost by PID, right click, Go to
service(s). That will show the services running under those instances of
svchost. Track it down from there.

 

[Guest]

When I first got the machine, I unticked "Index my files for faster searching".
I tracked the PID down to 980 mostly and 896.

980 had:
Superfetch
Portable Desktop Manager Session Manager
Portable Device Emumerator Service
Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework

896 had:
Windows Defender

I timed it and after around 2 and a half minutes, the HDD activity goes down
to normal and then the processes change from IO Background to Normal and then
most of the processes go.

 

[Guest]

Sorry ignore that, I missed out a few on the 980 one. Here the full post
again with the correct services.

When I first got the machine, I unticked "Index my files for faster
searching".
I tracked the PID down to 980 mostly and 896.

980 had:
Superfetch
Portable Desktop Manager Session Manager
Portable Device Emumerator Service
Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework
Program Compatibility Assistant Service
Network Connections
Windows Audio Endpoint Builder

896 had:
Windows Defender

I timed it and after around 2 and a half minutes, the HDD activity goes down
to normal and then the processes change from IO Background to Normal and then
most of the processes go.

 

[Charlie Tame]

Sorry ignore that, I missed out a few on the 980 one. Here the full post
again with the correct services.

When I first got the machine, I unticked "Index my files for faster
searching".
I tracked the PID down to 980 mostly and 896.

980 had:
Superfetch
Portable Desktop Manager Session Manager
Portable Device Emumerator Service
Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework
Program Compatibility Assistant Service
Network Connections
Windows Audio Endpoint Builder

896 had:
Windows Defender

I timed it and after around 2 and a half minutes, the HDD activity goes down
to normal and then the processes change from IO Background to Normal and then
most of the processes go.

Then try removing / disabling Windows Defender. Have heard a few suggest
that it can cause problems - may depend on your installation I suppose.

Sorry if this is a bit lame, but I've had a few drive mysteries that
defy explanation, then just go away One tries to avoid doing anything
too drastic, too soon

 

[Guest]

It isn't Windows Defender that is the problem.
It is more about the Prefetching or the other processes are.

Do you have this 2-3 min hard disk activity after startup.

 

[Charlie Tame]

Maybe not, but it certainly has been a problem on a couple of machines
here - and it's not a real difficult one to eliminate and reinstall.

 

[Guest]

Well, do you have this 2-3 mins of constant HDD activity after startup?

 

[Guest]

After testing each of those services, I have found it to be:

Superfetch
Windows Defender

The above two processes are the cause for the 2-3 min constant HDD activity
after startup. I have them enabled again but not sure why it is doing this
every startup. Does anyone else get this?

 

[Rock]

After testing each of those services, I have found it to be:

Superfetch
Windows Defender

The above two processes are the cause for the 2-3 min constant HDD
activity
after startup. I have them enabled again but not sure why it is doing this
every startup. Does anyone else get this?

Yes. Superfetch is loading RAM. In it's default configuration Defender is
set to monitor real time access. My system is sluggish for the first couple
of minutes too.

 

[Guest]

It is very annoying to hear 2-3 mins of constant hard disk noise after startup.
I swear Superfetch isn't mean to use constant HDD every single startup -
does everyone have this?

 

[Rock]

It is very annoying to hear 2-3 mins of constant hard disk noise after
startup.
I swear Superfetch isn't mean to use constant HDD every single startup -
does everyone have this?

Yes Superfetch runs at each startup to populate RAM. The drive on which
Vista is installed in this system isn't noisy so it's not bothersome.

 

[Guest]

How long does the activity last for on yours?
Also, How long have you had Vista?
I was told somewhere else that it learns your usage patterns and it might
calm down afew a few weeks but I don't know if this will happen.

 

[Rock]

How long does the activity last for on yours?
Also, How long have you had Vista?
I was told somewhere else that it learns your usage patterns and it might
calm down afew a few weeks but I don't know if this will happen.

Been using Vista Ultimate since it went RTM in November. It's sluggish for
the first 2 minutes or so. I have watched it with Performance monitor to
see the progression. I just login, fire up the apps I need, go fill my
coffee and when I return things are fine. Even if I'm sitting at the
computer during that time I can still do things. It doesn't bother me.

Yes superfetch improves performance the more consistent you in in what you
run, but still superfetch has to load RAM at startup. That's what gives the
increased performance later on.