hdd light on case flashing every 1-2 seconds

[graysky]

I just did a clean install of XP and have noticed that the hdd light on the case is flashing every 1-2 seconds. I ran filemon, but the flashing does not correspond to the data getting logged. The light flashes while filemon doesn't report any activity at all.

This is driving me crazy. Can anyone suggest another program I can use to monitor which applications are accessing the disc to troubleshoot this?

Link to a youtube video of the case/hdd light next to the monitor running filemon. You can see the light blinking without data getting logged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYbRfrDN1ME

Edited November 14, 2009 by graysky

[uid0]

Have you tried turning off the default exclusions like explorer.exe? I'm guessing it's indexing.

[graysky]

Yeah indexing is off... I found through googling that autoplay is a cause of this and I switching it off had no effect either... reinstall?

[cluberti]

Any particular reason you're running filemon and not process monitor, which catches and reports many different types of data? Also, note that in XP a lot of disk writes are done as "lazy" writes, meaning the call to write the file may have happened in the past, but the data flush is getting committed to disk later (which filemon wouldn't catch, but process monitor should).

[GrofLuigi]

Top 5 offenders from my experience:

1. Autoplay (not autorun, kill it in hklm/system/ccs/services/cdrom/autorun=0)

2. WMI (disable the service and live with the consequences)

3. DHCP (set static address, disable the service; some activity still remains if icon is left in tray)

4. Network Location awareness (disable the service and live with few benign issues)

5. Wireless service (no cure).

Assuming the usual suspects (indexing, virus/antivirus) are out of question.

GL

[Sl@y3D for my n@me]

That is normal. My old 98 machine used to do the same thing. As does my desktop, running either Windows XP Home Edition or Windows 7. All computers I have come across do the same thing. I might suggest unplugging the hard drive indicator light - I can see why that would be annoying. Remember that you would still be able to hear the HDD if you needed to find out when it's reading/writing.

[graysky]

Thanks for the replies, all. I ended-up doing a clean installation and the problem was magically cured. I dunno what caused it and am hoping I don't see it again.