What the Tech?! Free tech support Archive
This is a read-only archive. No new posts or registrations. Privacy Page
Discussion

HDD Spin Up Down

3 min read

This thread's last reply is from . Advice, software, and links below may be out of date — treat specific steps and download links with caution.

Post #1
I'm posting here because I'm not sure which forum this question should be in. I'm running XP and want to know how to make the HDD spin all the time. It spins up and down constantly. I can hear it spin down and then almost immediately spin up again. Can some one please help?
Post #2

I'm posting here because I'm not sure which forum this question should be in.

I'm running XP and want to know how to make the HDD spin all the time. It spins up and down constantly. I can hear it spin down and then almost immediately spin up again. Can some one please help?


it will spin for so long, and then if no read requests, it will spin-down.

How much RAM do you have ?

ctrl-alt-del and open the Task Manager, click the -performance- tab

what is total commit charge =

what is PFusage =

what is Total Physical Memory =

Tallon41
Post #3
How much RAM do you have ? 1.37 GB —————- Right after a reboot: what is total commit charge = 308244 what is PFusage = 298 MB what is Total Physical Memory = 1439304 —————— After connecting to the internet while running AOL browser and IE browser (I don't like AOL but have to use it to connect) what is total commit charge = 382196 what is PFusage = 373 MB what is Total Physical Memory = same as above ———————– Last year I was having a similar problem on a different machine. I came across a (XP trick/tip) that allowed me to change a single registry value that caused the HDD to spin all the time. This helped a great deal, but I can not remember where I read it and now I can not find any info on how to do this. I sent hours googling different phrases such as: HDD spin, Spinup, Spindown, Controling Spin on HDDs, etc… I found many articles saying it can be done, but none said how to do it.
Post #4

Last year I was having a similar problem on a different machine. I came across a (XP trick/tip) that allowed me to change a single registry value that caused the HDD to spin all the time. This helped a great deal, but I can not remember where I read it and now I can not find any info on how to do this. I sent hours googling different phrases such as: HDD spin, Spinup, Spindown, Controling Spin on HDDs, etc… I found many articles saying it can be done, but none said how to do it.


8^/ did you go into Power management and set the hard drives to 'never' turn off ?

Tallon41
Post #5
No. We have XP Home on this machine, and I think that option is only available in XP Pro. I saw that you could do that with XP Pro from a couple different sites. I'm still looking for the registry location…
Post #6
Hi Steven, Follow Tallon41's advice and set the hard disc to never turn off…etc. It is to be found in XP Home Edition… Have a look in: Start Control Panel Power options and see how you go regards paws
Post #7
Thanks Paws and Tallon. Yes the option is in the Home Edition and was already set to the "Never" shut off option. The HDD still spins up and down like a yo-yo. I'm looking for the Registry setting that causes the HDD to never spin down. Sorry I wasted your time.
Post #10
Thank you both for trying to help, I really do appreciate it. Had I known last year this one was so hard to find, I would have had it tattooed on my arm, lol.