Blinking HDD light eveery 2 -3 seconds

[rirusstek2]

Have installed a DP55WG with a I7 860 and a Radeon 4850 with a 640 HDD. Windows 7 Ultimate. 8GB memory

Everything running real good after built.

the only concern I have is the Activity (red) light that briefly blinks every 2 - 3 seconds and so does the SATA drive activity LED (blue).

After installing Win7 and noticing this I ran ProcMon and got these results

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9168/activityqz.jpg

but after running it several times the results varied too much for me to be able to pinpoint some issue that could be causing this activity of the HDD.

I clean reinstalled W7, the brief blinks continued, this without installing anything else, not even internet, I got this:

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/8536/promonvirgenw7.jpg

I then got another HDD and clean installed (single HDD by itself) Windows XP pro and the blinking was the same, again without installing any additional programs or Internet I got this:

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/32/regmonitorxp.jpg

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thank you.


note: There is no blinking when Using the setup menus (F2)

---
I partially placed this question in another post for Windows XP, but after considering I believe it is a hardware/ issue.

 

[smah]

unplug the light

Seriously though, unplug your CD/DVD drive & see if that stops the activity.

 

[xwb]

Is this the later version of procmon (with filemon integrated) or the earlier version of procmon. If it is the earlier version, run filemon with it - that will tell you what files it is accessing.

Also, do you have Java installed? If you do, switch off the updates.

 

[rirusstek2]

Seriously though, unplug your CD/DVD drive & see if that stops the activity.

Well, this did it, I unplugged both DVD drives and it stops.

I really did think about just unplugging the led, but I'll always know !!!!


OK now, what to do, I can't have the drives disconnected, or can I.

Hope you have another solution. Thank you.



--
I don't have Java installed. I will look for filemon and run it.

Thank you.

 

[kjv1611]

Well, you there must be something running constantly checking those drives. Look for any processes related to disk burning, image building, "quiet" optical drives, etc. May even be a setting in your BIOS settings causing it.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[goombawaho]

Why don't you run Process Explorer and take a snapshot/screenshot of what's running and post that picture for us to see.

And/Or a HijackThis log.

 

[smah]

I've seen it before (that's how I guessed where to look), and I don't know of any solution other than to replace the drive. Remember, your the drive activity led on the case flashes for all drives - the hard drives & optical drives. Your hard drive probably isn't doing anything.

 

[rirusstek2]

I have two SATA Drives and I unplugged both and the blinking stopped, then I plugged just one and it started the blinking. then unplugged that one and just plugged the other, same blinking. So, the screen shot is with both of them connected.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/333/procesex1d.jpg

I'll go into the BIOS and see if anything that might change the search.

Thanks.

 

[rirusstek2]

The SATA drives mentioned are the Optical Drives

 

[smah]

As it has occurred with several OS's, I doubt that it has anything to do with the OS. However, have you checked to see if happens in Safe Mode? Does it continue if you have cd's in both drives?

 

[goombawaho]

What I see right away (and the only thing I see that I don't like) is the Microsoft Search Indexing that is running.

Both items in RED - Windows Desktop Search. I would disable indexing and see if it makes a difference. This service is notorious for slowing your PC down due to frequent disk activity.

Disable indexing and see:

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/69564-index-enable-disable.html

 

[kjv1611]

Just to make sure I'm not missing something...

As it has occurred with several OS's

How do you know this is occurring with multiple OS's?

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[gbaughma]

The blinking light is the autoplay feature of Windows, looking at the CD/DVD drive to see if it's got a drive mounted.

It's not uncommon, and it's not hurting anything. But I'll bet you a dollar if you turn off Autoplay on the drives, the problem will stop. (Of course, it won't autoplay any more).



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[rirusstek2]

Ok, this is what I have done !!!

First, the movie of the blinking lights with the Optical drives connected, everything off, internet - internet security, MS Search indexing, Autoplay.

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/773/withoptdriv.mp4

Then, still with everything off, BUT with the Optical Drives UNplugged (both SATA cable & Power).

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/6882/withoutoptdriv.mp4

After the wituout optical drive "movie" ends it pretty much stays "calm" as the ending.

Does about the same in Safe Mode.

Interesting??? No?

Thank you for all your inputs !!!

 

[kjv1611]

Since the video is showing the disk activity light on your system, not the optical drive lights, I'm thinking it's b/c you've got something all the time running with Windows, regardless of all the other stuff you listed.

I don't think it's a big deal. Also, newer versions of Windows, more features, and therefore more activity.

Besides that, another possibility, I suppose, could be something wrong with the cable leading to the activity LED, or possibly it's plugged into the wrong spot on your mobo, or plugged in backwards? With a custom system, that's easy to do.

Personally, I'd say if it bothers you, just disconnect the HDD activity LED and let it be. If you ever need it for something, you can always reconnect it.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[gbaughma]

Well, this did it, I unplugged both DVD drives and it stops.

Then, still with everything off, BUT with the Optical Drives UNplugged (both SATA cable & Power).

You're contradicting yourself. You said it STOPS when you unplugged the optical drives, then later you said it still does it when you unplugged the optical drives.

Hard to diagnose a problem that way.

Ummm... the question is, why is it a problem?

Perhaps Windows is just checking file versions of whatever for automatic updates? If you just let the computer sit for a while, does it stop on its own?



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[rirusstek2]

Since the video is showing the disk activity light on your system, not the optical drive lights, I'm thinking it's b/c you've got something all the time running with Windows, regardless of all the other stuff you listed.

That is why I Clean Installed Win7 and WinXP to test it out and the blinking was about the same.

Well guys, maybe and since I was previously using Win XP on a oooold system and not used to the new Windows 7 and the new Intel DP55 Chipset-I7, etc., and this is "normal" behavior.

I have checked the connection to the LED and it is in the right position, also, it has NO activity when on idle in SETUP.

gbaughma, I probably wrote it a bit confusing, when I said:

First, the movie of the blinking lights with the Optical drives connected, everything off, internet - internet security, MS Search indexing, Autoplay.

I should have said "everything ELSE off", sorry !!


--

Perhaps Windows 7 is just checking file versions of whatever for automatic updates? If you just let the computer sit for a while, does it stop on its own?

That is my concern! If I leave the PC idling it does keep that sporadic blinking until it goes to screen saver then to sleep. (30 min).

Like I said Before, Maybe I'm not used to Windows 7 behavior and it is "normal", I just thought I would ask the great people that have so many good answers and solutions here in Tek-Tips.

 

[PRPhx]

Hmmm.. It's probably a combination of services and/or programs you have running. In addition, those services/programs could be writing to your swap file (if you have one).

Also, do you have any gadgets running? Those all require memory. I have a weather gadget that goes out to the internet on a constant basis. This requires resources. I also have gadgets to monitor cpu and memory useage. They require resources. IOW, the activity you are seeing is probably normal activity. Open the tas kmanager. How much activity do you see from your cpu(s)? Probably not much.

 

[rirusstek2]

do you have any gadgets running?

That is the funny thing, I have CLEAN Installed WinXP and Win7 and the blinking is there without installing any additional programs or gadgets; it only "calms down" when I disconnect the optical drives.

 

[gbaughma]

You know, in thinking about this further.....

My HDD light doesn't activate when I access my DVD.

However, I have seen computers that DO use the HDD light when there is CD/DVD access.

It is normal for a CD/DVD drive to check every few seconds to see if a disc is inserted; it's seeing if there's anything to mount.

I wonder if trying a different optical drive might solve the problem? I'm really leaning more towards hardware than software.

The other thing you can try to do is boot to a DOS o/s (from a floppy or whatever)... take windows out of the picture. (You could boot MemTest86 or something....) See if the light still flashes.

For that matter, does the light flicker when you're, say, in the BIOS setup? That would tell you if it's a hardware "feature" or a windows "feature".



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com